In the previous post, we looked at the verses describing the significance of the blood and cross of Christ. This present post deepens our knowledge of that world-changing historical event. We look at the major Scriptures about the atonement. And is Christ’s death on the cross cosmic child abuse? We also explore whether the atonement is for all (unlimited) or for the elect (limited).

The atonement is best captured by this image by Rembrandt:

Église Saint-Vincent, 1631

If anyone asks what atonement means, tell them, “It’s Christ on the cross.”

I.. Definitions

A.. Meaning of the English word

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”). Atonement = Christ on Cross

B.. Theological definitions

Let’s consult the professionals.

1.. J. Rodman Williams writes:

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.. Millard Erickson:

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

3.. Wayne Grudem:

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

4.. John 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.. Donald 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. (vol. 1, p. 161)

II.. Brief Overview of Hebrew and Greek Terms

A.. Hebrew verb is kapar (used 102 times)

It is generally translated as “to atone,” “to wipe clean,” and “to appease.” For example, in Genesis 32:20, Jacob sent gifts ahead of him to “wipe” (atone) the anger off his brother Esau’s face. As it turned out, Esau was not angry because time healed his wounds, and he was prosperous. Jacob and Esau were reconciled, and God and his people were reconciled. The main point, however, is that sacrifice and gifts atone for or wipe away just wrath.

Another example: The sacrifice of an animal during the sin offering (Lev. 4:1-5:13), It was to atone for the worshiper’s own sins, by blood manipulation primarily. Then God’s judicial wrath would be lifted and he would smile on his people again. The word wrath does not mean, biblically, what critics and pop culture say it means. God’s wrath is judicial, not unbridled, out-of-control fury. The basic meaning is “to forgive.” “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

The verb in Greek is hilaskomai and is pronounced hih-lah-skoh-my and used twice. It means “to atone,” “have mercy on,” “to make atonement for,” “propitiate (satisfy).” The basic meaning is to “forgive” (Mounce). BDAG is a thick Greek lexicon of the New Testament, and it defines the verb as follows (edited to fit this book):

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

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

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

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?

The noun hilasmos is used twice and pronounced hih-lahs-moss. It appears in 1 John 2:2 and 4:10 (see below). BDAG defines the noun as follows:

First, it “appeasement necessitated by sin, expiation.” That is, our sin required an appeasement. Second, 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. Third, “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.

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.”

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.

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

Next, the noun hilastērion is pronounced he-lah-stay-ree-on and is also used twice. 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). 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

Our sins destroyed our relationship with God and separated us from him. Jesus is the sacrifice that atones for sins. His sacrifice reconciles us to God. We have a renewed or restored relationship with God. Christ’s death propitiates God and wipes away our sins or cleanse us from our sin and its pollution. “Everything we need for forgiveness, for the removal of God’s anger, for reconciliation with him can be found in Jesus” (Mounce, p. 46). Bottom line: Atonement is God’s means to forgive and restore and reconcile humanity to himself, through his Son’s death on the cross. There are other term, to like “reconciliation” and “ransom” and “redemption.” We include them below.

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:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”

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)

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)

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

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)

First 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)

First 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)

First 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) asks 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)

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

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

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)

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

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.

⁴ Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
⁶ We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.

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. 53:4-7)

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

The New Testament trims the complicated Old Testament requirements to the sacrifice of Christ, but his once-and-for-all sacrifice has an Old Testament background. The atonement of Christ on the cross on which he shed his blood is eternal, not yearly or daily. So now it is clear where the doctrine of penal substitutionary atonement comes from. Perfectly righteous Jesus stood in place of perfectly unrighteous humanity, and paid the penalty for our sins, as our substitute on the cross. We should have been on the cross, not him, but thankfully he is our substitute who took our place. And now it is clear why his blood must be shed. It is for the remission of sins.

V.. How Christ Provides Atonement

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)

First 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:

“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
³³ In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth.” (Acts 8:32)

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:

“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!” (Rev. 5:11-12)

B.. 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)

A list of how Christ fulfills this day:

The Day of Atonement in Leviticus 16 from a NT Perspective

C. Divine child abuse?

Is Christ’s death on the cross cosmic child abuse. No. Here’s why.

The wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23). That is our ultimate penalty and punishment for our disobeying moral law and being sinful in ourselves. So Jesus took the penalty and punishment by dying in our place in his self-sacrificial love, so we won’t die in the afterlife (and we can also have eternal life, beginning at the moment we are born again). And without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin (Heb. 9:22). In a sense Jesus paid for our just death penalty by suffering an unjust death penalty. Death for death; his life for our new life in him. And now his resurrection enables us to have our own resurrection. He was victorious and hence we are too. Christus Victor (Christ the Victorious One), as one theory of the atonement says!

On the cross, Jesus Christ took our earned, merited, and deserved judicial wrath of God. However, it is wrong to see this sacrifice as divine child abuse, because God himself was on the cross in the person of his Son. So his whole motive was self-giving love, as he suffered and paid the punishment for our individual sins and the penalty for our sin nature. He lovingly took our sins on himself. He became a sin offering in our place (Rom. 8:3; 2 Cor. 5:21)

Why did Jesus take our just punishment on himself, in an act of sacrificial love as God incarnate? God made the moral universe with consequences built in. Law is connected to his justice, which is best seen in a legal or judicial context. If people break the moral or Mosaic law, then someone, like the lawbreaker or a substitutionary animal on the Day of Atonement or someone else, will have to undergo the just punishment. More deeply, it was the perfect act of love in order to satisfy the moral order of the universe that flowed from God’s love and justice. Recall that the gift of moral and Mosaic law embodies safety and protection, and safety and protection is an act of love.

As a whole, however, humanity stomped on it. God himself in the person of Jesus was on that cross, paying the consequence of people’s stomping on the moral order and for being sinful in themselves. So again to answer the question directly, Christ’s death on the cross was not cosmic child abuse; it was pure love

For a fuller explanation, please go here:

Christ’s Death on Cross = Cosmic Child Abuse?

VI.. New Testament Basics about Christ’s Atonement.

A.. Christ is our atoning sacrifice.

Romans 3:22b-25 are the clearest verses on Christ’s sacrificial atonement. They say 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)

First 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)

First Timothy 2:5-6a clarifies that “many” means “all.” So BDAG says it is 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)

This passage clearly teaches that Christ is our substitute. Who was paid? God paid into his own system of justice–the devil was not paid. (See the post on Redemption.)

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

Once again, John 1:29 says he died for the sin (singular) 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; Christ sacrifice is for the sins (plural) of the world:

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)

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! The initiative begins with God, and our faith responds to his freely offered grace—offered to anyone and everyone—all. His grace is efficacious or effective to the everyone who believes or has faith, and Christ’s sacrifice of atonement is received by faith.

E.. Summary

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. As I read things, therefore, the call of the gospel goes to all, but some won’t respond in saving faith, but many will. 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. For salvation, he needs the Spirit-energized gospel to awaken his saving faith.

See this post at my website:

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

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.

Some denominations say the bread is his body under the appearances.

C.. Eat the bread as a memorial.

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

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.. Miraculous transformation under appearances?

Some churches teach that under the appearances, the substance of the bread is transformed into the body of Christ and the substance of the wine is transformed into his blood. This is called transubstantiation.

F.. Christ’s presence

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

G.. Memorialism

Other denominations teach Memorialism (see v. 19, above). I no longer believe in strict memorialism. Something sacred happens to the hosts (bread and grape juice) when they are consecrated.

H.. Bottom line:

The meal initiates the New Covenant, which was ratified on the cross and confirmed at the resurrection. I urge the global church not to quarrel about the theology of the Eucharist or Communion. Any person who is genuinely born again and surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus is allowed to take communion, scripturally speaking.

I don’t wish to quarrel about the differing views about communion or the eucharist in this in this section. We will cover the it in post (see under Ecclesiology). For now, we can say that at a minimum the bread symbolizes his body and the wine his blood. If churches wish to build on the streamlined interpretation, then they may do so.

VIII.. The Benefits or Results of Christ’s Atonement

A. These truths are powerful.

1.. Our guilt is transferred over to the sacrificial offering but only on the Day of Atonement.

Leviticus 16:21-22 teach the high priest 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)

Second 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.

2.. 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, 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)

3.. Our sins are purified.

First 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.

4.. 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)

5.. We are redeemed.

Romans 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)

6.. We are saved.

Romans 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. 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.

7.. 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)

8.. We have peace with God.

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

9.. 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)

10.. 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)

11.. 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)

B. Summary

That list of truths can transform our lives, if we pray over them and get them into our minds. Wonderful.

IX.. Limited or Unlimited Atonement?

A.. Arguments for limited atonement and replies.

It is never a good idea to limit the atonement by indirect reasoning. Here is an example.

1.. God is so sovereign, people can never resist his grace for salvation;

2.. Not all people are saved;

3.. Therefore his grace for salvation is not offered to everyone;

4.. Therefore his salvation done on the cross (atonement) is limited to the elect, that is, those who were effectually called by grace.

B.. Reply

The above argument is convoluted and indirect. It is better to look directly at verses covering Christ’s atoning death on the cross—and he died for all. The verses that mention atonement or atoning sacrifice say it is for the word all in the above passages. Look for this key word.

C.. Intention, Extent, and Application

When we distinguish between those three terms, we have clarity. God intends the atonement to be for everyone. That is his purpose for it. The extent is that it is for everyone. He offers it to all. He sent his Son to die for the sin of the whole world. However, the specific application goes only to those who believe in the Son of God and confess him as Lord (Rom. 10: 9-10). I see no limitations here, other than a person calling (or not calling) on the name of the Lord.

Romans 1:16 says the gospel brings salvation to everyone who believes. Thus it seems at first glance that his salvation is limited to the believers, only to the elect. However, Titus 2:11 says that grace offers salvation to all people.

The way out of this seeming contradiction is to distinguish the intention of the atonement and salvation (it is purposed for everyone), its extent (it is offered to all), and its application (for those who trust in Jesus).

As noted, Romans 3:22-26 teaches this intention, extent, and application distinction. 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. And v. 26 he justifies those who believe in Jesus. This makes sense, for he will not (yet) justify those who refuse to trust in him. People must put their faith in Christ to apply the atonement to their lives.

D.. Summary

Distinguish between the three concepts. And thus we have to distinguish between intention and extent and application. God intended the atonement to be for all. Its extent: Christ died for all. But the application of the atonement is for those who put their faith in Christ.

Therefore, the door is open to anyone and everyone—all—who have faith to receive his grace, which leads to redemption and being justified. And so the atonement is applied to anyone and everyone—all—who have faith!

We are saved by grace through our faith. The initiative begins with God, and our faith responds to his freely offered grace—offered to anyone and everyone—all. His grace is efficacious or effective to everyone who believes or has faith, and Christ’s sacrifice of atonement is received by faith. Evidently God’s grace, though offered to everyone, is resistible for some people.

Therefore. Christ’s atonement is unlimited. It is offered to everyone, but it is applied only to those who believe on his Son.

X. Theories about the Atonement

A. Brief into.

We look at the major theories, but also include a table for the others. Let’s use the question-and-answer format.

B.. What does Christus Victor theory of the atonement mean?

Christus Victor literally means Christ the Victor (the –us suffix is the masculine singular, like the Greek –os). It means that on the cross (and subsequent resurrection) Christ is victorious over the world, sin, and the devil and his victory is our victory.

Here are important verses demonstrating Christ’s victory through his death:

¹³  […] He forgave us all our sins, ¹⁴ having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness,  which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵ And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. (Col. 2:13c-15, NIV)

Luther highlighted this approach. Christ comes as the conqueror and triumphs over those vices and evil. He delivered the world from oppressive forces of sin, death and the devil. His death took on human sin, and his resurrection destroyed claims on humanity. This removes the payment puzzle—whom did Christ pay. There is a lot to be said in favor of this theory of the atonement.

C.. What does the satisfaction theory mean?

Christ’s redemption through his blood satisfied God’s justice. Humankind is separated from God by sin; humanity is in debt that he cannot pay to an infinitely righteous God. Yet God demands payment. Only the God-Man could satisfy God’s just demand. Christ’s death paid the demands of the law and preserves God’s righteousness. That is, he could free man from his sins and maintain his justice—all through Christ taking our place on the cross and paying the penalty for our sins.

Therefore, in the ultimate sense, Christ paid the justice of God, which demanded payment for the debt of sin. Christ did this by becoming a sin offering and released us from our sins (2 Cor. 5:21). But let’s never forget that it was God himself on the cross, in the person of his Son, Jesus Christ. This sacrifice was self-giving love.

D.. What does the moral theory mean?

Christ’s cross does speak of Christian discipleship and following him in his love (Mark 8:34; John 15:12; Eph. 5:1-2; Phil. 2:1-18; 1 Pet. 2:21; 1 John 3:16). Christ’s love kindles in our heart and opens a new path of discipleship and moral growth. It means God reaches out to us in love and changes us.

However, this “moral theory” is deficient because no redemption and release from our sins is done through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross—or at least it is not as clear as the Scriptures proclaim.  It is close to the theory of the gift of atonement (see below). But let’s not throw out those theories, because of all the Scripture references, noted in this point.

E.. What does the substitution theory of the atonement mean?

It means that God’s law and holiness required payment for human degradation and sin, if the atonement is to be done. God cannot ignore or overlook sin. So how can humankind be reconciled or brought near to God, with such a wide gulf?  Christ willingly became a sin offering in our place (substitute) on the cross and paid the penalty of sin that engulfed humankind. Now reconciliation between God and humans can take place because Christ is the mediator between the two. God can be just and the justifier of humanity (Rom. 3:26).

As noted, God himself was on the cross, in the person of his Son, Jesus Christ. This sacrifice was self-giving love.

Further, God’s wrath is always judicial, never out of control emotions.

The Wrath of God in the New Testament

Do I Really Know God? He Shows Wrath

How God made the moral universe demands that people who break the law must suffer the consequences. Either they themselves pay for it, or a substitute like an animal on the Day of Atonement, is the substitute. In the Christian answer, Jesus became the substitute and he took our sins on him.

This is still a very strong theory and well supported by Scripture. Go here for the references:

What Is Penal Substitution?

F. What does the theory that the atonement is a gift mean?

Out of his love God gave his all through his Son and his Spirit. Humanity that was plunged into sin and darkness and the devil’s dominion is overcome by Jesus atoning life and work. God maintains his justice, expresses his love and triumphs over darkness and Satan.

This theory and the one about penal substitution work together well.

G. Summary Table of the Theories

Theories of the Atonement
Name	Proponent	Teaching
Ransom to Satan	Origen (185-254)	Christ’s death was a ransom paid to Satan to satisfy claims Satan had against man. But Satan was deceived (think of the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis). The goal: trick and defeat Satan
Recapitulation	Irenaeus (130-202)	Christ recapitulated in himself all the stages of life, including what belongs to us as sinners. His obedience took the place of man’s disobedience. Therefore our lives should be transformed. Goal: reverse the Fall.
Satisfaction	Anselm (1033-09)	Sinful man robbed God of his honor. God rewarded the death of Christ by viewing t as a work of supererogation (beyond necessity or duty or obligation) so that he can distribute its stored-up merits to us. Our faith enables us to appropriate these merits. Goal: pay the debt of sin
Moral Influence	Abelard (1079-1142)	Death of Christ was not an expiation for sin but a suffering with his creatures to manifest God’s love. This suffering love should awaken a response of love in sinner and bring an ethical change in him. This liberates him from power of sin. Resembles Moral Example. Goal: Show God’s love to us.
Moral Example	Socinus (1539-1604)	Christ’s death did not atone for sin but revealed faith an obedience as the way to eternal life and inspiring people to lead a similar life. Resembles Moral Influence. Goal: Show God’s love in us.
Governmental	Grotius (1583-1645)	God’s government demanded the death of Christ to show his displeasure with sin. Christ did not suffer the penalty of the law, but God accepted his suffering for that penalty. Goal: keep moral order.
Dramatic	Gustav Aulen (1879-1978)	In his death Christ gained victory over the powers of evil. Goal: Christ is victor, defeat Satan, and evil and sin.
Christus Victor	Luther (1483-1546)	Resembles Dramatic theory. Goal: Christ is victor over the devil, evil and sin.
Barthian	Barth (1886-1968)	Christ’s death was principally a revelation of God’s love and hatred for sin.
Mystical	Schleiermacher (1768-1834)	Christ was the absolute unity of divinity and humanity. God became man that man might become God. As God-men, they partake of the divine human nature or the life of Christ. Christ’s redeeming activity exhibits it as the establishment of new life common to him and us. His redemption he takes us into this fellowship of his activity and life. We come into mystical union with him. Goal: Unite us with God.
Substitution	Calvin (1509-1564)	Christ the sinless one took on himself the penalty that should have been borne by humanity. Humans should have been on the cross, but he took our place (substitution). Goal: appease wrath, release mercy.
Adapted from Ryrie, pp. 355-56; Geisler pp. 837-38, 840

H.. A conclusion

“A conclusion” is the right word, not the conclusion.

Renewal theologian J. Rodman Williams combines the penal substitution and satisfaction theory with the moral theory (and perhaps the gift of love).

He writes:

In all of this there is obviously a tension in theory between God’s righteousness and His love. Satisfaction thinking will not allow any minimizing of God’s righteousness and justice; moral influence thinking invariably counters with the stress on God’s love and compassion. Both are right: The problem arises when one is emphasized above the other; righteousness and grace; justice and mercy (vol. 1, p. 379).

He continues:

Since this act of atonement is initiated by God’s love (“God so loved the world …”), then the primary matter is the Atonement is not the satisfaction of God’s justice, but the action of His mercy wherein He receives the full weight of His justice and judgment upon himself. In this event, love and righteousness have both been totally in operation. This is the way of the divine forgiveness, this is the Atonement, this is the reconciliation of the world to God (Vol. 1, p. 379).

XI.. Application

A.. The extreme, ultimate price was paid.

The atonement doctrine has fallen out of “fashion” for postmodern man. Why can’t he just ask for forgiveness and get it? He can, and God accepts sincere repentance spoken in the =name of Jesus. But as he grows in his knowledge of God, 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.

B.. Why did Christ sacrifice himself?

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.

C.. Old Testament background is important.

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.

D.. We enter the New Covenant.

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.

E. The atonement reveals God’s love and outreach to us.

God reached out to you in his love to redeem you from your old life of sin and degradation. Even the so-called “good girl” or “good boy” has need of redemption. God needs to buy you out of your own salvation that you are working by your own good behavior. But that is deficient. You can never be good enough. You need to acknowledge that the presence of sin permeates your mind and body, and this wars against your quest for perfection. But there is no perfection in your condition. Perfectionism is futile and leads only to frustration. You need a Savior to deliver or rescue or redeem you. You need to be brought over from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of the Son whom God loves. And when you walk in him, God loves you too. And accepts you in all your imperfections. Then all your striving and frustration will cease. You will be redeemed from yourself.

F.. Salvation from final judgment

Let’s never abandon Christ on the cross. He did so much for us at cavalry (the hill where he was crucified) that our ignoring it and condescension towards him is just plain fatal at judgment. Thy way to avoid a negative final judgment is to be in union with Christ. And the way to this union is a simple prayer and then a lifelong process of following him. The prayer can be this simple. Here’s the prayer:

“Father in heaven, I confess my sins. I repent of all of them. I receive your forgiveness. I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord. I believe in my heart that you raised him from the dead. He is Lord. And I make him my Lord, forever. Fill me with your Spirit and cause me to be born again and to start over and begin a brand-new life. Fill me with your Spirit to overflowing. In Jesus’s name I pray, amen.”

If you meant that prayer, you just embarked on a new journey, with God’s help and by his grace. Now get involved in a gospel-proclaiming, Bible-teaching, Spirit-filled church.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Works Cited