Doctrine of Atonement #11-Bible Doctrine

A-tone-ment      

1. Amends or reparation made for an injury or wrong; expiation.
2. Theology. Reconciliation or an instance of reconciliation between God and human beings.
1. Atonement. The redemptive life and death of Jesus.
2. Atonement. The reconciliation of God and human beings brought about by Jesus.
3. Obsolete. Reconciliation; concord

Thesaurus - a-tone-ment: Something to

1. Requite for loss or damage
2. Restitution,
3. Amends,
4. Compensation,
5. Indemnification,
6. Indemnity,
7. Quittance,
8. Recompense,
9. Redress,
10. Reparation,
11. Reprisal,
12. Atonement,
13. Remuneration,
14. Reimbursement,
15. Restitution,

I. The Work of Christ - His crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, glorification, exaltation, intercession, and finally His second advent

II. The Necessity of Atonement. - Consider the relation ship between the holiness of God, His divine law, the sinfulness of men, and divine wrath.

A. Holiness of God 

1.     God is Holy in his very essence.  He is holy in all He is, all He does, all He says.

 

1. "Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, 'You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy. Leviticus 19:2 
2. For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, Isaiah 57:15 
3. "You shall engrave  a plate of pure gold to say, 'Holy to the Lord.' Exodus 28:36 
4. And one called out to another and said, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory." Isaiah 6:3 
5. And they sang the song of Moses saying, For Thou alone art holy; Rev. 15:3-4 
6. For Thou art not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; No evil dwells with Thee. 5The boastful shall not stand before Thine eyes; Thou dost hate all who do iniquity. 6 Thou dost destroy those who speak falsehood; The Lord abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit.  Psalm 5:4-6
7. Burning bush 5Then He said, "Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground Exodus 3:
8. Captain of the Lord of hosts, "Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so. Joshua 5:13-15

2. Because He is holy He expects no less in his creation.  If He creates it take on His characteristics. 

a.       Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen 2according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in fullest measure. 3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, 1 Peter 1:1-6

3. The righteousness of God demands that sin be exposed, judged and punished.

a. Righteousness and justices are the foundation of Thy throne; Loving-kindness and truth go before Thee. Psalm 89:14

b.      For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "But the righteous man shall live by faith." Romans 1:17

B. Divine Law

1. When God created human and angelic beings He created them with a free will.  In order for them to live within the boundaries of Gods will, there had to be a standard of righteousness to live by.  The laws governing God himself was the law given to all created beings.  God gave Adam and Eve the law of obedience

a.       Genesis 2:17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die."

2. To transgress that law was sin.

a.       1 John 3:4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.

C. Sinfulness of Man

1. Adam violated the one law that God had given him.  Sin is the transgression or the law.

a.       Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.  1 John 3:4

b.      But from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die."  Genesis 2:17

2.     Sin made man a lawless rebel in his heart.  It separated man from God

a.       But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear. Isaiah 59:2 

3. Created a great gulf between God and Man.  Man is sinful by nature and therefore sins in thought, word and deed.    He is not a sinner because he sins but he sins because he is a sinner.  He does what he does because of what he is.

a. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 3:23

b.      But the Scripture has shut up all men under sin that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. Galatians 3:22

c.       Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me. Psalm 51:5 

d.      15For that which I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. 16But if I do the very thing I do not wish to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that it is good. 17So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which indwells me. 18For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the wishing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. 19For the good that I wish, I do not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not wish. 20But if I am doing the very thing I do not wish, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. 21I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wishes to do good. Romans 7:15-21

D. Wrath of God.

1. Divine wrath is manifested when God’s holiness and sinful man come in conflict.  Divine wrath is the Holy anger of a Holy God against sin.  Sin cannot be tolerated.  It must come under divine judgment.  Sin is essentially an attack on the honor and holiness of God.  If it goes unjudged than God’s law, holiness, righteousness and justice are violated.  Only as sin is dealt with will God character be vindicated.

1. For the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, neither is there violation. Romans 4:15 

b.      "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." John 3:36 

c.       For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, Romans 1:18 

d.      But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6who will render to every man according to his deeds: 7to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; 8but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation.  [NASB] Romans 2:5-8 

e.       Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.  [NASB] Ephes. 2:3 

E. Summation:

1. The Law of God - Is spiritual holy, just good and perfect

a.       So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. Romans 7:12 

b.      The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. Psalm 19:7 

2. God’s law represents His holiness, which is the Law of His very being.

F. Transgression of the Law

1. Sin is lawlessness.

a.       Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. 1 John 3:4 Sin is it rebellion against God’s will and law.  Self-will is man being a law unto himself.  The sinfulness of man is his transgression of God’s perfect and holy law.

b.    The Wrath of God.

a. The righteous reaction of a Holy God against sin.

c.      As we carefully consider the scriptures, we see that divine wrath in not always executed immediately against sin.  God often restrains immediate judgment so that man may be brought to repentance.  This restrained wrath reveals to us another attribute of God’s grace, longsuffering, and mercy.

a. Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil. Eccles. 8:11 

b.Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? Romans 2:4 

c. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 

d.      'And I gave her time to repent; and she does not want to repent of her immorality. Rev. 2:21