We've been looking at the Ordo Salutis which is Latin for the Order of salvation. So far we've briefly examined foreknowledge, then predestination or election, and today we are looking at the next step in the Ordo Salutis. This next act by which God saves us is called atonement.
Atonement is an old English word that used to literally mean to be at one with another. To be in unity. At-onement. This word wasn’t originally used in a Biblical or theological sense. But over time it came to be used almost exclusively to the way that God reconciles sinners to Himself, the way that His wrath is appeased for our sins or crimes against a holy and perfect God.
In the Old Testament the English word atonement is used quite a bit when the Hebrew words kaphar and kippur are used. The word kaphar, which means “to cover,” is first used in the Bible when God told Noah to cover the ark with pitch or tar. In the sacrificial and ceremonial sense of the Mosaic Law, it is meant to convey the idea that sins are covered by the sacrifices that God required of the Jews. But the idea of this covering wasn’t meant to be used in the sense that something is hidden. The idea behind the word was meant to say that sins have been dealt with by this sacrifice that pacified God’s wrath towards the sinner. In other words, the sinner deserved to die for their sin. The perfect sacrifice took the punishment of death for them and it diverted God’s wrath away from them, thus God’s wrath was pacified towards the sinner, towards Israel and they were reconciled to God. Kaphar and kippur are words that reflect the reconciliatory peace brought to us by God because of the sacrifice’s death. So the idea that sins are covered does not fully convey what was going on through these sacrifices. And that’s why the English word atonement began to be used to describe this. It’s through sacrifice that Israel was brought to be at peace or unity with God. That’s how they were reconciled. But the book of Hebrews tells us that these sacrifices never really dealt with sin but rather they pointed towards Jesus who was our once and for all sacrifice. He’s the one who atoned for our sins, who brought us peace with God, reconciled us to God through His sacrificial death.
Now you may have noticed that the New Testament doesn’t use the word atonement in our English translations of the Bible, not unless you go the King James route. The notion of atonement is reflected in many English words in the New Testament.
RECONCILIATION
The idea behind reconciliation is that the relationship between two parties is restored. They are no longer divided but unified or reconciled. Hence, atonement is the focus.
Romans 5:10-11 For 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 whom we have now received reconciliation.
Again, the idea is that Jesus’ death appeases the wrath of God and satisfies the demands of justice by punishing evil on a substitute sacrifice so that we do not have to incur the wrath of God but can be at peace with Him.
PROPITIATION
Another word that helps us to understand the nature of atonement is the word propitiation.
1 John 4:10 In this is love, not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Now there’s a word that we hardly use! Propitiation simply means to appease the wrath of God by offering a sacrifice in our place. In other words, God wrath is diverted away from us and onto a sacrifice, namely, Jesus Christ. Instead of God’s fury and just judgment coming to us, it is steered away from us and on to Christ because our sins were placed upon Him so that He died on the cross for our sins, suffering the wrath of God for us. This is how atonement is made. We can be at peace or at one with God, in unity.
REDEMPTION
Redemption carries the idea of deliverance or the fact that we are released from a ransom because payment was made on our behalf. For example, in a kidnapping, the criminal may promise deliverance of the victim if a ransom is paid. Redeeming something is to pay the price necessary to free something. Oftentimes people say, “I’m going to go redeem these aluminum cans and get money.” That’s actually the wrong way to use that word. You’re the one holding the cans captive. The redeemer is the one who pays you the money to free those cans and buy them from you. So, too, Christ is the redeemer pay the fee of His life to set us free from the wrath and judgement of God. God is the one who is paid, not Satan.
Ephesians 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.
This is how Jesus’ sacrifice atones for our sins.
Brothers and sisters, let’s connect atonement to the gospel of Christ and the order of salvation. Before all time, God foreknew you and set His affection upon you. He predestined or elected you to be conformed to the perfect likeness of His son and He predestined you for adoption into His family. This means that formerly you were not displaying Christ’s likeness, nor were you a child of God. That’s because you had a sin nature and sinful deeds and thus were under the wrath of God. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross is the means by which God reconciles you to Himself. Redemption has been made on your behalf so that you don’t have to go to hell forever. You are now free. You are at one with God now. Propitiation has been made for you. The wrath of God diverted away from you because your sins were placed on Christ and He suffered for you. Reconciliation and restoration in your relationship with God have been made through His life being offered up for you. These words help us to see a deeper nature of atonement versus the word covering. We are at one with God because of Jesus death for us. And that my friends, is the crux of the matter.
Next time we’ll be discussing calling in relation to the Ordo Salutis.
Check out my Youtube channel, The Crux, to see an explanation of ATONEMENT.
You can also find this on Instagram at TheCrux.IG.
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