For whom did Christ die (part 4)

by Danny Pelichowski

The Nature and Extent of the Atonement (part 2)

God in his righteousness hates sin and must punish creatures both fallen man and demons on the basis of their wickedness. Although these fallen angels were created prior to man and are a higher and more powerful form of being, humans and not fallen angels (demons) are the objects of Christ’s sacrifice. In light of this truth Christian should worship and thank the Lord for choosing to show them free grace that was not given to all of God's fallen creatures. The nature of atonement in the New Testament is found in the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is our perfect sacrificial lamb and high priest to make final atonement for the forgiveness of sins (Hebrews 7:26-28). It is no longer necessary to make continual sacrifices like those found in the Old Testament because Christ’s death was the final and perfect substitutionary sacrifice. Christ’s death accomplished propitiation, reconciliation, redemption, and expiation. These four theological terms lay a foundation for further discussion about the nature of the work that Christ came to the earth to accomplish.

Dr. Robert Morey defines propitiation as, “that priestly work of Christ wherein He removed God’s anger and wrath by the covering over of our sins through the substitutionary sacrifice of Himself to God, thus securing our acceptance before God."[3] Christ appeased the Fathers wrath against the elect in order to show them free mercy and grace. God’s righteous anger could have been appeased in no other way. Our punishment was laid upon Christ who is a pure and sinless savior. God loves those whom he makes atonement for and at the same time needs to be propitiated in order to remain just (Romans 3:23-26). God cannot just overlook sin because it would contradict His justice and therefore make His love perverted. It would be impossible for God to forgive us if He merely left us in our sin and guilt without punishment. This would show a lack of wisdom, care, and love because He would be going against His holy nature and we would continue in our guilt. John Murray explains that “the doctrine of propitiation is precisely this that God loved the objects of His wrath so much that He gave His own son to the end that He by His blood should make provision for the removal of this wrath."[4] Knowing that God’s wrath and anger has been absorbed by Christ is an overwhelming thought. Jesus was perfect in every way and we were wicked but because of God’s unconditional love He chose to have his wrath propitiated in Christ as opposed to having His wrath poured out over us.

After God’s wrath is appeased through Christ as our substitute we are brought to reconciliation with God. In Romans 5:10-11 Paul states that “if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through who we have now received reconciliation.” Christ satisfied the wrath of God on the cross so that we might be brought into a harmonious relationship with God based on the righteous act of His Son. Some people believe that reconciliation is a two way process of God and man both initiating reconciliation. However, as Stan Norman indicates in the Holman Bible Dictionary, “The removal of alienation, created by man’s sin, is the work of God. The Bible never portrays man as reconciling himself to God or God being influenced by humans to reconciliation."[5] It was God’s choice alone to initiate the plan of redemption and any doctrine that teaches otherwise is humanistic in its nature and should be re-evaluated from scripture. Man is helpless when it comes to his sinfulness and guilt, only God the Son can propitiate divine wrath and bring complete reconciliation between God and man.

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3. Morey, Robert. Studies in the Atonement. P. 27

4. Murray, John. The Atonement. P. 15

5. Norman, Stan. The Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. P. 1368