In the sermon titled 'What We Believe About Limited Atonement,' David Green explores the doctrine of limited atonement, which posits that Jesus died specifically for the elect rather than for all humanity. Using the story of Zacchaeus from Luke 19, Green emphasizes that Zacchaeus' encounter with Jesus was divinely orchestrated, asserting that God's plan for salvation is deliberate and specific. The sermon covers the five points of Calvinism, particularly focusing on how limited atonement relates to the other doctrines such as total depravity and unconditional election. Green addresses common misunderstandings, explaining that while some scriptural passages seem to suggest Jesus died for everyone, a deeper understanding of terms like 'ransom' clarifies that Jesus' sacrifice was intended for a particular group. The sermon stresses the importance of preaching the gospel universally, even though not everyone is among the elect, highlighting that the power of salvation lies in God's sovereignty and the finished work of Jesus on the cross, which ensures salvation for those Jesus specifically died for.

Luke chapter 19. Let's begin reading in verse one. Let's again go to the Lord in prayer. For Father in heaven, we are thankful for this another day that you've given us. Lord I pray that you'll be with us as we continue in worship.

Lord even now as we as we preach your word. Lord may it be presented in truth and received as such. Lord, I pray that you'll work in the hearts and the lives of all who are here. Lord, I pray that your people be strengthened and edified. Lord, those who are here that may not know thee as their personal Savior, Lord, I pray that today would be the day that they come to know you.

Lord, I pray that you bless our efforts in spring forth your word whether it be in the community in person or through the Facebook or sermon audio or YouTube. Lord I pray that you'll just work those things to your honor and your glory. Lord, I pray that you'll be with the ones who have been mentioned for prayer. Lord, I ask that you be with those who cannot be here, or those who are away from us because of distance, those who are sick, nor those who are grieving the loss of a loved one even this hour. Our Father, I pray that you'll forgive us for our sins and our shortcomings.

For it's in Jesus name we pray, amen. Luke chapter 19, we're gonna read verse 1 and going down to verse 10 for a text. Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. He sought to see Jesus who he was and could not for the press because he was little of stature.

He ran before and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must abide at thy house. He made haste and came down and received him joyfully. When they saw it they all murmured saying he was gone to be a guest with the man that is a sinner. Zacchaeus stood and said unto the Lord, Behold Lord, the half of my goods I have to the poor.

If I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. Jesus said unto him, This day of salvation come to this house for as much as he also is a son of Abraham, for the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." This morning I want to bring a message on the subject of what we believe about atonement, what we believe about atonement. We have before us a very familiar passage of scripture. There's much that we can glean from it. The passage has been preached probably many, many times, perhaps even from this pulpit.

Zacchaeus was a man who had gone to see the Lord, And maybe at first out of idle curiosity, because he was short, he climbed up into a sycamore tree to get a view. He was looking to see Jesus. He was a curious tax collector. He was a very rich tax collector. Tax collectors tax collectors were despised of the people in that time.

And because of his curiosity, We see how that curiosity may be turned to the highest and the greatest uses, even for the glory of God. He went to go see the man Jesus, But in the end, he saw the Savior. We see that there were some who murmured, saying that Jesus is going to be a guest with the man that is a sinner, but Jesus knew that man, and Jesus loved that man. Knew that man and Jesus, Jesus loved that man. This day, he said, is salvation come to this house, for as much as he also is a son of Abraham, for the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which is lost, which was lost.

This was no random act, beloved. It was not pure coincidence, it was not random luck that Jesus would meet Zacchaeus that day. Zacchaeus got up that morning. He did not clean his house extra special, thinking that he would have Jesus over. No.

Zacchaeus was not planning for Jesus in that regard, but Jesus planned for Zacchaeus. In fact, long before Zacchaeus was ever born, long before that tree was even a sapling, long before any of these things were even there, all this was set in motion. Long before the Roman Empire was around to collect taxes. Long before there was even a Roman Empire. Long before any of this.

Long before there was even a Roman Empire, long before any of this, long before there was even a world, long before all of it. God had a plan. A plan for Zacchaeus. A man that the Pharisees and that the other Jews may have despised Think about it. God.

God had a plan and a purpose for that person, Zacchaeus. Indeed, I believe that if there was no other reason for that tree to even exist, it was for that day for Zacchaeus to climb up in. That that seed fell or was planted. Even though the man who planted the seed or the bird that dropped the seed or however way that all that started. They had no clue.

And so many years later Zacchaeus would call him lumpy. But God knew. God knew. You say, well that's all the big stretch, is it? Is it?

If you go back to the book of Jonah, you find that God prepared a fish for Jonah, and that God prepared a gourd for Jonah. I believe the God prepared a tree for Zacchaeus. And He climbed up that tree that day. And in that day, even though it wasn't in Zacchaeus' calendar, that he would meet the Lord. It was in God's calendar.

That the Lord would meet him that day. He was despised by his countrymen. He was despised by the religious elites. But the Lord loved him. Praise God for his sovereignty, which knows so much better than you and I.

So much better than you and I. Jesus had come to save. There were people in that crowd who thought they were better than Zacchaeus. But you know what? They said, what is he doing with a sinner?

But Jesus had come to save sinners. Jesus had come to save sinners. There was another tree that the Lord had prepared. You know that tree? I'm not sure of its location, but I know where it ended up.

It ended up being the place where our Lord was crucified. And it was planted and it was groomed and it was prepared and it was put in place for the exact reason so that our Lord would hang on it. That's right. God grew the That's right. God grew the tree that he knew would be cut down, formed into a cross, and used for Jesus to die on.

He died on that cross for Zacchaeus. Because Zacchaeus met the Lord that day, and Jesus said to him in verse 9 and 10, this day is salvation. Come to this house for as much as he also is a son of Abraham, for the Son of Man is come to sink and to save that which was lost." that which was lost. The question is, who else? Who else did Jesus save?

Who else did Jesus die for? And that's what I want to get into today as we think about this and consider this subject. For the last several weeks, we've been considering the doctrines of grace in this series of Things We Believe. This is Sovereign Grace Baptist Church. And as is implied in the name, we believe the doctrines of grace.

It is a nickname that has been spread throughout the known world for many, many generations, to call this the Five Points of Calvinism, but that is a nickname because these doctrines existed long before Calvin. They were preached, taught, and believed by churches and preachers throughout Europe and and preachers throughout Europe and the known world before Calvin or Luther ever came on the scene. They've been arranged systematically in what we call tulip doctrine. Total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, preservation and perseverance of the saints. For the most part, throughout most of history in this country, most Baptists have held to these doctrines.

Generally speaking, if there's a disagreement among our brethren on these five points, it typically comes down to the doctrine of limited atonement. Who did Christ die for? Limited atonement or particular redemption as it's sometimes called is a doctrine that some people do have a problem with. There are those who hold to the strictly Armenian view, that is that Christ died for everybody without exception. And then there are others who hold to other views.

And then what we believe, what I believe the Bible teaches, and what I'm going to be preaching today, is that when Christ died on the cross, He was acting as substitute in surety only for the elect. He did not die to redeem fallen angels or reprobates who die in unbelief, who die in their sins and go to hell forever. His blood was shed with a specific design and purpose in mind, That is to actually obtain salvation for those whom the Father had given Him. In Hebrews chapter 9. In Hebrews chapter 9, verse 12, it says, neither by the blood of goats and calves but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place having obtained eternal redemption for us sometimes when brethren disagree over this, sometimes it's a disagreement just on terms.

That's okay. Call it particular redemption if you don't like limited atonement, but the words still mean the same thing. Christ died only for His people. Sometimes it's deeper than that though. Sometimes people disagree because they're looking at different verses And sometimes some verses seem to indicate that Christ died for everybody.

Sometimes some verses seem to indicate that he died for a certain amount of people. But really you get down to a root of the issue because remember the Bible does not contradict itself. When you have two people who disagree on something, both sides might be wrong, but both sides can't be right. And so when you get down to the root of the atonement, the question is, did Jesus come to save, Or did he come to make salvation possible? Did Jesus come to save, or did he come to make salvation possible?

Let's think about the word ransom. Barnes Notes makes the comment that the word ransom means literally a price paid for the redemption of captives. In war, when prisoners are taken by an enemy, the money demanded for their release is called the ransom. That is, the means by which they are set at liberty. So anything that releases anyone from a state of punishment or suffering or sin is called a ransom.

Men by nature, men are by nature captives to sin. They are sold under it. They are under condemnation. They are under a curse. They are in love with sin.

They are under its withering dominion and are exposed to death eternal. They must have perished unless there had been some way in which they could be rescued. This was done by the death of Jesus, by giving his life a ransom. The meaning is that he died in the place of sinners, and that God was willing to accept the pains of death in the place of the eternal suffering of the redeemed. You and I, if you'll recall from our sermons on total depravity, We were in terrible shape.

Not just weak and wounded by the fall, but we were killed. We were dead in our trespasses and our sins. What can a dead man do? Can a dead man get up and walk? Can a dead man run to the Savior?

Can a dead man call out for Jesus to help? Can a dead man do something in order to merit the favor of God? No. The answer is no. In fact, in fact all a dead man can do is stink.

That's all we can do. In and of ourselves We stink. We're rotten to the core, helpless, in the need of rescue. A ransom does more than just make captives rescuable. A ransom rescues them every time.

Beloved, this is the great thing about the death of Christ. This is where the rubber meets the road. If Jesus died for the whole world, If his blood was given for a ransom for everybody without exception, then the whole world would be rescued. Not a single person would ever end up in hell. In Mark chapter 10 and verse 45.

For even the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many." You see. He gave His life a ransom for many. In verse 6, who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time. So this verse says, he gave himself a ransom for all. How do you reconcile these two verses?

The reality is they don't need reconciling. When we understand what ransom means, then we understand that Paul was not saying that Jesus died, that Jesus gave himself a ransom for all men without exception. He's talking about all that he died for. Everyone that the ransom was paid for, you see. Let me put it to you another way.

Jesus did not die for an abstract thought like the whole world in general. And then hope, beyond all hope, that someone, anyone, would accept his free offer and come and join him in heaven. No, no. He died for a specific people. He ransomed a specific people.

Or to say it another way that I heard a preacher say one time, Jesus did not die to simply make salvation possible. He came to save. He did not die to reserve empty seats in heaven and then sit back and wait for people to come and fill them up as they choose. No, He died. He gave His life a ransom for specific people.

And those chairs are set up ready, waiting for us. Our names were written before the foundation of the world, beloved, and those are the people, we're the people that Christ died for. If we were to be of those groups of people who say, well, I'll take total depravity, I'll take unconditional election, but limited atonement, that just sounds too extreme. And I'll take irresistible grace, and I'll take the preservation and perseverance of the saints. What we've done essentially is we have split the Godhead.

Is there a time anywhere in scriptures where God the Son has ever acted contrary to the Father or the Spirit. And if there's a people that the Father and the Spirit are working with specifically, and the Son comes along and says, you know what, I'm going to die for everybody. That is a split Godhead. And I just don't see in the scriptures where that is possible. God is three and yet one God.

It's a problematic issue. And so to my brethren who have a problem with the El and Tulip and want to try to hold on to the rest of it, I say be consistent and go full-fledged Darwinian or come over with us and be full-fledged doctrines of grace. But it is a problem when it comes to the Godhead to try to knock off the L in the tulip. The Bible is clear that when Jesus died, he died for a specific group. In 1 John chapter 4, 1 John chapter 4, verse 10.

Here in His love, Not that we loved God, but that He loved us, sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. The word for propitiation is used in the Septuagint for the mercy seat. The Septuagint was the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures. It was a form of the verbal adjective signifying propitutory, and it implied such word as sacrifice or offering.

He was the sacrifice, the propitiation, not simply the potential, you see. The potential, you see. In Isaiah chapter 53, Isaiah chapter 53 verses 11 and 12. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities.

Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong because he hath poured out his soul into death. He was numbered with the transgressors. He buried the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors. You You see, but my righteous servant shall justify many. As the prophet described the sufferings that the Messiah would endure.

As well as the result of those sufferings, He indicated that it would be many. Many, not all. Many, not all. In Matthew chapter 1 and verse 21, Matthew chapter 1 and verse 21. She shall bring forth a son, thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins.

Jesus came to save His people from their sins. His people meaning a specific group differentiated from the rest of the world. Over in John chapter 10, John chapter 10 and Verse 11, I am the good shepherd, the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. Jesus died for the sheep. There are others that he didn't die for.

Those are called the goats. Nowhere in the scriptures do you find a goat turning into a sheep? Nor do you find a sheep turning into a goat. Verses 14-16, he says, I am the good shepherd, know my sheep and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep.

Another sheep I have which are not of this fold, them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice. There shall be one fold and one shepherd. He is the good shepherd who died for his sheep. Who died for his sheep. In Romans chapter 8, Romans chapter 8 verses 32 and 33.

He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea, rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." Paul, as he wrote to the church of Rome, he said, who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?

It is God that justifieth. Christ that died. You see Christ died for his elect. He didn't include everyone in this. It's the elect of God.

What do we learn from unconditional election? Will it happen before the foundation of the world? It's not based on anything that you and I ever did or could do. It's all the work of God. He died for his church in Acts chapter 20.

Acts chapter 20, verse 28. Take heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood. This passage in its very clear context, Paul as he's writing, as he's speaking to the elders of the church. At Ephesus, he tells them to take heed to themselves and to the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made them overseers." Where was that at? That was the specific church at Ephesus.

They were overseers, pastors of that specific pastors of that specific church. Christ died for that local church, the church at Ephesus. Safe people who have been baptized make up each local church. And so, again, specific people. Jesus died for this church, not for the building.

He didn't die for the building. He didn't die for the pews, the wood, all this is not permanent. He didn't die for the windows, the doors, and all of those sorts of things, but he died for the people, you see. That's the church. That's the church.

The individuals that make up the church. In all of these things we see a specific group of people that he died for. That he died for. In 1 Timothy chapter one, verse 15, He says, this is a faithful saying and worthy of all expectation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief." Who did Christ die for? Well, he came to save sinners.

Right? And you and I, this is what you and I need to remember, above all things, when we're talking to people. Because we don't know who the sheep are. We don't know who Christ died for, insofar as when we're witnessing to people and when we're talking to people, the gospel is to go out to everybody. He didn't tell.

He didn't Give us a mark on our foreheads or stripe down our back This will this person's an elect of God and this person's not this is a person I died for and this one's not No, no, we don't have that sort of thing, But we know that Christ died for sinners. So who needs to hear the gospel? Everybody. Everybody. Everybody needs to hear the gospel.

Do we know that Christ didn't die for everybody? That is absolutely true. That is absolutely true. But don't let this knowledge of limited atonement or unconditional election harden your heart to try to figure out who's who when you're witnessing to somebody. Because let me tell you, Saul of Tarsus would have been the last person, the absolutely last person that anyone would have wanted to be a member of the Church of Jerusalem.

He would have been the last person that anybody would have wanted to witness to. And yet, not only was he saved, not only was he apparently one of the elect, one of the ones that Christ died for, But he became one of the greatest preachers and missionaries that the world ever saw. Paul knew that. He never forgot that. He said, This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief.

Oh, how we ought to rejoice in the atonement. And we ought to rejoice in the fact that Christ died for a limited amount of people. But when we're preaching the gospel, when we're witnessing to people, let us point everybody to the cross. Knowing, beloved, knowing that there is no way, there's no way that we'll accidentally get a non-elect saved because the power is not in us. The power is not in us.

The power is in the gospel, the Holy Spirit. What a joy it is to know that the results are God's. And you and I, we can look to Jesus as the author and finisher of our faith. Go with me to Hebrews chapter 12. Hebrews chapter 12.

Hebrews chapter 12. Verses one and two, he says, Verse 1 and 2, he says, wherefore, seeing we also compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which does so easily beset us. And let us Run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him, endured to cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, that's where the power is at. Do you know that if it weren't for Jesus, if it weren't for the power of the Holy Spirit, Zacchaeus would have never, ever come down off that tree?

Do you know that Zacchaeus would have never gladly followed Jesus that day if it weren't for the power of the Holy Spirit. Do you know we have a hope? Your friends, your family, they have a hope because of Jesus. Because of Jesus. Over in John chapter 19, and I'll close with this.

What do we believe about the atonement? I'll tell you what I believe about the atonement. It's summed up right here. If you have a red letter edition, You'll see it written in red. When Jesus therefore, verse 30, when Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished.

It is finished! And he bowed his head and gave up the ghost. Everything that Jesus had set out to do was accomplished. The payment was made on the cross that day. What a joy that is to think and to know that you and I, we can point folks to the cross.

It's a finished work of Jesus Christ to know that the debt was paid and that it is finished. As Paul wrote in Satan Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 21 as I preached last week, for he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. There is hope in Jesus. We can look to him to know that he took our sin debt. And that day when Jesus died on the cross, the Father looked at him as if he, as if it was me, As if he saw my sin there, and now today he looks at me as if I'm Jesus.

You see, that's the greatness of all of this. That's the hope that we have. There's nothing possibly left for me to do except to serve Him. And may God help us to be faithful in spreading that message. It is called the good news for a reason, because there's no better news than that.

What a great thing it is to know. The cross is empty, the tomb is empty. Jesus accomplished everything to its fullest extent for all the sins of all the people that he died for. May God add a blessing to his word.