Why Is the Atonement Necessary?

[Arial]

Was Christ's atonement necessary? If so why?

In regards to:
The nature of sin in which a satisfaction is necessary.
Of the satisfaction itself.
The character of God to whom satisfaction is rendered.
In Christ by whom this satisfaction is rendered.

 

[makesends]

Was Christ's atonement necessary? If so why?

In regards to:
The nature of sin in which a satisfaction is necessary.
Of the satisfaction itself.
The character of God to whom satisfaction is rendered.
In Christ by whom this satisfaction is rendered.

Was the sacrificial system in the OT necessary?

God's character, or attribute, of precision would seem to imply it was necessary. It is my opinion that EVERYTHING happens precisely as necessary for God's plan to come to fruition. He doesn't do anything wastefully. There is no sloughing off of wasted effort or motion. This is part of why I say that God decrees absolutely everything that comes to pass. (We keep asking these questions from our point of view, haha! There is no possibility that anything could have happened other than how it did. God does not fly by the seat of his pants. There is no "chance" for him to respond to and/or correct the course of history. ) The atonement of sin has been the plan from the beginning. God is making us into precisely what he planned from the beginning.

But, OK, I'll answer your question the way you meant it. (Apparently God intends us to understand to some degree how this works, if for no other reason, so that we will admire him and be grateful.) Yes it was absolutely necessary, if any are to be saved. All have sinned and all need saved. The only way for any to be saved is for justice to be rendered (the wages of sin is death). The theoretical 'fact' we consider, that if Christ had not born our sins, we would all go to Hell, is relevant in that there is no point in creating, if the creation is entirely created for destruction. This is no experiment —this is a planned construction, including the construction method! So Christ had to take our place.

 

[Arial]

But, OK, I'll answer your question the way you meant it. (Apparently God intends us to understand to some degree how this works, if for no other reason, so that we will admire him and be grateful.) Yes it was absolutely necessary, if any are to be saved. All have sinned and all need saved. The only way for any to be saved is for justice to be rendered (the wages of sin is death).

You hit on a very crucial point here. That of God's justice. I am hoping to dig into the "behind the scenes" necessity of Christ's atonement.

It is amazing when I look into the different "isms" that arose over the course of the church's history, to discover how today's beliefs on many things, but also the atonement have gathered bits and pieces from many of them, and come up with a conglomeration that cannot even be classified into a single "ism" or this history, and has a multitude of branches. From Pelagianism to semi- Pelagianism; Socinianism to Arminianism; Progressive to Open Theology. All these things contain points of disagreement with one another, and yet we have teachings as seen on the forum that would deny all of them and yet retain this from that, and another thing from over there,and have no idea they are doing so.

Oddly the only thing that remains relatively consistent is Calvinism, unless you count the new Calvinism which I know nothing about.

These views, all at one time or another found in any of the "isms' mentioned above (excluding Calvinism) have a variation of a misconception of the atonement (because it is scripturally unfounded) of the four things found in the OP.

So let's start with the misconception of sin. Nearly all of the above deny original and imputed sin. Arminius did not, but believed that in the atonement Christ made enough grace available to all men without exception to overcome original sin and choose Christ.

Sin renders us guilty and binds us over to punishment. It is spoken of as a debt which we are bound to pay to God's justice.(Col 2:13-15) Through sin, God becomes our enemy and we hate our enemy. This of course is a crime against our Governor, our Creator, our King and we become deserving of everlasting death. Therefore we are called debtors (Matt6:12), enemies of God, actively and passively (Col.1:21) guilty before God.(Romans 3:19)

Therefore, in order for us to be redeemed (which always infers a debt paid by one in the stead of the debtor) the payment due because of our sin must be made, thus appeasing the divine wrath and the expiation of the guilt.

 

[GoKart Mozart]

Was Christ's atonement necessary? If so why?

In regards to:
The nature of sin in which a satisfaction is necessary.
Of the satisfaction itself.
The character of God to whom satisfaction is rendered.
In Christ by whom this satisfaction is rendered.

You hit on a very crucial point here. That of God's justice. I am hoping to dig into the "behind the scenes" necessity of Christ's atonement.

It is amazing when I look into the different "isms" that arose over the course of the church's history, to discover how today's beliefs on many things, but also the atonement have gathered bits and pieces from many of them, and come up with a conglomeration that cannot even be classified into a single "ism" or this history, and has a multitude of branches. From Pelagianism to semi- Pelagianism; Socinianism to Arminianism; Progressive to Open Theology. All these things contain points of disagreement with one another, and yet we have teachings as seen on the forum that would deny all of them and yet retain this from that, and another thing from over there,and have no idea they are doing so.

Oddly the only thing that remains relatively consistent is Calvinism, unless you count the new Calvinism which I know nothing about.

These views, all at one time or another found in any of the "isms' mentioned above (excluding Calvinism) have a variation of a misconception of the atonement (because it is scripturally unfounded) of the four things found in the OP.

So let's start with the misconception of sin. Nearly all of the above deny original and imputed sin. Arminius did not, but believed that in the atonement Christ made enough grace available to all men without exception to overcome original sin and choose Christ.

Sin renders us guilty and binds us over to punishment. It is spoken of as a debt which we are bound to pay to God's justice.(Col 2:13-15) Through sin, God becomes our enemy and we hate our enemy. This of course is a crime against our Governor, our Creator, our King and we become deserving of everlasting death. Therefore we are called debtors (Matt6:12), enemies of God, actively and passively (Col.1:21) guilty before God.(Romans 3:19)

Therefore, in order for us to be redeemed (which always infers a debt paid by one in the stead of the debtor) the payment due because of our sin must be made, thus appeasing the divine wrath and the expiation of the guilt.

I reads as-if your understanding begins and ends with The Satisfaction Theory of Atonement.
(linkage is to the wiki article for an overview outside of my own biases)
Is this a fair assesment?


If not, what other understandings are you familiar with?

 

[Arial]

I reads as-if your understanding begins and ends with The Satisfaction Theory of Atonement.
(linkage is to the wiki article for an overview outside of my own biases)
Is this a fair assesment?

That is too broad a question to answer with yes or no. My belief is that a satisfaction to God's justice is needed (and that involves much more than simply making a statement about it, and which hopefully we will get into as we address each of the four points of the OP.) However, I also believe in penal substitution and one can believe in satisfaction without believing in penal substitution.

 

[GoKart Mozart]

That is too broad a question to answer with yes or no. My belief is that a satisfaction to God's justice is needed (and that involves much more than simply making a statement about it, and which hopefully we will get into as we address each of the four points of the OP.) However, I also believe in penal substitution and one can believe in satisfaction without believing in penal substitution.

The Satisfaction Theory of Atonement, on which the latter Penal Substitutionary Atonement was developed states (from the link provided), "Since one of God's characteristics is justice, affronts to that justice must be atoned for. It is thus connected with the legal concept of balancing out an injustice."
You said,

a satisfaction to God's justice is needed

So far, it would seem that your answer is, "yes."

This line of discussion could prove interesting (or not, it's yet to be seen). I'll certainly give you and others time to , at least, look at the link before I delve any further (if at all).

 

[Arial]

The Satisfaction Theory of Atonement, on which the latter Penal Substitutionary Atonement was developed states (from the link provided), "Since one of God's characteristics is justice, affronts to that justice must be atoned for. It is thus connected with the legal concept of balancing out an injustice."
You said,

So far, it would seem that your answer is, "yes."

This line of discussion could prove interesting (or not, it's yet to be seen). I'll certainly give you and others time to , at least, look at the link before I delve any further (if at all).

I did look at the link which is why I said what I did. Categorizing every little thing and trying to make it fit somewhere often moves the conversation in unmanageable directions and the presentation and flow of a specific idea is lost. I intend to discuss each of the four points of the OP separately so as to create the unity in the necessity of the atonement. And as you say, discuss them as we go along. Looking forward to your input.

 

[Arial]

Of the satisfaction itself.

In discussing the atonement and its necessity the chief thing we are to consider is the criminality of sin. We, in sinning against the Creator and ruler of all that is made, have committed a crime against His kingdom. We have committed treason. The satisfaction relates to the penalty enacted against it by God who is the Supreme Judge.

There is a two-fold payment. One by payment, sets free the one owing the debt. Either by him paying his own debt or it paid by a surety in the debtors name. Another is if the payment is not sufficient to free the debtor because it is not precisely what is demanded, but is an equivalent. In the case of the second the creditor has the right to refuse the payment, but if he accepts it, it is honored, and this is satisfaction. The first takes place in a pecuniary (money) debt and the second in a penal debt.

In a penal debt it is not things that are involved, but persons, or iow not what is paid, but who pays. The law demands complete personal obedience and also demands personal suffering for breaking the law. If a person is going to be released from that penalty by another making atonement in his stead, such a decree must be given by the Judge. This in law is known as relaxation and in relation to the guilty, pardon. His personal suffering is dispensed with in the place of a vicarious suffering accepted.

Christ in His life and death made the satisfaction, God accepting it gives the remission. God demands a punishment from Christ in kind, the same of that which we owed. We are pardoned by the vicarious suffering of Christ. Mercy tempered with justice. Justice against sin. Mercy towards the sinner. Atonement is made to the divine justice by surety. And we are pardoned. Satisfaction and penal substitution are both in the atonement, but they are distinct.

 

[Arial]

The Character of God to Whom Satisfaction is Rendered

This has to do with the relations in which God stands to the sinner, as the creditor, the Lord, and as Judge and Ruler, and the party offended.

He is not merely a creditor who may take what is due Him or the One offended who may do as He pleases with His own claims and without injury to anyone, He is also the Supreme Ruler, and to Him alone pertains the power to inflict punishment or remittance of the penal sanction of the law. As in legal court, it is the judge who has the power to exact payment or inflict punishment on the guilty.

Punishment of our sin is demanded because of God's very character of being just. But the manner in which that punishment is rendered is a separate matter. The manner and circumstance of the punishment are not essential to justice, but are entirely in the pervu of His will and pleasure. We see from the OT and into the NT that it pleased God that there would be a delay (time) in punishment, a mitigation of it, (degree) and in relation to persons, a substitution. It is transferred to a surety, Christ Jesus. In this God in no way violates His justice, for sin meets its punishment in Christ on the cross. He stands as our surety, letting the sinner go free. It is to God that the atonement is made, and not the devil as some say.

 

[Arial]

In Christ by Whom This Satisfaction is Rendered

Recap: The satisfaction of the atonement refers to the Father's acceptance of Christ's vicarious suffering---the penal aspect of the atonement.

Sin is viewed in a three-fold light: debt, enmity, and crime.
God in the three-fold light: creditor. party offended, and judge.

Christ must put on a three-fold relation that corresponds to these: surety for the debt, a mediator to take away the enmity, He must be a Priest and victim to substitute for us and make atonement, by enduring the penal sanction of the law.(We see this shadowed in the OT sacrifices and the priesthood.)

He must be of the same nature as those He is substituting Himself for. He must possess infinite value because of the infinite demerit of sin. Therefore it was necessary for Him to have two natures. A human nature to suffer, and a divine nature that gives the atonement the requisite value to His sufferings.

The substitute Himself must have this common nature to the one He is substituting for and the consent of the will of the surety/substitute. and power over His own life. All of which Jesus had, (Heb2:14; Heb 10:9;John 10:18). And the power of bearing our punishment and of freeing Himself and us from the power of death.

In this the divine law has been kept by Christ, in His flesh it's penal sanctions against sin that we deserve are met in Him and justice is upheld, the power of sin and death is defeated for those He dies for, as He is raised to life and exalted to the right hand of God, and His righteousness is imputed to us, just as our sins were imputed to Him.