The
False Teaching
From Paul: God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood (Rom. 3:25)
From C.H. Spurgeon: For all His people's sins Christ
has made a complete atonement. Anselm's answer to the question (of atonement) is the need of satisfaction of sin. No
sin, as he views the matter, can be forgiven without satisfactlon. A debt to
Divine justice has been incurred; and that debt must needs be paid. But man
could not make satisfaction for himself; the debt is something far greater
than he can pay.... The only way in which the satisfaction could be
made, and men could be set free from sin, was by the coming of a Redeemer who is
both God and man. His
death makes full satisfaction to the Divine Justice, for it is greater
than all the sins of all rnankind. From Billy Graham:
The Mosaic law required that animals be offered as sacrifices and that
the priests sprinkle the blood upon the designated altar. Those
sacrifices foreshadowed and symbolized the anticipated shedding of
blood and sacrificial death of Jesus, the Messiah. Christ's eventual
sacrifice of His own life as the "lamb without blemish" was the
fulfillment of the sacrificial offerings to atone
for sin.
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Exposing
the Error
Atonement is the unification of estranged parties, hence it is at-onement. The developed false doctrine, both Protestant and Catholic, is reconciliation by means of blood sacrifice. It also focuses on redemption, satisfaction and vicarious punishment. These
are required for the atonement of man and God because of sin, and
Jesus' death accomplished all of them. This is the cardinal unique
doctrine of Christianity. It is also the
condemnation of Christianity because it is contrary to the True Word of
the Lord Jesus: If a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will
love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me does not keep my words; and the word which you hear is
not mine but the Father's who sent me. (Jn.14:23,24) Is not this at-onement? This is the same prescription he gives for eternal life: Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent
me, has eternal life; he does not come into judgment, but has passed from
death to life.(Jn.5:24) Keeping his word produces reconciliation
and life! So, if the doctrine is valid, it must come from Jesus' word.
Search and you will see that it is not there -- not sacrifice, not satisfaction, and not vicarious punishment. Yes, Jesus reconciles God and Man, but not by blood sacrifice.
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Declaring
the Truth
Jesus stated the reason for his death in the gospels but, blinded by the false doctrine of Christians, few have seen it. His Great Principle is the reason: He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life (Jn 12:25).
His death demonstrated this principle -- he chose it to show his hatred
of life in the world and thus he kept it for eternal life as the
resurrection confirmed. As he said, For
this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may
take it again. No one takes it from me but I lay it down of my own
accord (Jn.10:17,18). Satan ruled
the world and his power was the fear of death. Jesus, a man, broke this
bondage for men and broke Satan's power by his fearless death: Now is the judgment of this world, now shall the ruler of this world be cast out (Jn.12:31). Then he says, If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me (Lk.9:23).
He went to the cross ahead of us, not instead of us! He was no
substitute, no payment for (satisfaction of) a sin debt, no vicarious
punishment, no sin bearer, no sacrifice. Yet He did redeem us and
deliver us from sin's bonds. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed!(Jn.8:36). More
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