{"id":1236,"date":"2016-02-11T12:09:51","date_gmt":"2016-02-11T18:09:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thedisciplemaker.org\/?p=1236"},"modified":"2016-02-11T12:09:51","modified_gmt":"2016-02-11T18:09:51","slug":"the-ultimate-sacrifice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.navpress.com\/sites\/thedisciplemaker\/2016\/02\/the-ultimate-sacrifice\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ultimate Sacrifice"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

The seriousness of sin requires a serious solution.<\/h3>\n

by Clinton Arnold
\nThere are many\u00a0biblical words that form our vocabulary of salvation. These words describe the many facets of Jesus\u2019 accomplishment for us in His life, death, resurrection, and His ongoing ministry in our lives.\u00a0So far, we\u2019ve delved into the meanings of justification, imputation, and sanctification. In this article, we will look at three words that speak to the sacrificial nature of Jesus\u2019 death on the cross:<\/strong> atonement, propitiation, and substitution.
\nHad sin never entered the world, there would be no need for a sacrifice. But the Bible states clearly that \u201call have sinned and fall short of the glory of God\u201d (Ro. 3:23) and that \u201cthere is no one righteous, not even one\u201d (Ro. 3:10).\u00a0Our sin creates a serious dilemma. God is perfectly righteous. It is His nature to hate sin ( Jer. 44:4, Hab. 1:13) and to punish it (Ro. 1:18, 2:5-9). What hope have we, who regularly invite His indignation and anger by our wrongdoing, for relationship with such a God? Yet our hearts yearn for that relationship. God\u2019s solution to this dilemma is sacrifice.<\/p>\n

Atonement<\/h4>\n

Early in the Old Testament, we are introduced to our first sacrifice-related word, atonement. The context is animal sacrifice.\"Ultimate
\nAfter sin entered the picture in Genesis, God established an entire system of animal sacrifices to cover human sin and make possible a relationship with Him. For instance, when someone sinned by disobeying God\u2019s law, that individual would bring a bull (or other animal) to the priest. The guilty person would then confess his sin, and the priest would cut the throat of the animal. As blood gushed from the mortal wound, the priest would apply the blood to various parts of the altar. Leviticus 4:26 tells us that \u201cin this way the priest will make atonement for the man\u2019s sin, and he will be forgiven\u201d (emphasis mine).
\nAtonement is the act of making amends for a wrong that was done, thus restoring a relationship that was broken.<\/strong> The animal\u2019s blood made up for the sin that was committed, making harmony with God possible once again . . . until the next sin.\u00a0You see, the animal sacrifices of the Old Testament were only a stopgap measure. The book of Hebrews teaches that \u201cit is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins\u201d (10:4). This does not mean that the Old Testament sacrificial system was a waste; it had a purpose. Animal sacrifice demonstrated the seriousness with which God regarded sin: An innocent victim had to suffer, bleed, and die. These sacrifices also pointed to a future sacrifice that would effectively resolve the problem of our sin and ultimately bring to an end God\u2019s righteous wrath.<\/p>\n

Propitiation<\/h4>\n

This once-and-for-all sacrifice is clearly described in two key passages that introduce our next word, propitiation:
\nGod put [Christ] forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.\u00a0– Romans 3:25 (ESV)
\nIn this is love, not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.\u00a0\u20141 John. 4:10 (ESV)
\nThe term propitiation derives from a Latin word (propitio) that means \u201cto appease.\u201d Although some may find it distasteful to think of God becoming angry and pouring out wrath against sin, this is precisely what the Bible says is the case (Ro. 1:18, 2:5). We must never forget that \u201cthe wages of sin is death\u201d (Ro. 6:23). But Jesus propitiated, or appeased, God\u2019s wrath for our sin by absorb- ing it Himself through His painful death on a cross. That ultimate sacrifice satisfied God\u2019s justice, and He has turned away from His anger toward those who accept the gift of Jesus\u2019 sacrifice.<\/p>\n

Substitution<\/h4>\n

This leads us to our final word: substitution. You see, we are the guilty parties who should have hung on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. And indeed, our deaths would have satisfied the need for justice: The guilty would have been punished. But God\u2019s love also needed to be satisfied. His love was compelled to extend forgiveness and make possible an eternal relationship between humans and their Creator. Only a sinless substitute, Jesus the Son of God, could accomplish that.
\nThe Apostle Paul explains it this way:
\nGod made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.\u00a0\u20142 Corinthians 5:21 (NLT)
\nChrist\u2019s substitutionary sacrifice fulfills a prophecy that Isaiah uttered some 800 years earlier: \u201cThe Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all\u201d (Is. 53:6).
\nTheologians have often referred to this as Jesus\u2019 \u201cvicarious\u201d suffering; that is, He suffered in our place. As our substitute, He took the punishment that we deserved.<\/p>\n

Such Sacrifice!<\/h4>\n

We worship a God who is completely just and yet abounding in love. He holds these\u00a0in perfect balance. Because of our sin, it would appear that His love would need to give way to His justice. Yet in His infinite wisdom and extraordinary love, God made a way to give expression to both of these attributes. He executed His wrath against His own Son so that we could be brought back into a relationship with our Creator.
\nThere is no act of sacrifice that can rival the sacrifice of God\u2019s Son. There is no gift that can rival the gifts of atonement, propitiation, and substitution.<\/p>\n

\n

CLINTON E. ARNOLD is chairman of the Department for the New Testament at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University.
\nCopyright \u00a9 Discipleship Journal.\u00a0Used by permission of Discipleship Journal. Copyright \u00a9 Sept\/Oct. 2006, Issue 155, The Navigators. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. www.navpress.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The seriousness of sin requires a serious solution. by Clinton Arnold There are many\u00a0biblical words that form our vocabulary of salvation. These words describe the many facets of Jesus\u2019 accomplishment for us in His life, death, resurrection, and His ongoing … <\/p>\n

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