We have seen that the atonement of Christ refers to all that is involved in Christ’s work on the cross. He died as a substitute. He shed His blood as a propitiating and cleansing sacrifice so that we would be saved from our sins and be reconciled to God. The next important area in our study of the atonement is concerned with what the atonement of Christ actually and effectually accomplished.

As we do this, it is essential at the beginning that we understand exactly what the discussion is about. In order to do this, we must make the very clear distinction between that which is a general principle and that which is the specific application of that general principle. When we read the whole of Scripture, we see that a specific application of a general principle is often qualified by certain conditions. These conditions are stipulated requirements that must be met and fulfilled before the general principle may be applied and thereby have its accomplished effect. What do these conditions do? They define, direct, and limit:

• how a general principle may be applied, and
• the specific, actual, and accomplished effect of that general principle.

The most fundamental example of this is the promise of God to bless us. Throughout Scripture God promises to bless us, but His promise is always qualified and limited by specific conditions that we must fulfill so that the general principle of His promised blessing may then have its actual and accomplished effect in our lives. The general principle states the possibility of blessing for all, while the specific application and actual accomplished effect of the promised blessing is limited to those fulfilling the conditions that qualify a person to be blessed. Simply stated, the LORD can have the desire to bless us but we will not be blessed because we don’t do what He tells us to do.

Another example of this distinction is seen in the teaching of Scripture about prayer. In John 14:13, Jesus makes a statement of general principle about prayer saying, “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” This is an overarching general principle about the possibility and potential of prayer in the name of Jesus. However, the question must be asked: is this an absolute, unconditional statement about any and all prayers without exception that are offered in the name of Jesus? Or is it that this is a statement of a general principle with other conditions that qualify and limit its application for how it will be realized and accomplished? Is this an unconditional promise without exception about what every single prayer in Jesus’ name accomplishes or are there other conditions stated elsewhere in Scripture that define and limit how this general principle will be realized and accomplished? The answer, of course, is that this promise concerning prayer is not an absolute, unconditional statement, but rather it is a general principle concerning the potential of prayer and that there are many places in Scripture where this general statement is qualified by specific conditions that limit the actual effect of what prayer in Jesus name accomplishes. Two such conditions are stated in the book of James. In James 1:6, he tells us that prayer is to be offered in faith. James goes on to state in verse 7 that the one who does not pray in faith ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord.  A second condition is in 4:3 where, after he states the general principle in 4:2 you have not because you ask not, he qualifies this general principle with the condition that prayer is to be offered with the right motives: You ask and do not receive because you ask with wrong motives so that you may spend it on your pleasures. What we see then, is that in one place of Scripture a general principle may be stated that expresses the potential and possibility of something happening and in another place that general principle is qualified by specific conditions that limit how that general principle will be applied and how it will actually be realized and accomplished.

It is vital for us to understand this distinction between the general principle and the actual, accomplished effect that is qualified and limited by specific conditions. Otherwise, we may become confused and come to erroneous conclusions about what the whole of Scripture teaches. We can see this with the example of Jesus’ teaching concerning the general principle of prayer in His name. If we seize upon the general principle that “whatever you ask in my name” is the absolute and all inclusive truth about what the Bible teaches about prayer, then we would have to conclude that Jesus was a liar. We would conclude this from observing our own experience: each and every prayer offered in Jesus’ name is not answered and, because of this, we must conclude that Jesus was wrong and giving false teaching. Since it is obvious that we could never conclude this, we must rather conclude that Jesus was making a general statement about prayer and that other conditions apply which limit the actual accomplished effect of this promise.

In the same way, as we focus on the specific question of what the atoning work of Christ actually and effectually accomplished, we must be clear about the difference and distinction between the general principle and that which is the specific application of that principle as it is qualified by conditions which limit the actual accomplished effect of that general principle. In other words, in this discussion we will not be looking at the general principle of the potential of the work of Christ but rather the specific and actual effect of His death. We will not be looking at what might be the possibility of the atoning work of Christ but rather at what His death actually accomplished.

Tags: Atonement

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