Why Is the Atonement Necessary, Since God Foreordained Who Would Be Elect?

Why did Christ need to die, since God has already chosen who will be saved? Today, Ken Jones explains why Christ’s sacrifice was necessary for our salvation in fulfillment of the sovereign purpose of God.

NATHAN W. BINGHAM: This week on the Ask Ligonier podcast, we are joined by Reverend Ken Jones. He serves as the pastor of Glendale Missionary Baptist Church in Miami, Florida. Reverend Jones, since God ordained who would be elect in eternity past, why is the atonement necessary?

REV. KEN JONES: That’s a good question—somewhat broad—but to try to simplify it, we have to make distinctions, and categorical distinctions at that. To say that God has determined something means that it will come to pass, but that which He has determined, He’s also determined the means by which it will come to pass. So therefore, if we begin with, “All have sinned and have come short of the glory of God,” and if all are guilty and therefore under the wrath of God, then that means we need to be made right with God. So just as God has ordained the ends, which is our election, He’s also ordained the means, beginning with our condemned status, and then He awakens us, and that’s why I love that chain that Paul gives us in Romans 8:29–30, “Those whom he foreknew,” you know, that whole chain.

But—from the human vantage point—we can’t confuse God determining even before the foundation of the world, those that would be saved with their need to be saved. What is the purpose of election? He elects us. He chooses us for salvation. Well, salvation means to be saved from a perilous condition. Well, you are born in that condition, so those whom God has chosen will come to saving faith because they will be brought to conviction of their sins, they will be awakened to the sufficient saving grace and mercy that’s in Christ, and they will be empowered to exercise faith in Him.

So, from God’s vantage point, even if we look at it from the language of the decree, what God has decreed will come to pass, and the reason it will come to pass is because He’s decreed it. But that doesn’t mean we just sit back and it’s going to happen. He’s also decreed everything that leads to the final result. So, His choosing us—and you’ve noticed the language in Scripture is that He chooses us in Christ before the foundation of the world. That means before we were created and before sin even occurred, God determined to save those that He has appointed for eternal life that belonged to the seed of Adam.

Now, making that statement, categorically, there’s a covenantal aspect to that as well. So, why do we need to be saved? Because we are fallen. Well, how did we fall? Because Adam, our federal head, failed to keep God’s command and the guilt of Adam is transferred to us. Does God know that Adam is going to sin? Yes, He did know, but He still determined, even before creating Adam, He already knew what would happen and determined what He wanted. And therefore, what takes place in time is that which leads to what He has determined.

So, we need to be saved. Election is unto salvation. The process and the need for salvation is what’s established and what unfolds in redemptive history.