The question is in the title. When you consider "atonement", what do you think of in regards to all that Christ has done and is doing to save His people?
The question is in the title. When you consider "atonement", what do you think of in regards to all that Christ has done and is doing to save His people?
The question is in the title. When you consider "atonement", what do you think of in regards to all that Christ has done and is doing to save His people?
Same answer to the question of whether or not he's still human.So I guess my question is; is atonement a one time thing, or does Jesus continue to make atonement for us?
By reading your question another question came to mind. I notice that in your question is both past tense and present continuous tense.
So I guess my question is; is atonement a one time thing, or does Jesus continue to make atonement for us?
A way to better understand the word 'atonement' is to study not only the particulars of the ceremony which was performed annually on The Day of Atonement, but also why it was performed. We find it described in Leviticus 16:1-28.
The priest selected 1 bull, 2 goats, and 1 ram for the ceremony. On The Day of Atonement the entire community gathered around the sacrificial altar, including the priest's own household. The priest sacrificed the bull, and used its blood to cleanse himself and his household of the sins which they had committed during that year. He then sacrificed one of the goats, chosen by lot, and used its blood to cleanse the community of the sins which they had committted that year.
But the second goat was left alive. The priest placed his hands on the head of that goat, and while his hands were there he recited all of the sins which he, his household, and the community had committed during that year. This transferred those sins from them to the goat. Still alive, it was then driven into the wilderness, taking their sins with it. Afterwards, the ram was sacrificed as a burnt offering.
Note three things: It was through the shedding of blood (the bull and one of the goats) that the priest, his household, and the community had their sins cleansed. It was through the transferring of their sins to the goat, that was then driven into the wilderness, that their sins were removed from their presence. And most importantly, that the entire ceremony was performed not to give the people the ability not to sin, but instead out of the humble admission that as people they had sinned, and therefore needed an atoning sacrifice.
With Jesus Christ this sacrifice was perfected, as well as needing to be performed only once. Through his blood all the sins of everyone who accepts his sacrifice as efficacious to us are cleansed. On his head all the sins of those who confess that we are indeed sinners have been transferred. And all those who accept Christ's atoning sacrifice thereby admit that we are indeed sinners, and so must trust in God's infinite mercy through accepting the sacrifice of his only Son as atoning for our sins, rather than putting our trust in our ability to follow any set of laws and commandments to the extent that God would demand in order to appear before him sinless through our own efforts.
His death on the cross was a real death for real sins applied specifically and only for His sheep.
Atonement discrbes a completed burnt offering whereby a blood offering was offered up for sin. The fact is, God required it in order for Him to forgive or cover over sins.The question is in the title. When you consider "atonement", what do you think of in regards to all that Christ has done and is doing to save His people?
The question is in the title. When you consider "atonement", what do you think of in regards to all that Christ has done and is doing to save His people?
Atonement discrbes a completed burnt offering whereby a blood offering was offered up for sin. The fact is, God required it in order for Him to forgive or cover over sins.
I did not refer to any specific text. In both OT and NT "atonement" explains that something or someone is made right or holy by a process determined by God.What scriptures are you referring to that explain atonement as such?
All of themWhat scripture did you use to come to this conclusion?
I think of atonement as a completed task acomplished by Jesus the Christ.The question is in the title. When you consider "atonement", what do you think of in regards to all that Christ has done and is doing to save His people?
So are you thus denying the work of Jesus the Christ as final and complete like He said?Harry for the most part you're correct here, but there are a couple of things that you have mistaken. I agree that the best way for us to understand atonement is through studying the example given by God through Israel. What we need to examine is what blood cleansed what. When we look at the text, the blood of the goat that was sprinkled on the furniture inside of the tabrenacle, and in the courtyard was used to make atonement for the sanctuary. That blood cleansed the sanctuary of the sins of Israel.
After taking the sins and placing them on the live goat, who was then lead away, the priest washed himself and made a burnt offering with the Ram. It is a that point that scripture says the sin of the people and the high priest were atoned for (vs 32,33).