Romans 5:1-11
Atonement
Woodlawn Missionary Baptist Church
January 22, 2006
Introduction
In Romans 5:11, the apostle Paul wrote,
“And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.”
Perhaps one of the greatest lies of Satan is that eternal life is granted to those who are moral and decent people. In September of 2001 an article appeared in the US Catholic Magazine which quoted Pope John Paul II as having said, “All who live a just life will be saved, even if they do not believe in Jesus.” While I am sure that none of you would agree with that statement, it is sad that there are people all over the earth who do. But the Scriptures are clear that there is only one plan of salvation; and it is “by grace through faith” in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ.
Tonight I want to talk to you about that redemptive work and particularly about this term that we find at the end of verse 11, “atonement.” Although it has been several weeks since I have preached on Sunday night, we have been using this time together to consider some of the great theological terms found in the Bible as they relate to our salvation and relationship to God. We began with justification and propitiation, and tonight I want to deal with the subject of atonement. In order to do that, we are going to consider the atonement of Christ under four headings: 1) The meaning of the atonement; 2) The cause of the atonement; 3) The way of the atonement; and 4) The blessings of the atonement.
The Meaning of the Atonement
An African missionary struggled for an answer when a national asked how he knew what was in a can of food without opening it. Not realizing the problem the answer would cause, he responded, “See the picture on the can? That’s what’s inside.”
A few days passed and the missionary saw groups of nationals gathered in the compound. As he approached, they scattered. After several occasions, he called the key national in and demanded, “I know something is going on. What’s wrong?”
Reluctantly, the national responded, “Missionary eats babies.”
“How in the world did you come to that conclusion?” asked the missionary. Walking to the pantry, the national picked up a can of baby food and pointed to the baby picture on the outside.
“See,” he explained, “Baby on the outside, baby inside. Missionary eats babies.”
Sometimes it can be difficult to communicate what we really mean when we say a thing, but I don’t want you to be confused about what is meant by atonement. Webster’s Dictionary defines it as making amends for a wrong or for an injury. The word atonement is simply a compound word formed from the two words, at-one, so that we might say that atonement means at-one-ment.
The meaning of the word is really the state of being at one or being reconciled. In fact, some of your Bibles probably had the word reconciliation in the place where I read atonement in Romans 5:11. Every time the word is found in the New Testament it is translated reconciliation with the exception of this one place. Verse 10 uses the word atonement twice, but both times it is translated reconcile.
If I were to sum up the meaning of atonement, I would say then that atonement, as it relates to our salvation, is the work Christ did in His life and death to earn our salvation, thus enabling us to be at-one with God. In this sense, understanding atonement should remind us of our studies about justification and propitiation, for they all have to do with much the same things.
The Cause of the Atonement
What were the ultimate reasons God sent Christ to earth to atone for our sins? I believe we can find three primary reasons in the Scriptures.
The Love of God
Two passages of Scripture come to my mind as we think about the love of God. The first is John 3:16.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
The second is Romans 5:6-8.
“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth is love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
The Bible is clear on this point: God loved mankind so much He was compelled to make atonement for man’s sins.
The Justice of God
When we studied propitiation we considered Romans 3:23-25.
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.”
Remember that God had been forgiving sins throughout the Old Testament period, but no penalty for sins had ever been paid. This fact could make people wonder whether God was really just. God could not forgive the sins of some men and condemn others without seeming unfair in the process. So what was the basis of his forgiveness? There had to be a penalty paid; so when God sent Christ to die and pay the penalty for our sins, “it was to prove at that time that he himself was righteous and that he justified those who have faith in Jesus.” You understand that this unfairness was only a perceived unfairness. God knew all along Christ would die to make atonement, but in our limited understanding man could not understand that.
The Glory of God
Now, not only did the love of God and the justice of God compel Him to atone for our sins, but He was also compelled by His love for His glory. God’s ultimate goal, or His greatest concern is not for our salvation, but for the preservation and display of His glory throughout eternity. Having said that, one of the ways God has chosen to display His glory and receive glory is through the praises of man. But man without Christ has no desire to praise or glorify God, and in fact does not even understand that he was created for that purpose.
However, Romans 5:1-2 says,
“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace where in we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
The glory of God takes on a whole new reality for those who really know and understand what God has done for them. Just what has God done for man? That leads me to…
The Way of the Atonement
Now, we understand that atonement is the world of Christ in making us at-one with God. We understand the ultimate reasons God made atonement, so how did He procure it?
There are really only two things necessary for atonement to have taken place: first is the absolute necessity of one who is qualified to make atonement and then second is the absolute necessity of a payment or offering to pay for the offense.
Of course Christ is the answer for both of these things. He alone was qualified to make atonement for our sins. God could accept nothing less than a perfect, sinless sacrifice: a sacrifice that no other human could make, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Our sin separated us from God. It had offended Him; we were at enmity with Him, and here man found himself in a dilemma. Not only could we not atone for our own sin, but no man would have done it, because “no man seeks after God.” We are all gone astray and every man does what he thinks is right in his own mind. Man had completely turned his back on God. Ephesians 2:1-3 says,
“And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; wherein in time past ye walked, according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath…”
Now look at verse 4. “But God…” I want to tell you that those are two of the most beautiful words in all of Scripture!
“But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace are you saved).”
Listen to me: Jesus Christ made atonement for you. He and He alone satisfied the righteous demands of God. He came to earth and lived the sinless life we could not live. He was obedient to every law of God all His life. His life was an offering of righteousness on your behalf to God because He was righteous where none of us could ever be.
But not only did He live a sinless life for you. He suffered for you. He suffered His whole life for you. He gave up the glories of the Godhead to walk a mile in your shoes. He suffered on Calvary’s cross for you. He suffered the physical pain of the crucifixion and then death for you. He suffered the pain of bearing your sin. “God made him who knew no sin to be sin for us.”
He suffered the pain of abandonment from God for you. From the cross He cried out, “My God! My God! Why have you forsaken me?” He suffered the pain of bearing the wrath of God for every one of us. Isaiah 53:10-11 says,
“Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief…he shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify man; for he shall bear their iniquities.”
Now, I want you to see that in the work of atonement the primary emphasis and the primary influence of Christ’s work of atonement is not on us, but on God the Father. Jesus obeyed the Father in our place and perfectly met the demands of the law. He suffered in our place, receiving in Himself the penalty that God the Father would have visited on us.
So what is our place in it all? What is the sinner’s responsibility? We must simply accept it as being done for us. I must believe that Jesus did what He did for me and accept it as such. I must place my faith in Him, understanding that my at-one-ment with God has nothing to do with my goodness or my personal merits, but that it has everything to do with Christ’s. If we enter heaven and have eternal life, it will be only because of what He has done for us.
The Blessings of the Atonement
I suppose there are many Scriptures we could read to consider this last point, but let’s settle on our text in Romans 5 for just a few minutes. Because of the atoning work of Christ, when I accept it by faith…
I Am Justified
Verse 1 says, “Therefore being justified by faith…” Listen, I never ever have to worry about paying for my sin. I never have to wonder where I stand with God in relation to my sin. When I place my faith in the atoning work of Christ God completely forgives me and regards me as though I had never sinned in the first place.
Enmity Is Abolished
Verse 1 goes on to say, “we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” In the Old Testament temple a massive curtain hung in front of the Most Holy Place, representing the enmity that stood between us and God. No man could go into God’s presence without dying. But when Christ was crucified that veil was torn in two from top to bottom (not from bottom to top but from top to bottom), showing that Christ had removed the enmity that once separated us from God, granting us access to Him like never before. We are at peace with God now, not at odds with Him.
Our Hope Is Settled And Sure
What if somebody says, “Preacher, all of this is a lie. What it none of it is real? What if your hope is all for nothing?” Listen, my hope is in God, in a better day, in a home in heaven with Christ my Savior. And according to verse 5 my hope is not going to be ashamed or disappointed because God’s love has been shed abroad – it has been dumped in and it is running out and over in my heart. It is the evidence of something I cannot see.
Our Salvation Is Settled
Did you hear that? It’s a done deal! Verse 9 says that we’re not only justified by His blood, but even more than that we shall be saved from wrath through Him. You see, verse 10 says that if the death of Christ reconciled us to God (that is to say that if the death of Christ made us at-one with God) then even more than that the resurrected life of Christ secures our salvation. We are kept alive because He’s alive!
We Can Now Delight In God
Look at verse 11. Our salvation isn’t just about all that pie in the sky, heaven by and by stuff. Today, right now, right where you live you can joy, or delight in God through the Lord Jesus Christ, by we have now received the atonement. I can delight in God today, not tomorrow, but today because He went out of His way to make me at-one with Him!
Conclusion
It’s been three or four weeks since I’ve bought any gas. I had to put some in my truck this week; I didn’t realize the cost had gone back up to $2.19. If you go to the Post Office, of course you know that the cost of stamps has gone up again. I guess e-mail is really putting the hurt on the postal service. My oil changes went up from $14 to $24, and I noticed the other day that Little Debbies cost an extra .20 cents per box from the last time I thought to price them.
I guess we could go on all night about the rising costs of seemingly everything in the world. But I’m glad there’s one thing that never changes price, and that is our salvation. It is full, free and forever. It was bought and paid for with the blood of Jesus Christ. No matter how long we tell people about the atonement that Christ purchased for them, we can be glad that we don’t ever have to tell them that the price has gone up. It cost a whole lot, but you can get it for free.
When God sent Christ into the world to be the Savior of the world, he atoned for all man’s sins. He is the Savior of all the world. In other words, He paid every man’s sin debt and removed anything and everything that separated us all from God. However, having done all that, just because it is free to you that does not mean God unconditionally gives eternal life to every man or woman on earth.
God has done His part in the atonement, but you must now do your part. You must receive it; accept it as belonging to you. If you have never done that tonight, I want to extend to you and invitation to receive Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. If you have already received Him, I want to invite you to humble yourself in His presence and praise Him for what He did on your behalf.
