Atonement—Reconciliation

WordSword

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Though atonement entails all that is provided for forgiveness, are we traversing onward from there (Heb 6:1), or are we yet at the foot of the Cross, with Christ yet there upon it? If we lack the fullness of understanding our “reconciliation” (Rom 5:11; 2Co 5:18, 19; Heb 2:17), we will lack sufficient appropriation of “atonement” in our conscience. For those who know they have arrived at the place of atonement never needs to revisit there again but only in memory (Luk 22:19, 20; 1Co 11:23-26).

Obedience can never effect atonement, for only atonement is that which effects “forgiveness,” and forgiveness procures reconciliation. Our faith is in atonement, shown by our walk of obedience, and it is reconciliation wherein eternal fellowship dwells!



Atonement—Reconciliation

It is essential to understand the scriptural meaning of these two words: Atonement and Reconciliation. Every believer has, in some measure, apprehended the meaning of atonement, but very few, as far as I know, have entered in the light and fullness of reconciliation.

All through the OT we see that the man of faith was sheltered by the blood of atonement (i.e. Num 15:25); but it wasn’t until Christ, who dealt with the man who offended (“old man”; sinful nature—NC) in bearing its judgement on the Cross, and in it glorified the Father where man had dishonored Him, so that He “was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father” (Rom 6:4), that reconciliation had fully come in. The word reconciliation is used in the OT incorrectly (translation related—NC), whereas the word “atonement” is never really used in the NT (Rom 5:11 should be “reconciliation”).

Now, many Christians never get beyond atonement. They have faith in the Blood of Christ, and are thus sheltered in the eye of God, and all the benefits of Christ’s work are secured to them hereafter, for that work has made their title sure to all the grace that has been secured by Him; but if they do not know reconciliation, they do not come out upon this earth in an entirely new way for Him.

They may rejoice in their shelter, but like Israel in Egypt they are still morally there, and they do not see that the power of death and sin have been broken; they have not begun here on earth the heavenly journey across the wilderness to Christ in glory. Sheltered by the Blood you are safe eternally; but unless you know reconciliation there will be little growth and fruitfulness in your life for His glory.

Now, reconciliation is based on the fact that the man who dishonored God is removed from His sight; but the Man who honored Him in bearing the judgment of death has been raised from among the dead to the Father’s right hand in glory. If you only know atonement, you do not get beyond Romans 3; but when you see the Lord Jesus risen from the dead, you have “peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom we also have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand” (Rom 5:2). This grace is summed up in verse 11: “We joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the reconciliation.”

The scope of reconciliation is detailed very distinctly in 2Cor 5:14-17: “For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: and that He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh (e.g. we do not discern other’s person according to the sinful nature—NC); yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh (according to our sinful nature before being renewed—NC), yet now henceforth know we Him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creation: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

Not a vestige remains before the eye of the Father of the one who has offended Him (concerning the believer—NC); but the One who has glorified Him fills the whole scene, and every believer in Him knows that the Father’s heart is toward them, as we see illustrated in the prodigal. The father runs and falls on his neck and kisses him—he is reconciled. And then as he enters into and enjoys his reconciliation, he begins to joy in the Father; he knows he is in Christ before Him, as a son God and joint-heir with Christ. There is not a cloud between him and his Father, and finally he learns that the Father loves him as He loves His blessed Son.

- J B Stoney


Excerpt from MJS devotional for March 28:

“The Lord may see it needful, for the trial (development) of faith, to seem for a season not to regard our supplications; yet, if we patiently and believingly continue to wait upon Him, it will be manifest in His own time, and way, that we did not call upon Him in vain.” -G.M.
None But The Hungry Heart
 

bling

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Is the problem with the understanding of reconciliation or with the understanding of atonement or maybe both?

The author, J B Stoney said:

“fact that the man who dishonored God is removed from His sight”

So is it: “God removing man from His sight” or is it “man turning away from God”?

Man was driven from the Garden, but was God literally still at man’s elbow, since Paul seems to say that?

Did the father leave the prodigal son or did the son leave the father?

In the prodigal son story the older son stayed in the presence of the father, but was he with or against the father?

If we really want to understand “atonement” would it not be good to go back to the OT and try to mentally go through the experience of atonement for unintentional sins? Lev. 5 might be a good starting point for that, because we can see that atonement for really “minor” sins was a process which the sinner played a part in with forgiveness coming only after the correct fulfillment of the process. We could than try to extrapolate up to intentional sins and see where that takes us?

Jesus, Paul, Peter, John and the Hebrew writer all describe the atonement sacrifice as a literal ransom payment (not just like a ransom payment). We can all agree on the what the payment is, who is making the payment and who the child is who is set free to go to the father. The problem is: “who is the kidnapper”? Satan cannot be the kidnapper since God owes satan nothing and God can certainly safely take anything He want from satan without paying him, so it would actually be wrong for god to pay satan. God cannot be the kidnapper because he is not an undeserving recipient of the anything, if God is being paid it would not be a ransom, and why would God have to be paid if He is already holding His children? What about paying some intangible like sin, death or evil, which would make no sense.

There is a wicked undeserving criminal (a kidnapper) holding a child of God out of His presence in the Kingdom. We all can only enter the kingdom as children, but we do not start out that way. Think about this: did that same rebellious disobedient prodigal son of the father return to the father or did a sincere repentant humble child of the father come home (really a different person)? Who held the child of the father starving in a pigsty for as long as he was there, because that describes a kidnapper?
 
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WordSword

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Is the problem with the understanding of reconciliation or with the understanding of atonement or maybe both?

The author, J B Stoney said:

“fact that the man who dishonored God is removed from His sight”

So is it: “God removing man from His sight” or is it “man turning away from God”
Hi Bling, and thanks for your reply and comments! I believe the author's intent of "man" in this sentence is in reference to "the old man," which I mentioned in the second paragraph, which is, as you probably know, mentioned in Rom 6:6; Eph 4:22; Col 3:9.

I've understood this terminology (via Bible commentators) to be an analogy in reference to our sinful nature and not an entity.

God bless!
 
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Ron Gurley

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"Substitutionary Atonement"

ATONEMENT ~= RECONCILIATION (all NASB)

Romans 5:11 (KJV)
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 (all below NASB)
For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God THROUGH the death of His Son,
much more, having been reconciled, we shall (certain to) be saved (SANCTIFIED) by His life.

2 Corinthians 5:18
Now all these things are from God,
who reconciled us to Himself THROUGH Christ and
gave us the ministry of reconciliation,

Colossians 1:22
yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death,
in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach—

SUBSTITUTION ~ Jesus died FOR you..in your place...ON YOUR BEHALF

1 Peter 2:24
and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross,
so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness;
for by His wounds you were healed.

1 Peter 2
18 For Christ also died FOR sins once FOR all,
the just (Jesus) FOR the unjust (Man),
so that He might bring us to God, (RECONCILIATION)
having been put to death in the flesh, (CRUCIFIXION)
but made alive in the spirit; (RESURRECTION + APPEARANCES + ASCENSION)

Romans 5:6,8
For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died FOR the ungodly....
But God demonstrates His own love toward us,
in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died FOR us.

1 Corinthians 15:3
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died FOR our sins according to the Scriptures,

2 Corinthians 5:21...IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin ON OUR BEHALF, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Colossians 2:14
having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us;
and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
 
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