OUR ATONEMENT, .....2 CORINTHIANS 5:21

OUR ATONEMENT

2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Psalm 16:8 “I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.”

INTRODUCTION

Atonement, you have probably heard me use that word a time or two. And like with anything you do, you need to have a clear understanding of what it is. I may have said it but I do not remember if I have ever given a clear working definition of the word Atonement....

Atonement.....the reconciliation of God and humankind through Jesus Christ.

How did Christ become our atonement?

He became our substitute...A substitute, by definition, is one who stands in the place of another.

he took our place.....

how many of you in here today would take someone else, crimes, punishments upon yourself.....TALK, PREACH....(taking someone elses charge)

What was the purpose of atonement?

Jesus came to take our sins away, it makes us redeemed and forgiven

What does that mean for us today?

Because of Christ’s sacrifice for us, we can actually approach God’s throne confidently, and without fear, knowing that His abundant, and much needed mercy and grace are readily available to us in our dark and difficult times. We can count on Him to do “exceedingly and abundantly above all that we can ask or think, according to the power that works in us” (Ephesians 3:20). This is all made possible by the Cross.......TALK,PREACH....

And once we truly understand atonement, we the church today have a message, a job to do....The message of the church today is one of reconciliation: God in Christ on the cross has reconciled the world to himself and is willing to save all who will trust His Son. Ours is not a message of social reform (although the Gospel reforms lives, Titus 2:11–15); ours is a message of spiritual regeneration. We represent Christ as we invite the lost to receive Him. What a privilege—what a responsibility!.......TALK, PREACH....

Atonement was even present in the Old Testament.....

In the Old Testament, they used animals for sacrifices as atonement. the problem with that was.....TALK....

So God already had a plan together because He knew we couldn’t do it alone....He had the perfect atonement plan.

Jesus Christ....

I & II Corinthians D. The Urgency of Reconciliation (5:16–6:2)

Christ became the sin offering for us—for all who believe in him. In the gospel of the New Testament, salvation comes to enemies of God because Christ himself became the perfect and final substitutionary sacrifice on behalf of those who have saving faith in him

And God did that for a purpose which was...the purpose of Christ’s sacrifice. It was so that in him we (all who have saving faith) might become the righteousness of God. Note first that it is in him (in Christ) that reconciliation takes place

Once again its IN HIM, WITH HIM AND THROUGH HIM, that we are saved. Not of our own doing, Christ was our atonement and He took our charge so that we might live.

Let’s look at the scripture and what Paul wrote to the church at Corinth....

2 Corinthians 5:21 “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Paul is telling the church about Christ’s ministry and the message of the ministry.

And this particular text Paul is talking about reconcilation.

How Christ became our atonement...

I & II Corinthians D. The Urgency of Reconciliation (5:16–6:2)

Paul summarized the content of his message of reconciliation in a short appeal. His practice was to tell others to be reconciled to God. Since Paul had to appeal to others to be reconciled, he did not believe that the work of Christ automatically reconciled every human being to God. Christ’s saving work on the cross is sufficient for every human being, but it is effective only for those who believe. As the imperative (be reconciled, from katallasso) indicates, those who hear the gospel are responsible to believe in Christ in order to become reconciled to God.

all of that can be found right here in....

2 Corinthians 5:17–19 NKJV

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

TALK, PREACH....

Now when we come to v21, Paul explained that sinful people, who are the enemies of God, can be reconciled to God only through Christ and his work on behalf of the human race....OUR ATONEMENT

Lets walk further....

Lexham Context Commentary: New Testament Ambassadors for Christ (5:20–21)

Paul gives the theology of reconciliation through Christ

I & II Corinthians D. The Urgency of Reconciliation (5:16–6:2)

Paul summarized Christ’s work in two elements. On the one hand, God made Christ, who had no sin, to be sin. Paul did not mean that Christ actually became a sinner. Throughout his humiliation, Christ remained faithful and righteous.

2 Corinthians 5:21 “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Jesus never became a sinner, but He did become sin for us. Even His becoming sin was a righteous act of love, not an act of sin.

Lexham Context Commentary: New Testament Ambassadors for Christ (5:20–21)

Paul is referring to the imputation of sin to Christ on the cross

This was the work of God Himself! The Father and the Son (and the Spirit as well) were in perfect cooperation in the work on the cross. This means that the work of atonement on the cross was the work of God.

Jesus knew no sin but God made him sin for us....TALK, PREACH...

I & II Corinthians D. The Urgency of Reconciliation (5:16–6:2)

Christ became the sin offering for us—for all who believe in him.

I & II Corinthians D. The Urgency of Reconciliation (5:16–6:2)

Christ himself became the perfect and final substitutionary sacrifice on behalf of those who have saving faith in him.

"Christ was not guilty, and could not be made guilty; but he was treated as if he were guilty, because he willed to stand in the place of the guilty. Yea, he was not only treated as a sinner, but he was treated as if he had been sin itself in the abstract. This is an amazing utterance. The sinless one was made to be sin." (Spurgeon)

TALK, PREACH...

Paul’s next element was the purpose of Christ’s sacrifice

I & II Corinthians D. The Urgency of Reconciliation (5:16–6:2)

It was so that in him we (all who have saving faith) might become the righteousness of God.

Jesus took our sin, but gave us His righteousness. It is a tremendous exchange, all prompted by the love of God for us!

RIGHTEOUSNESS....the quality of being morally right or justifiable:

thru the atonement, this is what God should see.....TALK, PREACH...

This is the whole truth of justification stated simply: Our sins were on Jesus, and His righteousness is on us. And, "As Christ was not made sin by any sin inherent in him, so neither are we made righteous by any righteousness inherent in us, but by the righteousness of Christ imputed to us." (Poole)

SUMMARIZE/CLOSING

Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the New Testament Chapter 5

The message of the church today is one of reconciliation: God in Christ on the cross has reconciled the world to himself and is willing to save all who will trust His Son

TALK,PREACH....

Lexham Context Commentary: New Testament Ambassadors for Christ (5:20–21)

since God is also so gracious as to impute to us his very own righteousness, it makes perfect logical sense to therefore spend one’s life promoting that saving message, for when someone puts their faith in it, they are saved, and the final judgment (5:10) completely changes.

What is that saving message?....TALK, PREACH, CLOSE

Richard L. Pratt Jr, I & II Corinthians, vol. 7, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 361.

Richard L. Pratt Jr, I & II Corinthians, vol. 7, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 360.

Richard L. Pratt Jr, I & II Corinthians, vol. 7, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 361.

Warren W. Wiersbe, Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the New Testament (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1992), 490.