The cross is the logo of Christianity - the cross was the great intersection of God with humanity!
One of the great provisions of the cross is the atonement. Let's read about atonement in
Romans 3:21-26 (Please open your Bibles and follow along as I read from God's Holy Word)
I was looking online at some definitions of atonement ranging from KJV only sites to Catholic sites and on each end of the spectrum I found the definition of Atone being a combination of the words At + One = Atone
Does the base word atone used in atonement actually mean that it makes us “at one” with God?
Hint: that is a little word-play actually only works in English
Let's see if it works in Spanish
At = En
One = Un
Atone = Expair
Atonement = Expiación
En + Un does NOT equal Expair
What about German?
At = Bei
One = Ein
Atone = Suhnen
Atonement = Sühnopfer
Bei + Ein does NOT equal Suhnen
It is amazing what you can find online! And Atone does not mean At One with God although atonement does bring us into a right relationship with God.
The moral of this story is, “Check your Bibles for the truth!”
Now let’s take a look at this section of God’s Holy Word and see what it has to say to us including the awesome work of atonement which the Lord Jesus did for us on the cross of Calvary
Romans 3:21 NIV
“But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.”
What was the OT righteousness?
- Knowing and obeying the Law and ceremonial rituals
- True OT righteousness fell under the umbrella of
Deuteronomy 6:4-9
- This is the great thread that runs from the beginning of the Bible to the
end: to love God and to know His Word and to obey His Word as an
outpouring of that love for Him.
So, then what is, “the righteousness of God [that] has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify”?
(Or, should I say Who has been made known?)
We find the answer in the very next verse:
Romans 3:22a NIV
“This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.”
Jesus Christ - He is the answer. He is the object/subject of our faith and belief.
He is the One about whom the Law and the prophets testify.
He is the One who gives us the righteousness - we don’t earn it, we CAN’T earn it.
He is the One who provides the grace that enables us to have faith and believe.
Romans 3:22b-24 NIV
“There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
No difference between Jew and gentile???? This must have been a kick in the head to the Jews!
They had always considered themselves to be superior!
They had the Law of God!
What is the great equalizer? Or what makes Jews and Gentiles equally? Sin!
They are equally bad!
Sin is rebellious disobedience of the known will or law of God by a morally responsible person.
Sin is saying to God, “I know and understand what you want but I’m going to do what I want to do. So there!”
All have sinned. That’s what the Scripture is saying in
Romans 3:9-20 (read this together from the Bible and on the PPT)
In these verses we have quotations from six different Psalms.
Yes, “All have sinned!” Jews and gentiles! And that is exactly why we are talking about atonement today!
T
here were only two humans who ever existed in a sinless state other than Jesus the God-Man and they were Adam and Eve before they sinned. Other than that everyone has sinned.
Now, we need to be careful to never take those verses out of context and apply them to people who are saved and pursuing the holiness of God with all of their hearts!
Sinner is not the name by which we live. We are sons and daughters of the Most High God who love and pursue Him with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength.
Sometimes I hear preachers who will say, “Say such and such.” And they expect the congregation to repeat the same phrase. I’m personally not much for that but that’s just me. But if a preacher were to say, “Say ‘I am a son of the Most High God’” I would gladly proclaim it!
I know I don’t deserve that title. I know I didn’t earn that title but when I surrendered my life to Jesus He gave me that title and that’s just unbelievable but He did it anyway! Praise the name of the Lord our God!
This is why we shouldn’t be running around proclaiming that “I’m just a sinner” or “We’re all just sinners.”
Please turn with me to …
1 John 3:4-10 NIV (please turn in your Bibles)
OK. So let’s go back to …
Romans 3:22b-24 NIV
“There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
We all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus!
We are not justified in saying that we are a son or daughter of the Most High God except for the amazing fact that by God’s unmerited favor we have been redeemed by Jesus Christ.
Why is this even possible???
Romans 3:25a NIV
“God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of His blood - to be received by faith.”
The teachings in this portion of Scripture are just mind boggling in the truths which are revealed. So let’s just look at this one phrase, “God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement” and let’s narrow it down even further to “sacrifice of atonement.”
A sacrifice of atonement in the Old Testament always involved the shedding of the blood of an animal; a dove or pigeon, a sheep or a goat or a bull.
- Exodus 25:17, 26:34 - atonement cover for the Ark of the Covenant - also called the mercy seat - atonement
- Exodus 29:31-37 - atonement for:
Aaron and his sons as priests
For the altar on which sacrifices would be made - both by animal sacrifices
For the sins of Israel once a year in the Most Holy Place
Yom Kippur - The Day of Atonement - observed once a year
- Atonement is made for the High Priest who is to enter the Holy of Holies behind the curtain and before the Ark of the Covenant.
- First atonement is made for himself and his household through the sacrifice of a bull as a sin offering.
- Then two goats would be brought to the High Priest and he would cast lots to choose between the goats. One goat would be slaughtered to make atonement for the sins of the nation Israel. Some of the blood of this goat would be taken into the Most Holy Place and sprinkled on the atonement cover of the Ark of the Covenant, or the mercy seat.
- This would make atonement for the sins of the nation of Israel for the past year.
That was for the nation. There were also atonement rituals for individuals such as the atonement ritual for someone healed from leprosy which we took a look at back in January.
- Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy - Many laws regarding atonement for sin with blood sacrifices. Sometimes, in a different sense, by anointing someone with oil, but for sin, always the shedding of blood.
OK. Now, just try to imagine. You have sinned and want the Lord to cover and forgive your sin.
You select and animal from your herd or flock. A perfect animal, the best one you’ve got. You bring the animal to the priest. You place your hands on the head of the animal and confess your sin over the animal which places your sin upon the sacrifice. This act also identifies that this animal is taking your place. As you hold your hands on the animal’s head the priest kills it, most likely by cutting its throat. In other instances the guilty person had to kill the offering himself.
We often talk about Bible verse that says “the wages of sin is death” meaning spiritual death but in this case this animal is actually dying as an atonement, a covering, for your sin.
OK. So, let’s look again at the verse 25
Romans 3:25a NIV
“God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of His blood - to be received by faith.”
God presented Jesus as a sacrifice of atonement.
Remember about the sinner having to put their hands on the head of the sacrificial animal, confessing their sin and putting the sinless animal to death because of their sin.
Now just imagine God, not God the Father but God the Trinitarian Godhead placing His hands on God the Son in human form and transferring your sin and my sin on to His only begotten Son as a sacrifice of atonement by allowing His blood to be shed on the cross of Calvary.
Even more than that imagine yourself placing your hands on the head of Jesus and transferring your sin onto the sinless Lamb of God and then He is tortured and crucified for your sin!!!
That is an atoning sacrifice that NEVER needs to be repeated.
The shedding of the blood of Jesus Christ is sufficient for ALL sin.
Every sin that every human has ever committed or ever will commit is within the scope of possible forgiveness, total, absolute forgiveness.
Why do I say “within the scope of possible forgiveness”?
Because of the last phrase of that sentence, “to be received by faith”!
You can’t earn it! It’s impossible!
Could my tears forever flow - Could my zeal no languor know
These for sin could not atone - Thou must save and Thou alone
In my hand no price I bring - Simply to Thy cross I cling
What can wash away my sin - Nothing but the blood of Jesus
What can make me whole again - Nothing but the blood of Jesus
For my pardon this I see - nothing but the blood of Jesus
For my cleansing this my plea - Nothing but the blood of Jesus
Nothing can for sin atone - nothing but the blood of Jesus
Naught of good that I have done - Nothing but the blood of Jesus
This is all my hope and peace - Nothing but the blood of Jesus
This is all my righteousness - Nothing but the blood of Jesus
O precious is the flow - that makes me white as snow
No other fount I know - nothing but the blood of Jesus
Closing comments and an invitation for salvation if the Holy Spirit leads ...
