EXPLORING GOD’S WORD 52e

This is the final study on “Atonement!” Why the Atonement?

WHY THE ATONEMENT?

The Atonement was needed to save the souls of mankind; the ones who heard and accepted the call of God. The atonement had to be pure and Holy, without spot or wrinkle. The sacrifices of mankind fell short, so, God gave the perfect sacrifice of His Only Son to atone the sins of mankind. Isaiah 59:14-17 King James Version 

¹⁴ And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.

¹⁵ Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.

¹⁶ And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him.

¹⁷ For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak.

Luke 19:⁹ And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.

¹⁰ For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Hebrews 9: ¹¹ But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;

¹² Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

¹³ For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:

¹⁴ 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?

¹⁵ And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

¹⁶ For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.

¹⁷ For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.

¹⁸ Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood.

¹⁹ For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people,

²⁰ Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you.

²¹ Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry.

²² And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

I trust you have enjoyed this brief study on ” The Atonement”.

prepared by Winston Staples

Noises!

Drip,drip,

goes the rain drops,

as they fall,

from the limbs,

soon in their puddles,

tadpoles will,

swim, swim, swim.

Chirp, chirp,

the little birdies sing,

chirp, chirp,

it’s Spring, it’s Spring.

Croak, croak,

the old frog said,

who, who said the owl,

as he scratches,

scratches his head.

Yes, all these noises,

noises of Spring,

God gives us,

ears to hear,

makes my heart sing!

~ Winston Staples

EXPLORING GOD’S WORD 52d

Atonement continued: His atonement exhibits the Love of God.

Romans 5:⁸ But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.    1 John 4: ⁹ In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.¹⁰ Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Psalms 63: O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;

² To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.

³ Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.

⁴ Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.

⁵ My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:

⁶ When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.

⁷ Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.

⁸ My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.

⁹ But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth.

¹⁰ They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes.

¹¹ But the king shall rejoice in God; every one that sweareth by him shall glory: but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.

*His atonement exhibits the Love of Christ.

John 15: ¹³ Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.    Galatians 2: ²⁰ I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.   Eph.5: ² And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. ²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

*His atonement Reconciles the Justice and Mercy of God.  

Isa.45: ²¹ Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the Lord? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.        Romans 3:²⁵ Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;  Revelations 1:⁵ And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

[ prepared by Winston Staples ]

THE DAY BETWEEN!

It is the day,

between Good Friday,

and Easter Sunday,

a quiet day,

no family around,

I sit and watch,

the snow melt,

and run into the ground.

It was the day,

between Good Friday,

and Easter Sunday,

all of Christ’s followers,

were feeling so sad,

because they lost,

the best friend they had.

They thought,

He was dead you see,

the one,

that would,

set their souls free.

~ Winston Staples

 

EXPLORING GOD’S WORD 52c

ATONEMENT CONTINUED:    *His atonement was voluntary.   Psalms 40:⁶ Sacrifice and offering You did not desire;My ears You have opened.Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require.⁷ Then I said, “Behold, I come;In the scroll of the book it is written of me.⁸ I delight to do Your will, O my God,And Your law is within my heart.”

Christ’s Death Fulfills God’s Will

^{Hebrews 10: 5} Therefore, when He came into the world, He said:“Sacrifice and offering You did not desire,But a body You have prepared for Me.⁶ In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sinYou had no pleasure.⁷ Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come—In the volume of the book it is written of Me—To do Your will, O God.’”⁸ Previously saying, “Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the law), ⁹ then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.” He takes away the first that He may establish the second.John 10:¹¹ I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. ¹⁵ As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.¹⁷ Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.¹⁸ No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

[ to be continued ]

EXPLORING GOD’S WORD 52b

Atonement Continued:

• Atonement was foretold– Isaiah 53:⁴ Surely he hath borne our griefs,
  and carried our sorrows:
  yet we did esteem him stricken,
  smitten of God, and afflicted.
  ⁵ But he was wounded for our transgressions,
  he was bruised for our iniquities:
  the chastisement of our peace was upon him;
  and with his stripes we are healed.
  ⁶ All we like sheep have gone astray;
  we have turned every one to his own way;
  and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
• Isaiah 53:⁸ He was taken from prison and from judgment:
  and who shall declare his generation?
  for he was cut off out of the land of the living:
  for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
  ⁹ And he made his grave with the wicked,
  and with the rich in his death;
  because he had done no violence,
  neither was any deceit in his mouth.

  ¹⁰ Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him;
  he hath put him to grief:
  when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin,
  he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days,
  and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
  ¹¹ He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied:
  by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many;
  for he shall bear their iniquities.
  ¹² Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great,
  and he shall divide the spoil with the strong;
  because he hath poured out his soul unto death:
  and he was numbered with the transgressors;
  and he bare the sin of many,
  and made intercession for the transgressors.

  Daniel 9:²⁴ Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. ²⁵ Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. ²⁶ And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. ²⁷ And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. [ read Zach.13:1,7.]

• John 11:⁵⁰ nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. ⁵¹ And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;

*by Christ alone: John 1:²⁹ The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. ³⁶ and looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

• Acts 4:10-12 ¹⁰ be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. ¹¹ This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. ¹² Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
• 1 Thess. 1:¹⁰ and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. 1 Timothy 2:⁵ For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; ⁶ who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
• Hebrews 2:9⁹ But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. 1 Peter 2:²⁴ who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.      [ to be continued ]

  [ prepared by Winston Staples ]