"The Infinite Value of Christ’s Death" -- Article Three, Second Head of Doctrine, Canons of Dort

Article 3: The Infinite Value of Christ’s Death

This death of God’s Son is the only and entirely complete sacrifice and satisfaction for sins; it is of infinite value and worth, more than sufficient to atone for the sins of the whole world.

________________________________________

At this point, the Canons address the question of the efficacy (value) of Christ’s satisfaction made upon the cross. Since the Reformed “limit” the saving benefits of the death of Christ to the elect only (a source of great controversy and misunderstanding, and addressed in part in article three), it is important for the authors to clarify that Christ’s death is not limited in any sense when considering the matter of the value of the death of Christ in terms of removing the guilt and breaking the power of sin so as to satisfy God’s justice.

This is the question article three seeks to address. If Christians affirm that there is such a thing as eternal punishment for the guilt of sin (Hell) and that Hell is populated by particular individuals, then one must limit the atonement either to its extent or its efficacy. Should we affirm that Jesus died for individuals whom he does not save? If we answer “yes” to that question, then we limit the power (efficacy) of Jesus’s death to save–Christ dies for people who perish eternally. If we ask “is it God’s intent to save each and every person who has ever lived in each and every age?” and answer “no,” then we limit God’s intention to the salvation of his elect, which the death of Jesus actually accomplishes. Either way, we limit the death of Jesus as to its power (Christ dies for those who are not saved thereby limiting the cross’s efficacy) or its extent (through the death of Jesus, God will actually and truly save his elect, not merely render all people “savable”).

In light of the preceding questions and controversy, article three makes clear that the Reformed affirm that the death of Christ is of such value (infinite) that it is absolutely sufficient to satisfy God’s justice toward those who sin in Adam (original sin) and to remove the guilt of actual sins. Christ’s death is indeed sufficient to remove the guilt of every sin committed by every person who has ever lived, in each and every age. But such was not God’s intent (his sovereign purpose) to save all, or else his purpose was not achieved. The consequence of the hypothetical/universal view is that Jesus dies for those whom he cannot and does not save—a position the Reformed reject.

The issue addressed here is that the limit placed upon the atonement does not lie in the power of the cross to remove (or expiate) sin. If God had chosen to save all men and women without exception, Christ’s death would be more than sufficient to save all—Jesus would not need to be punished longer, or shed more blood, so that more could be saved.

As the Canons affirm, “This death of God's Son is the only and entirely complete sacrifice and satisfaction for sins; it is of infinite value and worth, more than sufficient to atone for the sins of the whole world.”

The Reformed do not believe God sent Jesus to make the entire world savable (potentially), if only sinners do what is necessary for them to be saved. This has the unintended effect of moving the ground of salvation from the cross and merits of Christ to an act of the sinner who is rewarded with salvation for taking the first steps toward God. Instead, the Reformed affirm that the intent of the death of Christ is to actually and effectually save God’s elect, since Christ’s satisfaction is more than sufficient for all their sins.

Christ’s death does exactly what God intended it to do—save his elect. Christ satisfies God’s justice and his anger toward the sin of those whom he has chosen in Christ through our Lord’s death for them upon the cross. The Reformed reject the universalist or hypothetical notion (typical of semi-Pelagianism and Arminianism), that Christ’s death makes sinners “savable” under certain conditions (most often faith and repentance) since a hypothetical offer of salvation supposedly demonstrates God’s love for a lost and fallen world. Rather, the Reformed affirm that death of Christ truly demonstrates God’s love for a lost and fallen world because it actually satisfies God’s justice so that all of God’s elect are indeed saved and none of them will perish eternally.

The death of Jesus does not merely render people “savable,” if only they will, which those dead in sin cannot do. Rather, the death of Jesus actually and effectual satisfies God’s holy justice for those for whom he is dying.