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hinder the exercise of mercy and grace. If Christ endured the sufferings due to
Every attribute of deity combined in the sinners, however many they be, it would
death of Christ to provide a necessary and not be an atonement but merely endur-
effective atonement for a fallen world. ing the penalty for their sins and nothing
What Is the Atonement? more. His atonement was far greater in
The atonement is the means provided measure than, and of a different kind
by God to deal with the problem created to, the penalty demanded by the sins of
by sin. That problem is multi-faceted, and mankind. If Christ suffered the identical
among other things declares man to be penalty due to mankind’s sins, then the
“dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph 2:1), remission of the penalty upon believing
defiled in his nature (v3), “children of is not as a result of grace and mercy but is
wrath” (v3), at a distance from God (v13), an obligation. When Christ “died for our
following “the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling sins” (1Co 15:3), His sacrifice supplied a
the desires … of the mind” (v3), etc. For righteous basis of unlimited value upon
God to offer forgiveness to sinners, His which God can offer and dispense pardon
justice must be satisfied. That satisfaction to any believing sinner.
must include exacting the penalty of death The atonement is not the same as recon-
for sin. The atonement by Christ provided ciliation, redemption, forgiveness, pardon
propitiation (to appease God), in an aton- or justification, but is the basis upon which
ing sacrifice that satisfied God’s justice, these blessings can be freely offered. As a
and expiation (taking away sins). The result of the atonement God can extend
object of propitiation is God; the object all these blessings and be merciful to the
of expiation is impurity/sin. Propitiation sinner in an honourable way. In sum-
and expiation are two components of the mary, then, the atonement contains two
atonement: “He is the propitiation for our elements: firstly, a sacrifice that satisfied
sins: and not for ours only, but also for the God in relation to sin and, secondly, a
sins of the whole world” (1Jn 2:2), and provision of such measure in the sacrifice
“now once in the end of the world hath he which enables God to offer forgiveness to
appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice every sinner. The message of the Scrip-
of himself” (Heb 9:26). At Calvary, the full tures is that God, out of His great love, has
requirements of divine justice were met, provided the means of atonement for sin
and thereby God can righteously offer a through the death of His Son: “For God
pardon and forgiveness to every sinner. so loved the world, that he gave his only
The atonement by Christ at Calvary begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in
was not the enduring of the identical him should not perish, but have everlast-
penalty due to the sinner, but was a ing life” (Joh 3:16).
divine provision of far greater measure When Was the Atonement?
than the punishment which all the sins of The atonement by Christ was restricted
all humanity demanded. That provision to the hours of His suffering upon the
righteously answered every demand of cross. The spotless life of Christ was a
heaven’s justice in a manner and to an necessary prerequisite to the atonement,
extent that far exceeds what the actual and the resurrection and ascension were a
execution of the punishment for sin would necessary validation of the atonement, but
have been if exacted upon the sinner. the atonement itself was completed entire-
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