Atonement

Question 1

Where did the plan of the atonement originate?

Answer 1

Atonement is at the center of God’s rescue plan for his people.

Atonement in scripture:

• Genesis 3 - When Adam and Eve sinned and felt shame, God covered their naked bodies with animal skins… shedding of blood to cover sin.
• Leviticus 17 - God’s people learned that the blood of a sinless animal could atone for their sin

Hebrews 9:22 - without the shedding of blood ..

Question 2

What does atonement teach us about God’s:

• love
• mercy
• justice
• holiness

Answer 2

• God’s Love -He loves us so much that he sent his only son to suffer and die so that we can be in relationship with him. (John 3:16)

Mercy and Justice – God is merciful. God is just. But mercy is always at the expense of justice. When someone is shown mercy (they don’t get what they deserve), then justice is not served. For God to be both just and merciful, someone needs to pay the penalty for sin.

• God’s mercy? We deserve death (Rom. 6:23) but because of God’s undeserved favour, we don’t have to pay the consequences for our sin.
• God’s justice? From a human perspective of justice, if someone is “good”, things should go well for them. If someone is “bad” there should be negative repercussions. God is a just God, but his perspective is so much bigger than ours. He allowed his sinless Son to suffer and die for our sins. This helps me to see that when I feel like something is unjust, I must know that my perspective is limited (ie: Job, Joseph).
• God’s holiness? Because God is Holy (set apart) he cannot be near anything that is sinful, not even his favourite creation. It is the atonement from Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross that allows us to be close to God again.

Question 3

What made the atonement necessary as far as God is concerned?

Answer 3

Our sin - God’s love and holiness

Romans 3:23

God created us because he loves us. He wants to be close to us, but he is holy. He cannot be close to anything sinful/unclean.

Question 4

What made the atonement necessary as far a man is concerned?

Answer 4

We inherited a sinful nature. Sin separates us from God. Atonement is necessary so we can be rescued from the consequences of sin, and so we can be close to God again.

Question 5

How could God justly put man’s sin upon an innocent victim?

Answer 5

Jesus willingly laid down his life

• John 10 :14-15 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.

Question 6

What qualified Christ for being such an offering?

Answer 6

• Lev. 17 – only a lamb without blemish, deformity, sickness or spot could be accepted as a sacrifice to atone for sin. God wanted his people to know that there is a high price to pay for sin. Something of great value had to be killed.
• That is why Jesus was called the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). He was the only one who met God’s strict requirements of perfection needed to redeem the God’s people. Only his blood could atone for our sin.
• 2 Cor. 5:21 (without sin)

Question 7

Was the offering acceptable to God?

Answer 7

Romans 10:9

Romans 10:13

Question 8

Can atonement be effective in human lives where the gospel is not known?

Answer 8

no! (John 14:6)