TotD: God's Justice, Limited Atonement and Salvation

Someone once said to me that God is just and doesn't punish sin twice. He wouldn't punish Jesus and the person who sinned. Therefore, the conclusion was, Jesus only died for certain people, choosing certain people (the elect) and saving them from among the multitudes. Therefore, Jesus' atoning death was only valid for those who are members of the elect and will certainly come to trust Christ as Saviour and be forgiven.

This has troubled me for years. It doesn't sit right, but God is just and He wouldn't punish someone twice.

For a long time I assumed a God's level limited atonement, He knew who would come to Him so He died for those who He foreknew would come, but I have been led on a path to a different and better explanation.

Christ died for sins, once for all. That's what the Bible says and I can finally say I whole-heartedly agree and confess that statement.

This does not lead us to universalism, where we say everyone is saved due to Christ's atoning death on the cross. No because of another couple of verses.

Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. - Mark 16:16

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. - John 3:18

This same sin of unbelief is often equated with the unforgivable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (in Matthew 12). So unbelief is that unforgivable sin, pretty much the only thing that actually separates you from God.

So, Jesus died and atoned for all your sin, He was punished for it, you can have the assurance that you will not pay for every lie you said, bad thought you've had etc. Many people argue those should only have limited time punishments, a bit like the concept of purgatory. Maybe... However, though Jesus paid for all those sins there is one left on all our accounts. The sin of unbelief. We in no way pay for this ourselves either but the sin of unbelief, if we continue in it, justifiably punishes us for all eternity. This is just as we would have rejected our loving Creator God, who became Incarnate and died on the cross for us, atoning for our sins to bring us into His family. This affront to God and who He made us to be, restless until we rest in Him, would be a (the only) justifiable grounds to punish someone eternally.

So, Jesus died for everyone's sins, there is no such thing as limited atonement. Praise God as this opens membership of the elect to all people God created, if they have faith in Jesus Christ, and all this without us ever having to accuse God of punishing two people for the one sin, or of being unjust.