I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy nothing will harm you. “The seventy-two returned with joy and said, ‘Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.’ He replied, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Do you recall Jesus’ words to the seventy as they returned from evangelizing? While all these things are blessings above measure, the fact that our sins are forgiven stands above them all! Had our sins not been forgiven, none of those things would be possible. What is the most important aspect of this great salvation which we have? Is it the fact that we are going to heaven? Or that we are now the recipients of a peace that passes all understanding? Or even that that we can now enjoy intimate fellowship with the God of the universe? Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Jupiterimages This is because without what Christ did on the cross, there would be no need for any other doctrine. It has been stated that the atonement is the axis on which all other doctrines revolve. It has a rich meaning at its root it means “to cover.” There are many other words associated with it, among them are: cleanse, forgive, be merciful, and reconcile. The words atone or atonement appear over one-hundred times in Scripture. Book after book, through the prophets and others, they spoke and wrote of it in some way. This sacrifice, i.e., the atoning death of Christ, is the central theme of the Bible. “But God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” ( Romans 5:8).Īlong with this truth, the atonement also speaks of sacrifice. What Is ‘the Atonement’?Īs spoken at the outset of this article, the atonement is at its core, a profound demonstration of God’s love. One of the most basic definitions of this word can be found in the Cambridge Dictionary, which states simply that atonement is, “something that you do to show that you are sorry for something you did.”Īccording to the Encyclopedia Britannica, atonement is, “the process by which a person removes obstacles to his reconciliation with God.” Finally, puts it this way concerning atonement: “it is the satisfaction or reparation for a wrong or injury.”Įach of these definitions will suffice as we understand it from a purely non-religious point of view, however, they fall short of revealing to us the true nature of the word as revealed to us in Scripture. Looking through the eyes and understanding of the world, the true meaning of atonement becomes somewhat diluted. Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Gordon Images In the Old Testament, the Law and the prophets begin to set forth the powerful doctrine of the atonement, which finds its utmost fulfillment in the sacrificial death of Christ. “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel” (Genesis 3:15). From the book of Genesis, we read “the first gospel” – a promise looking forward to the One who would come to atone: Man’s sin resulted in the need for a Savior. Atonement addresses and answers the ultimate and universal problem of man, which is sin. He knew that there was no other way for man to restore the deep and intimate fellowship that was lost in Eden. When speaking of atonement, it is important to understand that it is first and foremost, an act of God’s infinite love for us. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:4-6). “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved.
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