Theology Thursday!

Defining Atonement:

As is traditional now of Thursday, we will look at a theological topic briefly and discuss its implications. Today’s topic is “defining atonement”, so let’s go ahead with a definition.

a·tone

1. To make amends, as for a sin or fault: These crimes must be atoned for.

2. Archaic: To agree.

v.tr.

1. To expiate.

2. Archaic: To conciliate; appease:

3. Obsolete: To reconcile or harmonize.

At the cross, many of these definitions are vividly displayed. But first, to understand better the idea of atonement, we need to look back at Leviticus 16. Here God sets up the Day of Atonement – the day once a year where the priest would offer an atoning sacrifice on behalf of himself and the Israelites. Here’s how the process went:

1. High Priest offers ram for himself so that he may enter Holy of Holies (designated place where God would meet with the high priest specifically for this Day of Atonement)
2. High Priest then slaughters a goat to quench the wrath of God against Israel’s sin (propitiation)
3. High Priest then takes the blood and places it on a live goat and sends it away, symbolically sending away Israel’s sin (expiation)

This is the system God set up to ATONE for the sins of His people. In Christ, this atonement is made complete. It is no longer a “shadow” of things, as Hebrews says – it is the true and better atonement. How does Christ remove our sin and the wrath of God against that sin?

à By becoming our substitute. One who is atoned for has Christ as his/her substitute. He paid the penalty that was ours and took the wrath that was ours.

As Isaiah 53 says:

4 Surely he has borne our griefs

and carried our sorrows;

yet we esteemed him stricken,

smitten by God, and afflicted.

5 But he was wounded for our transgressions;

he was crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,

and with his stripes we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray;

we have turned—every one—to his own way;

and the LORD has laid on him

the iniquity of us all.

The question is often asked, “To whom does the atonement apply?”, and while we will not explore that too much, let’s quickly put our definition of atonement to work. If one has no sin, and God’s wrath against them is gone, then what does that make them? Forgiven – the quick answer. The other answer – a believer. One must be a believer, aka part of God’s elect, to receive this atonement. Anyone else is, frankly, just getting what they deserve – what we all deserve. Atonement shows God’s grace in redeeming a people to call his own.

The bottom line is we all deserve hell, but God, “with the great love with which he loved us” has atoned for our sin as believers. Perhaps next week we will discuss what makes us a believer? (That is, if someone hasn’t stoned me first)