The concept of atonement is central to Christian theology, representing the reconciliation between God and humanity through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. This profound act is a testament to the grace and mercy of God, as it provides a means for sinners to be restored to a right relationship with their Creator.

Grace and Mercy Defined

Grace and mercy are two attributes of God that are vividly displayed in the atonement. Grace is often understood as the unmerited favor of God, a gift freely given to humanity despite their sinfulness. Mercy, on the other hand, is the compassion and forgiveness shown by God, sparing humanity from the punishment they deserve.

Biblical Foundations

The atonement is rooted in the Old Testament sacrificial system, which foreshadowed the ultimate sacrifice of Christ. In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul articulates the grace of God in the atonement: "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:23-24). This passage underscores that justification and redemption are acts of grace, not earned by human effort but granted by God's benevolence.

The mercy of God is also highlighted in the atonement. Ephesians 2:4-5 states, "But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our trespasses. It is by grace you have been saved." Here, mercy is depicted as the driving force behind God's intervention in human history, offering life and salvation through Christ.

The Sacrificial Love of Christ

The atonement is the ultimate demonstration of sacrificial love, as Jesus willingly laid down His life for the sake of humanity. In John 15:13 , Jesus declares, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." This act of self-giving love is a profound expression of both grace and mercy, as Christ bore the penalty of sin on behalf of all people.

The Role of Faith

While the atonement is a gift of grace and mercy, it requires a response of faith. Ephesians 2:8-9 explains, "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast." Faith is the means by which individuals receive the benefits of the atonement, trusting in the sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice for their salvation.

The Transformative Power of Atonement

The grace and mercy exhibited in the atonement have transformative effects on believers. Through the atonement, individuals are not only forgiven but also empowered to live new lives in Christ. Titus 2:11-12 states, "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men. It instructs us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live sensible, upright, and godly lives in the present age." The atonement thus initiates a process of sanctification, as believers are conformed to the image of Christ.

Conclusion

The atonement is a profound exhibition of the grace and mercy of God, offering forgiveness, reconciliation, and transformation to all who believe. Through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, God extends His unmerited favor and compassion to a fallen world, inviting all to partake in the new life He offers.Romans 8:32
He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Ephesians 2:4,5,7
But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us,
Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Timothy 2:4
Who will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Hebrews 2:9
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Summary of the Second Part of the Foregoing System.
... placed the great doctrine of the atonement in a ... great salvation, it is because his
grace would have ... in the most advantageous light, but it exhibits the sublime ...
/.../a theodicy or vindication of the divine glory/chapter ii summary of the.htm

Moses' Prayer to be Blotted Out of God's Book.
... The solution which the supposition exhibits, is this, by ... at his entrance on a slate
of grace; but Moses ... Lord; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your ...
/.../lee/sermons on various important subjects/sermon vii moses prayer to.htm

Immanuel
... the greatest of all His works, and exhibits the most ... He voluntarily offered Himself
to make atonement for the ... progress, or our perseverance, in the grace of God ...
//christianbookshelf.org/newton/messiah vol 1/sermon v immanuel.htm

Discerning Prayer.
... The church has abused grace and the world has despised ... slightest degree from the
merit of His atonement on the ... And if, in the man who exhibits signs and wonders ...
//christianbookshelf.org/various/the wonders of prayer/discerning prayer.htm

The Blood-Shedding
... your memory; and may God by his grace bless it to ... The doctrine of atonement when
rightly understood and ... received, is delightful, for it exhibits boundless love ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 3 1857/the blood-shedding.htm

Of the Sacraments.
... to contemn the judgment of God, he exhibits signal examples of ... The grace of the
sacraments does not lie in their ... have been the value of the atonement which the ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 14 of the sacraments.htm

Introductory Essays
... The doctrine of the Atonement, as asserted at the ... liberty, of wisdom, of virtue,
of grace, of glory ... the Nobility of the German Nation" exhibits these principles ...
/.../luther/first principles of the reformation/introductory essays.htm

The Doctrines of Salvation A. Repentance. B. Faith. C. ...
... need of Christ, the necessity of an atonement, and the ... had its origin solely in the
grace of God ... relationship with God, while Sanctification exhibits the fruit ...
/.../evans/the great doctrines of the bible/the doctrines of salvation a.htm

Enthusiasm.
... as to the precise nature of the Atonement,[491] and ... It exhibits, indeed, the most
varied phases, according to the ... truth opened in them by the grace and mercy ...
/.../abbey/the english church in the eighteenth century/chapter vii enthusiasm.htm

Scriptural Types.
... can come boldly to the throne of grace, having no ... when, on the annual day of atonement,
expiation was ... most perfect offering, inasmuch as it exhibits the idea ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxxvii scriptural types.htm

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Atonement: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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