Union with Christ and Limited Atonement

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sparkmanrl

Puritan Board Freshman
Hi,
I want to double-check my reasoning on a topic.

I am interested in the relationship between union with Christ and limited atonement.

I would like to propose that the doctrine of union with Christ relates to limited atonement because only the elect experience union with Christ. The believer experiences the atonement, in a sense, through his identification with Christ through his union with him, according to Romans 6:1-14.

Therefore, the atonement has nothing to do with the non-elect person, so general atonement cannot be true.

If my thinking on this is faulty, please feel free to let me know where my reasoning is falling apart, or help me refine it. I appreciate any advice. I have searched for some reference to back up my reasoning on this, but haven't seen anything that makes this precise connection. Therefore, I'm hesitant to repeat this idea without some kind of support. If anyone has a reference to something similar, I'd appreciate knowing.

Regards,

Robert
 
Hi,
I want to double-check my reasoning on a topic.

I am interested in the relationship between union with Christ and limited atonement.

I would like to propose that the doctrine of union with Christ relates to limited atonement because only the elect experience union with Christ. The believer experiences the atonement, in a sense, through his identification with Christ through his union with him, according to Romans 6:1-14.

Therefore, the atonement has nothing to do with the non-elect person, so general atonement cannot be true.

If my thinking on this is faulty, please feel free to let me know where my reasoning is falling apart, or help me refine it. I appreciate any advice. I have searched for some reference to back up my reasoning on this, but haven't seen anything that makes this precise connection. Therefore, I'm hesitant to repeat this idea without some kind of support. If anyone has a reference to something similar, I'd appreciate knowing.

Regards,

Robert
Jesus died in the place of His own sheep, not for the goats, so think that you are spot on here.
 
We knew a pastor that tried to get everybody to read JI Packer's "A Quest for Holiness" Chapter 8, on John Owen's "The Death of Death in the Death of Christ. He thought it was the best thing ever written to introduce the average Christian to limited atonement." No idea if it answers your question, but if you can access a copy, take a look. Only one chapter so not long.
 
We knew a pastor that tried to get everybody to read JI Packer's "A Quest for Holiness" Chapter 8, on John Owen's "The Death of Death in the Death of Christ. He thought it was the best thing ever written to introduce the average Christian to limited atonement." No idea if it answers your question, but if you can access a copy, take a look. Only one chapter so not long.

Must be "A Quest for Godliness" by JI Packer. Not to correct you but if someone else looks it up they may not find it. There's some other books by other articles by the same title.

I wish I could read the Puritan authors with ease. It's usually quite an effort to read Owen :)
 
Oops. Yes, Godliness. And please feel free to correct me anytime.

It isn't Owen exactly. I've tried to plow my way through Owen on subjects and give up. It's more like an Owen for dummies on Limited Atonement. Cliff notes version. Think Bonsai....like a 500 foot giant redwood tree growing 18 inches in a little bucket in Japan.
 
If you want to know anything and/or everything about Limited Atonement, buy The Death of Death by Owen. You will have no questions left unanswered after reading it.
I wish I could read the Puritan authors with ease. It's usually quite an effort to read Owen
English is my second language and I sat with a pencil and a dictionary and worked through the book - very rewarding.
 
I think it's more accurate to say that Christ's death and resurrection have purchased the faith by which men and women might be united to Him. The problem with a view of salvation that makes Christ's atonement a generic atonement by which men are saveable is that it doesn't do justice to the slavery to sin and death that mankind was sold under due to the Fall. There is a tendency to see the Cross only in "paying for sin" terms and not "shattering power" terms. It's both. The reason the elect have faith is that Christ has purchased it for them on the Cross. He broke the power of sin and death.

Salvation accounts that see man as essentially free to make that choice deny the power of sin and the power of the Cross.
 
I think it's more accurate to say that Christ's death and resurrection have purchased the faith by which men and women might be united to Him. The problem with a view of salvation that makes Christ's atonement a generic atonement by which men are saveable is that it doesn't do justice to the slavery to sin and death that mankind was sold under due to the Fall. There is a tendency to see the Cross only in "paying for sin" terms and not "shattering power" terms. It's both. The reason the elect have faith is that Christ has purchased it for them on the Cross. He broke the power of sin and death.

Salvation accounts that see man as essentially free to make that choice deny the power of sin and the power of the Cross.
Faith itself is a gift from God towards just His elect, so that would mean particular atonement.
 
Therefore, the atonement has nothing to do with the non-elect person, so general atonement cannot be true.

I would argue against the idea that the atonement has NOTHING to do with the non-elect. While I agree that it is only effectual in saving the elect, I believe that the death of Christ covers more than just the salvation of His people. I would say that even common grace was purchased by the precious blood of Christ. Even nature and the universe were effected by Christ's death on Calvary. Romans 8:18-25 .
Since your OP was in regards to the doctrine of Limited Atonement I would say that you hit the nail on the head on that subject.
 
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