Presbyterian theologian Loraine Boettner gave us 12 volumes (perhaps more), of excellent, reflections on theological subjects. Most are still in print in 2009. His work called Roman Catholicism is a classic. Mr. Boettner, while living in Washington, DC from 1937- 1948 attended the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church where the famous future Senate Chaplain, Dr.Peter Marshall was pastor. Though I do not adhere to Loraine Boettner's view on the millennium, his book titled The Millennium is well worth reading to help grasp the standard Post-Millennial view. He was a very generous man who lived the last 32 years of his almost 89 years near his birthplace in Rock Port, Missouri. I fondly remember ordering the book Studies in Theology, a hardback which he sold "at cost". He wrote to me a nice short letter in the 1980's which I still have. (cw)
"Concerning this doctrine the Westminster Confession says:'...Wherefore they who are elected being fallen in Adam, are redeemed in Christ, are effectually called unto faith in Christ by His Spirit working in due season; are justified, adopted, sanctified, and kept by His power through faith unto salvation. Neither are any other redeemed by Christ, effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified and saved, but the elect only' (Westminster chapter 3, section 6.)
"It will be seen at once that this doctrine necessarily follows from the doctrine of election. If from eternity God has planned to save one portion of the human race and not another, it seems to be a contradiction to say that His work has equal reference to both portions, or that He sent His Son to die for those whom He had predetermined not to save, as truly as, and in the same sense that He was sent to die for those whom He had chosen for salvation. These two doctrines must stand or fall together. We cannot logically accept one and reject the other. If God has elected some and not others to eternal life, then plainly the primary purpose of Christ’s work was to redeem the elect." (Reformed Doctrine of Predestination; Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, Philadelphia; sixteenth printing, 1971, pages 150, 151. Used by permission of author)
(Dr. Boettner had more to say in a later, small book more focused on the atonement itself).
When we speak of the atonement as "limited" we do not mean that any limit can be set to its value or power. Its value is determined by the dignity of the person making it; and since Christ suffered as a Divine-human person the value of His atonement is infinite. It is sufficient for the salvation of the entire race, and might have saved every member of the race if that had been God's plan; but it is efficient only for those to whom it is applied by the Holy Spirit. It is limited only in the sense that it was intended for, and is applied to, particular persons, namely, for and to those who actually are saved. It is indifferently as well adapted to the salvation of one man as to that of another, thus making objectively possible the salvation of all men. But because of subjective difficulties arising out of the inability of fallen men either to see or appreciate the things
of God, only those who are regenerated by the Holy Spirit respond to it and are saved. God could change all human hearts by His mighty regenerating and convincing power if He chose to do so. He wrought mightily in the heart of Saul of Tarsus and made him into a new man, as He has wrought mightily in the heart of every other member of this fallen race who has been translated from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. But for reasons which have not been fully revealed He does not apply this grace to all.
The Gospel is, nevertheless, to be offered to all men, with the assurance that it is exactly adapted to the needs of all men, and that God has decreed that all who place their faith in Christ shall be saved by Him. No man is lost because of any deficiency in the objective atonement, or because God has placed any barrier in His way, but only because of subjective difficulties, specifically, because of his own evil disposition and his freely exercised wicked will prevent his believing and accepting that atonement. God's attitude is perhaps best summed up in the parable of the marriage feast and the slighted invitations, where the king sends this message to the invited guests who, he foresees, will reject and never take part of the feast: "I have made ready my dinner; my oxen and my failings are killed, and all things are ready: come to the marriage feast," Matt. 22:4.
In reality Arminians do limit the atonement as certainly as do Calvinists. For while Calvinists limit its extent in that they say it is not applied to all persons (although they believe that much the greater portion of the human race will eventually be saved), Arminians limit its power or inherent value; for they say that in itself it does not save
