Classical Reformed theology still
holds that Christ’s atonement is not as extensive as God’s wrath, even though
more recent exponents of the theory of Calvin’s limited atonement theory have
attempted to soften this position. See for example Grudem: “Did Christ pay for
the sins of all unbelievers who will be eternally condemned, and did he pay for
their sins completely on the cross? It seems that we have to answer no to that
question” (Systematic Theology, 601). Limited atonement has many
ramifications, the first of which is a faulty view of God which understands Him
more in terms of wrath than love. Secondly, it reflects the Reformed failure to
recognize that Christ’s human nature is entirely permeated with the divine
nature (genus maiestaticum). Christ’s atonement by definition must be as
extensive as God is. The Reformed view of a limited atonement does not allow
this. Thirdly, it understands the atonement not in terms of a trinitarian act
which necessarily involves all of what and who God is, but a barter in which
the Father accepts the Son’s atonement (payment) only for some sins, but not all.
Lutheran theology sees God’s love in Christ extending far beyond and covering
divine wrath. Baptism focuses this love into the lives of sinners. In these
terms Lutherans speak of Baptism’s necessity. (David P. Scaer, Baptism
[Confessional Lutheran Dogmatics 11; St. Louis, Miss.: The Luther Academy,
1999], 17 n. 36)
