Charles Spurgeon supposedly said, "I would rather believe a limited atonement that is efficacious for all men for whom it was intended, than a universal atonement that is not efficacious for anybody except the will of men be added to it."
The proclamation of a limited atonement is wrong because a limited atonement is a limited gospel. Being offended at the involvement of mankind’s desire in seeking deliverance while proclaiming a personal preference about the result of someone else’s salvation ironically interjects a personal desire over the desire of mankind’s deliverer. Jesus did not shed tears over people who could not be saved from judgment. He shed tears over people who would not come to him to be delivered from judgment.
“41 Now when Jesus approached and saw the city, he wept over it, 42 saying, “If you had only known on this day, even you, the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For the days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and surround you and close in on you from every side. 44 They will demolish you—you and your children within your walls—and they will not leave within you one stone on top of another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.”” (Luke 19)
“37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would have none of it!” (Matthew 23)
Contentions that support a limited atonement contend with and limit the character of God revealed in his word. Crying over someone because they are lost and facing judgment but not doing anything to save them (through the "unconditional election" and "irresistible grace" they are not responsible for) is antithetical to God’s grace, desire, and will for the lost (Ezekiel 33:11).
A belief in universal atonement is not the same as a belief in universal salvation; on the contrary, believing in universal atonement sees a way of escape to be had by all from a universal judgment (2 Peter 3:1-7). Believing in a limited atonement of Christ’s work upon the cross shows no belief in God’s desire for all of mankind to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:8-13) but rather holds to a superficial view of atonement not endorsed by the first century believers of the gospel of Christ (Romans 1:16-17; 1 John 2:1-2).
Limited atonement is a terrible and blurry view of the gospel that warps the cross of Christ into a symbol of hopelessness for the lost, instead of revealing the love of God for sinners from the least to the chief (Luke 7:36-50; John 3:16-17; 12:32-33; Romans 5:6-11; 1 Timothy 1:12-17).
- Limited atonement is a limited gospel - 2026-03-27
- The Living Word was identified by the written word - 2026-03-15
- The error of Eve, and the Eve of error - 2026-03-02