The Design of The Atonement

[Iconoclast]

Everything God does is according to design: all is the working out of “the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord” ( Ephesians 3:11).

God had a design in creation: Revelation 4:10. He has a design in providence: Romans 8:28. And He has a design or purpose in the Satisfaction which was wrought by Christ: 1 Peter 1:20. What, then, was that purpose? This is not a speculative question, but one of the utmost moment. Surely the right answer to it must be the one which upholds the glory of God. Therefore any answer which carries with it the inevitable corollaries of a dishonored Father, a disgraced Savior and a defeated Holy Spirit, cannot be the right one. Redemption is the glory of all God’s works, but it would be an everlasting disgrace of them if it should fail to effect whatsoever it was ordained to accomplish. One conception, now widely held, is that Christ came here to remove certain barriers which stood in the way of God’s grace flowing forth to fallen creatures. This theory is that Christ’s death took away that hindrance which the Divine justice interposed to mercy being extended to transgressors of the law. Holders of this view suppose the great Atonement was merely the procuring unto God a right for His pardoning of sin.
The words of Arminius are: “God had a mind and will to do good to humankind, but could not by reason of sin, His justice being in the way; whereupon He sent Christ to remove that obstacle, so that He might, upon the prescribing of what
condition He pleased, and its being by them fulfilled, have mercy on them.” Sad it is to find so many today echoing the errors of this misguided man.


God had both a subservient and a supreme design in sending Christ into this world: the supreme design was to display His own glory, the subservient design was to save His elect unto His own glory. The former was accomplished by the manifestation of His blessed attributes, which is the chief design in all His works, pre-eminently so in His greatest and grandest work of all. The remainder of the chapter might well be devoted to the extension of this one thought. Through Christ’s obedience and death God magnified His law: Isaiah 42:21. The law of God was more honored by the Son’s subjection to it, than it was dishonored by the disobedience of all of Adam’s race. God magnified His love by sending forth the Darling of His bosom to redeem worthless worms of the earth.

He magnified His justice, for when sin (by imputation) was found upon His Son, He called for the sword to smite Him: Zechariah 13:7. He magnified His holiness: His hatred of sin was more clearly shown at the Cross than it will be in the lake of fire. He magnified His power by sustaining the Mediator under such a load as was laid upon Him. He magnified His truth by fulfilling His covenant engagements and bringing forth from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep: Hebrews 13:20.

 

[Iconoclast]

This was the grand design of the Trinity: that the God man should thus be glorified. 3. THAT GOD’S ELECT MIGHT BE SAVED “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” ( Luke 19:10).

How different is this plain, positive and unqualified statement from the tale which nearly all preachers tell today! The story of the vast majority is that Christ came here to make salvation possible for sinners: He has done His part, now they must do theirs. To reduce the wondrous, finished, and glorious work of Christ to a merely making salvation possible is most dishonoring and insulting to Him.

Christ came here to carry into effect God’s sovereign purpose of election, to save a people already “His” ( Matthew 1:21) by covenant settlement.


Here again the design of Christ’s mission is clearly stated. God sent His Son here in order that (1) the punishment of His peoples’ guilt should be inflicted upon their Head, (2) that the righteous requirements of the law — perfect obedience — might be met by Him for us. This righteousness is said to be “fulfilled in us” because representatively, we were “in Christ” our Surety: He obeyed the law not only “for” our good, but so that His obedience should become actually ours by imputation; and thus Christ purchased for us a title to Heaven.

A parallel passage to Romans 8:3,4 is found in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For he hath made him sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” The purpose of Christ’s vicarious life and death was that a perfect righteousness should be wrought out for His people and imputed to them by God, so that they might exclaim, “In the Lord have I righteousness” ( Isaiah 45:24). This will come before us more fully when we take up the results of Christ’s Satisfaction, yet a few words upon it are here in place. The righteousness of the believer is wholly objective; that is to say, it is something altogether outside of himself. This is clear from the antithesis of 2 Corinthians 5:21. Christ was “made sin” not inherently, but imputatively, by the guilt of His people being legally transferred to Him. In like manner, they are “made the righteousness of God in Him”, not “in themselves,” by Christ’s righteousness being legally reckoned to their account. In the repute of God, Christ and His people constitute one mystical person, hence it is that their sins were imputed to Him, and that His righteousness is imputed to them, and therefore we read: “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth” ( Romans 10:4). “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God” ( 1 Peter 3:18).



CHAPTER - THE ATONEMENT — ITS DESIGN

 

[agedman]

What was the single statement The Christ gave as the purpose for his coming into the world?

How does that fit into your statement?

 

[Iconoclast]

What was the single statement The Christ gave as the purpose for his coming into the world?

How does that fit into your statement?

Just fine
jn6:
38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

 

[Iconoclast]

What was the single statement The Christ gave as the purpose for his coming into the world?

How does that fit into your statement?

Finally, the success of Christ’s intercession is fully assured by the fact that nothing, in, of, from, or by His people can possibly countervail it. “Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them” ( Hebrews 7:25).

If Christ has once taken a person into His prayers, He will never, under any circumstances, cast him out. A man may be cast out of good men’s hearts and prayers as Saul was out of Samuel’s, and apostate Israel was out of Jeremiah’s, but no man was ever cast out of Christ’s prayers when He once took him in. The only possible danger could be through sinning, but Christ’s prayers see to it and prevail and prevent them from apostatizing ( John 17:15), which is the only sin for which there is no forgiveness. “If any one [of the family] sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” ( 1 John 2:1).

How infallibly certain it is, then, that Christ shall “see of the travail of his soul and be satisfied” ( Isaiah 53:11). He sees to it Himself that nothing which He purchased by His obedience unto death shall be lost. The application of His Satisfaction is as sure as the impetration of it. He is Himself constantly engaged in maintaining the interests of those for whom He died. There is not only an “access” into the grace of God “through our Lord Jesus Christ,” but there is also a standing in the same ( Romans 5:1,2), and that continued “standing” is expressly attributed to His “life” ( Romans 5:10), which, as it is interpreted for us in Hebrews 7:25, means His ever living to intercede. “We owe our standing in grace every moment to His sitting in Heaven and interceding every moment. There is no fresh act of justification going forth, but there is a fresh act of intercession. And as though God created the world once for all, yet every moment He is said to create, every new act of Providence being a new creation; so likewise is Jesus continually, through His continuing out free grace to justify us at the first, and this Christ doeth by continuing His intercessions; He continues ‘a Priest forever,’ and so we continue to be justified for ever” (T. Goodwin).

 

[agedman]

Just fine
jn6:
38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Agreed, and repeated in this statement from John 12:

27“Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. 28“Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came out of heaven: “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.” 29So the crowd of people who stood by and heard it were saying that it had thundered; others were saying, “An angel has spoken to Him.” 30Jesus answered and said, “This voice has not come for My sake, but for your sakes. 31“Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. 32“And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.”33But He was saying this to indicate the kind of death by which He was to die. 34The crowd then answered Him, “We have heard out of the Law that the Christ is to remain forever; and how can You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?” 35So Jesus said to them, “For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. 36“While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light.”
​

One of the remarkable presentations (pictures) is found in just who did the sacrificing - that is - the actual killing of the sacrifice.

At the yearly atonement, the high priest would first sacrifice for the sake of himself and his family. Then the same high priest would sacrifice for the sake of the nation. (Lev. 16)

The Lord Jesus being that High Priest, is first seen in the garden dripping the sacrifice offering for himself (not for sin but demonstration of willing purpose) and confirming the intention of the Father, then the Just one becomes the Justifier by presenting Himself as the sacrifice for all throughout the rest of the crucifixion.

Zechariah's words:

7“Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd,
And against the man, My Associate,”
Declares the LORD of hosts.
“Strike the Shepherd that the sheep may be scattered;
And I will turn My hand against the little ones.​

are more often read in the light of God turning the sword against (In opposition to) "My Shepherd." Yet, such as may teach this as correct do so presenting that which is not consistent with the balance of Scriptures. For millennia the sacrifice and offerings were but a picture of that which could not accomplish the perfect redemption, but only point the way to be provided by that perfect shepherd.

The word "against" doesn't mean opposed to, but "upon." The word "against" would have some think of the passage providing some retribution theology, but such is never presented in the Scriptures. Rather, the sword was unsheathed upon "My Shepherd ... My Associate." It is the thinking of the High Priest unsheathing the sword and slitting the throat of the sacrifice that blood be collected, that the life is seen ebbing from that sacrifice.

It was for the glory of the Lord of Hosts.

No chairs were present in the temple. It was a busy place and no time to waste sitting around.

Yet, when the Lord was offered as that perfect single offering what is it the Scriptures state? (Hebrews 10)

11And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12But when Christb had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.​

All this was for the glory of God. Such glory is seen even in the last chapters of the Scriptures (Rev. 21)

22I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. 25In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed; 26and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; 27and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.​

Good read, Icon.

Thanks!

 

[Iconoclast]

In the fifth chapter of this series we sought to define with care the meaning of the term “substitution.” We pointed out that substitutionary suffering is that which is endured in the stead of others, in their actual place. Such suffering inevitably carries with it the exemption of the party or parties in whose room it is endured. What is done or suffered by a substitute, completely absolves those whom he represents from doing or suffering the same thing.


Because our sins were imputed to Him, the wrath of God fell upon Him, and He was visited with all that our sins merited. We are now ready to show — 4. IT WAS A SACRIFICIAL WORK From the many passages which set forth this aspect of Christ’s redemption, we may cite the following. “When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin” ( Isaiah 53:10). “Christ our passover is sacrificed for us” ( 1 Corinthians 5:7). “Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savor” ( Ephesians 5:2). “Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice... for this he did once, when he offered up himself” ( Hebrews 7:27). “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God” ( Hebrews 9:14).

Ere attempting to define the character of Christ’s sacrifice, let us first remind ourselves that He presented Himself a sacrifice to God by covenantagreement. As we are told in Romans 3:25, “Whom God hath foreordained a propitiation through faith in his blood.”

 

[agedman]

Too often the suffering savior is viewed from the perspective that God’s wrath was abated by vissiously torturing the Son.

This is never the portrayal given in Scriptures.

Peter understood this basic principle stating in Acts 2:

22“Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men,d put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. 25David said about him:​

“ ‘I saw the Lord always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.
26Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest in hope,
27because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
you will not let your holy one see decay.
28You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence.
​

A presentation that gives credence to the thinking that the crucifixion satified God’s wrath by Allowing God to exhaust His anger vindictively upon the Son is a violation of the very nature of God, the communion of the trinity, and is not supportable by OT type, statement, nor NT presentation by the apostles.

God did not need to distribute His wrath upon the Son, for the very Son’s purity and holiness would be acknowledged by the Father as completely fulfilling of the demands necessary to be reconciled.

Even from the human accounting perspective, the one making full restitution for debit owed and unable to be satisfied by another is not treated with disdain, brutalized, and abandoned dead. Such is only done by the most perverted and evil perverts as they seek not just payment but retribution to warn others and demonstrate they should be feared. But God is of no such character, and to even imply such was part of the crucifixion is not consistent with the Scriptures.

 

[Iconoclast]

agedman,

Too often the suffering savior is viewed from the perspective that God’s wrath was abated by vissiously torturing the Son.

This is an unbiblical caricature.

This is never the portrayal given in Scriptures.

no one said it was, except you.

​

A presentation that gives credence to the thinking that the crucifixion satified God’s wrath by Allowing God to exhaust His anger vindictively upon the Son is a violation of the very nature of God

,

You tragically mis- state the teaching once again. You are ascribing flawed human passions to the Impassible God.

God did not need to distribute His wrath upon the Son, for the very Son’s purity and holiness would be acknowledged by the Father as completely fulfilling of the demands necessary to be reconciled.

You have a scripture verse in mind?

Even from the human accounting perspective, the one making full restitution for debit owed and unable to be satisfied by another is not treated with disdain, brutalized, and abandoned dead. Such is only done by the most perverted and evil perverts

as they seek not just payment but retribution to warn others and demonstrate they should be feared. But God is of no such character, and to even imply such was part of the crucifixion is not consistent with the Scriptures.

this is fabricated

 

[JonC]

agedman,


This is an unbiblical caricature.


no one said it was, except you.

​

,

You tragically mis- state the teaching once again. You are ascribing flawed human passions to the Impassible God.



You have a scripture verse in mind?



this is fabricated

I need to post two points of correction, brother.

While I am confident you do not make the error, it has in fact been made by others (both on this board and elsewhere). On the BB it has been claimed by at least one that divine justice dictated God punish Jesus with the torments the lost will suffer at Judgment. John Calvin taught this in his Institutions (that the period between Christ's death and resurrection was a time Jesus suffered the spiritual torment of God as He descended into Hell [not "the grave" but literally into a place of torment]).

And then there are the nut jobs elsewhere that teach our redemption is based in Jesus suffering the torments of Hell as this is the price the wicked will pay for their sins. While I agree that this is an unbiblical teaching, it is not a caricature imposed on others by @agedman but a view expressed - at least to a large extent - on this board.

Second, it is impossible to prove a negative. The task of providing evidence for a position falls not on the denial of the view but on its affirmation.

Perhaps the best thing we all need to keep in mind is that Scripture is not plain about many of these points (although it appears so in the eyes of many). What I mean is that there are people who hold the same general view but they hold it differently (like Calvin teaching Jesus was tortured in Hell, others teaching a three-hour period of suffering, Packer teaching it was a period of non-deliverance....all holding to the same general concept).

I agree with you that the idea of a sin creating a debt requiring restitution is a fabrication. A good question to ask is why the allegory of an accounting system. When one sins against God they are not taking anything from Him (God is sovereign). Instead, sin (in the Bible) is treated as an offense. It is not like stealing $10 where someone must suffer the loss, but more like being struck on the cheek. There is no actual "loss" that one must absorb or collect. Perhaps this would be an interesting discussion in the future.

 

[kyredneck]

27“Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour.

This passage alone is enough to refute the common interpretation of Matthew 26:39. Christ was NOT seeking to avoid the cross!

 

[Yeshua1]

Too often the suffering savior is viewed from the perspective that God’s wrath was abated by vissiously torturing the Son.

This is never the portrayal given in Scriptures.

Peter understood this basic principle stating in Acts 2:

22“Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men,d put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. 25David said about him:​

“ ‘I saw the Lord always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.
26Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest in hope,
27because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
you will not let your holy one see decay.
28You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence.
​

A presentation that gives credence to the thinking that the crucifixion satified God’s wrath by Allowing God to exhaust His anger vindictively upon the Son is a violation of the very nature of God, the communion of the trinity, and is not supportable by OT type, statement, nor NT presentation by the apostles.

God did not need to distribute His wrath upon the Son, for the very Son’s purity and holiness would be acknowledged by the Father as completely fulfilling of the demands necessary to be reconciled.

Even from the human accounting perspective, the one making full restitution for debit owed and unable to be satisfied by another is not treated with disdain, brutalized, and abandoned dead. Such is only done by the most perverted and evil perverts as they seek not just payment but retribution to warn others and demonstrate they should be feared. But God is of no such character, and to even imply such was part of the crucifixion is not consistent with the Scriptures.

If jesus did not receive in his body upon the Cross my due penalty for sins, if he did not atone for me by taking the due wrath of God that I was owed, I could not be saved!