How Significant Is Christ’s Atonement For Us?

We can make no atonement for ourselves. Christ is our atoning sacrifice and we can accept by faith the atonement He made for humanity.

In order to accept Christ as our Savior, we must see Him in His work of atonement. Moreover, to believe that He is able and willing to do what He has promised.

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us...

we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. Romans 5:8, 11.

With His own blood He has paid our ransom. By the virtue of His own merits He gives us power to become members of the royal family.

The Father is glorified by the life, death, and mediation, of His Son.

The Lord is well pleased for His righteousness' sake; He will magnify the law, and make it honorable. Isaiah 42:21.

This object lesson for us is to regard God's Law as Jesus did.

Furthermore, it was to demonstrate to the whole universe that the Law of God is unchangeable.

If it was possible for the claims of the Law to be set aside, then there was no need for the Son of God to be the atonement for its transgression. 

Therefore, the death of Christ proves it immutable.

Moreover, nothing less than this plan of atonement can be in line with the justice and mercy of God, which are the foundation of His Law and government.

Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Psalms 85:10.

Inasmuch as the Divine Law is as sacred as God Himself, only One equal with God could make atonement for its transgression.

Therefore, none but Christ could redeem fallen humans from the consequences of the Law and bring them again into harmony with God.

Moreover, He would take upon Himself the guilt and shame caused by sin and rescue the ruined humanity.

Acceptance of Christ’s atonement

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God. 1 Peter 3:18.

With His resurrection Christ had proved the fact that He was a living Savior. The time had come for Him to share His Father's throne.

The Father gave all honor to His Son and made Him sit at His right hand, above all principalities and powers.

His atoning sacrifice is in every way satisfactory.

Furthermore, the Father receives Christ’s followers in the Beloved as part of the acceptance of His Son’s atonement. God loves us as He loves His Son.

Christ stands between God and His people. He reveals the glory of God to them and covers their transgressions with the garments of His own spotless righteousness.

Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things...but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 1 Peter 1:18, 19.

Moreover, to them gave He power to become the sons of God. John 1:12.

They are His chosen ones - heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ; Romans 8:17, and they are to overcome even as He overcame.

To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in His throne. Revelation 3:21.

We know that we have a friend at the throne of God. Are you eager to present your requests to the Father in the name of Jesus.

Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it to you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My name: 

ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. John 16:23, 24.

It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Romans 8:34.

Atonement value

We need to understand the cost of our salvation in order to realize its value.

God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16.

Such a love to the fallen race is manifested in the gift of God's beloved Son.

Christ is the brightness of His Father's glory and the express image of His person. Hebrews 1:3.

He possessed the Divine Majesty, perfection, and excellence. He was equal with God.

Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 

But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. Philippians 2:6.

Furthermore, the Son of God took upon Himself the sins of our lost world.

As He bowed in prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, overwhelmed and in agony He sweat drops of blood.

It was here that the horror of great darkness surrounded Him. He was suffering in stead of humans as transgressors of His Father's law.

The Divine light of God was receding from His vision and He was passing into the powers of darkness.

His heart was full of sorrow and He said to His disciples: My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death. Matthew 26:38.

As He fell on His face, He pleaded: 

O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me: nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt. Matthew 26:39.

If mortal humans were able to view the amazement and the sorrow of the angelic host as they watched in silent grief the Father separating His beams of light, love, and glory from the beloved Son of His bosom - they would better understand how offensive sin is in His sight.

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Philippians 2:8.

The suffering of Christ

The glorious Son of God was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities. Isaiah 53:5.

He bore insult, mockery, and shameful abuse and in the judgment hall of an earthly court He was condemned to death by sinful mortals.

All this until His visage was so marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men. Isaiah 52:14.

Why then, was the suffering of Christ more dreadful than other persons who have yielded their lives for His sake?

His physical pain alone and His death was as painful as that of the martyrs.

Nevertheless, bodily pain was but a small part of the agony of God's dear Son. The sins of the whole world were upon Him.

His Father's wrath toward sin and the separation that sin makes between God and humans was fully realized and keenly felt by the innocent, suffering Man of Calvary.

It was these that crushed His soul.

Furthermore, He was struggling with the power of Satan, who was declaring that:

• he was superior in strength to the Son of God

• the Father had disowned His Son

• Jesus was no longer in the favor of God any more than himself. If He was indeed still in favor with God, why need He die? God could save Him from death.

Moreover, Heavenly angels were not permitted to minister unto the anguished spirit of the Son of God.

It was in this terrible hour of darkness when He said: My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me? Matthew 27:46. 

Faith in the atonement

For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9.

He was made a little lower than the angels...that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. Hebrews 2:9.

Here is love that no language can express.

In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love.

And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:12, 17, 19.

Without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, 

seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. 1 Timothy 3:16.

It is faith in the fact that Jesus died for our transgressions that appropriates His atonement, and melts and subdues our hearts.

Thus when we believe that Christ is our personal Savior, we realize that His love has a constraining power over us.

It is when we behold the dying Redeemer that we can say we are in Christ, who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. 1 Corinthians 1:30.

Therefore, we must focus on Christ alone. He is our Substitute and Surety. Thus through faith in Him we may claim His righteousness as all-sufficient.

He made an atonement for us, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Thus we look to the atoning Sacrifice as our only hope, through repentance toward God.

Christ became sin for humans, that we might become the righteousness of God through Him who was one with the Father.

Believe that you are forgiven and justified, not in transgression and disobedience, but in submission to the will of God.

Thus we will put away sin, and our hard hearts will melt under the amazing love of Christ for us.

The hope of eternal life

Christ’s merits have purchased forgiveness and immortality for every sinful and perishing soul.

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast. Hebrews 6:19.

Furthermore, His atonement and intercession establishes our trust in Him and is to keep us steadfast and unmovable in conflict.

For Jesus stands with the Father, continually offering a sacrifice for the sins of the world. 

He is the minister of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. Hebrews 8:2.

Though the typical daily and yearly atonement is no longer necessary, the atoning sacrifice of a Heavenly Mediator is essential because of the continual commission of sin.

Thus Jesus, our High Priest officiates for us in the presence of God, offering in our behalf His blood.

The High Priest of good things to come...by His own blood He entered once into the Holy Place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. Hebrews 9:11, 12.

Our part is to wrestle against pride and human passions, which the light of God's Word reveals.

Moreover, to cooperate with Christ in bringing our hereditary and cultivated tendencies to wrong under His control, so that sin shall not have dominion over us.

Thus looking to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, Hebrews 12:2, we will be changed into His likeness and grow up to the full stature of men and women in Christ.

He speaks to every soul today:

He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, Romans 8:32, that through His merits He should become an accepted substitute for the sinner, 

Therefore, how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation? Hebrews 2:3.

The Day Of Atonement

We are living in the Day of Atonement. Christ is doing His sacred work for the people of God in the Heavenly Sanctuary.

The typical Day of Atonement was a special time of great humiliation and confession of sins before God.

The whole ceremony of the earthly Sanctuary was designed to impress people with the holiness of God and His abhorrence of sin.

Furthermore, to show them that they could not come in contact with sin without becoming polluted.

Everyone was required to afflict one’s soul while this work of atonement was going forward.

All business was to be laid aside, and the whole congregation of Israel were to spend the day in solemn humiliation before God, with prayer, fasting, and deep searching of heart.

The anti-typical Day of Atonement is to be of the same character. We need to understand the work of our High Priest and know what duties are required of us.

The announcement:

The Temple of God was opened in Heaven, and there was seen in his Temple the Ark of his testament. Revelation 11:19,

points to the opening of the Most Holy Place of the Heavenly Sanctuary at the end of the 2300 days prophecy in 1844.

At that time Christ enters it to perform the closing work of His atonement.

Those who by faith follow their High Priest’s ministry in the Most Holy Place, behold the Ark of His testament.

The Investigative Judgment

In the anti-typical Day of Atonement and investigative Judgment, the only cases considered are those of the professed people of God.

We learn this from the typical service. Only those who had come before God with confession and repentance, lest they be cut off from among the people, had a part in the service of the day of atonement.

The judgment of the wicked is a distinct and separate work, and takes place at a later period.

Judgment must begin at the house of God; and if it first begins at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel? 1 Peter 4:17.

The work of judgment precedes the coming of Christ in the clouds of Heaven. For when He comes, every case has been decided.

My reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. Revelation 22:12.

Therefore, all who would have their names retained in the book of life, should now in the remaining days of their probation, afflict their souls before God by sorrow for sin and true repentance.

Everyone will be tested and must be found not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. Ephesians 5:27.

The work of our soul-temple cleansing must be done while we are in this world of temptation. Just as Christ finds us in character when He comes, so we will remain.

As we put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, Ephesians 6:11, 

we would grow up unto a perfect human, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. Ephesians 4:13.

Moreover, we would become fit temples for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Conclusion

Our salvation is based upon the ample atonement made by our Savior - Jesus Christ.

We must believe that Jesus died to redeem sinners like us, and that God means what He says:

Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out. John 6:37.

We are accepted through the merits of Christ alone.

Believe that you are forgiven and justified, not in transgression and disobedience, but in submission to the will of God.

Study and pray that as Christ has shown you the way, He may by His grace keep you in the way.

For we are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 1:5.

When we realize the atonement price that has been paid to rescue sinful humans from eternal death, the salvation of souls will be of infinite value to us.

As you look at Him, believe and live. For by faith in the atoning sacrifice you may be justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Romans 3:24.

To Christ belongs the glory of redemption for the fallen humanity. Through the eternal ages, the song of the redeemed will be:

Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood...to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Revelation 1:5, 6.

References:

1. CT 14; GC88 419, 503; PP 63; BE, May 1899; DA 833; 2T 200-214; PrT, Jan 1890; YI, April 1903; ST, Aug 1898, Oct 1880 - The Ellen G. White Estate

2. The Bible, King James Version (KJV)