Objection: Faith Teachers Teach a Potential Atonement, Not One Christians Already Enjoy

There is nothing “potential” about the atonement; it’s all past tense.  The blessings purchased by Jesus’ atonement are potentially ours and will be ours in practice when we receive them by faith.  They are all legally yours right now, but they won’t be yours in experience until you believe and act on what Jesus did for you.

By the objector’s logic, we could just as much say that salvation from hell is a potential atonement, not one sinners already enjoy.  The atonement is forever finished, but the sinner will never enjoy the benefit of it until he calls upon Jesus to be his Lord.  The sinner’s faith is involved.  Likewise, healing belongs to the Christian, but he must receive that healing before he can enjoy it.

Everything to do with the atonement must be received by faith.  Take, for example, joy unspeakable and full of glory.  I am startled by how many Christians are on antidepressants.  So is “joy” a potential atonement?  No, joy is a fruit of the spirit and is part of our New Covenant.  It is part of the wonderful inheritance that Christ paid for.  However, many Christians aren’t aware of how to receive what Christ has paid for (by faith), so they resort to natural means for help.  There’s no condemnation if you’re one of those people, but God has much better for you.  Christ has redeemed us from depression and all other mental (and physical) illness.

I don’t question that many Christians aren’t enjoying some of their covenant privileges, and I daresay that NO Christians are enjoying ALL their covenant privileges 100% of the time.  But they are there for the taking anyway.