Discern Daily
Ep. 19 – The Whole Trinity Saves
Salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone is not a work accomplished by the Son of God alone — the entire Trinity is involved in every salvation. On this episode, we are learning from an article by Ryan McGraw, published on Tabletalk magazine, titled, “For Whom Did Christ Die?” Let’s seek the truth together.
Quotes By Ryan McGraw
“I came to Christ by understanding that God counted our sin to His Son in order to count His incarnate Son’s righteousness to us (2 Cor. 5:21). As soon as someone pointed out that all people must be saved if Christ did these things for all people, I was sold on limited atonement.”
“We can best understand the fact that Christ came to save His people, and them only, from their sins (Matt. 1:21) by rooting Christ’s death in the saving work of the whole Trinity, and by answering two common questions.”
- “Why, then, do some passages of Scripture seem to universalize Christ’s death (e.g., 1 John 2:2)?”
- “Does limited atonement limit the gospel offer to the elect only?”
“The united work of the Trinity shows clearly why Christ died for the elect only. The Father chose believers in Christ before time began (Eph. 1:4–5). The Holy Spirit is the Father’s seal of ownership on the elect (vv. 13–14). No one receives the things of God or confesses that Jesus is Lord except by the Spirit (1 Cor. 2:10–16; 12:3). The Father calls His elect to Christ by His Word and Spirit (2 Cor. 3:16–18; James 1:18). The Trinity is undivided and indivisible. Christ’s death extends as far as the Father’s electing purpose (Acts 2:23) and the Spirit’s effecting power (13:48).”
“It is not that the Father chose some and the Spirit changes some while Christ died for all. The Father saves by particular election, the Son by particular redemption, and the Spirit by particular calling.”
“God is triune, and the atonement is a unified Trinitarian act in purpose, production, and perfection.”
Read Ryan McGraw’s full article for Tabletalk here.
Episode Highlights
A true salvation is a work accomplished by the entire Trinity, not just Jesus Christ.
Someone has to pay for the consequences of our sin. The payment is needed once — either Christ pays the debt for our sin or we pay the debt.
Limited atonement is a doctrine worth studying, related to our discussion. To better understand what limited atonement is all about, you can view a great resource by R.C. Sproul, for Ligonier, here.
There’s great encouragement to be found in learning about the work of the entire Trinity in our salvation. The Father chooses us, the Son dies for us, and the Spirit fills and empowers us.
Share Your Thoughts
Follow @DiscernDaily on Twitter and share this episode on social media. What are your convictions on limited atonement? How does it change things for you knowing the entire Trinity, not just the Son, is involved in your life?
Responses