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True Christians acknowledge that an atonement was made by Jesus. And that He was atoning for our sins. But exactly how His death on the cross provided that atonement is often not looked into closely, and therefore misconceptions in the doctrine arise. Even the Unitarians (not Christian) that I have come across, believe Jesus atoned for our sins on the cross. But when closely looked at and inquired about one will often find an atonement that has no content or power. It becomes no more than a wonderful thing Jesus did. That many cannot answer the question, "What did the atonement do and how did it do it, and why was it absolutely necessary for redemption of any to occur?
It starts way back in the Garden of Eden, to be shadowed and taught by God. And what are types and shadows of redemption but the unfolding of things fallen man must learn and God must show him? So those these things that look forward are historically real, not metaphors, they also begin to unveil what is to come.
In the garden Adam sinned against a holy God and tried to hide from Him. When God confronted him, He did not strike him instantly with death even though the penalty for his disobedience was death. Instead He cursed the serpent and gave a promise that he would be crushed by the seed of the woman. Then He cursed the woman, the man, and all of creation. (Gen 3:14-19) In verse 21 we see what may be the first recorded death. That of an animal most likely as humans and animals are the only ones with skin and they have skin because it is necessary for life.
What we see is God providing a temporary covering for their sin, then putting them out of the Garden where there was access to the tree of life. The sentence of physical death was still on them. And outside the Garden was toil and sorrow and pain.
This same curse came upon all of mankind because Adam stood as the representative (federal head) of all humanity. Thus it is said that his sin in imputed to all. We are all born into this condition and cannot escape it. We begin to pile up sin upon sin. And sin cannot dwell in the presence of absolute perfect holiness, which is God.
As we travel through the OT we see this idea of atonement, one life giving itself for the many. In the Mosaic covenant the covering was temporary, not actually cleansing the conscience of any, had to constantly be repeated. And we see the shedding of blood for forgiveness as well as covenant signs. In all cases it is closely intertwined with worship of God, with approaching Him. So holy is He that for the sacrifice of atonement strict rituals had to be followed that He prescribed. Particular incense. Particular animals or grain or oil.Particular days. Particular places. And only the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies (that place those in Christ enter at any time and in any place. Before His very throne) and first He had to follow stringent laws of purification. The ark and later the temple followed the exact pattern He set. Jerusalem in Judah was the place of meeting set to worship Him. Mt. Zion.
What was all of this doing for the people of God in those days? A temporary overlooking of their sins in the sense that He did not deal out their just punishment of death then, as His plan of redemption moved forward to its earthly zenith in Christ. But God is fully just as He is fully holy, and if He says the soul that sins shall die, then die it must.
So what did the atonement that Jesus made do that the OT sacrifices could not do?
As a man, one of us, tempted as we are, living in the same dark world we live in, surrounded by sin as we are, the second Adam; not born in Adam as we are but born of God, born under the Law, He kept all the Law perfectly, the Law that was good, but also cursed and condemned us because we could not keep it. And as the second Adam, that is, the representative (federal head)of all who God would give Him, He broke the curse of the first Adam whose sin is imputed to us, and He took the penalty of God's just wrath against our sins on His own body, thus paying the just justice of the Just Judge against them so that we would receive mercy, sins forgiven, instead of justice. Jesus met the justice we deserved, substituting Himself for us. He justified us before God, reconciled us to God, and this work of His is applied to the person by the new birth in Christ, still of Adam but no longer in Adam, of the Holy Spirit and through faith in Christ's person and work---alone. In this justification we are given the perfect righteousness of Christ imputed to us, counted as our own, our sins are forgiven. Just as our sins were imputed to Him on the cross, and were nailed to the cross, they are washed away by is shed blood. And lest we forget the shedding of blood in the OT as the shedding of blood for forgiveness but also as a sign of covenant----"This is My blood, the blood of the new covenant."
It starts way back in the Garden of Eden, to be shadowed and taught by God. And what are types and shadows of redemption but the unfolding of things fallen man must learn and God must show him? So those these things that look forward are historically real, not metaphors, they also begin to unveil what is to come.
In the garden Adam sinned against a holy God and tried to hide from Him. When God confronted him, He did not strike him instantly with death even though the penalty for his disobedience was death. Instead He cursed the serpent and gave a promise that he would be crushed by the seed of the woman. Then He cursed the woman, the man, and all of creation. (Gen 3:14-19) In verse 21 we see what may be the first recorded death. That of an animal most likely as humans and animals are the only ones with skin and they have skin because it is necessary for life.
What we see is God providing a temporary covering for their sin, then putting them out of the Garden where there was access to the tree of life. The sentence of physical death was still on them. And outside the Garden was toil and sorrow and pain.
This same curse came upon all of mankind because Adam stood as the representative (federal head) of all humanity. Thus it is said that his sin in imputed to all. We are all born into this condition and cannot escape it. We begin to pile up sin upon sin. And sin cannot dwell in the presence of absolute perfect holiness, which is God.
As we travel through the OT we see this idea of atonement, one life giving itself for the many. In the Mosaic covenant the covering was temporary, not actually cleansing the conscience of any, had to constantly be repeated. And we see the shedding of blood for forgiveness as well as covenant signs. In all cases it is closely intertwined with worship of God, with approaching Him. So holy is He that for the sacrifice of atonement strict rituals had to be followed that He prescribed. Particular incense. Particular animals or grain or oil.Particular days. Particular places. And only the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies (that place those in Christ enter at any time and in any place. Before His very throne) and first He had to follow stringent laws of purification. The ark and later the temple followed the exact pattern He set. Jerusalem in Judah was the place of meeting set to worship Him. Mt. Zion.
What was all of this doing for the people of God in those days? A temporary overlooking of their sins in the sense that He did not deal out their just punishment of death then, as His plan of redemption moved forward to its earthly zenith in Christ. But God is fully just as He is fully holy, and if He says the soul that sins shall die, then die it must.
So what did the atonement that Jesus made do that the OT sacrifices could not do?
As a man, one of us, tempted as we are, living in the same dark world we live in, surrounded by sin as we are, the second Adam; not born in Adam as we are but born of God, born under the Law, He kept all the Law perfectly, the Law that was good, but also cursed and condemned us because we could not keep it. And as the second Adam, that is, the representative (federal head)of all who God would give Him, He broke the curse of the first Adam whose sin is imputed to us, and He took the penalty of God's just wrath against our sins on His own body, thus paying the just justice of the Just Judge against them so that we would receive mercy, sins forgiven, instead of justice. Jesus met the justice we deserved, substituting Himself for us. He justified us before God, reconciled us to God, and this work of His is applied to the person by the new birth in Christ, still of Adam but no longer in Adam, of the Holy Spirit and through faith in Christ's person and work---alone. In this justification we are given the perfect righteousness of Christ imputed to us, counted as our own, our sins are forgiven. Just as our sins were imputed to Him on the cross, and were nailed to the cross, they are washed away by is shed blood. And lest we forget the shedding of blood in the OT as the shedding of blood for forgiveness but also as a sign of covenant----"This is My blood, the blood of the new covenant."