What Is Atonement?

Most American’s today believe that the way to heaven is by simply dying. Few pursue knowledge of the theological concept of atonement, because they are convinced they do not need it. What is the atonement, and why do you need it?

The Current Situation

There are some universal truths out there, even if philosophers and sages deny them:

Sin is universal

This doesn’t even require belief in God to accept. The mark of “original sin” is everywhere and begins with our denial of the Creator’s authority over our lives.

Psalm 14:1-3 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.  The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.  All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.

Man is inherently sinful and without excuse

Jeremiah 17:5 This is what the LORD says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD….

Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

Romans 2:20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

God cannot stand sin

Isaiah 59:1-3 Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.  But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.  For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt. Your lips have spoken lies, and your tongue mutters wicked things…. (9) So justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We look for light, but all is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows.

As a result of sin, mankind is positionally opposed to God in at least three ways:

We are enemies of God

Philippians 3:18-19 For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.

We are in bondage to sin (we are debtors)

Galatians 4:3 So also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world.

We are condemned (we are set to receive God’s wrath)

Romans 2:18-19 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.

And in conclusion, man is incapable of correcting this situation

Romans 8:7-8 the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.

How Then Is Our Salvation Gained?

God explains what His plan from Eternity Past has always been.

1 John 4:9-10 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Romans 3:21-25 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.  This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.  God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.

What is an Atonement? (covering) It is the same word used in Genesis 6:14 (kophar), for “pitch”. In Christ’s death several transactions take place to gain our salvation, to perform a redemption, a reconciliation and a justification.
 
Galatians 3:22 But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.

Our current relationship to God without a Savior:

As a criminal, man stands before the judge (Father), under wrath, with Christ our Justification
As a debtor, man stands as a debtor to the Father, and Christ is our Redeemer
As an enemy of God the Father stands as the aggrieved party, and Christ is our Reconciliation.

Christ saves us from:

• Wrath – we committed a crime, and God the Father is the Righteous Judge, who will punish breaches of the law. If Christ were only human, He would also be under the Father’s judgement, and His payment for our trespass would not be acceptable.

1 Thessalonians 1: 10…Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

Christ is the expiation – that removes the sin away from us – He is Substituted for us to receive our rightful punishment.  The Father receives propitiation – Christ receives the full punishment on our behalf, and God’s righteousness is not harmed, and the sentence is fulfilled. Therefore, God is no longer “wrathful” toward us – He is propitiated; His wrath is placated.  We are justified – the perfection of Christ is imputed to us and in exchange, He takes on our corruption.

Romans 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus…

• Bondage – we can never repay the debt of breaking the Law. Only a perfect payment will ‘redeem’ us from bondage.  Who receives the “ransom”?  Who must be repaid?

Christ is the ransom – a payment that cancels our debt – “tetelestai”.  The Father receives payment – The Father cancels our debt and we are set free.  We are redeemed – set free of our bondage but now owned by the Son.

Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace…

Titus 2:13-14 …while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good….

• Estrangement – we have breached our relationship to God the Father, who is the aggrieved party. Therefore since we cannot reach out to God, we need a mediator.

Christ is the mediator –  The Father receives us into His presence again.  We are reconciled – no longer separated from the only source of eternal life.

Hebrews 9:15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are cal.led may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

1 John 2:1-2 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.  And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins…

Why Christ’s Divinity Matters…

Only if Christ is truly divine can His word be trusted, and only if He is eternal can his promises be assured for us. Those who question the deity of Christ, don’t understand that the basis of their salvation is His promise, His sacrifice, and His Lordship.

If you don’t “need” Christ’s Atonement, then it doesn’t matter. If you do need Christ’s atonement, then only if He were truly God do you have any hope of salvation.

Why Jesus is God (and must be)

1. Only God can redeem us

Christ is divine on the basis of His authority and eternal self-existence

John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

If Christ were simply a created being, His payment would not be acceptable. Why? How can someone be repaid for something by something they made? If Christ is “created”, His sacrifice is simply another of the Father’s creation, and not a payment. Payment for our redemption must come from a party outside of creation.

2. Only God can justify us

You are required to profess Christ’s divinity to receive salvation

Romans 10:9-10 …if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

Why would we be asked to lie about this? If Jesus were not perfect, we could not be saved because the punishment Christ endured would have been deserved, and there would be no righteousness to impute to us. We would still be under God’s wrath. We are commanded to call upon Jesus as our Savior, and it is only His works that save us!

3. Only Christ as an equal with God can be our Mediator

Colossians 1:19-20 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

If Jesus were only a created being, he would have no standing with the Father to mediate between us, and therefore would be powerless to reconcile us for eternity. However Jesus declared He was the only way to the Father. If Jesus is not “the way” then He is not the “truth” or the “life” either, and we are hosed

4. Christ is the Judge, with Authority over all things

2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

Whether we acknowledge Him now as Lord or not, we will some day….

Romans 14:9-12 For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.  You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.  It is written:

“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.’”

 So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

So the question is, did God make a mistake? Did He send a savior who is unable to redeem us, justify us, or reconcile us? 

Anything less than God Himself, coming in the form of a man, bearing all our temptations, showing us how to live and to love the One who sent Him would be an inadequate atonement. Thanks be to God His ways are perfect and without error!

Romans 11:33-35 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! 34“Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?”  “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?”  For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.