What Is The
Nature Of The Atonement?
Elder Wm. Doyal Thomas
Pastor - Philadelphia
Baptist Church
Decatur , Alabama
"For
the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you up on
the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that
maketh atonement for the soul." (Leviticus 17:11).
The fact that sinful man is in grave need of a suitable covering to cover
his sin and consequent exposure to the wrath of God is evident. Or at least
it should be evident, since God has so clearly declared, "The soul that
sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father,
neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness
of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall
be upon him." (Ezekiel 18:20).
Upon the pronouncement of God, sinners are under His just condemnation.
Their guilt is clearly established, and just punishment awaits them. And
it is right that they suffer the consequences that is brought to them,
for they are worthy to be punished. They ought to be punished. They must
stand to be punished, for they have sinned against the Holy and Righteous
God.
The banishment to the eternal burning in the lake of fire is the just and
proper end that sin has earned. This assignment is more than a mere separation
from the joy that is felt by those who are related to God, and it is more
than being denied His presence. It is not limited to this lack of fellowship
with The Sovereign.
Punishment for sin is just that. It is punishment for sin. It is not the
chastening of a Righteous Father, although it is in righteousness that
God acts toward those who would not have Him to rule over them in this
life. Remember that chastening is directed toward sons, legitimate sons,
and never toward those who are not sons.
No basis can be found to suggest that the fires of punishment are intended
to be purging in their character. They are indeed fires of punishment.
They are so designed, and it is with intent that they inflict punishment.
Therefore, we see that the nature of the atonement is punitive.
Not only must the atonement meet the requirement that punishment be dispatched,
it must also be substitutive in its nature as well. By this I mean that
One must atone for the sins of another, since the sinning one is, because
of his unworthy nature, disqualified to atone for himself. He cannot redeem
himself because sin has rendered his blood to be unsuitable and unacceptable
to be offered to a Holy
God.
When we look closely at the stipulated requirements that God specifies
in Leviticus, chapter 25 concerning the redeeming of possessions
and persons, we find this to be so. In this chapter, God makes it very
plain and clear that a kinsman ONLY can redeem, and that this kinsman must
have suitable ransom price to pay in order to redeem.
It is true that man could be said to be his own kinsman, thus apparently
rendering himself as his own redeemer. However, because man is a sinner,
his redeeming element, the life, or the blood of himself is in no way acceptable
to make atonement for his own soul. His life, as it is seen to be in his
blood, is corrupt and evil in its own nature, and will not be suitable
as a ransom. And it is sin that has done this. The same sin that brought
about the need for man's redemption has disqualified man from being able
to save himself. Or another. Man cannot save himself, and a mere man cannot
save another. Kinsman ship alone will not enable a man to redeem. There
must be kinsman ship, as God has specified. And there must also be suitable
price. And since man has no acceptable price to bring, a substitutionary
price must be paid if man is ever to go free. Substitution, therefore,
is the nature of the atonement.
Now also, we see that the atonement must be expiatory in its nature. The
atonement, in order to be effective must expiate sin. It must provide whatever
is necessary that sins be dealt with, both in guilt and in removal and
restoration to a previously held state of perfectness, as at creation.
The spot and stain of sin must be done away. Else, there will remain the
odiousness of it. The sinner must be cleansed from all semblance of sin.
It must be put away, or it will most surely remain.
Remembering that man is actually a "double-dyed" sinner, he must be fully
cleansed before he can stand in the presence of God. He cannot even approach
God so long as there remains any trace or evidence of sin ever having contaminated
him.
By "double-dyed", we mean that man sinned in Adam, and then sinned in himself.
He is guilty of original sin that has condemned Adam and all his seed.
He is also guilty of the sins that he has committed in himself, even from
his departure from the womb of his mother. (c.f. Psalms 51:5; 58:3).
The fiber of man is stained and dyed by original sin. The fabric of man
is dyed afresh as man goes forth as a sinning sinner. Both in warp and
woof, man is a desperately wicked sinner. And he must be completely cleansed,
or else his sin remains.
This awful condition makes it clear that in order for man to be justified
with God, his guilt must be removed and he must also be restored to the
state of moral perfectness that Adam enjoyed from the Hand of his Creator,
and until sin ruined him. Both removal and restoration therefore must be
accomplished.
Expiation must take place, and only Christ in His willing substitution
of Himself in the stead of His guilty people can insure that this circumstance
takes place. "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that
we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (II Corinthians 5:21).
Then too, the atonement must be propitiatory in its nature. It must produce
and provide satisfaction unto a Holy God, Who has been sinned against.
For if God is not propitiated, then sin still remains. And were this to
be the case, then sinners would still remain under the condemnation, and
God's wrath would still be upon them. God must be propitiated (satisfied),
and when He is satisfied, then those sinners who have satisfied Him must
go free.
Please take note of this last statement above. When sinners have satisfied
God, then they go free! But sinners do not and can not satisfy God with
their evil, corrupt, and imperfect offerings. However, Christ can and does
satisfy God in their stead. Thus, it is clear that the elect sinner satisfies
God. Not in himself, but in Christ. That is where satisfaction is found,
and no place else. It is in Christ Jesus that sinners satisfy God.
Now when this glorious satisfaction is done, they go free! They go free!
They MUST go free, for satisfaction has been made. When satisfaction is
made, it is unthinkable that those for whom satisfaction has been made
will remain as slaves to sin and Satan. They have been freed by the Stronger
than the strong man, thus, they go free.
What is the nature of the atonement? The atonement is punitive in its nature.
The atonement is substitutive in its nature. The atonement is expiatory
in its nature. And the atonement is propitiatory in its nature. All these
express what the atonement is, and what it must do.
What is the nature of the atonement? The nature of the atonement is seen
in that atonement truly does atone. Success is assured because the atonement,
or covering, or Mercy-Seat is provided. He, Jesus Christ is our Mercy-Seat,
and He has made atonement for the souls of His people. Praise God, we have
an Atonement that atones.
(The
Baptist Herald - July, 1990)
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