Atonement

[intricatic]

This is a complicated doctrine.
There are any number of versions of it, from Origen's idea of a ransom paid to Satan to redeem fallen men, the idea of the atonement being filled in the act of a perfect man (Christ, who also takes part of the Godhead) meeting the demands of God placed upon man for perfect obedience and faith (God knew the demand could never be met by men, so prepared a solution to the problem of sin by His own power), to the idea of a simple appeal for fallen man to repent and believe (Christ died in an attempt to sway sinful men to God).

Where do you stand on this issue? I know there are alternative doctrines out there that seek to fill the same need in a coherent understanding of faith, which may not go by the name "atonement", but it's the simplest way of putting it that I could think of, to cover the most ground at one time.

[Pete Martinez]

Actually the entire book of Ephesians addresses this issue, why Jesus died on the cross and pretty much the whole purpose of everything that has ever existed, such a wonderful book you'll just start and won't stop once you know the key to the book of Ephesians, which is what I just mentioned. And no, it wasn't a ransom from satan, although an interesting thing I have heard is that Jesus was a sinless man, and because he, an innocent person, was murdered by satan, that immediately made satan lose all of his authority, after all, the executioner cannot be held responsible when the guilty has been sentenced to death. But no, Christ was a ransom from God for God.

God is absolutely just and holy, he cannot wink at sin at all, and since all us men are guilty of sin, the only way for us to not perish, because he must punish sin, was to offer a perfect sacrifice, his only begotten son, for us.

[mlqurgw]

A proper understanding of the atonement is the very core of the Gospel. There is no true Good News apart from it. An old preacher friend of mine put it about a simple and clear as I have ever heard it, " God must first do something for Himself before He can do anything for man." He must satisfy His offended justice while upholding perfect righteousness and truth. He did it in Christ. The very word atonement tells us that sin must be paid for. It must be paid for by the shedding of blood. Without the shedding of blood is no remission. The death of Christ as our Surety and Substitute is vital. He was made to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. 2Cor. 5:21 God cannot, in justice, punish the innocent. Prov. 17:3 ? Our salvation depends on the fact that Christ didn't just take our sin as a pasted on guilt but became guilty for us. He bore our sin in His own body on the tree, not on His body.1Pet. 3? He took the guilt of the sin of all His elect as His own and died under the wrath of God for it. When He died He put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Heb. 1, 10? He purged our sin, that is removed all remnants of it totally so that not even a microscopic element of it remains. He took away the handwriting of ordinances against us nailing it to His cross. Col. 2? Every picture given us in the Scriptures shows what it takes to put away our sin. He so thoroughly put it away that even God, who sees everywhere, cannot find it. The Good News is that by His death He accomplished redemption for us. Without an accomplished redemption sin may still be imputed to us. That is why John write in 1John 3? that as He is so are we in this world. In Him is no sin. 1John 3? That doesn't mean that He has no sin, which of course He doesn't, but that we who are in Him have no sin. He rose from the dead because He has satisfied all the demands of a Righteous God against our sin and death could no longer hold Him as it had no more right to hold Him. His resurrection is the glorious declaration to all creation that God is satisfied and no longer has anything against those for whom Christ died.
There is no good news in an atonement that didn't atone. There is no good news in an atonement that only made salvation possible. There is no good news in an atonement that is just an example. The Good News is that Christ has saved a people from their sin.

I put ? behind the references because I don't have my Bible beside me as I write and can't look up the passages. I think you will be able to find them though.

[intricatic]

Reminds me of Isaiah;


12 For our transgressions are multiplied before You,
And our sins testify against us;
For our transgressions are with us,
And as for our iniquities, we know them:
13 In transgressing and lying against the LORD,
And departing from our God,
Speaking oppression and revolt,
Conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.
14 Justice is turned back,
And righteousness stands afar off;
For truth is fallen in the street,
And equity cannot enter.
15 So truth fails,
And he who departs from evil makes himself a prey.
Then the LORD saw it, and it displeased Him
That there was no justice.
16 He saw that there was no man,
And wondered that there was no intercessor;
Therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him;
And His own righteousness, it sustained Him.
17 For He put on righteousness as a breastplate,
And a helmet of salvation on His head;
He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing,
And was clad with zeal as a cloak.
18 According to their deeds, accordingly He will repay,
Fury to His adversaries,
Recompense to His enemies;
The coastlands He will fully repay.
19 So shall they fear
The name of the LORD from the west,
And His glory from the rising of the sun;
When the enemy comes in like a flood,
The Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him.
20 “ The Redeemer will come to Zion,
And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,”
Says the LORD.
(Isaiah 59)