Atonement

So, over the last few weeks justification has been discussed, perhaps ad nauseam. In any case, the argument for justification by faith alone cannot be supported by Scripture or by logic. Some with faith can and will be condemned in the end. Such people might well have deep faith, faith so as to move mountains (1Cor 13:2), but that is not sufficient. They can be undone before God because of their works, by sins of commission (deliberately chosen sinful acts) and by sins of omission (deliberately choosing to neglect the charitable duties of a disciple). It must also be remembered that it is not a matter of doing more good than evil as if good works cancel out our sins. Every sin, even venial sin, is an offense before an infinite divine being: finite beings that we are, we cannot of ourselves provide an infinite recompense to offset our offenses against God. Indeed, we must abide in Christ and produce the works of a disciple. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love” (Jn 15:5-10). Thus, we can be grafted into Christ but be pruned off for lack of fruit. This is why St Paul talks about “the obedience of faith” (Rom 1:5, and 15:18) and the primacy of love even over faith (1Cor 13:13). Faithful but fruitless is not a formula for salvation.

Indeed, we are called to be righteous (1Pet 1:14-16). Our righteousness is meant to be expressed in everything we do. It is not a borrowed or imputed righteousness, but actual righteousness. Again, this cannot be done based on our own merits as if we could become righteous by our own efforts. Ultimately, the grace of abiding in Jesus so as to produce good fruit and the Holy Spirit abiding in us makes us righteous in the eyes of God. Righteousness is not imputed but comes from being Christ-like and possessing the Holy Spirit.

But what about our sins? None of us is sinless and few of us go all that long without committing a sin of some sort. How are our sins reconciled with God is called atonement. Jesus made atonement for us on the cross. How this actually happened, how the cross makes amends for our sins is viewed quite differently by Christians. Those who deny that we have to strive for righteousness but we are made righteous by imputation, that Jesus stands in for us as the accused in a courtroom proceeding, usually believe the same sort of substitution of Jesus for us on the cross. In this way of thinking the Father takes out His wrath, the wrath we earn by our sins, upon Jesus. This is problematic on multiple levels. Firstly, does God have control of His wrath, does His wrath have to be expressed? After all, God does not send the unrepentant to hell – they send themselves – nor does He orchestrate the suffering of the souls in hell. Their suffering in hell provides zero satisfaction. Likewise, thinking that Jesus’ suffering merely satisfies the Father’s wrath makes the Father out to be petty, vindictive, and unjust by punishing the most Innocent for the sake of the guilty.

Jesus’ atonement for our sins is described by St Paul’s teaching in the letter to the Hebrews. “Surely [Jesus] did not help angels but rather the descendants of Abraham; therefore, he had to become like his brothers in every way, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest before God to expiate the sins of the people” (Heb 2:16-17). Thus, Jesus atoned for our sins in a priestly act. He is both Priest and Victim. John the Baptist’s testimony, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn 1:29), signifies that Jesus’ death on the cross was a sacrificial offering. It was also a voluntary offering: “This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again. This command I have received from my Father” (Jn 10:17-18).

—Fr Booth