The atonement is central to the Christian identity. It is what makes Christianity unique among all other worldviews. The idea of a loving God who sends Himself in the flesh to earth in order to ultimately satisfy His own wrath is the mind-blowing message of Christianity that saves people from their sin. It is the reality that, once we place our faith in it, changes everything. But how? Here’s 6 ways (from this morning’s message):
- The atonement provides a Savior that isn’t you. Stop trying to save yourself from God by your religious acts and outward piety. It doesn’t accomplish anything but add to your guilt when you stumble and your pride when you succeed! Rest in the finished work of Christ, not the ongoing weariness-bringing work of your own feeble efforts.
- It releases us of guilt. God has been done because of what Jesus has done. Like I said before, we don’t have to feel guilty when we falter (whether in rebellion or in religion), because the saving work of Christ on the Cross has freed us: not our rebellion or religion.
- Because God has been propitiated (satisfied), we now live for Him out of delight, not duty. Our lives and gifts and abilities and resources are poured out before God not as an offering of duty to appease Him, but out of delight in what He’s done already through the atoning work of Jesus. This is wildly freeing and provides us with radical independence from religious duty, and allows us to rest in joy of the Cross.
- We no longer live in fear of God’s wrath, but in faith of God’s faithfulness. When we fall short of the glory of God and sin, we do not have to worry about His reaction, but rather place our trust in the fact that what He has begun in us through the propitiation, He will bring to completion through sanctification! We have been saved at the Cross, we are being saved by the Spirit’s work in us, and we will be saved by the glorification of our bodies when Christ returns.
- Because we are not alone in being redeemed, we can gather with others to enjoy our state before God. Sunday morning church gatherings are not our duty before God, but our privilege before Him: it is our time to publicly celebrate the finished work of Christ!
- We now long for others to place faith in the same reality, so we live on mission and preach the Gospel with our mouths and deeds. This is evangelism as a lifestyle: it is us, out of desiring for others to see Christ for who He is and what He’s done, living our lives with intentionality and purpose: to make Christ known.
Hope this helps.
Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve taught from Acts 2:42-47 at Harmony Church on the three driving values of our community: Gospel | Community | Mission. I’ve done something that I usually don’t do: make lists. But I think that they help with something as vitally important as this. Combining the books of Colossians, Ephesians, and Corinthians with Acts 2:42-47, here are two lists from the Mission sermon. The first is a list of lessons that we see from the Mission working out of the early church. The second list is a list of practical ways that we can integrate Mission into our own lives.
