...to Brandon's question to me a long time ago as we discussed "limited atonement" (which I've now come to despise as a heading, preferring "definite atonement," "particular redemption," or even "actual atonement/redemption" instead). The question posed was:
"How can you (when evangelizing) say to a person (unbeliever obviously), 'Jesus died for your sins...'?"
My perpetual elementary understanding of all things scriptural/spiritual/godly responded with something too pathetic to even write down, but in the chapter on the "L" in TULIP in Ryken's book, he provides a great response to this question. It's not just an answer to the question put forward, but a charge for the Christian to proclaim the gospel! Here's the statement:
The fact is that the New Testament never calls on any man to repent on the ground that Christ died specifically and particularly for him. The basis on which the New Testament invites sinners to put faith in Christ is simply that they need Him, and that He offers Himself to them, and that those who receive Him are promised all the benefits that His death secured for His people. What is universal and all-inclusive in the New Testament is the invitation to faith, and the promise of salvation to all who believe. . . . The gospel is not “believe that Christ died for everybody’s sins, and therefore for yours,” any more than it is, “believe that Christ died only for certain people’s sins, and so perhaps not for yours.” The gospel is, “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for sins, and now offers you Himself as your Saviour.” This is the message which we are to take to the world. We have no business to ask them to put faith in any view of the extent of the atonement; our job is to point them to the living Christ, and summon them to trust in Him.*
*Since I'm reading this book on my Kindle I have no idea what page it's found on.
