Atonement

INTRODUCTION

1 John 1:1–2:2 NLT

1 We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. 2 This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy. 5 This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. 6 So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. 7 But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. 9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts. 1 My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. 2 He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.

We are now a week after Jesus’ execution by crucifixion, today I want us to take a look at this subject of Atonement,

Webster’s Dictionary defines Atonement as “the reconciliation of God and humankind through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ”

I. Atonement is necessary because of human sinfulness

A. Atonement is necessary because sin cuts people off from God

Isaiah 59:2 NLT

2 It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore.

B. Atonement is necessary because sin provokes God’s wrath

Ephesians 2:1–3 NLT

1 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.

II. God’s gracious nature is the basis for atonement

A. Atonement is grounded in God’s reluctance to punish sinners

Ezekiel 18:32 NLT

32 I don’t want you to die, says the Sovereign Lord. Turn back and live!

B. Atonement is grounded in God’s readiness to forgive sin

Ex 34:6–7 The punishment of subsequent generations makes God’s abhorrence of sin quite clear, but the extension of his love and forgiveness “to thousands” puts the emphasis in these verses on God’s grace and compassion.

See also Ps 145:8; Da 9:9; Jon 4:2

C. Atonement is grounded in God’s covenant love

Nu 14:19 The Hebrew word for “great love” means God’s loving faithfulness to those within the covenant.

III. God’s provision of atonement is a means of dealing with sin

A. Atonement through sacrifice

Leviticus 9:7 NLT

7 Then Moses said to Aaron, “Come to the altar and sacrifice your sin offering and your burnt offering to purify yourself and the people. Then present the offerings of the people to purify them, making them right with the Lord, just as he has commanded.”

B. God’s promised new covenant of forgiveness was fulfilled in Jesus Christ’s atoning death

Hebrews 10:16–17 NLT

16 “This is the new covenant I will make with my people on that day, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” 17 Then he says, “I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds.”

300 Sermon Illustrations from Charles Spurgeon Making an End of Sins (Hebrews 9:26)

When Pompey was killed, Julius Caesar obtained possession of a large box that contained a vast amount of correspondence that had been carried on with Pompey. There is no doubt that in that box there were many letters from certain of Caesar’s followers making overtures to Pompey, and if Caesar had read those letters it is probable that he would have been so angry with many of his friends that he would have put them to death for playing him false. Fearing this, he magnanimously took the box and destroyed it without reading a single line. What a splendid way of putting away and annihilating all their offenses against him! Why, he did not even know them; he could not be angry, for he did not know that they had offended. He consumed all their offenses and destroyed their iniquities so that he could treat them all as if they were innocent and faithful.

The Lord Jesus Christ has made just such an end of your sins and mine.

So what kind of images does scripture give us to portray this idea of atonement, this restored relationship between God and man

IV. Images used to portray the at-one-ment, or restored relationship, between God and man

A. Atonement as forgiveness of sins

Ephesians 1:7–8 NLT

7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. 8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.

See also Le 19:22; Ac 13:38; Col 2:13–14

B. Atonement as cleansing and purification

Leviticus 16:30 NLT

30 On that day offerings of purification will be made for you, and you will be purified in the Lord’s presence from all your sins.

C. Atonement as reconciliation

2 Corinthians 5:19 NLT

19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.

D. Atonement as healing

1 Peter 2:24 NLT

24 He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.

E. Atonement as God buying people back for himself

Revelation 5:9 NLT

9 And they sang a new song with these words: “You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it. For you were slaughtered, and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.

1 Peter 1:18–19 NLT

18 For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. 19 It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.

F. Atonement as making holy: creating a relationship of consecrated nearness to God

Hebrews 10:10 NLT

10 For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.

Colossians 1:22 NLT

22 Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.

CONCLUSION

Jesus paid the price for your life, once and for all.

Are you going to waste it or are you going to take it and make something of it.