The Christian's Devastating Omission in Atonement

What is the goal of this sermon?

To help those Christians who believe in the atoning death of Jesus to believe the atoning life of Jesus and lead them to a life of repentance/faith and obedience.

Does the law-keeping life of Jesus have any influence on the Christian’s life now?

How should the earthly life of Jesus lead Christians to behave in their earthly lives?

OPENING QUESTION: How has the obedient, law-keeping life of Jesus directly impacted your day-to-day behaviors?

Why not just come down as a 33-year-old human?

Present need?

(1) The Morally Good Person. Why do I need someone to die for me, let alone live for me?

Example: You accept that Jesus died, but you haven’t really understood the full weight of why he lived.

(2) Extreme Heavenly-Minded Christian. What good is my obedience now? For some, they need to know how to account for their obedience. They are motivated by selfish thoughts of more “earthly-style” riches in heaven. Or maybe some just don’t understand how to think of their obedience.

Example: Mansions, crowns, and streets of gold…etc

(3) Inquisitive-Minded Christian. What laws do I have to fulfill, if Jesus fulfilled them all? For some, they need to know what obedience is expected. What laws do they HAVE TO fulfill as a Christians? They may be ignorant of the law of Christ principally and practically.

Example: Should I really not wear mixed fiber clothing?

(4) Extreme Earthly-Minded Christian. What excuse can I use to justify my disobedience? For some, they have used their Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh — which is disobedience and disregards the atoning life of Jesus.

Example: The Bible doesn’t say drinking is a sin. It says drunkenness is a sin.

The answer to each of these questions lies in the doctrine of atonement.

Illustration: Omission

Main IDEA:

We should know, understand, believe, and apply the COMPLETE doctrine of atonement so that we might LIVE obedient, Christ-honoring, fruitful lives.

How do you want to do this?

By presenting a systematic theology of atonement that is faithful to the Old and New Testaments [Leviticus and Hebrews], and making clear applications to modern hearers.

Sermonic Outline:

(1) Why do we need atonement and what is it?

(2) How did Jesus accomplish complete atonement?

(3) Why should atonement matter to you right now?

(1) Why do we need atonement and what is it?

The Institution of the Day of Atonement

(i) Death revealed the need for atonement. Leviticus 16:1-2.

(ii) The Lord graciously spoke to meet the need.

Illustration: The story of the rich man and Lazarus and the gulf between the two...

(iii) The need is the holy presence of God and the sinfulness of mankind. Leviticus 16:16-19.

(iv) The need is met by an active high priest (Leviticus 16:3-4) and substitionary sacrifices (Leviticus 16:5-6)

For his own sin, his family, and the congregation (v. 17). (sin, burnt, & scapegoat)

Atonement is the effective covering of sin by sacrifice administrated according to God's instruction, so that death would be avoided.

Application:

God is immutable. God’s presence has not changed. He still requires a covering of sin. (a word to those who consider themselves better than the poor, needy, homeless, protesters, politically left…etc Before God, you need an atonement, just as they do or you will die and be eternally banished from God’s presence.

(2) How did Jesus accomplish complete atonement?

The Christian’s great omission in atonement truth

Illustration:

(i) The Christian’s great omission with regards to Christ’s atonement for our sin is Jesus’ atoning life before his atoning death.

[Jesus’ living compliance before his death defiance; Jesus’ obedient life before his horrific death…etc]. Matthew 3:13-15; Romans 5:18; Galatians 4:4; Hebrews 5:3 compared with Hebrews 9:11-14 “without spot”.

Two-fold obedience of Jesus: internal and external

Murray noted, “To be an act of obedience … motive, direction, and purpose must be in conformity to the divine will.”7 David wrote that God did not desire “sacrifice and offering,” but instead the heart attitude that says, “I delight to do thy will, O my God; yea, thy law is within my heart” (Ps. 40:6–8). That psalm was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, whose obedience to God’s will culminated in the offering of his body once for all for our sins (Heb. 10:4–12). [Beeke, J. R., & Smalley, P. M. (2020). Reformed Systematic Theology: Man and Christ (Vol. 2, pp. 1034–1035). Crossway.]

Two-fold external obedience of Jesus: active and passive

A note to the critics - passive means that he was willing and submissive NOT that he was helpless.

His passive obedience gains us forgiveness of sin; His active obedience puts righteousness into our account.

(ii) Jesus Christ earned life for us through his obedience.

Because God is immutable (unchanging), the same holy standard that was required in the OT still had to be met. Jesus met that standard through both his atoning life and his atoning death.

Quote: “The obedience of God’s Son is crucial for our salvation....Christ took upon himself the full obligations of obeying the law of Moses so that we might gain the blessing and inheritance that he earned.” [Beeke, Joel, Reformed Systematic Theology: Volume 2: Man and Christ, p. 1042. Logos Edition]

Application:

God prizes obedience.

Fifth, reckon the high value of obedience in the sight of God. The lack of obedience cast the entire human race into slavery and death. The salvation of sinners required nothing less than the obedience of God’s Son even unto the death of the cross. God treasures obedience because he treasures his glory as God. Practice a new accounting in your mind: learn to value the treasures of this world lightly, but to see that nothing is more precious than the will of God. [Beeke, J. R., & Smalley, P. M. (2020). Reformed Systematic Theology: Man and Christ (Vol. 2, p. 1055). Crossway.]

Dare we say that God prizes the obedience of Jesus but does not care about the obedience of Jesus’ followers? I John 3:22-23.

Do you esteem obedience so much that you are looking for ways to obey the Lord, or are you the one who says, “The Bible doesn’t say I can’t....]

You will find what you are looking for because often what you are looking for is what you are wanting after.

(3) Why should atonement matter to you right now?

(i) Because Jesus’ atoning life confirms that the ‘right now” is not as long as eternity.

[to the unbeliever - God’s gracious provision to escape the death that matters most]

Illustration:

(ii) Because Jesus’ atoning life exemplifies what law He died to empower you to obey right now. Galatians 6:2; II John 5.

the law is to be obeyed intentionally

the law is to be obeyed towards others - NOT who will meet my needs? Hebrews 10:24; Hebrews 13:1.

the law is to be fulfilled considerately - this includes the consciences of others. I Corinthians 8:12-13.

(iii)Because reflecting on Jesus’ atoning life reminds you of the ONLY kind of justification that is okay. Hebrews 10:26-32.

Do not vainly attempt to justify your disobedience. To have faith in our justification is to NOT have faith in His justification and to devalue what He did.

Those who use the gospel-liberty to justify missing church....

Those who use the gospel-liberty to justify casual alcohol before brethren...

Those who use the gospel-liberty to manipulate the severity of a sickness...

…You may know that you are saved by grace, but you are distorting that grace and NOT considering the kind of sacrificial living that Jesus offered for you.

Carefully ponder the fullness of Christ’s atoning work. II Peter 1:8-9.

“Francis Turretin taught that ‘justification itself (which brings the remission of sins) does not carry with it the permission or license to sin (as the Epicureans hold), but ought to enkindle the desire of piety and the practice of holiness...”

Thomas Chalmers taught “The freer the gospel, the more sanctifying the gospel; and the more it is received as a doctrine of grace, the more will it be felt as a doctrine according to godliness...”

Dutch Theologian G.C. Berkouwer “the heart of sanctification is the life which feeds on....justification.” [Ortlund, Dane. Deeper, Crossway, p. 91-93.]

(iv) Because when you consider the atoning life of Jesus, you learn to value obedience for God’s glory rather than for your own gain.

Conclusion: