“For
if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by
the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we
shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we
also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom
we have now received the atonement.” (Romans 5:10-11)
“And
all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to
himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the
ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in
Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not
imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath
committed unto us the word of reconciliation.” (2
Corinthians 5:18-19)
Reformed
theology’s
doctrine of the atonement emphasizes certain aspects
of Christ’s work on the cross and its implications for
salvation, in which humanity is viewed as fallen and
sinful, deserving of God’s judgment, and unable to
save itself.
Christ’s
atonement
centers on the idea of penal substitutionary
atonement, and teaches that:
1.God’s
Justice: God’s justice demands that sin be punished.
In the Reformed view, Christ’s sacrificial death
satisfies this demand for justice, allowing God to
forgive sinners without compromising His
righteousness.
2.Penal
Atonement:
Jesus Christ, through His death on the cross, bore the
penalty of sin on behalf of believers. This penalty
includes both the punishment due to sin (the divine
wrath and justice) and the moral guilt associated with
sin.
3.Substitutionary
Atonement:
Christ acted as a substitute for sinners, taking their
place and bearing the consequences of sin so that
believers might be reconciled to God.
4.Propitiatory
Sacrifice: To propitiate means to “appease” or to
“placate.” Jesus gave his life as a propitiatory
sacrifice, thus, appeasing or satisfying God's wrath.
5.Redemption
and Justification: Through Christ’s atoning work,
believers are redeemed from sin and its consequences.
They are justified before God, declared righteous on
the basis of Christ’s righteousness imputed to them.
Other
inadequate or false views of the atonement:
1.The
Moral Influence Theory of Christ's atonement posits
that the primary purpose and result of Christ's death
was to influence mankind toward moral improvement.
This view emphasizes the love of God as demonstrated
by Christ's life and sacrifice, rather than focusing
on the satisfaction of divine justice or the payment
of a debt owed to God or the Devil. Proponents of this
theory believe that Christ's death serves as an
ultimate example of love, inspiring and teaching
people to live a life of faith and obedience.
2.The
Christus Victor theory of Christ's atonement, is a
perspective on the Christian understanding of
salvation. It emphasizes Christ's victory over the
powers of darkness, sin, and death, as opposed to a
focus on the legal or transactional aspects of
atonement that other theories might stress. His death
is not seen as a payment to God or the Devil, but as a
strategic move to defeat the forces of darkness and to
demonstrate God's love and power. Christ's
resurrection is then the ultimate victory,
demonstrating that death and sin have been conquered
once and for all.
3.The
Governmental
Theory of Christ's atonement, also known as the
rectoral theory or the moral government theory, is a
doctrine in Christian theology that proposes Christ's
suffering and death served as a demonstration of God's
justice and mercy, rather than a direct substitution
for the punishment of individual sinners. It
emphasizes the role of Christ's sacrifice in upholding
God's moral order and governance of the world.
According to this theory, Christ's death was not a
literal payment for the penalty of sin, but rather a
symbolic act that showed the seriousness of sin and
God's commitment to justice. It was a way for God to
demonstrate his moral standards and maintain his moral
government of the universe without having to punish
every sinner directly.
4.The
Recapitulation
Theory of Christ's atonement, emphasizes the idea that
Christ's life and work reversed the disobedience and
sin initiated by Adam, thus restoring humanity to
obedience. This theory suggests that Christ
recapitulated, or relived, the stages of human life,
from infancy to adulthood, and in doing so, corrected
the course of humanity from disobedience to obedience.
In essence, the Recapitulation Theory views Christ's
life and death as a comprehensive restoration of
humanity, undoing the effects of Adam's original sin.
It is rooted in the understanding of Christ as the
“new Adam,” who, through his obedience, counteracts
the disobedience of the first Adam.
While
having elements of truth, these other speculative
theories highlight the unique importance and
theological standpoints of Reformed theology’s
doctrine of atonement, particularly its focus on penal
substitutionary atonement as the central mechanism for
dealing with sin and reconciling humanity to God.
To
receive the benefits of Christ's atonement, one must
follow the teachings laid out in the New Testament:
1.Repent
and Come unto Christ: This involves recognizing one's
sins and committing to turn away from them. It
requires faith in Jesus Christ and a desire to follow
his teachings and example.
2.Accept
Christ as Your Savior: By accepting Jesus Christ as
your personal Savior and Redeemer, you acknowledge
that it is through his grace and mercy, made possible
by the atonement, that you can be forgiven of your
sins and reconciled to God.
The
atonement is a gift from God.
In
Conclusion, the Westminster Confession of Faith
explains atonement this way:
“iii.
Christ, by his obedience and death, did fully
discharge the debt of all those that are thus
justified, and did make a proper, real, and full
satisfaction to his Father's justice in their behalf.Yet,
inasmuch as he was given by the Father for them; and
his obedience and satisfaction accepted in their
stead; and both, freely, not for anything in them;
their justification is only of free grace; that both
the exact justice and rich grace might be glorified in
the justification of sinners.”
“V.
The Lord Jesus, by His perfect obedience, and
sacrifice of Himself, which He through the eternal
Spirit, once offered up unto God, has fully satisfied
the justice of His Father; and purchased, not only
reconciliation, but an everlasting inheritance in the
kingdom of heaven, for those whom the Father has given
unto Him.” (WCF 11.3, 5)
The
Confession teaches that Christ alone is a sufficient
Savior, and to suggest that something more is required
beyond Him would be blasphemous. It highlights the
principle that the life of a creature is in the blood,
and it is through the shedding of Christ's blood that
atonement is made for one's life. This theological
framework emphasizes the centrality of Christ's
sacrifice in achieving salvation and reconciliation
with God
“Study
to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that
needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word
of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)
The
above study was Groked and perfected with
Grammarly AI.
Notes:
Mr.
Kettler, a respected author and theologian, has
previously published articles in the Chalcedon
Report and Contra Mundum. He
and his wife, Marea, are active members of the
Westminster, CO, RPCNA Church. Mr. Kettler's extensive
work includes 18 books defending the Reformed Faith,
which are available for order online at Amazon.