Gospel Themes, Part 2: Atonments
-picking up from the "fallen" theme of the gospel themes-
Redeemed
God's response to our failure:
-Atonement: process by which the hindrances to reconciliation are removed
-God's radical response to our brokenness
-Audacious breaking in to human history
-Rom. 5:8: God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners, Christ died for us.
Understanding the atonement influenced by understandings of what is wrong with humanity
1. God's wrath against human sinfulnedd puts us in danger of eternal punishment
2. Humans need to know God's love for us
3. Humanity is trapped and oppressed by spiritual forces beyong our control
Biblical Images for atonement:
1. Satisfaction Theory
-primary author: Anslem of Cantebury
-primary image: the temple
-Rom. 3:22-25: for there is no distinction, since all have sinner and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith.
2. Substitution Theory
-primary author: 16th c reformers
-primary image: law court
-Rom. 5:16: And the free gift is not like the effect of the one man's sin. For the judgement following one trespass brought condemnation but the free gift folowing many trespasses brings justitification.
3. Moral-Influence Theory
-primary author: Peter Abelard
-primary image: a teacher of mentor
-2 Cor. 3:18: and all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the flory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the spirit.
4. Ransom Theory
-primary image: slave block
-sin as slavery to sin (Rom. 6)
-Matt. 20:28: Just as the son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many
-John 8:34: Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin."
5. Victory Theory (Christus victor)
-primary image: the home
-2 Cor. 5:19: in Christ God was reconciling the world to humself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us.
Common to all images of atonement:
-something of cosmic signigicance occured
-changes to our relationship to God forever
The cross shows us:
-the seriousness of our sin
-the enormity of God's great love for us
What Christ's scrifice means for us:
1. Freedom from the penalty of sin (forgiveness)(get out of hell free card)
-1 John 1:9: if we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
2. Freedom from the power of sin today (Rom. 6-8)
3. Reconciliation with God
4. Reconciliation with others
-Ephesians 2:13-18-
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