Soteriology
Biblical Text
1. John 1:29 ESV– Jesus’ sacrificial offering of his body as a perfect lamb sacrifice is indeed an offer for redemption and deliverance for everyone in the World.
2. John 3:16—The passage reveals that God, in His love for the whole world, gave His only son Jesus Christ to die and become the ransom and redemption for all those who would believe in Jesus’ perfect sacrifice on the cross for the forgiveness of their sins.
3. 1 John 2:1-2—The Apostle John makes it clear that Jesus’ death on the cross was not just for the elect, but Jesus indeed died for the sins of the whole world. However, this may not mean that everyone in the world will be saved (Universalism). Some will still reject this gracious offer of salvation by rejecting God’s exclusive way of providing eternal life in Christ Jesus alone.
4. Titus 2:11– The Salvation plan of God is offered to all sinful people. It is not just a few people who will respond to the call of Salvation.
5. Romans 10:9– Confessing and believing in the resurrected Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior is the most foundational declaration for salvation. This confession seals the belief in the heart.
6. Hebrews 10:29 – God’s offer for salvation is for everyone in the world, however, some people will still deny and reject that grace and eventually bear the consequences of God’s denial of them.
7. Mark 10:45 - Jesus’ sacrifice was not a ransom to the enemy, but indeed it was offered to God.
8. Romans 5:9– Jesus’ crucifixion satisfied the righteous wrath of God against all the repented sinners. Exactly as we often sing the song - In Christ Alone- “Till on that cross as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied.” [1]
Key Issues: On the Doctrine of Soteriology
1. Limited Atonement: The doctrine of Limited Atonement is especially connected with the Reformers particularly with those who promote the five points of Calvinism, “TULIP.” The “L” in Tulip of Calvinism stands for the doctrine of Limited Atonement, which promotes that God ordained or planned Salvation through Christ for the elect alone. They wrongly conclude in the theology of Limited Atonement that Jesus Christ died only for His chosen people. The sheep that will hear Jesus’ voice (John 10:4). According to R.C Sproul, Limited Atonement, theology means that Salvation was an eternal plan of God to save or redeem specific sinners. [2] Therefore, according to the Limited Atonement doctrine, people would see Jesus’ crucifixion as a perfect plan of God to save only His chosen people through Jesus, who will lead only the elect to accept Salvation without failing. On the other hand, this means that Jesus' sacrifice on the cross is limited to the elect alone, therefore, no sacrifice is available for the reprobate who are not elected. Somehow, the Limited Atonement promotes that God chooses some to be saved and others who are not saved to be dammed for eternal destruction. Therefore, for that reason, the wrong doctrine of the Limited Atonement should be biblically challenged.
2. Ransom Theory of Atonement: The other key issue related to Soteriology is the Ransom Theory of Atonement. It was mainly popular between the 4th and 11th centuries, promoted particularly in the works of Origen of Alexandria. The theory promotes that the death of Jesus Christ is a ransom given to Satan to set sinful human beings free. This view is often supported by Mark 10:45, however, the scripture does not mention anywhere that the ransom price was paid to Satan. Therefore, there is a clear error in this theory that should also be biblically challenged.
Personal Position
1. Limited Atonement: Jesus’ crucifixion should be biblically concluded as a propitiation for the whole world without exception. Thus, the doctrine of Limited Atonement should be considered incompatible with Jesus Christ's free offer for all humanity to be saved by believing in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior of the world. The Gospel that leads to salvation should be understood as Unlimited Atonement, an offer of salvation for all humanity.
2. Ransom Theory of Atonement: On the other hand, the Ransom Theory of Atonement also has an error. The price paid on the cross to set the sinners free from bondage was to God the Father. Not to Satan. Men and women never sinned against Satan but against God. Therefore, Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross satisfied the wrath of God against all those who will repent and believe in Christ.
Warrant for Position
1. Limited Atonement: The theology of Limited Atonement should be biblically challenged. Because most of the biblical scriptures speak about God’s offer of Salvation for all people. Some scholars or people end up manipulating the text by interpreting “all people” as the elected ones alone. However, such an interpretation is not correct. Therefore, there is a need to see that scripture talks about Salvation as an offer for “all people,” for the whole world, or everyone from a literal hermeneutical lens. Exemplar is John 1:29, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,” clearly refers to God’s offer of forgiveness of sins in His Son Jesus Christ. Alongside this, even 1 John 2:2 is also clearly speaking about Jesus being the propitiation for “not just for our sins, but also for the sins of the whole world.” Apostle John particularly adds here that the atoning sacrifice of Jesus is “not for just the believers” but also the “whole world.” The “whole world” refers to the unbelieving, sinful world. [3] However, we must know according to the biblical scriptures that believing and confessing Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior is essential for salvation “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household” (Acts 16:31), “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Rom 1:16), “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom10:19).
Therefore, it is important to note that only one thing can hinder someone from receiving salvation. It would be their negative response towards the offer of grace in Christ Jesus that leads to eternal life. In Hebrews 10:29, we can note that some people will reject the New Blood Covenant of Jesus Christ that offers grace unto Salvation. Therefore, from this scripture, we understand that even those who are offered God’s grace through Jesus Christ can somehow reject the grace offered. And not only that they will just reject God’s grace, but in the New Covenant, compared with the Old Covenant, such people will suffer greater consequences for rejecting the grace of God. Therefore, from this part of scripture, we can counterfeit the doctrine of Limited Atonement, which claims that Jesus’ offer of grace is only for those who will respond to the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Thus, the concept of Definite Atonement is biblically incorrect because some people can still reject the grace offered to them. On the other hand, biblically we can conclude that the Atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ is not limited. Jesus' sacrifice was made for the forgiveness of sin for the whole world. However, to receive this offer, one must respond with confession and faith in the Son of the living God, Christ Jesus, who died and was raised back to life.
2. Ransom Theory of Atonement: The other Atonement theory that has an error is the Ransom Theory of Atonement. No biblical scripture supports this theory at all. Mark 10:45, “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many”, has been used to promote the theory of Ransom to Satan. Scripture never speaks about Jesus paying a price to Satan. From the beginning, the first human beings Adam and Eve never sinned against Satan. Their sin and disobedience were against God’s law. And it is not just Adam and Eve, we all have sinned multiple times against God’s holistic ways of the law. Primarily, it was Satan himself, the father of lies and deception, who boldly disobeyed and rebelled against God’s ways. Therefore, how would Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross be understood as a ransom paid to Satan, who himself is an evil being? This theory is completely incorrect. It is biblically clear and evident that Jesus’ atoning sacrifice was made to please and satisfy the wrath of God against all ungodliness in the world. A few scriptures are cited here to support this view. Romans 5:9 “We have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.”1 John 2:2 “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.” Therefore, it is clear that Christ's sacrificial offering was sacrificed to God as the substitutionary atonement in the place of all the sinners in the world who had sinned against God’s holiness. The ransom was paid to God so that all people may have the opportunity to respond with confession in Jesus Christ for Salvation and be set free from the condemnation of sin, which is eternal death.
Bibliography
Getty music. 2021. https://store.gettymusic.com/ca/song/in-christ-alone/ (accessed February 25, 2025).
Ligonier Ministries. 2021. https://www.ligonier.org/learn/series/what_is_reformed_theology/limited-atonement/ (accessed February 23, 2025).
Colin G. Kruse, The Letters of John. Edited by D.A. Carson. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans, 2000. 66
