Understanding the Atonement

Number

Your Statement

Response

1

All of mankind had fallen.

TRUE

2

Everyone had rebelled against God and sinned bringing God’s just wrath upon all mankind.

TRUE

3

God looked for an intercessor. A perfect man who could stand between God and man. Who would represent man before God and answer to God for all of mankind’s doing.

This is basically true. However, I would use the term mediator, not intercessor. A mediator must be equal to and able to communicate with both parties in the dispute and be equal to each respectively.  Anyone can intercede for another, but not everyone can be a mediator.

4

In turn, He would rule mankind as God’s agent and hold complete authority and all power over men. Such a man could not be found, for all had sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

Jesus Christ ruling mankind is not a part of the atonement. It’s definitely true that no man could be found to fill the task. Only Jesus Christ could qualify for this job.

5

So God sent His only begotten son, the second person of the trinity to take on flesh and become a man and be the perfect sinless man who would intercede between man and God.

TRUE. Again, I would use the word “mediate” rather than intercede. A mediator must be equal to both parties and be able to perform the task of mediating a solution.

6

This Son answered for all the sins of mankind by taking Gods wrath and the curse of sin upon Himself through the death on the cross

TRUE

7

Being Himself God and possessor of an indestructible life, He rose again on the third day by the power of the Holy Spirit

Here’s some interesting theology to ponder. If Jesus Christ’s life was “indestructible,” how could he have died on the cross? His work of paying for the sins of man is described as dying and was completed before He died physically as evidenced by His declaring that His work was finished before He gave up His spirit and died physically. We may have to wait until we get to Heaven to understand this one.

8

Thus he began God’s Kingdom on earth

Many believe that the Kingdom was offered by God, but rejected and won’t be brought in to the earth until the Millennium. You may want to give this some additional study.

9

All who believed in Him and subjected themselves to Him would partake of His Spirit and become in Jesus Christ

You’ve now hit on a theological controversy. Does belief alone give us life in Christ, or must we also subject ourselves to Him and live an obedient life? I believe the former, i.e., only faith results in eternal life. Submission to Christ as Lord is something for believers (those who are already saved), not for unbelievers as a condition to receive the gift of eternal life.  How man responds to the gospel is not directly related to the Atonement.

10

Thus God would not hold them responsible for their actions, but would rather look to Jesus to rule over them and judge them

I think what you’re trying to say is that because God is propitiated with the work of Christ on the Cross, He will no longer hold man’s sins against them as a basis for judgement. Sin was judged once and for all at the Cross. The last part of the statement is really a different subject, but it may be stated more simply by saying “Because Jesus Christ is the Lord of all who are saved, He will rule over them and be their judge at the Bema Seat where the works of believers in this life are evaluated” (1 Cor. 3:10-15). Jesus Christ’s rule over man is not part of the Atonement.

11

Now having paid for the sins of man, all mankind and the world created for mankind became Christ’s. He became the ultimate judge and jury for all men

Actually, Jesus Christ created and sustains the world so it belonged to Him long before the Cross (Col. 1:15-20). He also is the judge of all men both believer and unbeliever regardless of the date of the Cross.

12

Those who accepted him as their master and lord, received the benefit of his sacrifice and the gift of the Holy Spirit. They are in Christ and adopted into God’s family inheriting the reward of Christ as his subjects

This is related back to controversy in number 9 above. Accepting Jesus Christ as Master and Lord is a phrase that has crept into Christianity and is perpetuated by those who reject simple faith as the only way of salvation. They think that simply believing or trusting in Christ for eternal life is inadequate. In fact, they mock it by calling it “easy believism.” They also call it “cheap grace.” This is actually a subtle form of legalism that can’t accept the fact that God offers eternal life freely to anyone who believes. Once a person believes in Christ, they are placed into union with Christ and are said to be adopted into God’s family. Regarding inheritance of rewards there are many different kinds of rewards. Some are given by virtue of being a believer while others are given in recognition of specific service.

13

Those who do not belong to Jesus Christ are rejected by Him and thus have no intercessor before the Father and as orphans they face God’s wrath being held responsible for their actions on earth

Here is how I would phrase the issue of those who reject Christ and never come to trust Him for salvation: Those who never accept Jesus Christ as their Savior will face God’s ultimate judgment. The judgment for all unbelievers (termed the “dead”) will occur at the Great White Throne (Rev. 20:11-15). Since they rejected God’s gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ, they also did not receive His gift of imputed righteous which is equivalent to God’s righteousness. To spend eternity in heaven with God, one must possess this righteousness which is only obtained as a gift at the moment they believe in Jesus Christ. Since none of the unbelievers at this judgment have it, God in His grace will review each individual’s works to see if their life’s works meet the standard of God’s righteousness. He opens the Books that recorded their works. Since none will meet this standard, He then opens the Book of Life. If their name is not recorded in this book, they will be thrown into the Lake of Fire.