I’ve looked into Calvinism, Wesleyan Arminianism, Seventh Day Adventism and Roman Catholicism. The really surprising thing is that when it comes to Salvation that essentially what they all believe, and teach, in one way or another is based on or amounts to Limited Atonement.
Calvinism obviously rocks Limited Atonement at part of Tulip although what I’m talking about here is the Covenant of Redemption. An agreement said to exist between God the father and the Lord Jesus Christ made in the time of the beginning. This covenant as I understand it is to decide who will be elected to the Church and predestined to Salvation or alternatively predestined to damnation and eternal loss. I would argue that this is not the Limited Atonement of TULIP which states the God chooses whom he will save as it pleases Him. No the Covenant of Redemption almost seems to imply that Christ’s work on the Cross was only sufficient for a certain number of souls to be redeemed and no more? Limited capacity to save mankind might be a better description than Limited Atonement in this case.
Now when looking at the Wesleyans they would say that they don’t believe in Limited Atonement. Quite the opposite in fact. However, because of the Wesleyan infatuation with the Doctrine of Scriptural Holiness it seems that they actually do. Even if they don’t realise that they do? You see the bible teaches that we are drawn to Christ Jesus by the Father and Jesus says that those who are His sheep listen to His voice and are in His hand. No one can snatch them from His hand. Yet the Wesleyan’s would caution that sanctification is based on personal holiness and that there is a real danger to the unrepentant Christian, who is un holy, of losing their Salvation. They appear to be implying that Salvation equals Grace plus works of holiness. I wonder if what they are saying here that the redemptive work of Christ Jesus is in some way deficient? Perhaps it seems to them that He cannot honor His pledge not to allow his children to slip from His hand? So it would seem that we must resign ourselves to strive hard at holiness in the process of working out our salvation? Why? Well it seems that there’s something lacking in Christ’s work on the Cross. Limited Atonement?
The Adventist’s also teach Limited Atonement by virtue of their Doctrine of the Investigative Judgement. Essentially most of the Adventist doctrines are related to Limited Atonement in some form or other. For instance they believe that Christ is not the only begotten Son of God and is in fact the Arch Angel Michael. Michael is the Prince responsible for the people of Israel in the book of Daniel. If Jesus was a created angel and not the only begotten Son of God. Surely, it follows that his sacrifice would be limited in value. So salvation becomes Grace plus works otherwise very few people would make it to heaven. Hence Jesus is in the Inner Sanctuary in heaven since 1844 deciding whose names are in the book of life.
This also explains why the Adventist’s believe in soul sleep as well. Because Jesus is in the Inner Sanctuary deciding who will make it to heaven. It would be most inconvenient if folks were dying and turning up in heaven before Jesus had worked out who was actually saved.
There is another one of their doctrines that tends to sour the patch as far as Salvation goes as well. The doctrine of the Sabbath. Adventist’s believe that the Sabbath is the Seal of God from the book of Revelation. If you don’t keep the Saturday Sabbath they believe that you won’t make it to Heaven. So atonement is limited to those who have kept the Saturday Sabbath.
If you put all of these doctrines together particularly the Doctrine of the Sabbath but even Christ being Michael the Arch Angel. It explains why they see themselves as being spiritual Israel and the 144000 of the 12 tribes of Israel in the book of Revelation. It also comes down to the fact that the Adventist’s have put themselves back under the Law of Moses by keeping the Saturday Sabbath.
Finally, lets briefly look at the Roman Catholic Church. Now the Catholic’s don’t concern themselves greatly with the bible as they are more concerned with Church Tradition and this can be found in detail in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Essentially, the Catholic Church teaches that salvation is bestowed on the believer by the Church herself and that obedience to the Church and her edicts is the most important aspect of finding Salvation and making it to heaven.
The Pope and the Cardinals decide the Churches position on any given matter in Church Councils. This results in the Catechism which helps the believer to know their responsibilities in regard to the matters of salvation.
The basis of Salvation for the Catholic believer is salvation by grace plus the works of the individual believer. Most believers will not make to heaven when they die and will spend
time in purgatory until they eventually make it to heaven at a future date. Time drags in purgatory so 100 years there might seem like aeons of time.
In any case Christ’s atonement is very definitely limited with the Catholic Church as virtually no one makes it to heaven without time spent in purgatory to pay for their sins. The quality of the holiness shown by the individual believer is paramount in deciding how long they will spend in purgatory. So it’s grace plus works and not Christ’s work on the Cross alone that determines salvation for Catholics, How this all works is decided by the Holy Roman Catholic Church under the governance of the Pope and the Cardinals.
So, why is there such a problem with shonky doctrines and limited atonement? Well in the Garden of Eden the Serpent attacked the character of God right from the start. He manipulated Eve by saying to her that God had said she may not eat the fruit of any tree in the garden. To which she replied we may eat the fruit of any tree but not the tree in the center of the garden. He asked why and when she said that God told them that if they ate the fruit of that tree they would certainly die. He said oh you most certainly not die and God knows that if you eat the fruit of that tree you will be like God knowing the difference between good and evil. So the devil sowed the seed of doubt in Eve’s heart. Causing her not to trust God’s honesty.
That’s the same thing he’s doing here in the Church with doctrines of Limited Atonement. When a new denomination grows up around a series of doctrines. Satan always attacks the capacity of Christ’s redemptive work on the Cross. The result is always the same, for some reason Christ’s work is limited in it’s ability to atone for the sins of the lost. So one way or another mankind is going to have to supplement Grace with works or else the number of people who can be atoned for is quite small. Christ therefore didn’t sacrifice for all but for a very select group of elect people.
Poor old mankind just can’t possibly believe that he has a wonderful God who so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, that whosoever believes on Him shall not perish but will inherit eternal life. So provision is made for all to be saved even though not all will believe. Yes it’s going to be an elect remnant who are saved but despite God’s best efforts not because of them.
The greatest single factor that underpins all of these shonky doctrines of these various sects and denominations is not mans total depravity. Oh no, it’s the devil’s attack on the redemptive capacity of Christ Jesus sacrifice on the Cross. It’s Limited Atonement and it plays right into the human heart’s unwillingness to believe that God is so loving that He would provide salvation for all if all should choose to accept it. All mankind needs to understand is that it is Grace that provides the ability to accept or reject salvation. It’s simple faith really. So there you have it my personal explanation for shonky doctrines and limited atonement.
I Timothy 4:10 “For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.”
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