R.C. Sproul on Extent of the atonement
Definite — for the elect, effectually
rather to speak of definite redemption or definite atonement meaning that God the Father designed the work of redemption specifically with a view to providing salvation for the elect, and that Christ, though His death is valuable enough to meet the needs of everybody, that there was a special and unique sense in which He died for His sheep
THE POSITION
Prefers "definite atonement" or "definite redemption" to "limited atonement," which he calls misleading. The doctrine places no limit on the value of Christ's death, and the gospel is offered to all who believe and repent. The question it answers is design: did the Father send the Son merely to make salvation possible for everybody — and so possibly effective for nobody — or to ensure the salvation of His people? He holds the latter. Meets the standard objection from 2 Peter 3:9 by reading "any" against its grammatical antecedent "us," the believers Peter is addressing, and closes against "a God who is a spectator of the drama of redemption." Commends John Owen's The Death of Death as the best treatment of the doctrine.
8 Beloved, do not let this one thing escape your notice: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.
8 OTHERS HOLD THIS
ABOUT THIS FIGURE
Founder of Ligonier Ministries and teaching elder in the PCA. Chaired the drafting committee for the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy; best known for The Holiness of God and for popularizing Reformed theology — the five solas and TULIP — for a lay audience.
Cite this page
"R.C. Sproul on Extent of the atonement", Examined Doctrine, July 2026 edition, https://examineddoctrine.com/position/sproul/atonement-extent (archived at https://examineddoctrine.com/editions/2026-07/position/sproul/atonement-extent).