This post looks at the major Scriptures about the atonement. It also asks whether the atonement is for everyone or for just the elect.

I write to learn, and one major truth I learned studying for this post is the meaning of the term atonement. It is best captured by this image (painting by Rembrandt):

Atonement = Christ on Cross

I use the NIV in this post. For more translations, please go to biblegateway.com.

Let’s begin.

I. Definitions

A. Meaning of the English word

1.. Atonement literally means in English at-one-ment or being one with God or being reconciled to him (the -ment suffix means “the result of”).

B. Theological definitions

1.. Williams: “Atonement thus means ‘reconciliation.’ For to reconcile is to bring together those who are estranged from each other […] it refers to the relationship between God and man […] God himself at fearful cost stepped into the situation and through his Son provides the way to restoration of unity” (vol. 1, p. 253)

2.. Erickson: “Therefore we may understand the atonement to involve sacrifice, propitiation, substitution, and reconciliation in the relationship of God to humanity” (p. 732).

3.. Grudem: “The work of Christ in his life and death to earn our salvation” (p. 1500).

4.. Frame: “Jesus’ sacrifice is what we usually think of first when we think of the work of Christ. The theological name for that sacrifice is atonement” (p. 901).

5.. Evangelical Dictionary of Theology: “It is the extensive and costly process of reconciling sinners to God.”

6.. Bloesch:

The atonement is not only the source of pardon but also the well-spring of new life in Christ. It consists not only in forensic [legal] justification but also mystical regeneration. It not only liberates us objectively from the powers of sin and darkness but also frees us inwardly from the compulsion to sin. Holiness is not only accounted [imputed] to us but imparted to us as we confront the cross of Christ in faith. Through the cross man makes contact with liberating love and is thereby enabled to enter creatively into the sufferings of others (Donald G. Bloesch, vol. 1, p. 161).

I like to simplify complex issues. For me, it is the image of Christ on the cross and what he accomplished there.

II. Brief Overview of Hebrew and Greek Terms

A. Hebrew verb is kapar (used 102 times)

1.. It is generally translated as “to atone,” “to wipe clean,” and “to appease.”

2.. Example: Jacob and Esau

a.. In Genesis 32:20, Jacob sent gifts ahead of him to “wipe” (atone) the anger off his brother Esau’s face.

b.. As it turned out, Esau was not angry because time healed his wounds, and he was prosperous.

c.. Jacob and Esau were reconciled, and God and his people were reconciled.

d.. The main point, however, is that sacrifice and gifts atone for or wipe away just wrath.

2.. Another example: The sacrifice of an animal during the sin offering (Lev. 4:1-5:13),

a.. It was to atone for the worshiper’s own sins, by blood manipulation primarily.

b.. Then God’s judicial wrath would be lifted and he would smile on his people again.

c. The word wrath does not mean, biblically, what critics and pop culture say it means. Go to this link and look at the two images:

Do I Really Know God? He Shows Wrath

God’s wrath is judicial, not unbridled, out-of-control fury.

d. The basic meaning is “to forgive.”

e. “All forgiveness and purging of sin, of course, is possible only because of of the forgiving grace and mercy of God” (Mounce p. 45).

B.. New Testament Greek

1.. The verb in Greek is hilaskomai and is pronounced hih-lahs-koh-my and used twice.

a. It means “to atone,” “have mercy on,” “to make atonement for,” “propitiate (satisfy).” The basic meaning is to “forgive” (Mounce).

b. BDAG is a thick Greek lexicon of the New Testament, and it defines the verb as follows:

c. “To cause to be favorably inclined or disposed, propitiate, conciliate“;

d. “to eliminate impediments that alienate the deity, expiate, wipe out.” (We will explore these terms, below.)

e.. In Luke 18:13, the tax collector, a sinner, asks God to “have mercy” on him. This is the verb hilaskomai.

f. In Hebrews 2:17, Jesus forever fulfills the role of the Old Testament high priest, so he can “make atonement” or “atone” or die for the sins of the people. He forgives them by his sacrificial death. Will the people apply it to their lives by their faith in him?

2.. The noun hilasmos is used twice and pronounced hih-lahs-moss

a. It appears in 1 John 2:2 and 4:10 (see below). BDAG defines the noun as follows:

b. “appeasement necessitated by sin, expiation.” That is, our sin required an appeasement.

c. BDAG offers a second definition it can mean “instrument for appeasing, sacrifice to atone, sin-offering.” The second definition means the sacrifice itself; in the NT, the sacrifice is Christ himself on the cross. His death is the way or path or means of appeasing God.

d. “Appeasement” means “propitiation.” Both terms mean to assuage or soothe God’s just wrath. God is satisfied or appeased by an acceptable sacrifice: his Son’s sacrifice.

dd. FYI, in English the verb “to appease” is related to “peace” or making someone to be placated or pacified or conciliated. The English “propitiate” comes from the Latin verb “to soothe, propitiate, appease” and from the adjective “favorable, gracious, propitious.”

e. Expiation means to “wipe away” or “cleanse” sin and “blot out” its pollution. It is what happens to humanity when it surrenders to God’s atoning sacrifice of his Son on the cross.

f. Bottom line: Propitiation describes what happens to God when people surrender to his Son’s atoning sacrifice on the cross. When they do, their sins are wiped or blotted out.

g.. That is, propitiation is what happens in the heart of God. Expiation is what happens in the heart of humankind.

3.. The noun hilastērion is pronounced he-lah-stay-ree-on and is also used twice.

a. BDAG says it means “the means of expiation,” that is, Christ’s sacrifice is the means or instrument of cleansing which satisfies or appeases God, when we put our faith in his Son (Rom. 3:25).

b. BDAG also says the noun can mean the “place of propitiation.” In Hebrews 9:5 it is the atonement cover on the ark of the covenant. The cover was the gold lid placed on top of the ark. It is also called the “mercy seat.” In broader theology, it can mean the cross itself or Jesus himself. (See below for the Scripture verses.)

C.. Summary

1.. Our sins destroyed our relationship with God and separated us from him.

2.. Jesus is the sacrifice that atones for sins. His sacrifice reconciles us to God. We have a renewed or restored relationship with God.

3.. Christ’s death propitiates God and wipes away our sins or cleanse us from our sin and its pollution.

4.. “Everything we need for forgiveness, for the removal of God’s anger, for reconciliation with him can be found in Jesus” (Mounce, p. 46).

5.. Bottom line: Atonement is God’s means to forgive and restore and reconcile humanity to himself, through his Son’s death on the cross.

6. There are other term, to like “reconciliation” and “ransom” and “redemption.” We include them below.

What Is Redemption in the Bible? (It also includes the term “ransom.”

What Is Reconciliation in the Bible?

For more definitions, please click on this post:

What Does ‘Atonement’ Mean?

III. Scriptures Illustrating Hebrew and Greek Terms

A. Old Testament

Isaiah 6:1-7 is a wonderful passage that describes a holy man—Isaiah—in the very presence of God, and he saw himself as undone and ruined, because he was an unclean man living among an unclean people. God reached out to him and put a coal on his lips to speak with power and anointing. God cleansed him.

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. ² Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. ³ And they were calling to one another:

⁴ At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

⁵ “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”

⁶ Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. ⁷ With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” (Is. 6:1-7, emphasis added)

Isaiah 27:9 speaks of the extreme need of Israel’s sins to be removed, and one way to do this was to cut down fertility Asherah poles and crush altars to false gods. The NIV’s footnote on Asherah pole says: “That is, wooden symbols of the goddess Asherah.”

⁹ By this, then, will Jacob’s guilt be atoned for,
    and this will be the full fruit of the removal of his sin:
When he makes all the altar stones
    to be like limestone crushed to pieces,
no Asherah poles or incense altars
    will be left standing. (Is. 27:9, emphasis added)

Daniel 9:24 speaks of Israel living in for exile seventy years to finish transgression and atone for their wickedness. The verb “atone” means to “wipe away” or appease or placate God’s righteous demands. The NIV translators say that “seven” means “week,” so seventy weeks. Other Bible interpreters say it means seven years, so seventy times seven years = 490 years. The bigger context of v. 24 says the Anointed One cleanses away sins (vv. 25-26).

²⁴ “Seventy ‘sevens are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place. (Dan. 9:24, emphasis added)

B.. New Testament

John 1:29 shows John the Baptist proclaiming to the people about Jesus, “Behold the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world!” Note the singular “sin.” This “taking away” means to expiate or wipe it away. Jesus is also the means of expiation, the sacrifice.

²⁹ The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29, emphasis added)

1 John 1:6-7 says that his blood purifies us from all sin, not just some of our sins. Purification is wiping away our sins, which is expiation.

⁶ If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. ⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. (1 John 1:6-7)

1 John 2:2 says Christ’s atonement is offered for our sins (the elect) but also for the sins of the whole world (everyone or all). He is the means or the instrument of expiating our sins and propitiating God’s justice.

² He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:2)

1 John 4:10 God’s love for humanity that moved him to send his Son to be an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

¹⁰ This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. (1 John 4:10)

Romans 3:25 is truly rich with theological meaning. Recall that one meaning of hilastērion is the means of expiation, that is, Christ himself. God himself presented his Son as the means of satisfying his wrath, by the shedding of his blood. Jesus himself on the cross  itself is the place of our forgiveness (atonement).

 ²⁵ God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished […] (Rom. 3:25)

Hebrew 2:17 shows Jesus taking over the role of the Old Testament high priest. He atones for the people’s sins, wipe them out, forgive out of his mercy. All of this is built into the verb “make atonement” (hilaskomai):

¹⁷ For this reason he [Jesus] had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. (Heb. 2:17)

in Luke 18:13, in the Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector, the sinful man (the tax collector) ask’s God for his mercy. “Have mercy” is the verb hilaskomai in Greek. I include v. 14, as well.

¹³ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 

¹⁴ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 18:13-14, emphasis added)

Hebrews 9:5 refers to the noun atonement cover or mercy seat on the ark of the covenant. It is where God’s presence or glory manifested and accepted the sacrifice in the Holy of Holies or Most Holy Place.

⁵ Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. (Heb. 9:5)

C.. Summary

1.. So the problem to be overcome is the sinfulness of humanity that separates humans from God.

2.. Mounce:

When we put the two Greek nouns together with the verb hilaskomai […], we see that Jesus is represented in the NT as the priest who does the atoning sacrifice (hilaskomai), as the One who is himself the sacrifice of atonement (hilasmos) and as the place where atonement occurs (hilastērion). Everything we need for forgiveness, for the removal of God’s anger, and for reconciliation with him can be found in Jesus. (p. 46)

3.. Now how does humanity become reconciled to God? Let’s look into this question in the next section.

To forestall objections that falsely accuse God of being primitive or petty, please see this post:

Christ’s Death on Cross = Cosmic Child Abuse?

IV. How Atonement Is Done

A.. Blood must be shed.

Leviticus 16:11 requires blood to be shed for the high priest on the Day of Atonement before he can enter the tabernacle.

¹¹ “Aaron shall bring the bull for his own sin offering to make atonement for himself and his household, and he is to slaughter the bull for his own sin offering. (Lev. 16:11)

Now he must make atonement for the Most Holy Place (Holy of Holies) because of the sins and rebellions of the people. He slaughters a goat, and then he makes atonement:

¹⁶ In this way he will make atonement for the Most Holy Place because of the uncleanness and rebellion of the Israelites, whatever their sins have been. He is to do the same for the tent of meeting, which is among them in the midst of their uncleanness. (Lev. 11:16)

Hebrews 9:19-22 says that Moses sprinkled the items in the tabernacle and the tabernacle itself with the blood of animals, to cleanse it, for without the shedding of blood, there is no remission (release) from sins (v. 22).

¹⁹ When Moses had proclaimed every command of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. ²⁰ He said, “This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.” ²¹ In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. ²² In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. (Heb. 9:19-22)

B.. A substitutionary sacrifice must be offered.

Leviticus 4:13-26 says that when the whole Israelite community sins unintentionally or a man sins unintentionally or a leader does the same, then he must sacrifice an animal, and the leader is to place his hands on it, so the sin is transferred, and the animal stands in for the human. Laying hands on the bull’s head means the elders identify with it and participate in the process. Here is just v. 15:

¹⁵ The elders of the community are to lay their hands on the bull’s head before the Lord, and the bull shall be slaughtered before the Lord. (Lev. 4:15)

Leviticus 5:5-10 teaches that if anyone—a man or woman—sins, he or she must bring an animal to pay the penalty for his or her sin and he or she must confess his or her sin. Here are verses 8-9:

⁸ They are to bring them to the priest, who shall first offer the one for the sin offering. He is to wring its head from its neck, not dividing it completely, ⁹ and is to splash some of the blood of the sin offering against the side of the altar; the rest of the blood must be drained out at the base of the altar. It is a sin offering. (Lev. 5:8-9)

Isaiah 53:4-7 speaks of the Suffering Servant—who, it will turn out to be—is Jesus the Messiah, who took our infirmities and bore our suffering, and we considered him punished and stricken by God and pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities. This prophecy may be the greatest one in the entire Old Testament because it clearly foretells of Christ’s sacrifice, the righteous one for unrighteous people..

Once again, 1 John 2:2 is clear:

² He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:2)

C. Summary

1.. The New Testament trims the complicated Old Testament requirements to the sacrifice of Christ, but this once-and-for-all sacrifice has an Old Testament background.

2.. The atonement of Christ on the cross on which he shed his blood is eternal, not yearly or daily.

3.. So now it is clear where the doctrine of penal substitutionary atonement comes from.

4.. Perfectly righteous Jesus stood in place of perfectly unrighteous humanity, and paid the penalty for our sins, as our substitute on the cross.

5.. We should have been on the cross, not him, but thankfully he is our substitute who took our place.

6.. And now it is clear why his blood must be shed. It is for the remission of sins.

V. How Christ Provides Atonement for the Sins of Humanity

A. He is symbolized in Old Testament sacrifices.

Exodus 12:1-7, 12-13 says that the blood of Passover lamb was used to put on the doorpost of the ancient Israelites living in Egypt, and when the death angel saw it, he would “pass over” the house and not wreak God’s judgment on the people. And the lamb had to be without defect.

Here I quote vv. 5-7, 12:

 ⁵ The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. ⁶ Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. ⁷ Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. […] ¹³ The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt. (Exodus 12:5-7, 12)

Hebrews 4:15 teaches us that Jesus was also without defect (sin):

¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. (Heb. 4:15)

1 Corinthians 5:7-8 says that Christ the Passover lamb has been sacrificed; therefore the Corinthians (and we too) needed to get rid of the yeast or sin. This teaches that the atonement produces righteousness and godly living. But the main point is that Christ stood in our place and held back God’s judgment. Now we can go free from our own personal Egypt. (Egypt = slavery = sin = old life)

⁷ Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. ⁸ Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (1 Cor. 5:7-8)

Isaiah 53:7 says that a lamb was led to the slaughter, and this was the Suffering Servant, Jesus.

⁷ He was oppressed and afflicted,
    yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
    and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
    so he did not open his mouth. (Is. 53:7)

When Philip approached the wagon where the Ethiopian eunuch was riding, the eunuch was reading this passage from Isaiah 54:7, 8: Philip explained to him that this referred to the Messiah, Jesus.

³² This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading:

As noted, John 1:29 says that Jesus was the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. And John the Baptist once again calls him the lamb of God (John 1:36).

²⁹ The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!  (John 1:29)

³⁵ The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. ³⁶ When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” (John 1:36)

In a magnificent passage, 1 Peter 1:18-19, Peter teaches us that Christ, who is the unblemished lamb of God, redeemed us through his precious blood. As noted, the Passover lamb had to be without defect.

¹⁸ For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. (1 Peter 1:18-19)

In Revelation 5:6, 9-10, John sees a vision of the slain lamb that was worthy to open the scroll. When the lamb took the scroll, the angels sang a song of praise which began: “Worthy is the lamb!”

⁶ Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. (Rev. 5:6)

The Revelation continues in worship of the Lamb because of his atoning work of redemption:

“You are worthy to take the scroll
    and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
    and with your blood you purchased for God
    persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
¹⁰ You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
    and they will reign on the earth.” (Rev. 5:9-10)

And now a huge multitude of angels worship the Lamb that was slain.

¹¹ Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. ¹² In a loud voice they were saying:

2.. He fulfills the Day of Atonement.

Hebrews 9:7-14 and 23-28 says that Christ is both the high priest and sacrifice. He did the sacrifice once and for all, which lasts eternally and brought through the eternal Spirit redemption for humanity.

Here is v. 7:

⁷ But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. (Heb. 9:7)

And in Hebrews 9:12-14 entered the heavenly tabernacle by his own blood, not by the blood of goats and calves. He obtained eternal redemption. The blood of various sacrificial animals were sprinkled on the unclean people. In contrast, the blood of Jesus, through the eternal Spirit, offered himself to God, cleanse (expiates) our consciences from acts that lead to death. The purpose of the cleansing: to serve the living God.

¹² He [Jesus] did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. ¹³ The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. ¹⁴ How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! (Heb. 9:12-14)

Please see:

The Day of Atonement in Leviticus 16 from a NT Perspective

VI.. What the New Testament Teaches about Christ’s Atonement.

A.. Christ is our atoning sacrifice.

Rom. 3:22b-25 is the clearest verse on Christ’s sacrificial atonement. It says God himself presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement through the shedding of his blood. This atoning sacrifice is to be received by faith, not by law keeping or by your own penance or your own sacrifices of righteous acts. Verse 22 says the atonement is for all who believe, true, but v. 24 says all are justified through the grace through the redemption that came by Christ. People must put their faith in Christ to apply the atonement to their lives.

²² This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. ²⁵ God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith.  (Rom. 3:22-25)

B. His atoning sacrifice lasts eternally, not daily or yearly.

Hebrews 9:26, 28 says that Christ was sacrificed once and for all to take away the sins of the many. In contrast, the Old Testament high priest offered the blood of animals daily and yearly (v. 25).

²⁶ Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. […] ²⁸ so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. (Heb. 9:26, 28)

1 John 4:10 instructs us about God’s love. The greatest proof or demonstration about his love is not that we love God, but that he loved us. How deep does his love go? He sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

¹⁰ This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. (1 John 4:10)

C. A ransom is paid.

Matthew 20:28 says the Son of Man (Jesus) gave his life a ransom for many:

²⁸ just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matt. 20:28)

1 Timothy 2:5-6a clarifies that “many” means “all.” So BDAG says it is the the ascensive “many,” which means that it goes up the scale from many to all: “many, even all.” Therefore “all” clarifies what “many” means.

⁵ For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, ⁶ who gave himself as a ransom for all people. (1 Timothy 2:5-6a)

1.. This passage clearly teaches that Christ is our substitute.

2.. Who was paid? It is best to conclude that God paid into his own system of justice–the devil was not paid.

For more about this payment, see this post and scroll down to the first point:

Theories about the Atonement

For more about “many” and “all,” go to this post:

Is the Atonement for ‘Many’ or ‘All’ People?

D. It is for everyone, not just for the elect.

Once again, John 1:29 says he died for the sin of the world.

²⁹ The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!  (John 1:29)

For the third time, 1 John 2:2 is clear:

² He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:2)

1.. Therefore, the door is open to anyone and everyone—all—who have faith which leads to redemption and the atonement being applied to anyone and everyone—all—who have faith, but only on the basis of grace!

2.. The initiative begins with God, and our faith responds to his freely offered grace—offered to anyone and everyone—all.

3.. His grace is efficacious or effective to the everyone who believes or has faith, and Christ’s sacrifice of atonement is received by faith.

4.. And thus we have to distinguish between the intention and the extent and the  application of the atonement. God intended the atonement to be for all. The extent is that Christ died for all. But the application is for those who put their faith in Christ.

5.. As I read things, therefore, the call of the gospel goes to all, but some won’t respond in saving faith, but many will.

6.. Grace is resistible. God gave each person a significant measure of free will, enough to resist the gospel call, but not enough to save himself.

7.. For salvation, he needs the Spirit-energized gospel to awaken his saving faith.

VII. The Last Supper and the Atonement

A. Christ taught the atonement simply during the .Last Supper.

That is, he taught it through a meal.

Here’s Luke’s version:

¹⁹ And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁰ In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. (Luke 22:19-20)

B. The bread symbolizes his body.

C. Eat the bread as a memorial.

1.. This memorial quality reflects Exodus 12:14 and the Passover meal.

¹⁴ “This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord—a lasting ordinance. (Exod. 12:14)

D. The cup of wine symbolizes the blood of the New Covenant

1. This reflects the lamb’s blood which was shed at Passover.

⁷ Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. (Exod. 12:7)

E. Some denominations teach a miraculous transformation of the bread and blood beneath their appearance

F. Other denominations teach Christ’s presence is there at the bread and cup.

G. Other denominations teach Memorialism (see v. 19, above)

H. Bottom line: the meal initiates the New Covenant, which was ratified on the cross and confirmed at the resurrection.

Basics about the Lord’s Supper

The Lord’s Supper in Synoptic Gospels + Church Traditions

VIII. The Benefits or Results of Christ’s Atonement

A. Our guilt is transferred over to the sacrificial offering.

Leviticus 16:21-22 teach the ancient Israelite was to lay his hand on the goat during the Day of Atonement, in a transference of the sin and guilt from the human to the animal.

²¹ He [the high priest] is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites—all their sins—and put them on the goat’s head. He shall send the goat away into the wilderness in the care of someone appointed for the task. ²² The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a remote place; and the man shall release it in the wilderness. (Lev. 16:21-22)

2 Corinthians 5:20-21 is a great passage to illustrate how Christ became a sin offering, so we can become the righteousness of God. Then in v. 20, Paul had written: “Be reconciled to God.” So reconciliation and atonement are related.

²⁰ We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. ²¹ God made him who had no sin to be sin^[b] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Cor. 5:20-21)

Hebrews 9:14 and 10:22 says Christ’s blood cleanses our guilty conscience from our sin.

¹⁴ How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! (Heb. 9:14)

²² let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. (Heb. 10:22)

These passages teach us that our guilt is transferred over to Christ, and his righteousness is transferred over to us. It is called the Great Exchange.

B. Our sins are forgiven.

In Leviticus 4:26, 31, and 35, the man who offered the animals in various sacrifices has made appropriate atonement, and his sins are forgiven. The background of v 35 is about a lamb (v. 32)

²⁶ He shall burn all the fat on the altar as he burned the fat of the fellowship offering. In this way the priest will make atonement for the leader’s sin, and he will be forgiven. […] ³¹ They shall remove all the fat, just as the fat is removed from the fellowship offering, and the priest shall burn it on the altar as an aroma pleasing to the Lord. In this way the priest will make atonement for them, and they will be forgiven. […] ³⁵ They shall remove all the fat, just as the fat is removed from the lamb of the fellowship offering, and the priest shall burn it on the altar on top of the food offerings presented to the Lord. In this way the priest will make atonement for them for the sin they have committed, and they will be forgiven. (Lev. 4:26, 31, 35)

Romans 3:23-27 is rich in meaning, and it could be studied in various translations. But one main point is that God who declares us righteous says that our sins are forgiven. I have quoted these verses in this post before, but since they are so important, here they are again. Law is contrasted with faith. When we put our faith in Christ, whom God presented as our atoning sacrifice, he justifies us or declares us righteous.

²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. ²⁵ God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,^[i] through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— ²⁶ he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. ²⁷ Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. (Rom. 3:23-27)

Hebrews. 9:22 says that without the shedding of blood there is no remission or forgiveness of sins, or stated positively: with the shedding of blood there is forgiveness of sins.

²² In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. (Heb. 9:22)

Ephesians 1:7 says that in Christ we have redemption through his blood and forgiveness of sin, and his rich grace must be extended—and it is right now.

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

C. Our sins are purified.

1 John 1:7 says his blood purifies us from our sins–from all or every sin.

⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)

This goes back to the Old Testament that says sprinkled blood cleanses the objects in the tabernacle and the tabernacle itself and the people. Christ fulfills this process, and now we receive it by faith.

D.. We are freed from sins.

Revelation 1:5 clearly says that we are freed from our sins by his blood. This means that sin no longer has power over us. Old habits and addictions can be broken by the blood of Christ, and the blood stands in for the entire sacrifice process.

⁵ and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood (Rev. 1:5)

E.. We are redeemed.

Rom. 3:24-25 says that we have been justified freely—without our paying a price or doing works of the law. This means he declared us righteous through the Christ’s sacrifice of atonement and redemption.

²⁴ and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. ²⁵ God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,^[i] through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— (Rom. 3:23-25)

And, as noted, 1 Peter 1:18-19 says we have been redeemed by the precious blood of the unblemished lamb.

¹⁸ For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. (1 Peter 1:18-19)

See this post for the definition of redemption:

What Is Redemption in the Bible?

F.. We are saved.

Rom. 5:9 teaches that we have been justified by his blood. That means he paid for our justification or our being declared righteous. Justification means a declaration of righteousness.

⁹ Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! (Rom. 5:9)

Recall that wrath does not mean what critics and pop culture say it means. Go to this link at look at two images which illustrate his just wrath.

Do I Really Know God? He Shows Wrath

God’s anger is not out-of-control fury, but it is judicial. It flows out of his love and goodness and protection and justice.

G. We are reconciled to God.

Romans 5:10 follows 5:9 in the previous point. Christ’s blood reconciled us to God.

¹⁰ For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! (Rom. 5:10)

Colossians 1:20-22 says that the fullness of deity lived in Christ, and through him God reconciled all things to himself by making peace through his blood on the cross.

²⁰ 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. ²¹ Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. ²² But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— (Col. 1:20-23)

In reconciliation, God did not move (morally speaking). We did. We rebelled, and now he is on a long search to bring humanity back to himself. However, the sins of humanity have to be atoned for, because God’s justice demands payment for our wrongs, much like a criminal has to pay for his wrongs. After he does, then he can be reconciled back into society. However, Christ stepped in and paid the penalty by going through his sacrifice in our place. Now we are reconciled to God through him.

H.. We have peace with God.

Colossians 1:20 says this at the end of the verse (see the previous point).

²⁰ 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. (Col. 1:20)

I.. We are made holy.

Hebrews 13:12 says Jesus died outside the camp to make us holy by his blood. This refers to burning the sin offering outside the camp, because it is a sin offering (Exod. 29:14). The presence of sin must be ceremoniously removed from God’s holy people. And the burning refers to God’s justice-wrath-judgment. By this offering the people were made holy or separated from the world, the flesh (sin nature), and the devil. They were consecrated to God.

¹² And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. (Heb. 13:12)

J.. We are reconciled to other Christians of different cultures.

Ephesians 2:14-18 is another rich passage that can be studied for hours. We used to have a wall of hostility between each other, but Christ’s peace destroyed it, by setting aside the in his sacrificial flesh the laws and its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create one new humanity, in one body—his own—and reconcile them through the cross. This reconciliation must be done in Christ, not in other cultures.

¹⁴ For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, ¹⁵ by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶ and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. ¹⁷ He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. ¹⁸ For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. (Eph. 2:14-18)

K. The power of the devil is disarmed and broken.

Colossians. 2:15 says that Jesus disarmed the spiritual authorities in the heavenly realm through the cross.

¹⁵ And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. (Col. 2:15)

Hebrews 2:14-15 instructs us about Christ’s death. He shared in our humanity so that by his death he would deliver us from the power of the devil that held sway over death and free us who feared death.

¹⁴ Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— ¹⁵ and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.  (Col. 2:14-15)

How does this post bring me closer to Jesus?

The atonement doctrine has fallen out of “fashion” for postmodern man. Why can’t he just ask for forgiveness and get it? He can, but he has to realize that Christ paid the penalty for humankind’s sin, so that the man or woman can even have a legal standing before God. Without Christ, humankind has no opportunity to ask in the first place. Self-atonement is deficient.

But why did Christ have to go through his sacrificial death? Why couldn’t God just decree it? Man committed great wrong. Justice had to be paid—much like a criminal today has to pay for his wrongs. But what if someone stepped in and paid the penalty for the wrongs? Jesus did that on the cross for us. Now justice is satisfied.

But why the bloody sacrificial death on the cross? Why not just do something else? The problem with that idea is that the Old Testament is full of sacrifices and the shedding of blood.

It is arrogant to sneer at the first-century writers of the New Testament because they did not ignore the fact that animal sacrifices were still going on in the temple at Jerusalem as the priests followed the Old Testament system. This was the system that God himself set up. And God himself presented Christ as the atoning sacrifice to fulfill it. We omit following the teaching of the apostolic community’s teaching at our own peril.

Let’s never abandon Christ on the cross. He did so much for us on Calvary that our condescension towards him is just plain fatal at judgment.

Now the old has given way to the new. Christ through his blood established the New Covenant (Matt. 26:28 // Mark 14:24 // Luke 22:20; cf. 1 Cor. 11:20).

Now by faith we accept his once-and-for-all, eternally applied sacrifice.

RELATED

Atonement: Bible Basics

What Does ‘Atonement’ Mean?

Theories about the Atonement

The Day of Atonement in Leviticus 16 from a NT Perspective

Why Doesn’t Divine Healing Happen One Hundred Percent of the Time in This Age?

Christ’s Death on Cross = Cosmic Child Abuse?

SOURCES

Works Cited

At that link, look for the NIV Study Bible (2011), Mounce, and the other theologians.