1.
False: It was
Unnecessary
God required no satisfaction for sin before He could pardon the sinner
2.
False: It was
Hypothetically Necessary
God could have redeemed us by a host of means, but He chose the Cross
3.
True: It was
Absolutely Necessary
Understand Two Things: There is a Holy God, and Sin is an offense before that
God
"It is quite
evident, however, that atonement was necessary in view of the justice of God.
This was violated by man's transgression, and therefore naturally called for
satisfaction. The righteousness and holiness of God, which can brook no sin,
certainly cannot simply overlook open defiance to His infinite majesty. God
hates sin with a divine hatred, and His whole being reacts against it (Gen.
18:25; Ex. 20:5, 23:7; Ps. 5:6, 7; Nah. 1:2; Rom. 1:18, 32). Moreover, the
veracity of God required that the sentence which He had pronounced on sin
should be executed (Ezek. 18:4; Rom. 6:23)." - Manual of Christian
Doctrine, by Louis Berkhof
1.
A Debt
Mankind owes a debt to God the Father, who acts as a creditor. Jesus Christ
becomes our surety.
§
God, as the
Author, has the right to spell out obligations (e.g., "Be ye holy").
§
We take on
responsibility to fulfill those obligations.
§
When we fail,
our debts are infinite because He is.
2.
An Expression
of Enmity (hostility versus love) Mankind is at enmity with God. He is the
offended party, and Jesus Christ acts as a Mediator.
§
We are enemies
and haters of God, openly defiant to His infinite majesty. We follow after our
father, the devil.
§
God is the
injured party. We have severed the relationship, not Him. He has never violated
us, nor acted wrongly towards us. God is "sorely displeased."
3.
A Crime
against the Law of God
Mankind has committed a crime against God. God is our Governor and Judge, and
Christ becomes a Priest and Victim.
§
We have
transgressed against God's law.
§
God is the
Judge. We are judged using His holiness as the standard.
"The god which
the vast majority of professing Christians love, is looked upon very much like
an indulgent old man, who himself has no relish for folly, but leniently winks
at the indiscretions of youth. But the Word says, 'Thou hatest the workers of
iniquity' (Ps. 5:5). And again, 'God is angry with the wicked every day' (Ps
7:11). But men refuse to believe in this God, and gnash their teeth when His
hatred of sin is faithfully pressed upon their attention." - The
Attributes of God, by A. W. Pink.
1.
Pecuniary
offenses require payment. Anyone with the means can pay this debt for another.
No human has the means to pay someone's pecuniary debt before God.
2.
Penal offenses
demand punishment, and unlike a pecuniary offense, God has the right to accept
or reject a substitution on our behalf.
3.
Jesus is our
substitute and pays our offenses, both pecuniary and penal, and God accepts His
payment on our behalf.
1.
Redeemer: one
who provides a ransom
2.
Ransom:
setting something free. In ancient societies, it was the price paid to set free
slaves, etc.
3.
Expiation: to
make atonement for someone
4.
Propitiation:
to appease an offended party. For example, "God is propitiated by Christ's
expiation."
1.
Total
Depravity refers to the sinful pollution of all of mankind. "Total"
does not refer to utter depravity (as bad as we can be). "Total"
means it is radical -- affecting the whole person in every area. Our sin is
measured externally by the law and internally by the heart.
2.
If God is too
holy to even look on sin, so how can the unjust become just? God could not
overlook our unjustness without forfeiting His own justness. There needs to be
a mediator.
1.
Justification
is a forensic term (i.e., a formal, declarative act) and an imputation of
something not ours.
2.
Jesus takes on
our sins, and we get His righteousness. We are "simultaneously a sinner
and justified by God" (M. Luther). This is the Good News -- Christ's death
was my punishment and His life, my justice. We have a foreign righteousness.
3.
Justification
is applied by faith alone (sola fide) and is by Christ alone (solus Christus).
1.
A covenant has
the following aspects: a historical prologue by the Sovereign involved, terms
and stipulations of the agreement, and dual sanctions (rewards and penalties).
2.
In the Old
Testament (e.g., Deut. 28), the reward was a "blessing" and the
penalty, a "curse."
1.
A blessing to
a Jew meant the supreme favor of God.
§
"The LORD
bless you and keep you,
The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace."
(Numbers 6:24-26, NKJV)
§
The above text
uses synthetic parallelism to compare three identical ideas. The blessings of
the Lord are compared to His face shining upon us and His countenance lifted up
to us. These ideas show blessings to be a proximity, a nearness, to God.
2.
A curse is the
opposite of a blessing.
§
The Lord is
removed from us; He has turned His face away from us.
§
He is
judgmental (opposite of gracious) and gives turmoil instead of peace.
§
Note that the
Gentiles were strangers and foreigners, outside of the Israelite
"household". Note also that the scapegoat under the sacrificial
system had the sins of the people ceremonially transferred to it, and that it
was driven outside the camp into the wilderness. Both are symbols (i.e., types)
of a curse.
1.
Literally,
Christ was driven outside the camp. He was delivered to the Gentiles for
judgment. He was killed by death on a cross, a Roman means of execution, not
Jewish. He was crucified outside Jerusalem.
2.
Christ was
forsaken by the Father when He took on the sins of the world. He was completely
and utterly cut-off. He suffered hell on the cross.
1.
This concept
of "Limited Atonement" (or particular redemption), associated with
acrostic TULIP, was not originally introduced by Calvin nor is unique to Calvinism.
The debate on the on the atonement has occupied the church for many centuries.
St. Augustine and Pelagius debated this topic in the 4th century.
2.
The atonement
can be described as:
§
"sufficient"
- the atonement holds infinite value
§
"efficient"
1.
Defined as
"acting directly to produce an effect"
2.
Universalists
say Christ's atonement was "efficient for all" (i.e., all are saved).
3.
We don't
believe it was "efficient for all", but for whom was it efficient? To
answer that, we must consider the intent and design of the atonement.
1.
For those who
aren't universalists, there are two options for the atonement's intent and
design:
§
Option 1: God
intended and designed the atonement for all men. (Arminian)
§
Option 2: God
intended and designed the atonement for certain people (the elect). (Calvinism)
2.
The
Arminianist position holds that Christ's saving work makes possible salvation
for all men on the condition of faith, but does not guarantee or secure the salvation
of any person. The atonement is limited in effectiveness. It saves no one, but
makes it possible for all people. Salvation is conditioned on a person's faith.
The expiation and propitiation of Christ are conditioned on man. God can be
frustrated when people reject Him, and He hopes some will be saved.
3.
The Calvinist
position holds that Christ's saving work actually secures the salvation of
certain people and not others. The atonement is limited in scope (or extent).
It saves only certain people. God is not frustrated, and He knows with
certainty all He secured salvation for through Christ will be saved.