Atonement of Christ
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But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life (Romans 5:8-10). This passage of scripture captivates the greatest love story ever affirmed in history – the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Jesus said “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13).” The Atonement of Jesus Christ is reflective of Gods perfect purpose, plan and process to restore the relationship between the one created in His image and Himself. The completion of the Atonement announces to the world the good news of salvation that was made possible by the sacrifice of the Lamb of God.
God found pleasure in the creation of man. So much so, that he made man in His image and gave him life. Its within this image that God wants reflected who He is- one who is holy and righteous. This reflective relationship was disturbed when there was an intrusion of evil, deceitfulness, and disobedience. Sin was introduced to man in the Garden of Eden by the enemy of God – Satan. This resulted in a separation of fellowship between God and man. The image was shattered. Nevertheless, God saw fit to restore His image. However, it would require the price of a sinless life, thus began the journey of Gods Son – Jesus Christ.
Atonement means to make amends. Before the atonement of Jesus Christ on the cross, Gods temporal plan for forgiving or covering mans sin was to sacrifice animals to atone the sins of the people (Leviticus 16). The people were to bring a sin offering, an innocent animal sacrifice “whose blood was brought in to make atonement”. God said, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul (Lev17:11).and without shedding of blood is no remission (Heb 9:22).1 The slaying of the animals served as a means of satisfying and vindicating the righteousness and holiness of God. In forgiving sins in the Old Testament, God was acting in perfect righteousness. He anticipated the coming of His own Son as a sacrificial Lamb who would not pass over or cover sin temporarily but would take it way forever (John 1:29). 2
To understand Gods purpose of Christs Atonement, one must first consider its foundation, which is Love. “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son” (John 3:16). There are several reasons for Biblical necessity of an atonement and its relationship to human salvation. The nature and character of God necessitate a certain kind of salvation: one which will be in harmony with Gods moral character. Gods holiness necessitates a salvation in which mans sinfulness is removed and a perfect holiness is given to him. His consuming hatred of sin necessitates a salvation in which the execution of His hatred of sin is completely carried out in the full punishment of sin. Thus the nature of the demands of the Law of God (which reflect His nature) necessitated a certain kind of salvation which shall fully satisfy all the laws requirements for blessing and endure all its penalties for disobedience. 3
God has decreed from the beginning that death must follow sin, not only physical death which is the separation of the soul from the body, but also spiritual death, or the eternal separation of the whole man from God (Gen 2:16-17 Rom. 6:23) Since all men have sinned, it follows that all must die because the righteousness of God demands that sins penalty be paid. 4
Gods plan in leading to the atonement of Christ is to first reiterate the image in which man was created. He demonstrates this by the nature of Jesus as a servant, healer, and teacher. Jesus said “The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, (Luke 4:18)”. He was God in the flesh. Gods eternal and final plan for forgiving mans sin by blotting them out came through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ in our stead Heb. 10:1-3, 11-13. Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father (John 10:17-18). Jesus wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for mans iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed( Isa 53:5). In summary to the fulfillment of Gods plan scripture teaches, the death of Christ is revealed to be a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. (John 1:29).. By His substitutionary death the unmeasured righteous judgments against the sinner were borne by Christ to the full satisfaction of God. In receiving the salvation which God offers, men are asked to believe this good news, recognizing that Christ died for their sins and thereby claiming Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. 5
God puts into motion the process of Jesus Atonement, through his birth, life, and ministry, culminating with His sacrifice on Calvary.
Jesus offered himself to bear our sins (Rev 13:8). He voluntarily emptied himself of his divine trappings of omnipotence, omniscience and glory (Phil2:5-8), that he might be truly human, becoming the babe of Bethlehem. For some 33 years he perfectly fulfilled the law on our behalf (Matt5:18) and then paid the penalty for our sins in his death on the cross. On His journey to the Cross Jesus reveals the future to His troubled disciples (Mark 13) – end of age, great tribulation and climaxes it with the promise of his return in power and glory. He institutes the Lords supper (Luke 22:19-20); prays to the Father.
A supreme revelation of God was provided in the person and work of Christ, who was born in Gods appointed time (Gal4:4). The Son of God came into the world to reveal God to men in terms which they could understand. By His becoming man in the act of incarnation, facts about God which otherwise would have been difficult for man to understand are translated into the limited range of human comprehension. 6
In the councils of the Godhead, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, it was decreed that One should come and offer Himself as a Divine Substitute in the sinners