GOSPEL ATONEMENT
(From Outside the Camp, Vol. 7, No. 2)
www.outsidethecamp.org/gospatone.htm
God says in Mark 16:16 that those who do not believe the gospel are unregenerate. He says in 1 Corinthians 15:3 that the gospel includes the truth "that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures." Thus, those who do not believe the truth "that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures" are unregenerate. What does it mean "that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures"? This article will go into the life-and-death truth of The Atonement.
Every religion has its version of an "atonement." Ask any false religionist, from a Buddhist to a Muslim to a Roman Catholic to a Mormon to a Russellite to a Campbellite to an Arminian, if he believes in "atonement," and you will hear an answer in the affirmative. Does this mean that any of these false religionists believe the one true Atonement of the one true gospel? Of course not. Ones profession of belief in an atonement means nothing unless we find out what one MEANS by "atonement." Ask a Muslim what he means by "atonement" and you will find that he says that his good deeds atone for his evil deeds. Ask an Arminian what he means by "atonement" and you will find that he says that his "jesus christ" atoned for the evil deeds of everyone without exception, yet there are some for whom this "jesus" atoned who go to hell anyway. Although Islam does not come in the name of Christianity while Arminianism does, Arminianism is actually closer to Islam and the rest of the false religions of the world than it is to true Christianity. All of the false religions of the world, including religions that profess belief in a "jesus christ" who is both human and divine who died for the sins of everyone without exception, propound a false gospel of salvation conditioned on the sinner in which the efforts of the sinner are what make the ultimate difference between salvation and damnation.
In this article, we will describe THE Atonement, which is The TRUE Atonement of Jesus Christ The Atonement of the one true gospel of true Christianity. We will contrast it with the false atonement of the most prevalent form of false religion that comes in the name of Christianity namely, universal atonement (sometimes called Arminianism, although not all who believe in the false gospel of universal atonement would be called classical "Arminians"). We will see that universal atonement is actually NO atonement at all and treats the true cross of Christ as nothing. We will then consider those who say they believe in Gospel Atonement but who believe that at least some universal atonement advocates are true Christians, showing that they, too, do not believe in Gospel Atonement.
Two important concepts must be understood at the outset: substitution and imputation. Substitution denotes an exchange of places. Jesus Christ took the place of certain sinners. Jesus Christ suffered on behalf of certain sinners. He represented certain sinners. He suffered as a vicarious sacrifice. "But He was wounded for our transgressions; [He was] bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His wounds we ourselves are healed" (Isaiah 53:5). "... For also Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us" (1 Corinthians 5:7). "... This is My body being given for you ... My blood, which is being poured out for you" (Luke 22:19-20). "... this is My body which is broken on behalf of you ..." (1 Corinthians 11:24). "... for even Christ suffered on our behalf ..." (1 Peter 2:21). "Truly [He] who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up on behalf of us all ..." (Romans 8:32). "... our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself on our behalf ..." (Titus 2:13-14). "... He has been manifested for putting away of sin through the sacrifice of Himself" (Hebrews 9:26). "Because even Christ once suffered concerning sins, the just for the unjust ..." (1 Peter 3:18). "... Christ also loved us and gave Himself for us ..." (Ephesians 5:2). "... the Son of God, the [One] loving me and giving Himself over on my behalf" (Galatians 2:20). "... Christ also loved the Assembly and gave Himself up on its behalf" (Ephesians 5:25). "... The Good Shepherd lays down His life on behalf of the sheep ... I lay down My life for the sheep" (John 10:11,15). "... by [the] grace of God He might taste death for every [son]" (Hebrews 2:9). "... if One died for all, then all died" (2 Corinthians 5:14). "For if by the deviation of the one the many died, much more the grace of God, and the gift in grace, which [is] of the one Man, Jesus Christ, did abound to the many. ... For if by the deviation of the one death reigned through the one, much more those who are receiving the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness shall rule in life by the One, Jesus Christ. So then, as through one deviation [it was] toward all men to condemnation, so also through one effected righteousness toward all men to justification of life. For as through the one mans disobedience the many were constituted sinners, so also through the obedience of the One the many shall be constituted righteous" (Romans 5:17-19).
Imputation denotes a legal charging to ones account. All of the sins of certain sinners, with all their guilt and condemnation, were charged to Jesus Christ. For He made the [One] who knew no sin [to be] sin for us ..." (2 Corinthians 5:21). "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us ..." (Galatians 3:13). "... Christ having been once offered to bear [the] sins of many ..." (Hebrews 9:28). "who Himself carried up in His body our sins onto the tree ..." (1 Peter 2:24). "Surely He has borne our sicknesses, and He carried our pain ... and Jehovah made meet in Him the iniquity of all of us. ... He shall bear their iniquities. ... He bore the sin of many ..." (Isaiah 53:4-12).
The differences between Gospel Atonement and the false gospel of universal atonement in the areas of substitution and imputation are as follows: In Gospel Atonement, Jesus Christ was the substitute of all whom God chose before the foundation of the world to be saved, and the sins of these people and these alone were imputed to Jesus Christ. In the false gospel of universal atonement, their "jesus christ" took the place of and took on the sins of every single human being without exception. We will see how this universal atonement rips out the very heart of the gospel.
Having established that the sins of Jesus Christs people were imputed to Him and He suffered in the place of His people, let us go into what The Atonement actually accomplished and compare The Atonement to the false gospel of universal atonement, which is really no atonement at all.
[continued in GOSPEL ATONEMENT (2)]
(From Outside the Camp, Vol. 7, No. 2)
www.outsidethecamp.org/gospatone.htm
God says in Mark 16:16 that those who do not believe the gospel are unregenerate. He says in 1 Corinthians 15:3 that the gospel includes the truth "that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures." Thus, those who do not believe the truth "that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures" are unregenerate. What does it mean "that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures"? This article will go into the life-and-death truth of The Atonement.
Every religion has its version of an "atonement." Ask any false religionist, from a Buddhist to a Muslim to a Roman Catholic to a Mormon to a Russellite to a Campbellite to an Arminian, if he believes in "atonement," and you will hear an answer in the affirmative. Does this mean that any of these false religionists believe the one true Atonement of the one true gospel? Of course not. Ones profession of belief in an atonement means nothing unless we find out what one MEANS by "atonement." Ask a Muslim what he means by "atonement" and you will find that he says that his good deeds atone for his evil deeds. Ask an Arminian what he means by "atonement" and you will find that he says that his "jesus christ" atoned for the evil deeds of everyone without exception, yet there are some for whom this "jesus" atoned who go to hell anyway. Although Islam does not come in the name of Christianity while Arminianism does, Arminianism is actually closer to Islam and the rest of the false religions of the world than it is to true Christianity. All of the false religions of the world, including religions that profess belief in a "jesus christ" who is both human and divine who died for the sins of everyone without exception, propound a false gospel of salvation conditioned on the sinner in which the efforts of the sinner are what make the ultimate difference between salvation and damnation.
In this article, we will describe THE Atonement, which is The TRUE Atonement of Jesus Christ The Atonement of the one true gospel of true Christianity. We will contrast it with the false atonement of the most prevalent form of false religion that comes in the name of Christianity namely, universal atonement (sometimes called Arminianism, although not all who believe in the false gospel of universal atonement would be called classical "Arminians"). We will see that universal atonement is actually NO atonement at all and treats the true cross of Christ as nothing. We will then consider those who say they believe in Gospel Atonement but who believe that at least some universal atonement advocates are true Christians, showing that they, too, do not believe in Gospel Atonement.
Two important concepts must be understood at the outset: substitution and imputation. Substitution denotes an exchange of places. Jesus Christ took the place of certain sinners. Jesus Christ suffered on behalf of certain sinners. He represented certain sinners. He suffered as a vicarious sacrifice. "But He was wounded for our transgressions; [He was] bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His wounds we ourselves are healed" (Isaiah 53:5). "... For also Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us" (1 Corinthians 5:7). "... This is My body being given for you ... My blood, which is being poured out for you" (Luke 22:19-20). "... this is My body which is broken on behalf of you ..." (1 Corinthians 11:24). "... for even Christ suffered on our behalf ..." (1 Peter 2:21). "Truly [He] who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up on behalf of us all ..." (Romans 8:32). "... our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself on our behalf ..." (Titus 2:13-14). "... He has been manifested for putting away of sin through the sacrifice of Himself" (Hebrews 9:26). "Because even Christ once suffered concerning sins, the just for the unjust ..." (1 Peter 3:18). "... Christ also loved us and gave Himself for us ..." (Ephesians 5:2). "... the Son of God, the [One] loving me and giving Himself over on my behalf" (Galatians 2:20). "... Christ also loved the Assembly and gave Himself up on its behalf" (Ephesians 5:25). "... The Good Shepherd lays down His life on behalf of the sheep ... I lay down My life for the sheep" (John 10:11,15). "... by [the] grace of God He might taste death for every [son]" (Hebrews 2:9). "... if One died for all, then all died" (2 Corinthians 5:14). "For if by the deviation of the one the many died, much more the grace of God, and the gift in grace, which [is] of the one Man, Jesus Christ, did abound to the many. ... For if by the deviation of the one death reigned through the one, much more those who are receiving the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness shall rule in life by the One, Jesus Christ. So then, as through one deviation [it was] toward all men to condemnation, so also through one effected righteousness toward all men to justification of life. For as through the one mans disobedience the many were constituted sinners, so also through the obedience of the One the many shall be constituted righteous" (Romans 5:17-19).
Imputation denotes a legal charging to ones account. All of the sins of certain sinners, with all their guilt and condemnation, were charged to Jesus Christ. For He made the [One] who knew no sin [to be] sin for us ..." (2 Corinthians 5:21). "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us ..." (Galatians 3:13). "... Christ having been once offered to bear [the] sins of many ..." (Hebrews 9:28). "who Himself carried up in His body our sins onto the tree ..." (1 Peter 2:24). "Surely He has borne our sicknesses, and He carried our pain ... and Jehovah made meet in Him the iniquity of all of us. ... He shall bear their iniquities. ... He bore the sin of many ..." (Isaiah 53:4-12).
The differences between Gospel Atonement and the false gospel of universal atonement in the areas of substitution and imputation are as follows: In Gospel Atonement, Jesus Christ was the substitute of all whom God chose before the foundation of the world to be saved, and the sins of these people and these alone were imputed to Jesus Christ. In the false gospel of universal atonement, their "jesus christ" took the place of and took on the sins of every single human being without exception. We will see how this universal atonement rips out the very heart of the gospel.
Having established that the sins of Jesus Christs people were imputed to Him and He suffered in the place of His people, let us go into what The Atonement actually accomplished and compare The Atonement to the false gospel of universal atonement, which is really no atonement at all.
[continued in GOSPEL ATONEMENT (2)]
