ATONEMENT

In Christian theology, “atonement” refers to God’s work of removing sin and guilt through Christ’s sacrificial death, so that sinners may be reconciled to Him through faith in Christ. The term “atonement” is said to be derived from an Anglo-Saxon word meaning “making at one,” hence “at-one-ment.” It presupposes a separation or alienation that needs to be resolved so that man may have fellowship with God.

The word “atonement” appears about 70 times in the Old Testament of the KJV. The Hebrew word used in the Old Testament is kāphar, which means “to cover over”. In the Old Testament, the Day of Atonement provided for the removal of the nation’s sins (cf. Leviticus 16:1–34; Exodus 30:10). The nation’s sins were atoned for by sprinkling the cover of the ark of the covenant (“mercy seat”) in the Most Holy Place with the blood of the sacrificial goat (cf. Hebrews 9:7). The removal of the people’s sins was then symbolized by the driving away of the “scapegoat”—‘aza’zel in Hebrew—into the wilderness (cf. Leviticus 16:10).

It reminded them of the severity of their sins and pointed them to God’s gracious provision for their salvation, a perfect atonement in Christ, which was symbolized by the animal sacrifice He had instituted for them to offer. The blood of the sacrifice effected atonement (cf. Leviticus 17:11). The sprinkling of the blood implied that a life had been given in place of the worshippers (Leviticus 16:15–16; cf. Hebrews 9:22).

The word “atonement” appears only once (in Romans 5:11) in the New Testament of the KJV—“And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.” The word “atonement” is the translation of the Greek word (katallagḗ), which is elsewhere translated as “reconciling” (cf. Romans 11:15).

Atonement, then, is the divine work of reconciliation through the removal of God’s wrath against our sins through the satisfaction of the divine justice by the Lord Jesus Christ, procuring a perfect salvation for His people. The Hebrew and Greek terms translated as “atonement” indicate the manner in which Christ, through the sacrifice of Himself on the cross, brings the sinner into a right relationship with God.

“Atonement” refers to God’s work of removing sin and guilt through Christ’s sacrificial death, so that sinners may be reconciled to Him through faith in Christ.

THE ONCE-FOR-ALL ATONEMENT

Christ’s atonement is a divine transaction made once and for all for the salvation of sinners. It is never to be repeated because Christ’s sacrifice of Himself, as the Father Himself has ordained, is perfect and sufficient. Therefore, there is no necessity at all for His sacrifice to be offered again and again. Romans 6:9–10 affirms this truth, “Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.”

The perfect sufficiency of Christ’s one-time sacrifice of His body to atone for the sins of His people is consistently taught in the Book of Hebrews:

– “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10).
– “but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Hebrews 9:26b).
– “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation” (Hebrews 9:28).
– “Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself” (Hebrews 7:27).

Christ’s atonement is efficacious in all ages, past and present—“whom (Christ) God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past…” (Romans 3:25).

The biblical doctrine of the once-for-all atonement of Christ is denied by the Roman Catholics in their depiction of the Lord’s Supper (“Mass”). Paragraph 1367 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church reads: “The sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one single sacrifice… In this divine sacrifice, which is celebrated in the Mass, the same Christ who offered himself once in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross is contained and is offered in an unbloody manner.” Rome may see the Mass as a bloodless sacrifice, but they see it as a sacrifice nonetheless. The depiction of Mass, whether as the same or another offering of Christ’s sacrifice, is viewed as being continually offered. The Roman Catholic view is thus erroneous because it denies the full efficacy of the once-for-all nature of the death of Jesus. It denies what the New Testament teaches about the Lord’s atoning death as a one-time sacrifice which atoned fully for sin. The Catholic practice of Mass casts doubt on the sufficiency and efficacy of Jesus’ atonement for our salvation!

LIMITED (PARTICULAR) ATONEMENT

The doctrine known as “Limited Atonement” (the third of the Five Points of Calvinism) in Reformed Theology does not speak of the power of Christ’s atonement for sinners as being limited. Instead, it refers to the divine plan to save only the elect and not all of humanity. Though Christ’s atonement is sufficient to atone for the sins of all people, its particular intent is to save the elect of God.

Christ’s death is of infinite value to atone for our sins. 1 John 1:7b says, “the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (cf. Titus 2:14). There is no sin which cannot be covered by Christ’s atonement. No matter how gruesome and how many are our sins, the blood of Christ shed in His death on the cross is abundantly sufficient to atone for all of them. The atoning death of the Son of God is of such infinite value that its intrinsic worth is immeasurable and incalculable! If God had wanted to save the entire world, He would not have needed another sacrifice, other than Jesus’ death on the cross. “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2). In fact, Christ is the only one whom God had prepared to offer the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world. “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29)!

However, it was not God’s plan to save all men by Christ’s death. Only those whom He has elected before the foundation of the world, He has intended to save by Christ’s atoning death. So, Christ’s atoning death effectively saves only the particular persons whom God has elected. Jesus Himself said in Matthew 20:28, “the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many [not everyone]” (cf. Mark 10:45). He again said in Matthew 26:28, “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many [not everyone] for the remission of sins” (cf. Mark 14:24).

Christ did not die to save the entire humanity. Universal salvation is not taught in the Scriptures. Christ offered Himself to atone for a definite (particular) group of people whom God has chosen. Christ knew those for whom He would die, as corroborated by the following verses:

– Matthew 1:21—“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”
– John 10:14–15—“I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.”
– John 17:9—“I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.”

Christ’s atoning death effectively saves only the particular persons whom God has elected.

SUBSTITUTIONARY (VICARIOUS) ATONEMENT

Since we are totally depraved in our fallen state and unable to save ourselves from the wrath of God, an appropriate Substitute became a necessity to offer a perfect and pleasing atoning sacrifice for our redemption. Hence, God was pleased in His infinite mercy to give His only begotten Son for our redemption so that He might, in our stead, bear the wrath of God against our sins. This is the doctrine of “vicarious” or “substitutionary” atonement.

Jesus Christ stood in the place of those for whom He died. In a legal sense, Christ represented His people as their Substitute before God’s throne of righteousness and justice. Christ paid, on behalf of God’s elect, their debt to God. The debt of every one for whom Christ died is completely cancelled. God will not ever again hold them as debtors in His judgment.

Christ’s vicarious death was prophesied in Isaiah 53:4–6—“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (cf. vv. 11–12).

Following are a few New Testament testimonies to the vicarious death of Christ:

– 1 Corinthians 15:3b—“Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures”.
– Hebrews 9:28a—“So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many”.
– 1 Peter 2:24—“Who (Christ) his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”
– 1 Peter 3:18—“For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God…”

Only Jesus, who had lived on earth without sin, could offer Himself as our Substitute to bear God’s just wrath against our sins in a manner acceptable to God. His death effectively and eternally secured the redemption of God’s elect. All who believe in Christ, after hearing the Gospel call, can be fully assured that Christ’s death has completely atoned for their sins, and therefore their salvation is fully assured!

Written by Rev. Dr Prabhudas Koshy, pastor of Gethsemane Bible-Presbyterian Church, Singapore.

This article is from Bible Witness Magazine Volume 23 Issue 6, “Five Points of Calvinism

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