On 17 I'll just read, verses 17, 18, and 19. This is of course the prayer of our Lord before He enters the Garden of Gethsemane, and He says, speaking to His Father, sanctify them by the truth. Your Word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. Our Father again we ask that you would please send your Holy Spirit among us. May we see Jesus in His saving beauty today. Amen. It was I think the French philosopher Voltaire who first observed that ever since God made man in his own image, man has been trying to return the compliment. That has made humanity in His own image. And yet ever since the fall, the human race has been engaged in a relentless quest to reverse that act, to define God by our image, to fashion God into our likeness. Now of course as Christians we renounce all such things as pagan and idolatrous, but sometimes beloved the errant theological positions we hold reveal that we are not beyond a susceptibility to this tendency. Of likening the God of infinite power and holiness and goodness and wisdom to finite and fall in humanity. This in fact maybe the most definitive expression of our post-modern culture. We think we get to define God. To be more to the point the religion of post-modernism says this, every person has the right to define God in whatever terms he or she wants. Now again of course as Christians we recoil from this. We say Biblical theism means that God by means of His own self-generated revelation defines Himself. He tells us who He is. Consequently our beliefs are to be shaped by that self-revelation. And of course my friends such a confession is resoundingly orthodox, but you see the integrity of that confession is repudiated when in turn a Christian conveys a disposition such as this. I just can't believe the doctrine of total depravity.
I just can't believe the doctrine of unconditional election. Now sometimes to be sure such a claim is a consequence of a lack of instruction. Other times however such a claim is the consequence of a lack of humility. Sometimes you see the issue is not that a person lacks adequate information. It's that a person lacks the will to embrace it because it does not meet his or her criteria of truth. And at that point you see in the sarcasm of Voltaire we've sought to return the compliment. We've attempted to make God an image bearer of ourselves. Our prayer over the last couple of weeks has been a request for God to move us in the very opposite direction. Lord help us to think like Christians we prayed. Which at the end of the day you see friends is not merely a request for the truth, but a prayer for the necessary humility to embrace the truth, especially at those very moments when the truth poses a threat to our preconceptions of what ought to be right and what ought to be wrong. Now this morning we come to what is arguably the most controversial of the doctrines of grace. We come to the L in the tulip acrostic T for total depravity. You for unconditional election now for this morning the L what has been known traditionally as limited atonement. And I must tell you from the very outset I'm a bit uncomfortable with the L. Not because I disagree with the concept it seeks to represent which to my way of thinking is altogether scriptural but because of the potential misunderstandings that often attend it. And perhaps as we draw things to a close this morning I'll tell you what I mean. But let me for expediency say get right to the heart of the issue by posing a question I said to Al just a few moments ago. I'm convinced if we get the question right we'll get the answer right. If we're precise in the question the answer will become more obvious for whom did Jesus Christ die for whom was Jesus Christ making atonement on the cross or more fully did Jesus Christ in his death provide a potential sacrifice for every man and woman who ever lived lives now or ever will live or in his death did Jesus Christ provide an effectual sacrifice for a specific group of people those whom God had chosen to eternal life. Allow me to get at the same issue by means of a different route by means of another set of questions that ultimately lead us to the same end. What was our Lord Jesus doing in his death on the cross? Was our Lord Jesus Christ actually making redemption reconciliation and propitiation or was He simply making us reconcilable redeemable turning away the wrath of God in our behalf in potential?
Was Jesus Christ doing something on behalf of sinners that actually saved them or was He simply making them save a bull if you were tracking with my line of thinking my friends then you understand exactly what I mean when I say that the million dollar question related to this subject is this how are we to limit the atonement? You say well wait a minute aren't you just made a significant presupposition about me? You assume that I limit the atonement that the only real question it hand is how I limit the atonement and that's exactly right every evangelical limits the atonement. Oh but I must disagree you say if it's the one thing I most certainly do it's not limit the atonement
but let me ask you are there at this present moment people experiencing the realities of eternal condemnation are there people in hell now and in the future will there be people in hell for all of eternity? You say well that brings me no joy to think in these kinds of terms but yes of course there are and there will be and you would be right in your answer but in that answer you've confessed more than you may realize you've acknowledged a limitation in the atoning work of Jesus Christ. You say well there you go again I believe that Jesus Christ died for all people without exception where's the limitation in that? Let me ask you again will some of these people for whom Christ died perish eternally? You say yes some people for whom Christ died will perish eternally then you've just limited the atonement. You've limited it's accomplishment. You see if we acknowledge that not all people will be saved for home we simultaneously assert substitutionary atonement has been made then the only view of the atonement we can be left with is this on the cross no one was actually redeemed only that all people were made redeemable salvation has now been made available to all people but actual for no people all were saved potentially but none were saved actually you make the atonement universal beloved and by natural consequence you are forced to limit its accomplishment because very clearly not all people are saved. John Murray said it like this unless we believe in the final restoration of all mankind we cannot have an unlimited atonement if some of those for whom atonement was made in redemption wrought perish eternally then the atonement is not itself efficacious and in profound opposition to that what I'm saying is when Jesus Christ uttered from the cross that great exclamation of victory take to less die he was not speaking in potentialities but actualities it is finished do you hear mere potential in those words something was accomplished
not redemption made possible not reconciliation made possible not propitiation made possible redemption accomplished reconciliation secured propitiation effected to say it most simply he got what he paid for on behalf of whom for all then why will some perish eternally does the righteous God unjustly require a double payment for sin both the payment of his son and the payment of that of an unrepentant sinner well you say yeah it's because such a person didn't believe God condemns them for the sin of unbelief but I thought the idea was that Jesus Christ paid for all of the sins of all people he said well he paid for every sin of all people except for the sin of unbelief that's it then you've just limited the atonement moreover to suggest such a thing is to say that belief is the one work I contribute to my salvation what the Bible says is this the gift of salvation in full is the purchased accomplishment of Jesus Christ including the saving expressions of repentance and faith that are given to a person otherwise unable to respond to God in any kind of positive fashion dear friends if I believed in an unlimited atonement then I would have to be a universalist I would have to believe that every person who ever lives will ultimately be saved because the one thing that the Bible will not let me do is limit the significance of what was really happening at the cross sinners were redeemed sinners were reconciled God was propitiated the revelation of the word of God forces a choice upon you an atonement of high value or an atonement of light extension did Jesus Christ in his death provide a potential sacrifice for every man and woman who ever lived lives now or ever will live or in his death did Jesus Christ provide an effectual sacrifice for a specific group of people those who God had chosen do eternal life now lest we fashion God into our own image and likeness let's see how the Bible answers this question in fact let's see how Jesus answers this question shall we because most certainly we want to think about the atonement as he does John 17 has been referred to rightly as the high priestly prayer of our Lord the holy of holies Luther calls it in all of the word of God the structure of the prayer is very simple in verses 1 through 5 Jesus praise for himself in verses 6 through 19 Jesus praise for his disciples and finally beginning in verse 20 through verse 26 Jesus expands the boundaries of his prayer to embrace all who will come to believe in him through the message of the apostolic gospel now in this middle section verses 6 through 19 Jesus makes three requests on behalf of his disciples the third of which appears in verses 17 18 and 19 here's the request itself verse 17 sanctify them by the truth your word is true but what does that mean what does Jesus mean by the term sanctify sanctify them well of course it's a term that belongs to a family of words that speak of holiness and as you know friends first and foremost holy is a term often used as an adjective for God himself it's a way of saying that God is set apart that God is distinct from his creation consequently people and things that are uniquely set apart for God are said to be holy or sanctified for example Aaron and his sons were sanctified set apart for a sacred duty to serve God as priests the clothing that they wore in the carrying out of their priestly function was said to be sanctified set apart for that sacred use the altar upon which they would offer sacrifices was sanctified uniquely dedicated to God for that sacred purpose in fact all of the furnishings within the tabernacle and the tabernacle itself were said to be sanctified separate from everything else for the distinct purpose assigned them by God now friends in a few certain other contexts this word carries with it a slightly different nuance a moral and ethical nuance of behavioral new ones but in no way can that be the meaning of the word here because Jesus uses the same word to refer to himself in verse 19 he says for them I sanctify myself is Jesus suggesting that he's about to purify himself that he assumed to take steps to make himself ethically more holy of course he can't mean that here Jesus is sinless rather he is employing the far more common meaning of this term to set apart to God in a special way and for a sacred purpose and to be even more faithful to this text in the context of the entire fourth gospel to sanctify in particular means to be set apart to God for the purpose of mission back in chapter 10 Jesus uses this very language to speak of himself as the one whom the father set apart the father same word sanctified as his very own and sent into the world sanctification for mission well my friends the very same nuances in the words of Jesus here and the next verse makes that obvious look at it the sanctification for which Jesus prays verse 17 is directly related to the sending of these men into the world verse 18 sanctify them by the truth your word is truth and what is the reason for my prayer verse 18 as you sent me into the world I have sent them into the world see Jesus is not saying dear father please infuse a greater quality of actual righteousness into the lives of these men so that they will be more godly as wonderful as that may have been to pray such a thing that's not what Jesus is praying here he is saying set these men apart by your word because of the work that I've called them to for the sacred purpose of sending them into the world it's an astounding request I'd love to take the time to plum its implications but more to the pointed hand all of this beloved this request and the reason for it begs an obvious question on what basis can Jesus make this request of his father it's an astounding request on what basis can Jesus ask it on what grounds because the disciples are such good guys because they really are a cut above everybody else because they've earned this blessing by virtue of their stellar and impeccable commitment on what basis can Jesus make this request the answer is very simple Jesus can ask his father for sanctifying grace on behalf of these men because very soon on the cross he will earn it for them sanctify them by the truth your word is true here's the reason as you sent me into the world I've sent them into the world for them I sanctify myself so that they too may be truly sanctified what does sanctify me to dedicate to God in a special way and for a sacred purpose now let me ask you what was the particular purpose for which Jesus Christ resolutely sets himself apart for them I sanctify myself what is the sacred purpose for which God sent him into the world it is a theme that appears repeatedly through the gospel of John 11 Jesus Christ sets himself apart he sanctifies himself for the cross he dedicates himself to the task of bringing in the saving reign of God by means of his death on the cross for them I sanctify myself so that they too may be truly sanctified the very thing that I prayed for back in verse 17 as you have this all hangs together beloved the sanctification of the disciples by means of the truth that work of divine grace on their hearts and minds essential to the success of the gospel as they go out into the world would succeed only because Jesus secured the basis for this request it was secured by his own act of self-consecration to state it most simply his death purchased the grace he besieges his father to dispense but I want you to now notice something very important according to Jesus for whom does he set himself apart as a sacrificial offering look at it this is an logical deduction for them upera tone for them that preposition upera on behalf of them I sanctify myself and in this context beloved who is the them who is the them in contrast to the same group against which they are contrasted all through this prayer look back at verse 14 I have given them who there they are I have given them your word and the world has hated them see the contrast for they are not of the world anymore than I have of the world my prayer is not that you take them out of the world but you protect them they are not of the world you see the contrast verse 18 I have sent them into the world with whom are the them in contrast the world so let me ask you now does Jesus say for the world I sanctify myself I set myself apart as a sacrificial offering in contra distinction to the world I sanctify myself for them you see the focus you see the intention you see the particularity it's the distinction but what we discovered last lords they in verse two remember a large group smaller group the large group all flesh over whom Jesus exercises authority the smaller group those to whom he gives eternal life and how throughout this prayer does Jesus define this smaller group remember that phrase it repeated itself five times those whom you have given me out of the world same group of people Jesus has in mind when he now says in verse 19 for them I set myself apart as a sacrificial offering for good reason this prayer has been referred to as the high priestly prayer of Jesus Christ Jesus is our high priest but how is this so what were the two functions of the high priest in the Old Testament to pray for the people and to make atonement for the people more over the people for whom the high priest would pray and the people for whom the high priest would make atonement were one and the same the high priest did not on the one hand pray for the people of Israel and then on the other hand enter into the holy of holies and offer an atoning sacrifice for the Amorites the Canaanites the Parasites the Hivites the Hittites those for whom he prayed and those for whom he made atonement were one and the same represented by the 12 stones embedded on the breast piece that he wore 12 stones representing the 12 tribes of Israel the totality of the people of God his two priestly functions then that of making intercession and that of making atonement were co-extensive well you know that the book of Hebrews tells us that all of those Old Testament priests were a foreshadowing of the great and ultimate high priest Jesus Christ more over Hebrews tells us he exercised that dual priestly function in fulfillment of what those previous priests had done only in anticipation he prays and he makes atonement you look at those passages about Jesus being our high priest in the book of Hebrews two functions he prays he makes atonement he prays he makes atonement and just as it was with the Old Testament high priest so too those for whom this high priest praise and those for whom this high priest makes atonement are one and the same to show you that this is not merely logical deduction let me ask you for whom does this high priest Jesus Christ pray verse 19 verse 9 I pray who well there it is for them in fact let me be a little bit more clear I am not praying for the world but for those you have given me he doesn't pray for the world he prays for those who belong to him by way of divine prerogative well my friends the question which begs to be asked is simply this if the functions of this high priest are co-extensive and if Jesus Christ prays only for his own for whom then does he exercise this second priestly function that of making atonement verse 19 for them I sanctify myself so that they too may be truly sanctified did you notice by the way that there is no gap here this is very important those for whom he dies and those who will be truly sanctified are one and the same this was not a potential death but an effectual death which means this beloved if a person attempts to suggest that Jesus Christ died a sacrificial death for the whole world he's left with a monumental problem may it be said of the whole world that they will be truly sanctified you broaden the range of people for whom Jesus dies and you compromise the integrity of what is death accomplishes did Jesus Christ in his death provide a potential sacrifice for every man and woman who ever lived lives now or ever will live or in his death did he provide an effectual sacrifice for a specific group of people those whom God had given to him it is plainly evident that the sacrifice of Jesus here according to his own words is particular and it must be particular for the very reason that it is not potential but effectual it enacts a result isn't it isn't this my friends the very thing that was announced before his birth she will give birth to a son and you were to give him the name Jesus as he will save you her potentiality or actuality his people from their sins Joseph you're to name this boy Yahweh saves why not merely because he will supply a potential salvation for all but because he will effect an actual salvation for some he will save his people you hear the particularity there a particularly a particularity tied to efficacy something is done and how did Jesus say it my friends in John chapter 10 since we're thinking of the words of Jesus I am the good shepherd the good shepherd lays his death life down for very strong construction in the original text V sheep not sheep V sheep a distinct group later called my sheep and I would remind you in the very same conversation what did Jesus say to the Pharisees you are not my sheep I lay down my life for the sheep you hear particularity there and how about the how about the words of Caiaphas remember Caiaphas that wicked high priest he spoke better than he knew when he said to the Sanhedrin it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish that's amazing here's this rank pagan proclaiming the doctrine of substitution but of course John tells us he didn't do this by accident God took a hold of his pagan mouth and spoke through him John writes he did not say this on his own but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation and not only for that nation listen for whom did Christ die but also for the scattered children of God to bring them together and make them one it couldn't be stated anymore clearly friends for whom would Jesus die not only for Jewish people but for a world of sinners that John here defines as the scattered children of God are all people the children of God not according to Jesus he says to the Pharisees you're of your father the devil you hear that particularity and did you notice the particularity tied to efficacy he died for the scattered children of God to do what on their behalf to bring them together and make them one Jew Gentile one new man it's a reference to the body of Christ it's a reference to the church not the world does he make the world one greater love has no one than this that he laid down his life for his friends you hear the narrows his people the sheep children of God his friends you sang it this morning he left his father's throne above so free so infinite his grace humbled himself so great his love and blood for all his chosen race crown him with many crowns who triumphed or the grave who rose victorious from the strife for those he came to say him writers are better theologians than we are I ask you again did Jesus Christ in his death provide a potential sacrifice for every man and woman who ever lived lives now or ever will live or in his death did he provide an effectual sacrifice for a specific group of people those whom God had chosen to eternal life according to the plain and simple words of Jesus his death was particular because it was always intended to be effectual for even the son of man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many and how about at the institution of the Lord supper this is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for
many for the forgiveness of sins it's the atonement according to Jesus what about the atonement according to Paul termeth me Ephesians chapter 5 I'll be much more brief here what about the plain and simple words of Paul in the book of Ephesians Paul is concerned to show how all things ultimately will be brought under the headship of Jesus Christ in a glorious unity and even now Paul says that intention is to express itself in a Christian home now friends you know this text we are well acquainted with it but let me draw your attention now to an aspect of these familiar words that are often overlooked first 25 husbands love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her my friends when Greg and I arrived in Nigeria the first real spiritual conversation we had with the man was with a man who asked us about polygamy you remember that Gray they're at the airport he came up to us and after some initial chit chat he said are you Christians we said yes he seemed to get a smile on his face like oh now I've got you trapped do you love King David he said well yeah we like David so do you love King Solomon said oh yes we like King Solomon he said they had many wives the Bible says we can have many wives David have to had a heart after God's own heart and I said to him well you know it is true that King David had many wives and it is true that the Old Testament law provides directives for men who marry multiple wives but in the progress of revelation when we come to the New Testament and the revelation of God becomes more full we come only in the New Testament to fully understand God's design for marriage namely that one husband and one wife are to reflect the exclusive relationship that exists between Jesus Christ and his one bride the church that's how you deal with polygamy you stay in the Old Testament in your toast love your wives you hear the particularity there do you hear the exclusivity there and why Paul grounds this in a great reason why should a husband love his wife like he loves no other woman because of the model God has given him to emulate just as Christ loved the church and how did Jesus display this love for the church the next line is what we call an epoch-segetical phrase it interprets the prior phrase love your wives just as Christ loved the church how did he love the church by giving him self up for her he gave himself up for her why because he loved her friends this is not rocket science you you should say no it doesn't got love all people yes but does God love all people in exactly the same way not if your name is Esau right some people will perish eternally some people will not we discovered last Lord's day that that lays not in the merits of the specific people involved there's those summer good and summer bad but rather in the electing purposes of God God does not love all people in exactly the same ways to be sure God does some things for all people but that is not to say that God does all things for all people God does all things for some people if Ali can God up here and said you know what I love all of the sisters at Christ community church in the same way I love Darleen you'd run him out on a rail you would not think boy isn't Al magnanimous you would say what's wrong with Al that he doesn't love Darleen more dear friends to say that God loves all people equally is not only an expression of biblical illiteracy in the end such a statement serves to diminish God's love rather than expose the fullness of its intensity God does not do all things for all people God does all things for some people and what's clear here is that corresponding to the sovereign election of the father chapter one versus four and five is the effect she will sacrifice of the sun those chosen by the father now atoned for by Jesus love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her and notice again beloved the particularity is tied to efficacy in other words something happens to these people for whom Christ dies to make her holy cleansing her by the washing with water through the word and to present her to himself as a radiant church without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish but holy and blemless hum hum holy and blemless is that a phrase a combination of words that used anywhere else in the book of Ephesians chapter one verse four God chose us in him before the foundation of the world so that they would be holy and blemless the death of the sun affects the predetermined purpose of the father it's a coordinated effort on the part of father and son something happens to the people for whom he dies they're ultimately finally made holy and blemless can this be said about all people without exception did you hear Connie's song when I think of your love oh God my heart wells up with praise in your son you revealed your love in such expressive ways on the cross in agony he loved sacrificial it will never be denied that Jesus loves his bride but how can you make such a claim if the death Jesus died was intended for all people without exception you can't the intensity of his love is defined by its focus its particularity and that's what the next verse of the song says Christ has loved her exclusively he gave himself for her filthy left for dead was she he found and rescued her graciously he intervenes washes her and makes her clean purifies and covers her a love so undeserved but again I ask you how can you make such a claim if the death Jesus died was intended for all people without exception you can't the intensity of his love is defined by what it accomplishes did Jesus Christ in his death provide a potential sacrifice for every man and woman who ever lived lives now or ever will live or in his death did Jesus provide an effectual sacrifice for a specific group of people those whom the father had chosen to return alive Jesus loved his church and gave himself up for her this is the atonement according to Paul we've seen the atonement according to Jesus finally revelation five how about the atonement according to heaven the atonement according to heaven revelation chapter five in heaven they know who Jesus is in heaven they know what Jesus has accomplished on earth while everything we do is mixed with confusion and error and mistake and controversy perplexity in heaven the theology is perfect okay thank you now here is the scene of the great lion lamb in the very throne room of God and he is surrounded by the living creatures and the elders who are singing of his wordiness verse 9 you are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals because you are slain and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation here are the residents of heaven declaring the accomplishments of Jesus and did you see the particularity that is assigned to his atoning work notice it does not say and with your blood you purchased every tribe and language and people in nation with your blood you purchased men for God this next preposition is called a partitive preposition out of every tribe and language and people and nation and notice the efficacy that is tied to this particular atonement verse 10 you have made them who who's the them the men you purchased for God out of every tribe and language and people in nation you've made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God and they will reign on the earth those for whom he dies those for whom he spills his blood those purchased out of every tribe language tongue and nation he consequently makes to be a kingdom of priests who will reign with him on the newer may this be said of all people without exception but what the revelation of God concerning the atonement is consistent through and through according to Jesus the atonement is limited and the atonement is efficacious according to the Apostle Paul the atonement is limited and it is efficacious according to heaven the atonement is limited and it is efficacious so I ask you again did Jesus Christ in his death provide a potential sacrifice for every man and woman who ever lived lives now or ever will live or in his death did he make did he provide an effectual sacrifice for a specific group of people those whom God had chosen to return a life according to the word of God the atonement is limited because it is effectual on behalf of all gods elect not only those who live on this side of the cross but also of all of the elect who lived prior to the cross which reminds me of a story you remember a man in the Old Testament by the name of Eli was a priest had two boys they became priests but these sons were blasphemous before the living God they used their priestly position as a basis for sexual exploitation and financial profit and Eli the man of God does nothing to restrain them and so to Eli God swears an oath he says through the young boy Samuel the guilt of Eli's house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering did Jesus Christ in his death provide a potential sacrifice for every man and woman who ever lived lives now or ever will live if you answer that question in the affirmative then you need to listen carefully to the words of the living God himself I will never provide an atonement for them God does something here that he rarely ever does friends for a brief instant he takes away the veil that ordinarily hides his secret counsel and he says for them I will never provide an atoning sacrifice why it's obvious because I never intend to forgive them implication all those for whom Christ makes atonement are always ultimately inevitably saved but God does not want the sons of Eli to be saved therefore no atonement will be made for them the atonement is limited because the atonement is always efficacious Jesus redeemed Jesus reconciled Jesus propitiated I want to tell you something beloved don't get the wrong into the stick this emboldens our evangelism it doesn't dissuade it it doesn't compromise it in the least it makes certain that our evangelism will work to be sure I cannot say to an unbeliever Jesus died for you but before you jump on me at that point I would commend you to one thing every evangelistic sermon in the book of Acts never once do we ever read of an apostle saying to an unbeliever Jesus died for you I can't say to a person Jesus Christ died for you in the same way I cannot say to a person the Father elected you neither of these is my business God has not seen fit to reveal his hidden purposes to me but beloved what you must appreciate is the gospel invitation is not God will save you if you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for you the gospel invitation is this the atonement of Jesus Christ is a full atonement sufficient to blind up the sins of any and every sinner who will come to him in repentance and faith you see beloved had God intended to save only one sinner or a billion worlds of sinners Jesus Christ wouldn't have had to suffer one second less or one second more this is the danger in the term limited atonement we offer it universally because it is sufficient to save all whom God intends to save knowing that Jesus died for me is not a condition to being saved it's the consequence of being saved Jesus died for me that is not the essence of effective evangelism it is the experience of authentic assurance
if you are not a Christian this morning I invite you to the crucified and risen Lord who is mighty to save whose crosswork is altogether sufficient and who will never turn away any who will come to him if you are a Christian then know this everything you've ever needed for salvation
Jesus Christ purchased for you on the cross not potentially but effectively guilty vile and helpless we spotless lamb of God was he full atonement can it be hallelujah what a savior