Welcome back to Questions for Calvinists where I admit that it’s just entirely possible that I have NO IDEA what I’m talking about when it comes to Calvinism. That’s why I’m asking all of these questions.
This installment brings us to the L of TULIP, which stands for Limited Atonement. This doctrine, just like it sounds, teaches that the atonement- payment for sins, purchased by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ– is limited. Jesus didn’t die for EVERYONE’s sins. He only died for the sins of the “elect.” Those are the people who are given the gift of faith in the U of TULIP. There’s no known or knowable reason, but for maybe reasons God alone knows, a small group of random people were chosen before the world began to receive the gift of faith so that they could repent, believe, and be saved. Jesus died for THOSE people’s sins, and no one else’s.
For God So Hated MOST of the World
“What about all of those non-elect people?” you may be asking. God hates those people, so obviously Jesus wouldn’t die for the sins of sinners God hates. Even if somehow they COULD understand the Gospel (which they cannot because God blinded them to the truth), and even if they COULD put their trust in Jesus to save them by paying for their sins (which they cannot because God refuses to give then the gift of faith), Jesus would say, “Sorry kids, but I didn’t pay for YOUR sins. Off to hell you go!”
At this point, I don’t feel like I even need to make a case against the Calvinist position. Like, if you have read the Bible at all, you should already have a pretty good understanding of why I reject this position. Let me give you just one of many reasons why I feel the Bible doesn’t teach this.
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