Definite Substitutionary Atonement for Elect Jews and Gentiles
The heart of the Gospel is in the substitutionary atonement of the Jesus Christ. In other words, Christ died on the Cross with intent. Also, His death brought reconciliation to a certain extent. Two questions are crucial to ask and answer, regarding Christ’s intent to save people from the consequence of sin. The first question is, “What did He accomplish in His death?” This question answers the intent of Christ purposefully coming into the world. The second question is, “For whom did Christ die?” This question answers the extent of the atonement.
Atonement is an Old Testament word. It is founded in the recognition that sin separates man from God. To be reconciled, God requires a penalty payment for crimes committed against Him by man. The Law of Moses sets out the terms of agreement, but the offering for sin goes back to Cain and Abel, if not, God clothing Adam and Eve with animal skins.
Blood is the accepted currency for payment. Every sin ever committed against God will be paid for with blood. When the blood bank is empty, death occurs. There is no buying oneself out of the punishment for sins in eternal hell. The problem of incessant sacrifices is that atonement disappears when the next sin is committed. What is needed for salvation is a substitute, with an eternal fountain of blood springing forth.
Jesus Christ offered Himself to God as a permanent sacrifice. He made one offering of His own body and blood. This was accepted by God, and it remains the only permanently acceptable sacrifice for sins, committed against God. Jesus is the sole substitute. He has made atonement for sins. He has reconciled man to God. There is forgiveness of sins. There is hope of heaven because the debt of sin is cancelled. The wrath of God against sinners is propitiated. So, we begin to see the intent for Christ coming from heaven, in the incarnation, living a life without sin, and offering His life as a redemption payment, to purchase a freed people for His own possession. He is bringing many sons to glory.
The intent of Christ’s death was to make a real atonement. There are some who suggest Christ’s death makes atonement possible. This makes Christ’s atonement merely hypothetical, however. Christ did not die in vain, nor did He die in defeat. He did not make people reconcilable. His death did not make people save-able. Rather, there was a precise transaction between God the Father and God the Son. Christ was perfectly successful in His mission to atone for the sins of all those for whom the atonement was intended.
The potential atonement theorists forward the notion of adding a required human element to make atonement effectual. They suggest man must generate his own personal faith in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, in order to activate the reality of the atonement. Christ did His part in salvation, and now man must do his work to appropriate what Christ accomplished. In other words, Christ’s finished work on the Cross did not finish the work of salvation. Man must agree to the viability of Christ’s atoning sacrifice.
When John the Baptist declared, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,” he did not say, “potentially takes away the sin.” John’s declaration is definite. In Leviticus 14, we learn of substitution. One animal is sacrificed. Its blood is placed in a bowl, and the priest places his hands in the blood and then puts his hands on the second of the same kind of animal. With blood on its head, the second is released into the wilderness. Christ was sacrificed. His blood is applied to another, and those with the blood on their heads are set free. This is a real action, definite in what it accomplishes. A side note, the animals never wandered up to the altar of sacrifice of their own free will.
There is nothing potential in Leviticus 16, where the high priest brought the blood of the sacrifice into the holiest place to sprinkle on the mercy seat of God, which was on the Ark of the Covenant. This was an intentional action with definite results. The high priest was atoning for the sins of the people of Israel, and their sins were forgiven.
Truly, Christ is all in these Old Testament scenes. He is our High Priest. He is our sacrificial Lamb. He is our Scapegoat. Christ actually took away our sins. His work in all of these roles was finished, and all of it remains effectual in every generation.
The language in the New Testament, as it pertains to the atonement is in perfect tense: saved, reconciled, redeemed, propitiated, etc. The verbs always speak of something already done. In other words, what was accomplished by Jesus Christ is considered by the New Testament writers as really accomplished. The language of possibility or potential is not used.
In the Gospels, when the sacrifice was still pending, the language is definite, “He will save His people from their sins (Mt 1:21).” There is nothing hypothetical or conditional in this statement in John 1:29, either. Jesus does take away the sin of the world. If Jesus died for you, He actually took away your sins. He actually bought you. He actually took you by the hand and brought you to the Father.
Having considered Jesus’ intent to incarnate, live and die to save people, we must now consider our second question, “For whom did Christ die?” The answer will teach us the extent of Christ’s atonement for sins.
In our reference to atonement in Leviticus 14 and 16, we observe the extent of the sacrifice. The sacrifices were made for Israel, not for the world. In the New Testament, this does not change. We recognize Jesus died for true Israel.
Some might object, Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (Jn 1:29). Or, they may reference Jesus’ title, “Savior of the world” (Jn 4:42; 1 Jn 4:14). Most common, in their objection, is John 3:16, “For God so loved the world.”
We have seen above how Christ’s death was real atonement for whoever He died for. If He died for the whole world, then we are Universalists by default. This is where there is much confusion for Christians. They object to being called, “Universalists.” However, many Christians claim: Jesus, as the Savior of the world, in an act of love for the world, took away the sin of the world. A Universalist, who is uncomfortable with being a Universalist, has to figure out another way for Jesus to save the world, love the world, and pay for the sins of the world without actually doing it for everyone.
Now you see where the “potential” and “possible” theorists find their fork in the road to salvation. At the fork in the road of the extent of the atonement, one must either say, “Christ died for everyone in the world,” or “Christ died for all of His chosen people.”
The possibility theorist tries to forge another, third path. Her way is to say, “Christ died for the possibility of saving all people.” They say He died for all people, but not all people are saved. They neuter the efficacy of Christ’s work on the Cross. They refuse to say He died only for His people.
What they have done is remove the effectual nature of Christ’s atonement. They have made His work on the Cross indefinite and uncertain. Salvation is only a possibility, not a reality. This is why there is no blessed assurance in this theological system.
The perseverance of the saints is untenable because salvation itself is only a possibility. Salvation is possible, but it is not over until it is over. At that point no one really knows if Joe or Mary was actually saved. It is possible they were not believing in Jesus, at the moment of their death. Ten minutes prior to death, “yes,” but at the moment of death, “maybe not.”
Much of this uncertainty is locked up in the misinterpretation of one word in the New Testament. The term of confusion is “world.” It is kosmos in the Greek. What is the problem? The problem is that when kosmos is translated into the English “world,” a presumption occurs. What is the presumption? The interpreter presumes there is only one meaning to the word “world.”
The word “world” is used many different ways in John’s Gospel. Kosmos actually holds ten different meanings in the fourth Gospel book. Every time a reader is confronted with “world” in John’s Gospel, she must stop and ask, “Which of the ten uses of “world” is in use here?” Sometimes, “world” means: the universe, the earth, the world system, humanity minus believers, a large group, the general public, large groups of Jews and Gentiles, the general human realm, the non-elect, or the elect.
This is why John 3:16 is not only the most quoted Scripture verse, but why it is easily the most misinterpreted verse in the Bible. Readers presume there is only one way to read John 3:16, “For God so loved the general public…” The context is Jesus speaking to Nicodemus about being born again of the Holy Spirit.
The immediate context (Jn 3:14) includes a reference to Moses lifting up the serpent (figure for sin) on a bronze pole (figure for judgment). Sin must be judged by God. The whole world was not there with Moses, but only Israel. God was telling Israel through Moses that He had provided a way of salvation for them. Removal of sin and judgment was in the hands of their leader.
For God so loved large groups of Jews and Gentiles that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever (the large group of Jews and Gentiles) believes in Him shall be saved. In this interpretation, one form of “world” is chosen in distinction from the commonly presumed choice. All Jesus is saying in John 3:16 is that God loves elect Gentiles, too.
Salvation is not exclusive for elect Jews, only. My chosen interpretation may or may not be right in the eyes of other interpreters, but it fits the rest of Scripture regarding the atonement, which we have seen is definite in its intent. Ironically, everyone who reads John 3:16 must decide this day, not, to believe or not believe, but which interpretation she will choose.
Every sin will be paid for in full with a life. Either Jesus has paid for your sins, or you will pay for your sins. Every one of them will be paid in full. For believers, we know Jesus suffered with our names upon His heart. Jesus received all of whom He bought. Believers look to Christ and live forever. Everyone agrees, Jesus died for all who believe in Him (Jn 3:15). There are some appointed to believe (Acts 13:48).
In His commentary for Nicodemus in John 3:16, Jesus taught that salvation goes beyond ethnic Israel. It goes out to the whole world. He is the Savior of the whole world (Jn 4:42). In exclusivity, there is only one Savior of the world (Acts 4:12). In universality, love goes out to Gentiles on a global scale. In other words, Jesus died for all people without distinction, both Jews and Gentiles. Those who worship Him in heaven are elect from all nations (Rev 5:9).
This is Christ’s atonement. It is intended to save people from their sins, by His blood sacrifice of Himself on the Cross. It is extended to the chosen people of true Israel without distinction, both Jews and Gentiles. It is His life for our sins, and it is as definite as His words, “It is finished.”
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
April 16, 2021
