Shepherds College: Systematic Theology, Lesson 26

Shepherds College Systematic Theology Session 26 A Symphony of Salvation Part 3 Atonement 2 3 Atonement “Reconciliation; sin has alienated humanity from God and provoked God’s anger. God has responded by providing the means of restoring this s relationship, bringing both sides to a place where they are at one again (‘at-one-ment’).” —Martin H. Manser, Dictionary of Bible Themes: The Accessible and Comprehensive Tool for Topical Studies (London: Martin Manser, 2009). 4 From the Heidelberg Catechism, 1563 “Q: What is your only comfort in life and death? A: That I with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong unto my faithful Savior Jesus Christ; who, with his precious blood, has fully satisfied for all my sins, and delivered me from all the power of tahe devil; and so preserves me that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head; indeed, that all things must be subservient to my salvation, and therefore, by his Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me sincerely willing and ready from now on to live unto him.” — Heidelberg Catechism, 1563, Question 1 5 Hebrews 2:17 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. Romans 3:25 Hebrews 8:12 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more. Romans 12:8 Above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail. Luke 18:13 Scripture the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. 2 Corinthians 9:7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. Hebrews 9:5 1 John 2:2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 4:10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 6 Key Ideas on the Atonement • It is very important to note the use of the terms, “blood” and “death” in each of these passages. • Day of Atonement Leviticus 16:29–34 • Christ’s Atonement Foretold Isaiah 53:4–12 • The Atonement in the Lord’s Supper • Matthew 26:26–28 • The Atonement the Purpose of Christ’s Death • The Atonement is the Gospel 1 Corinthians 15:3 • Christ’s Atonement • Surpasses the Old Covenant Hebrews 9:12– 14 • The Atonement is a Death for Ransom • Revelation 5:9–10 • Romans 5:6–8 7 “AT-ONE-MENT” If we take a look at our English word, “atonement,” we see that it can be broken down to “at-one-ment.” This is exactly what the Biblical words describe when the word “atonement” is used: At-One-Ment “In Christian thought, the act by which God and man are brought together in personal relationship. The term is derived from AngloSaxon words meaning “making at one,” hence “at-one-ment.” It presupposes a separation or alienation that needs to be overcome if human beings are to know God and have fellowship with him. As a term expressing relationship, atonement is tied closely to such terms as reconciliation and forgiveness.” [Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 231] It is also important to note that, although the actual word for “atonement” or “to atone for” is not used often in the NT, it is an idea that is present at nearly every place where it is said, “Jesus died for . . . “ It is the death of Christ (the innocent) on behalf of the guilty (the sinner) 8 Biblical Words In the OT, the word for “atone,” or “atonement” is usually kpr, which can be recognised in the phrase, “Yom Kippur” or “Day of Atonement.” The word means “to cover,” and the idea is that when sin is atoned for, it is covered over, and this is why we speak of being “under the blood,” or being “washed in the blood.” —see Revelation 7:14. From the human side, atonement expiates sin; that is, it takes it away. From God’s viewpoint, atonement propi-tiates His wrath. In the ESV NT, the words, “atonement” and “atone” do not occur at all, but the idea of blood atonement is found in many places: Mark 10:45 John 1:29 John 3:16 2 Corinthians 5:14 2 Corinthians 5:19 2 Corinthians 5:21 Galatians 3:13 Ephesians 2:13 Colossians 1:20 Hebrews 7:27 1 Peter 1:18, 19 In each of these passages, the idea is that Christ died for us. In the other versions, however, “atone,” “atoning sacrifice” and “atonement” are used in Romans 3:25 and 5:11; Hebrews 2:17 and 9:5; 1 John 2:2 and 4:10. The Greek word for Atonement, is hilastērion. This word is used almost 90 times in the LXX (Greek OT) to translate kpr. John 11:50 9 To Summarise Atonement is: Reconciliation In Christ, one time. Initiated by God. A ransom A deadly sacrifice A victory. Atonement, making reconciliation possible, is the heart of the message of the Bible. Atonement shows the seriousness of sin, and at the same time the patience and kindness of God. In the OT, worshippers supplied the sacrifice as God demands. In the NT, God still demands the sacrifice, but supplies it in Himself, in Christ. 10 J. c. Ryle, 1879 “Let His blood be more precious in our eyes every year we live. Whatever else we glory in about Christ, let us glory above all things in His cross.” 11 Dead to Sin “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) 12 13 Ephesians 2:1–10 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 1 6 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 7 2 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 3 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 4 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 5 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 8 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 9 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. 10 14 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 12 Colossians 2:12–13 15 Key Scriptures 1 Peter 2:24 (ESV) He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 24 Romans 6:1–4 (ESV) What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 1 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 2 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 3 Romans 6:10–11 (ESV) For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 10 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. 11 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 4 16 from R. C. Sproul “Christ did not die for himself. Nor was he raised from the dead merely for himself. He was raised for us that we might also participate in life everlasting. We will share in the exaltation of Christ. He is the first-fruits of all those who will be raised from the dead. Paul is particularly concerned here, however, not with that future glory, but with our life with Christ now. Christ is alive now, and the power of his life is alive in us now. If we identify with the cross in justification, we must also identify with his life. “If we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him” (v. 8). According to verse 10, Christ died to sin and lives unto God. If we are identified with Christ’s death in our baptism (v. 3), we must also be identified with his present life. Just as he lives unto God, so must we. All of this flows from our justification. In justification God took my sins and put them on Jesus. When God killed Jesus, he killed my sin. If God reckons our sins dead on the cross with Jesus, then we also ought to reckon ourselves dead to sin. We need to agree with God. God counts us dead to sin, and so we ought to count ourselves dead to sin and alive to God. Thus, Paul is saying that we need to consider our old life is dead. It’s over. Let it be buried. We can’t go back. If we have embraced Christ, we must now live a new life following him. We have no choice. The old life is dead. In this way Paul makes it clear that anyone who has been declared justified by God must inevitably lead a new life in righteousness.” Sproul, R.C. Before the Face of God: Book 1: A Daily Guide for Living from the Book of Romans. Electronic ed. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House; Ligonier Ministries, 1992. 17 From Fact to Command It is at this point that we move from justification (our being made righteous in Christ) to sanctification (holiness). Justification is not a work, but sanctification is. We should note the commands in the passages we read. “God’s grace not only forgives sins, but also delivers us from sinning.” —John Stott, 1994. 18 Our languages enables us to use several ways to express what is a fact (what is true) and a command (what I must do). In grammar, these are called indicative (stating a fact) and imperative (stating what must be done). From Fact to Command Throughout the Bible there are facts and commands: “Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6). This is stating a fact. There are many times the Bible uses the indicative. On the other hand, there are many fewer times that the Bible gives us a command (imperative). With the exception of Romans 3:4, where Paul is making a rhetorical point, there are no commands in Romans until 6:11. Romans 6 has four commands that are show us how we are to regard ourselves as dead to sin: 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. 19 Looking at each of these, we see: From Fact to Command Consider—compare Romans 4:3ff, where God “considers” Abraham righteous. As Abraham (and all his spiritual children) believe God, and it is counted as righteousness, believers are to consider themselves dead to sin. Let not sin therefore reign— in Romans 5:14, 17, & 21, we see that sin and death reigned until Grace reigns. Sin has been dethroned, and we must not allow it to reign in our bodies. Present—this means we are to stop showing up to sin, to be ready to be ordered about by unrighteousness, impurity, and lawlessness, but rather present (for service) to God (vs 13) and to righteousness (vs 19). 20 From Fact to Command We are saved by Grace, and this is not of ourselves (Ephesians 2:8ff); but there are good works to do. As Paul explains in this passage, being dead to sin is a fact, and facts have consequences. The consequence of our being dead is that we are now free to serve God in righteousness. Our being dead in Christ is a fact (Romans 6:2). Our being alive in Christ is also a fact. The consequence then, is our becoming holy, growing in holiness. As for our growth in sanctification, look at how what God has done, and what He is doing work out in our being made holy: Hebrews 10:14—For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. 21 John Owen, 1656 “Do you mortify; do you make it your daily work; be always at it whilst you live; cease not a day from this work; be killing sin or it will be killing you. Your being dead with Christ virtually, your being quickened with him, will not excuse you from this work. “ 22 Conversion and Repentance A Life Reorientation 23 “A sheep may fall into the ditch and defile himself, but he hastens out of it as soon as he can; but the swine chooses a dirty place, wallows all the day long in the mud and mire. A saint may fall into sin, but he hastens to recover himself by repentance. A sinner lives in it day and night.” George Swinnock 1627-1673 24 Our relationship to God and His Law forms the basis and need for our need of conversion: Deuteronomy 6:4–5 (ESV) 4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. A life reorientation Mark 12:30–31 (ESV) 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” These passages summa-rize the entire Law and will of God. And this is our problem—we have not kept this Law, and, before we come to Christ have neither de-sire nor ability to do so. Before one can be in a position of pleasing God, one must be con-verted. This is an aspect of salvation that empha-sizes a change of heart, thinking, focus, and life’s purpose. When a person comes to Christ, it is a change of worldview. 25 What Conversion Means “Total change in one’s direction in life or moral orientation. For Christians this means a change from an orientation that does not take God into account to one in which the person is submitted to Christ. Conversion is the process of which repentance is the entrance and faith the new direction; the same Hebrew and Greek words may be translated either ‘repentance’ or ‘conversion.’” —Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, Baker Encyclo-pedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 512. 26 Conversion in the Bible 27 Conversion and Repentance “As in the OT and in the preaching of John and Jesus, conversion has three factors. Conversion in the Bible 1. First, it is a turning from something, which includes specific sins, false gods, or simply a life lived for oneself (1 Thessalonians 1:9; Reve-lation 9:20, 21; 16:11). 2. Second, conversion is a product of the will of God and his gracious working in the world (Acts 11:18; Ro-mans 2:4; 2 Corinthians 7:10; 2 Timothy 2:25; 2 Peter 3:9). 3. Third, conversion is a turning to someone, a commitment of one’s whole life to God in Jesus Christ (Acts 14:15; 1 Thessalonians 1:9; 1 Pe-ter 2:25). It is thus a to-tal reorientation, whether spectacular or undramatic, sudden or gradual, emotional or calm, in which a person transfers his or her total allegiance to God.” 28 Repentance 29 Repentance “To repent and “repentance” metánoia means to change one’s mind, direction, or turn about. It has with it a sense of regret or sorrow. Some of the key passages are: Acts 20:21 Matthew 3:8 2 Corinthians 7:10 Matthew 3:11 Luke 3:8 Acts 26:20 Romans 2:4 2 Corinthians 7:9 2 Timothy 2:25 2 Peter 3:9 Luke 5:32 Luke 15:7 Acts 5:31 Acts 11:18 30 A command to backsliders There is also the verb “to repent,” which is also often a command for backsliders: Matthew 4:17 Mark 1:15 Another word for this is “turning” or “turn back” (epistrephō) Luke 22:32 Acts 3:19 Acts 9:35 Acts 11:21 Acts 14:15 Acts 15:19 Acts 15:36 Luke 13:5 Acts 26:18 Luke 16:30 Acts 26:20 Acts 2:38 Acts 28:27 Acts 3:19 2 Corinthians 3:16 Acts 8:22 Galatians 4:9 Acts 17:30 1 Thessalonians 1:9 Acts 26:20 James 5:19 Hebrews 12:17 Revelation 2:5 Revelation 2:16 Revelation 2:22 Revelation 3:3 Revelation 3:19 Revelation 9:20 Revelation 9:21 Revelation 16:9 Revelation 16:11 James 5:20 1 Peter 2:25 2 Peter 2:22 31 To Conclude 32 What we can conclude from these and other passages of Scripture is that to be converted to experience a real change and have a desire for change. Conversion is not achieving a state of perfection, but it is a new beginning, an step in the right direction. 33 Sanctification and Holiness “The Bible applied to the heart by the Holy Ghost is the chief means by which men are built up and established in the faith, after their conversion. It is able to cleanse them, to sanctify them, to instruct them in righteousness, and to furnish them thoroughly for all good works.” —J. C. Ryle, 1816-1900 34 Sanctification 35 “The process of becoming consecrated to God, which is an integral aspect of being a mem-ber of the people of God. This process of being made holy through the work of the Holy Spirit ultimately rests upon the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, which the OT anticipates and foreshadows.” Holiness 36 The quality of God that sets him utterly apart from his world, especially in terms of his purity and sanctity. The holiness of God is also manifested in the persons and work of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Believers are called upon to become like God in his holi-ness. —Martin H. Manser, Dictionary of Bible Themes: The Accessible and Comprehensive Tool for Topical Studies Both sanctification and holiness come from the same words in the Hebrew OT and the Greek NT. It is not necessary nor helpful to make too much of the difference between the words: “Sanctification. The generic meaning of sanctification is “the state of proper functioning.” To sanctify someone or something is to set that per-son or thing apart for the use intended by its designer. A pen is “sanctified” when used to write. Eyeglasses are “sanctified” when used to improve sight. In the theological sense, things are sanctified when they are used for the purpose God intends. A human being is sanctified, therefore, when he or she lives according to God’s de-sign and purpose. The Greek word translated sanctification” (hagiasmos) means “holiness.” To sanctify, therefore, means “to make holy.” In one sense only God is holy (Isa. 6:3). God is separate, distinct, other. No human being or thing shares the holiness of God’s essential nature. There is one God. Yet Scripture speaks about holy things. Moreover, God calls human beings to be holy—as holy as he is holy (Lev. 11:44; Matt. 5:48; 1 Peter 1:15–16). An-other word for a holy person is “saint” (hagios), meaning a sanctified one. The opposite of sanctified is “profane” (Lev. 10:10). —Walter A. Elwell and Walter A. Elwell, Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, Baker Reference Library (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1996). 37 God’s Work of Salvation in Us: Sanctification and Holiness Key Passages Romans 6:19–22 Romans 12:1–2 1 Corinthians 6:11 Hebrews 10:14 1 Peter 1:1–2 Leviticus 20:23–26 Isaiah 6:3 John 6:68–69 1 Peter 1:14–16 Revelation 4:8 Revelation 15:4 The Commands of Romans 6:4-15 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Fa-ther, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. 38 Note that there are four commands for the Christian to follow: 1) consider, your-selves dead to sin, 2) let not sin reign, 3) do not present our members to sin, and 4) present yourselves to God. . These four commands are both knowable and doable. Commenting on this last verse, Jerry Bridges writes: “To be holy is to be mor-ally blameless. It is to be separated from sin and, there-fore, consecrated to God. The word signifies “separation to God, and the conduct be-fitting those so separated.” Perhaps the best way of understanding the concept of holiness is to note how writers of the New Testament used the word. In 1 Thessalonians 4:3–7, Paul used the term in contrast to a life of immorality and impurity. Peter used it in contrast to living according to the evil desires we had when we lived outside of Christ (1 Peter 1:14– 16). John contrasted one who is holy with those who do wrong and are vile (Revelation 22:11). To live a holy life, then, is to live a life in conformity to the moral precepts of the Bible and in contrast to the sinful ways of the world. It is to live a life characterized by the “[putting] off of your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires...and [putting] on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22, 24). ... Our first problem is that our attitude toward sin is more selfcentered than God-centered. We are more concerned about our own “victory” over sin than we are about the fact that our sins grieve the heart of God. We cannot tolerate failure in our struggle with sin chiefly because we are success- oriented, not because we know it is offensive to God. God wants us to walk in obedience—not victory. Obe-dience is oriented toward God; victory is oriented to-ward self. This may seem to be merely splitting hairs over semantics, but there is a sub-tle, self-centered attitude at the root of many of our difficulties with sin. Until we face this attitude and deal with it we will not consistently walk in holiness. Our second problem is that we have misunderstood “living by faith” (Galatians 2:20) to mean that no effort at holiness is required on our part. In fact, sometimes we have even suggested that any effort on our part is “of the flesh.” Our third problem is that we do not take some sin serious-ly. We have mentally categorized sins into that which is unacceptable and that which may be tolerated a bit. . . . But the Scripture says it is “the little foxes that ruin the vineyards” (Song of Songs 2:15). It is compromise on the little issues that leads to greater downfalls. . . . Are we willing to call sin “sin” not because it is big or little, but because God’s law forbids it? We cannot categorize sin if we are to live a life of holi-ness. God will not let us get away with that kind of attitude. —Jerry Bridges, The Pursuit of Holiness (Colorado Springs: Navpress, 1978). Page 2. 39