Amazing Atonement
Victor V. Bryditzki
The Atonement is a divine mystery beyond comprehension and
definition. It is a Biblical doctrine of such magnitude that the depths of it
are carefully veiled, in order that our minds would not be overcome by the
awesomeness of the teaching. The Atonement is eternal as well as historic, as
it antedates creation - it was a plan made in eternity past within the
infinite counsel of the Godhead. One may correctly compare the Atonement to be
an act greater than that of creation. We take the liberty of this comparison
to point out that "in the beginning" God merely spoke, and light,
space and matter appeared out of nothing. But, the sacred Atonement, He did not
"speak". In the creation, God simply spoke, and planets and stars and
galaxies without end, tumbled from His fingertips. But, God could not
"speak" the Atonement without violating His own law and justice. God
had to do the Atonement - He had to perform the Work necessary, and He had to
humiliate Himself before depraved men and He even had to die in order for the
Atonement to be perfect, legal and imputable. (Eph. 3:3-5, 1 Cor. 2:7, Rev.
13:8.)
The mystery of the Atonement is grounded in the righteousness of
God, in the holiness of God and in the justice of God. It is the means by which
God could pardon sin, that is: acquit the guilty - remove the penalty for sin
and at the same time satisfy His own perfect justice. The defilement of God's
Holy Law cries out for justice - the judgment due for sin. But, the mysterious
Atonement intercedes and provides lawful expiation - the cancellation of this
punishment without infringing on the demands of the Law. The eternal Atonement
also provides judicial propitiation - the complete and valid vindication of
God's honor; it is God's answer to the possible charge of being unfair or
unjust in acquitting the guilty from due process of Law and execution. (Rom.
3:24-25, Heb. 10:5-10.)
In the ways of men it is important to note that it is always the
party who had done wrong, that makes amends to the one who has been wronged.
This sort of personal atonement is always provided by the offending party and
offered to the party offended. But, in the mercies of heaven, the Scriptures
speak not of a personal atonement, but rather a vicarious Atonement (a
substitutionary Atonement). In this vicarious Atonement, satisfaction for sin
is provided not by the offending party, but by the Offended Party! The
Offended One descends to the offender. What grace! God permits a substitution,
God provides a substitution, and then God becomes the substitution! What
unmerited grace! In satisfying the demands of the violated Law, (in behalf of
sinners), God sacrificed Himself (paid the penalty for transgressed holiness)
to Himself, for Himself, and by Himself! Oh! how great is this mystery: on the
Cross, God was the sacrificial Victim being offered for sin, and the same time
He was the Priest offering the sacrifice, and at the same time He was the
Father receiving the sacrifice. Truly, our Substitute - our vicarious sin-bearer,
our sin-atoning Savior, is Prophet, Priest and King! (Heb. 9:11, 12, 17, 2 Cor.
5:19, Col. 1:14-22, Heb. 1:3.)
The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews brings our attention to
the fact that Christ, the Messiah, did not enter into a sanctuary made with
human hands to secure redemption for His brethren, but that He went once for
all into the Holy of Holies of heaven. There, upon the eternal Altar of the
Father, He offered Himself an unblemished sacrifice to God to abolish the
penalty for sin for the Elect once and for all time, even the ages to come.
Calvary was only a shadow on earth - the physical manifestation of the
spiritual act performed in the heavens. Who can fathom such a mysterious
revelation? (Heb. 9 & 10.)
And, why did God do this? He did this so that He might clearly
demonstrate through the ages to come the immeasurable and limitless riches of
His grace. Even while He rightfully demanded from His people perfect holiness
and a perfect atonement for the desecration of that holiness, He provided it
for us, because we could not. What amazing grace! (2 Cor. 9:15, Heb. 10:14,
Gen. 22:8.)
The
life, obedience and the suffering of Jesus Christ, and His ultimate death on
the Cross - the perfect Atonement, was according to the determinate Eternal Counsel
and Decree of Almighty God, in behalf of the lost sheep of the House of Israel.
Selah! (John 11:49, 1 Ptr. 1:19, Acts 2:23, 4:28.)