Saved By The Trinity - The Son's Role in Salvation

In the last post, we discussed the Father's role in salvation, which was election. In this post we are going to consider the Son's role in salvation. Christ in His work on the cross shed His blood for the elect, in other words He paid for the sins of God's elect. His death secured our salvation!

The term commonly used to say that Christ died only for the elect is: Limited Atonement. That is what the "L" in TULIP stands for. TULIP is an acronym that stands for the five points of Calvinism, or a summary of the doctrines of grace.

When we say "Limited Atonement," we are not saying that the value of the atonement is limited, rather only its extent or application is. Meaning, Christ died for only the elect, not everyone; but to the elect, the value is not limited, Christ paid it all.

It wasn't just part of the elect's sin that was paid for, but all of it. When the hymn says, "Jesus paid it all" it is correct. Christ did indeed pay it all, but not everyone's sin. The limited extent of the atonement makes sense when we look at it in light of the nature of the atonement.

On the cross, Christ satisfied the wrath of God. All men are sinners, and therefore must pay the penalty for their sin. God is a righteous and just God, and those that sin must have their sin paid for in order to be saved. It was absolute necessary, because God is a just God. He cannot just acquit the sins of the guilty.

There was a need for a perfect substitute to take the place of God's elect. Christ was that substitute. Christ's work on the cross was a propitiation for our sins (Rom. 3:25), it satisfied the wrath of God. Galatians 3:13 says that He "became a curse for us." Since God punished Christ in the place of sinners, He is "just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus" (Rom. 3:26).

Take a look at 2 Corinthians 5:21:

"He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

Christ was the sacrifice for sin on the behalf of believers (Isaiah 53:5). This verse does not mean that Christ became a sinner, but the sacrifice to appease the wrath of God. He did this "so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." Notice the end of all this, or the point, is so that by God's grace the elect can be freely justified in Christ. The 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith says this in Chapter 8, paragraph 5:

"The Lord Jesus, by His perfect obedience and sacrifice of Himself, which He through the eternal Spirit once offered up to God, has fully satisfied the justice of God, procuring reconciliation, and purchased an everlasting inheritance in the kingdom of heaven for all those whom the Father has given unto Him."

When we consider the nature of the atonement, it follows that it must be limited in its extent. On the cross, Christ took the punishment that we deserved. He paid the penalty for the sins of the elect. He was a propitiation for believers, the satisfying of God's wrath. He did not pay the punishment for the sins of those in Hell. If He did, and they are now in Hell paying the punishment for their sins, then Christ's work on the cross is not sufficient.

When it is considered in light of the Father's election, it is more confirmation that the atonement must be limited in its extent. If the Father elected a certain number of people to be saved, according to His will, then the Son went to the cross to secure the salvation of those people whom the Father elected.

Like we said, God cannot just acquit the sins of those whom He elected, for then He would not be just. A proper sacrifice and propitiation for our sins must be made on our behalf, a perfect substitute, so that He could justify the guilty yet still remain just. We are freely justified in Christ because of His perfect sacrifice.

It follows that Christ went to the cross with a purpose. Not to make salvation possible for everyone, but to secure the salvation of the elect. To take the place of God's elect, and bear the wrath of God and take the punishment in their place. To be the perfect substitute and propitiation for their sins.

The Word of God also affirms the limited extent of the atonement. Consider Matthew 26:28:

"for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins."

For whom was Christ's blood shed for? It was "poured out for many," not for everyone. We see in this verse that the extent of the atonement is limited.

John 17:2:

"even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life."

The phrase, "all whom You have given Him," is a reference to God choosing a certain group of people to be saved, according to His will. This helps us better understand the verse. To whom is Christ giving eternal life to? He is giving eternal life "to all whom" the Father has given Him, in other words, the elect!

John 10:15:

 "even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep."

The sheep are believers (Matt. 25:33-40). Christ in the previous verse said that He is the good shepherd, and He lays down His life for the sheep. In other words, He lays down His life for believers! Christ died for believers!

Matthew 1:21:

"She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.""

 In this verse, the angel says to Joseph that Jesus will, "save His people from their sins," not everyone. There is a limited extent.

These are just a few of the verses that show a limited extent when it comes to the atonement. For believers, Christ is our blessed Savior! He has saved the people whom God has chosen to save. He secured their salvation! Those whom He died for will be saved and go to heaven! His death was enough to satisfy the wrath of God. As was said before, because God punished Christ in the place of sinners, He is "just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus."

The very foundation of our faith is that Christ is the propitiation for those that are saved. Our sins have been paid for, and we know have the promise of eternal life! We no longer have to pay the punishment for our sins, because they have already been paid for! Praise the Lord Jesus Christ that our sins have been paid for, and by God's grace we can be freely justified in Him!

A.W. Pink highlights the problem when we say that Christ is the propitiation for every person in the entire world:

"To insist that "the whole world" in 1 John 2:2 signifies the entire human race is to undermine the very foundations of our faith. If Christ is the propitiation for those that are lost equally as much as for those that are saved, then what assurance have we that believers too may not be lost? If Christ is the propitiation for those now in hell, what guarantee have I that I may not end in hell? The blood-shedding of the incarnate Son of God is the only thing which can keep any one out of hell, and if many for whom that precious blood made propitiation are now in the awful place of the damned, then may not that blood prove inefficacious for me! Away with such a God-dishonoring thought.

However men may quibble and wrest the Scriptures, one thing is certain: The Atonement is no failure. God will not allow that precious and costly sacrifice to fail in accomplishing, completely that which it was designed to effect. Not a drop of that holy blood was shed in vain. In the last great Day there shall stand forth no disappointed and defeated savior, but One who "shall see of the travail of His soul and be satisfied" (Isaiah 53:11)."

If Christ was the propitiation for those in Hell, we do not have any assurance that we will be saved. Like Pink said, "If Christ is the propitiation for those that are lost equally as much as for those that are saved, then what assurance have we that believers too may not be lost?" The Son's role in salvation was to be the propitiation for the elect. The Atonement did not fail, for Christ was not defeated!  For believers, He is our blessed Savior!