"He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities." [Isaiah 53:11]

Was the death of Christ sufficient for all and effective only for the elect? Or was it sufficient only for the elect?  What exactly did the atonement of Christ at Calvary accomplish?  Did it just open the doors to heaven? Did it just enable people to become saved, if they would only reach out to God, now that He has reached out to them?  Or did Christ's death pay a specific penalty for specific sins of specific people?  These are the kinds of questions we hope to answer here.  

ISAIAH'S REFERENCES TO THE MESSIAH'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Christ accomplished some very specific things at the cross. And we see in Isaiah chapter 53 several references to those accomplishments:

Isaiah 53:4 "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted."

Here in verse 4 we see He as borne our griefs.  Did He bear the griefs of those "who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power" (2Thes 1:9) "taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2Thes 1:8)? I think not.

Isaiah 53:5 "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

Was Christ wounded for the transgressions of those who will be cast into the lake of fire (Rev 20:15) for their sins?  Was He bruised for them whose "smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night" (Rev 14:11)? How is that possible Christ died for them, when we read in Isaiah "with his stripes we are healed"? Should we not have to rewrite Isaiah 53:5 to say "with his stripes we are healed if we accept Christ, if we say a sinner's prayer, if we repent, if we believe, if we, if we, if we! We would never say the words "if we", if indeed God had already made us spiritually alive and cognizant of our sinfulness as He did with Isaiah and as recorded for us here:

Isaiah 6:5 "Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts."

If we are spiritually dead and at enmity with the one and only Redeemer, how in the world are we going to "accept Him" or even have the capacity - as dead men - to believe upon Him?  And then if we should even do such an impossible thing, how are we not going to have cause to glory in ourselves for making such a move toward God? What a man-centered, sinner-dependent salvation plan that would be, would it not?

Isaiah 53:11 "He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities."

Verse 11 declares that God is satisfied with the work that Christ performed at Calvary.  He is not saying He is satisfied that Christ opened the doors to heaven or that Christ's death was of infinite value to save as many as would accept Him.  He is saying that He is satisfied that Christ has "justified many". 

JUSTIFICATION: PARDONED OR ENABLED?

Christ paid a specific penalty for His people that was capable of justifying those people in the sight of a thrice-holy God. The main thrust of the word "justify" is to "cause to be just" or "to make righteous". How can this ever be said of any souls that end up in hell?  No way! They are in hell because they were never JUSTIFIED.  They are in hell because their sins are still on themselves and not just their "sin of unbelief", but rather ALL of their sins, which are many.  

THE SIN OF UNBELIEF

To say that the "sin of unbelief" is the unpardonable sin as many preachers now proclaim, is to say that when Christ hung on the cross it was for every sin except one, the sin of unbelief.  So who paid for that sin?  Did YOU? You certainly were guilty of that sin until you believed in Christ, that is until God converted you, if in fact you are truly one of Christ's sheep.   And where in scripture can we make a case for the idea that the multitudes in hell are there to pay for just one sin... the sin of unbelief... since as some preach... all their other sins were paid for by Christ at Calvary.  Doesn't God name many of the other sins that people who will be cast into hell on Judgment Day are guilty of?....

Revelation 21:8 "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."

Why would all the sins mentioned above be of any consequence if the only sin that sent people to hell was "unbelief"? Note that unbelief is just one of many sins mentioned in Revelation 21:8.

HOW DOES CHRIST MAKE HIS PEOPLE RIGHTEOUS? 

Is righteousness from God obtained simply by the sinner asking God for forgiveness? No. In order for God to be a just God, sin must be punished, all the sin of each sinner God chooses to save.  Either Christ pays for your full sin debt or you do.  We see in Isaiah 53:11 that "he [Christ] shall bear their iniquities."  Surely Christ did not bear the iniquities of those who end up in hell.   We have to throw away God's attribute of Divine Justice if we are to say that Christ's death was an atonement for all, including those who suffer the wrath of God in hell for all eternity. When Christ cried out "it is finished" on the cross, He was declaring that the sin debt of His people had been paid in full.  His people could then know that Christ - by His payment at Calvary - was now undeniably able to "present [them] faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy" [Jude 24].

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Has Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, justified you or are your sins still credited to your account? Where will you be on that great and terrible day of the Lord? Are you trusting in what Christ accomplished at the cross or are you trusting in the idea that you chose Him?  Do you have the fruit and marks of a true disciple of Christ or are you trusting in self-righteousness?  "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?" [2 Corinthians 13:5]

Ray Kane

The following material is from Arthur Pink's book "The Satisfaction Of Christ" which is very thorough and at the same time, may also have belabored a few points which is why only the statements more pertinent to this discussion of what Christ's atonement accomplished have been included. Also, complete quotes of scripture have been inserted where only references to chapter and verse were listed in Pink's original book.

"The Satisfaction Of Christ - Studies in the atonement"
Chapter 10: "Its Efficacy"
Arthur Pink

THE JUSTICE OF GOD

"There are many who plead for the atonement of Christ, who, in effect, deny it, as well as its open opposers. They suppose that it is a conditional atonement, of efficacy only to those who comply with certain terms. It is evident, however, that a conditional atonement is no atonement in the proper sense of the word; for an atonement must expiate [make amends for] the sins atoned for, just as a payment cancels a debt. Where, then, there has been an actual atonement made, the sins atoned for never can be punished again, any more than a debt once paid can be charged a second time. It would be unjust in God to charge the debt to the account of man that was fully paid by man’s Surety. It may be alleged that one man may pay another man’s debt upon certain conditions; and that if those conditions are not fulfilled, the debt will be still chargeable upon the debtor. But it is evident that, in such a case, the surety either does not actually pay the debt till the conditions are fulfilled, or if he has conditionally paid it, he is refunded before it is chargeable upon the debtor. In every such case, the debt is not really paid. But Jesus has paid the debt. He has already made atonement; and if they for whom He died are not absolved, the debt is charged a second time. Christ can never be refunded. His blood has been shed; and there is no possibility that what He suffered can be now either more or less. They, then, who suspend the efficacy of the atonement of Christ upon conditions to be complied with by man, in effect deny that atonement has been truly made" [Alex. Carson, 1847

Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? (Genesis 18:25) Assuredly. His very perfections move Him to give every one His due. ... Then shall God make an exception of His Son? No, indeed. God ever acts sovereignly, but He never acts unrighteously. Just as He will not, cannot, (Exodus 34:7)" remit sin without satisfaction,

"Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation." [Ex 34:7]

so He will not, cannot (Job 4:7), punish sin where satisfaction has been received. 

"Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off?" [Job 4:7]

To condemn one for whom an atonement has been accepted, would be as incompatible with perfect equity as to ignore sin without an atonement. If the punishment of sin has been borne, the remission of the offense follows, of course. God never punishes twice for the same crime. Thus, inasmuch as the oblation of Christ was a legal satisfaction for sin, all for whom it was offered must enjoy the remission of their transgressions. It is a matter of bare justice that those blessings which Christ intended to procure for His people should be actually bestowed upon them. First, because this was promised Him as the reward of His obedience and sufferings; that reward has been fully earned. Second, because He actually purchased salvation for them. The enmity of the carnal mind may object that such a conception is a "commercializing" of Divine love, but Scripture does not hesitate to employ pecuniary terms: "Ye are bought with a price" (1 Cor. 6:20). What has been paid for, the purchaser has a right to. To deny that to him would be unjust. Again, the Word speaks of our sins as "debts" (Matthew 6:12).

"And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." [Matt. 6:12]

If then Christ has discharged them, He has the right to demand the exemption of all for whom He acted as Sponsor. Therefore we boldly affirm that, before there can be the slightest failure in the Divine design of the Atonement, God must cease to hate iniquity, and love righteousness. But that is impossible.

The law of substitution, which is a principle appointed by the Divine government, requires the salvation of all those whom Christ represented. "Perfect suretyship, whether we regard the supreme instance and exemplification of it in the work of Christ in our behalf, or the most common and familiar instances of it as exemplified among men, is always and manifestly suretyship which, in its own nature, secures and necessitates, the reinstatement of every one in whose behalf it is undertaken" (John Armour). Now as Christ fully met every demand of the Law, both preceptive and penal, against His people, its claims having been satisfied, cannot be again enforced. In the fifth chapter of this series we sought to define with care the meaning of the term "substitution." We pointed out that substitutionary suffering is that which is endured in the stead of others, in their actual place. Such suffering inevitably carries with it the exemption of the party or parties in whose room it is endured. What is done or suffered by a substitute, completely absolves those whom he represents from doing or suffering the same thing. Christ so satisfied the law of God in behalf of His people that the law can now make no claim whatsoever upon them. The death of Christ was as truly and actually a substitutionary one as was the death of those animals sacrificed in Old Testament times in lieu of the death of the transgressor offering them. Thus the substitutionary satisfaction of Christ requires Divine justice to remit the sins and to reinstate in Divine favor all for whose sake it was made. Substitution necessarily involves two parties: an offender and one who takes his place, a debtor and one who discharges it for him. It is equally self-evident that substitution involves a two-fold effect; the position of each is changed in relation to the law. The one who before was innocent now becomes guilty, and the one who before was guilty now becomes innocent. This is a palpable fact and not a fine-spun theory. If then Christ bore the sins of His people, no sin can rest on them. If on their behalf He was made a curse, the law cannot now curse them. With the apostle we triumphantly exclaim, "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? — God that justifieth! Who is he that condemneth? — Christ that died" (Rom. 8:33, 34). Therefore we boldly affirm that, before there can be the least failure in the Divine design of Christ’s Atonement, the Throne of God, which is founded upon "righteousness and judgment" (Ps. 97:2), must be overturned. But that is impossible.

"Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne." [Psalm 97:2]

No lengthy argument is needed to establish the fact that the glory of God requires the mediatorial work of Christ should be completely efficacious, i.e., that it should infallibly accomplish all it was designed to effect. If there were any failure in the fruits or results of the Atonement, then the purpose of God would be foiled, His covenant broken, His veracity forfeited, His power defeated, His justice sullied, and His glory dishonored. Few seem to realize the fearful implications which necessarily follow the principles they hold and advocate. To predicate an Atonement which fails to atone, a Redemption which does not redeem, a Sacrifice which secures not the actual remission of sins, is a horrible reflection upon all the attributes of God. To make the efficacy or success of the greatest of all God’s works dependent upon the choice of fallen and depraved creatures, is to magnify man at the cost of dethroning his Maker.