Jesus is The Atonement

11/20/20 • 15 min

Atonement originally meant “at-one-ment” or “at one with,” to be in harmony with someone. In Christianity, atonement refers to the needed reconciliation between sinful man and woman and the holy God.

In Wikipedia, a human definition states that atonement is the concept of a person taking action to correct their own previous wrongdoing, offense, or injury. The person knows they have done wrong and they want to mend the wrong. To correct it, they might either take direct action, take equivalent action to do good in return for others, or express feelings of remorse, like apologize for what they did. They hope by doing any of these things they can atone for or undo the consequences of the wrong act because if you do something wrong there are usually consequences.

Consequences are a part of God’s divine legal system too. God has great wrath against sin. God says eternal death is the consequence when we sin against God or break one of His laws. The sin causes a break and builds a barrier in our relationship with Him. It separates us from Him. Because of God’s love for us, He desires that we be reconciled to Him; so He created a very specific and necessary path to reconciliation.

Many trying to correct something on their own that they have done wrong; but in God’s system no one can do anything to atone for their own sins. Everyone is born with a sin nature due to Adam’s first original sin. Everyone has sinned against God’s law, it is like the sin is on you and you can’t take your sinful nature off yourself. A sinful person can’t correct or remove his own sin no matter how hard they try. There is nothing he or she can do to atone for their sin and reconcile their relationship to God. So that is why God sent His only beloved Son, Jesus, into the world so that we can be at one with God, in harmony with God. Jesus Christ was God’s solution to our problem of sin. We could not atone for our sin so Jesus atoned it for us.

The Atonement, purged our sins and reconciled us to God. God’s wrath for sin was forever satisfied by His Son’s death. It was God’s requirement for us to avoid the eternal consequences of death and to enter into eternal life with Him. We did not have to do anything. It was a gift from God by grace to all who will receive and accept it. [Rom 5:11] “We were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son.” [I Peter 3:18] “For Christ died for sins, once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.”

We will never know what it was like to have the compressed all-encompassing weight of all the sins of the world placed upon Him. He took away my sin and died the death I deserved. Even though He knew why He was hanging there on the cross, He was also human and He deeply felt the absence of God because of the sin He was enduring in that moment. He was in physical agony due to the beating of His body. He was mentally abused in that He was unwarrantedly mocked, falsely accused, betrayed and slandered. He was emotionally exhausted and in spiritual anguish. There has never been a more terrible death. God’s wrath against us was turned away from us and directed toward Him.

[I Peter 2:24] “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness.” Jesus dies for our sins, the innocent for the guilty.

Oswald Chambers says, “The Atonement means that God can put me back into perfect union with Himself, without a shadow between...It does not matter who or what we are, there is absolute reinstatement into God by the death of Jesus Christ and by no other way.”

Will we accept by faith Christ’s atonement and acknowledge that it was our sin that He bore in our place? When we believe, repent and put our trust in Him, we receive God’s free gift and then there is no more barrier between God and us. Will choose today to ask Jesus into your life and be reconciled to God.

[I Peter 2:24] “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness.” Jesus dies for our sins, the innocent for the guilty.

Previous Episode

Introduction to A Moe-Ment Series

Rick and Robin introduce their new topical series called “A Moe-Ment.” The word '-ment' is not really a word, it is a suffix that is put at the end of a word and in doing so it creates a new word. For example, ship+ment=shipment. The suffix '-ment' means an action, a state, or a condition. All of the topics of the series will have a word with '-ment' at the end. The topics will include fun ones such as “Enjoyment” and serious ones such as “Disappointment.” So don’t be disappointed and listen every Tuesday for a new episode for your enjoyment!

Next Episode

A Moe-Ment about Contentment

Contentment is a state of being happy and satisfied. Being pleased, fulfilled, and gratified. Not an excited kind of happy but more like a peaceful ease of mind.

This is our first episode of our new series called “A Moe-Ment” and the first topic is a moment about contentment. It is nice that it is falling on Thanksgiving week because having a grateful attitude is a part of contentment.

What are some of the characteristics of content people?

· They are flexible, optimistic, open to new ideas, and can view life from different angles. They seek to see their situations from a spiritual point of view and get God’s perspective.

· They put their faith in God’s timing, purpose, and ways and do not worry and fear. Prov 19:23 says, “The fear of the Lord leads to life. Then one rests content, untouched by trouble.”

· They will most likely be healthier because being in a relaxed state of mind reduces stress and anxiety which takes a toll on our bodies.

· They are more accepting and not judgmental of other people. They don’t react to or hold offenses. They realize all people go through things and all people are made in the image of God.

· They love people more than money and possessions. Heb 13:5 says, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you,’”

· They realize joy does not come from material things. They can distinguish between wants and needs. They don’t have a constant need to strive for more. They do not desire more than they need, have joy in what they already have.

· They are satisfied with their current status, situation, and possessions. So, they are able to let go of past failures and live in the present moment. And they don’t have attitude of, “When I get this or that in the future, then I will be happy.”

· They don’t compare themselves with others because that will get you into a mode of trying to “keep up with the Jones.”

· They do not envy or covet. I Tim 6:6-10 says, “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have good and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”

· They don’t let what they have be who they are. They don’t look disagreeably upon themselves. They are able to view themselves as God views them, not by the world’s or someone else’s standard. There is an internal goal to be content and they take steps to meet that goal.

· They have an thankful attitude and keep their eyes on the one who supplies all their needs and who says, “Come, all who are weary and heavy ladened and find rest.”

Oswald Chambers says, “If God has made your cup sweet, drink it with grace; if He has made it bitter, drink it in communion with Him.” Turn it all over to Jesus and all your needs will be met.

Ask yourself, if you lost every possession and person in your life, could you still be content? Paul says in Phil 3:8, “What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.” Possessing Christ is all you need. He is more than enough.

Radical Life Support - Jesus is The Atonement

Transcript

It is believed that the English word atonement originated in the 1500s and was used instead of the latin word meaning reconciliation in bible translations. Atonement originally meant “at-one-ment” or “at one with,” to be in harmony with someone. In Christianity, atonement refers to the needed reconciliation between sinful man and woman and the holy God. Atonement is closely associated to forgiveness, propitiation, sorrow, remorse, repentance, reparation, and guilt.

In Wikipedia,