The Atonement

Introduction

This is a companion paper to the one I wrote entitled “Sold”. To read click here:

In the Old Testament, atonement is most often expressed through sacrifice—a life or offering given for sin. Men and women brought sheep, goats, grain, and other offerings before God as acts of repentance and obedience. This is, of course, a simplified description. Scripture presents atonement as a rich and multifaceted reality, woven with careful detail and deep spiritual significance. Rather than attempting to examine every aspect, I want to focus on what atonement means in our relationship with God.

As believers under the New Covenant, we affirm that Jesus Christ endured the suffering of the cross as the full and final payment for sin. What humanity could never accomplish through repeated offerings, God accomplished once and for all through His Son. Our sacrifices were insufficient to cover sin for all time, but Christ’s sacrifice is complete, eternal, and perfect. We accept this truth by faith—yet the depth of its meaning can still elude us. The Creator of all things gave His own life for His creation. Why?

If an artist were to paint a flawless masterpiece that somehow became marred, would that artist surrender his own life to restore it? More likely, he would repaint or repair it. After all, it is his creation—he has full authority over it. Yet God’s response to a fallen world was not mere correction, but self-giving love at the highest cost.

This leads us to a profound question: Why did God choose to pay a price at all, and to whom was that price given?

As we explore these questions, may we gain clearer insight into the true meaning of atonement—not only as a doctrine, but as the very expression of God’s holiness, justice, and redeeming love.

Definition

Atonement (kāpar, verb – as in Yom Kippur, noun “Day of Atonement”

In English, the word atone means to agree or perhaps to bring into harmony. But when used in the Bible/Christian context the word atonement signifies both reconciliation and restoration through a redemptive work of God Himself.

It’s interesting to note that Kappour can mean mercy seat, cover or lid, as in the gold slab covering the Ark of the Covenant. The Septuagint defines the mercy seat as a propitiation.

“And over it the cherubim of glory shadowing the mercy seat; of which we cannot now speak particularly.” Hebrews 9:5 KJV

“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;” Romans 3: 25 KJV

In the Old Testament, atonement was a prescription for man’s moral reconciliation through sacrifice and for the setting aside of objects used in the Tabernacle. This is covered in Leviticus 14. Within the Roman Catholic Church objects used in the sacrifice of the Mass that were considered holy, were referred to as sacramentals.

Who Truly Cares?

We say that we care—but why? Many who do not believe are convinced that death is the end: no life beyond, no heaven, no hell. For them, existence is reduced to endurance—pressing forward, taking what pleasure one can before everything fades to nothing. Such a view offers little that is enduring, and even less that is worthy of a life fully given.

Heaven

Yet Scripture reveals a far greater reality. Heaven itself is deeply invested in the work of atonement. The angels are not indifferent spectators; they are attentive witnesses and joyful participants in God’s redemptive plan. As it is written:

“I tell you, there is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents more than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance… there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:7,10)

Hell

Hell, by contrast, trembles. Satan—once the accuser and tempter—met his decisive defeat at the cross. Though he continues his efforts, his aim has shifted. His rebellion is no longer merely against humanity, but against Christ Himself. In his rage, he seeks to distort, defy, and dishonor the Creator, using whatever means remain to him until his end is fulfilled. Humanity, to him, is but a tool in that defiance.

Mankind

And what of us—especially the Church? Too often there is a troubling ignorance regarding the depth and gravity of the atonement. Sin, the very reason atonement is necessary, is seldom addressed with clarity or urgency. Many assume they understand sin, yet few grasp its offense against a holy God or the eternal weight borne by an unrepentant soul.

In our time, heaven and hell are frequently reduced to mere symbols—poetic expressions of good and evil. But when God is removed, even these moral categories lose their foundation. “Good” becomes whatever feels right, so long as no harm is perceived; “evil” is softened into discomfort or inconvenience. The very word evil is often avoided, replaced with the far less weighty bad.

This echoes the sentiment of literature: “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” (Hamlet, Act 2 Scene 2) Yet Scripture stands in direct opposition. Truth is not shaped by human perception but established by God Himself. Without Him, moral clarity dissolves into preference, and preference into confusion.

So the question remains—who truly cares?

Heaven cares. Hell reacts. And we must decide whether we will understand, embrace, and live in the truth of what God has revealed—or continue in a diminished view of both sin and salvation.

The Beginning

Before all things—before time, creation, or history—God simply is. He does not exist within time as we do; rather, time itself exists within His sovereign design. He has no origin and no end. He is eternal, self-existent, and unchanging. As He declared to Moses, “I AM THAT I AM” (Exodus 3:14, KJV). God is not becoming; He is.

God’s Purpose (For a fuller exploration, see: Fulfilling God’s Needs. Click here.

In summary, God, in His perfect nature, chose to create beings capable of loving Him freely. The angels were created and dwelt in His presence, yet not all remained faithful. Through rebellion, Satan and his following fell failing in their devotion.

Following Satan’s rebellion, God, in His divine plan, created mankind—uniquely formed in His image—and placed them in a realm where they could choose Him freely, not merely exist in His immediate presence. Out of His great love, He entrusted creation to man, giving him dominion and stewardship.

Yet man also fell. Through disobedience, humanity surrendered to Satan what had been entrusted to them, yielding to sin. This act was not merely a failure of obedience but a forfeiture of authority, and mankind’s legacy, allowing sin and corruption to enter the world.

But the adversary’s ambition did not end with his fall—he set himself against God’s redemptive plan and sought to oppose even Christ Himself.

The Eternal Soul

Angels, including Satan, have only a soul and spirit. Man is created as body, soul, and spirit. While the body is temporal, the spirit is eternal—it does not cease to exist but will dwell either in the presence of God or separated from Him. This “spirit” is a part of everything living. It is a part of God.

Again I say this, the spirit cannot die. It is a part of God. If God were to speak Satan, or anything that has a spirit, out of existence, it would be like God committing suicide.

Because what was lost could not restore itself, redemption became necessary. What had been forfeited through sin had to be reclaimed—not by man’s effort, but through divine intervention. This redemption would require a price, one that only God Himself could ultimately provide. This price had to be paid to Satan himself, who, after the fall of man, claimed Gods creation. We only need to look at Jesus’s temptation on the mount to realize this. Jesus could not be tempted by something He possessed.

What Happens In-between

Accountability For Sin

Children who have not reached the “Age of Accountability” are apparently not responsible for sin. The Hebrew children in the desert were allowed to enter into the promised land and were not held accountable for the sins of the Hebrews.

“And as for your little ones, who you said would become a prey, and your children, who today have no knowledge of good or evil, they shall go in there. And to them I will give it, and they shall possess it. But as for you, turn, and journey into the wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea.’ Deuteronomy 1:39-40 ESV

For a Jewish boy this is the age of 13 – bar mitzvah and for a Jewish girl it is the age of 12 – bat mitzvah. At this age a male, and a female, become a full member of the community and is able to assume family responsibilities.

It is understood that the sins of children are forgiven.

“I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake.” 1 John 2:12 ESV

It is understood that this refers to those who are children of God and to actual children. The Bible, however, gives no specific verse for that age. Scripture simply implies that God knows the heart and condition of man.

“For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 ESV

“They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts…” Romans 2:15 ESV

Sin

Sin is first mentioned in the KJV version of the Bible in Genesis 4:6-7.

“The LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.” Genesis 4:6-7

The effects of sin upon humanity are plainly revealed in Scripture: death to the sinner and the corruption of all creation. “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), and through sin the whole created order has been subjected to futility and decay.

But what of sin’s effect upon God? At first glance, Scripture presents God as unchanging, sovereign, and untouched in His essence by human rebellion. Yet the reality of sin is not insignificant, for it is the very reason for the atonement. Sin does not diminish God’s nature, but it stands in direct opposition to His holiness, demanding both justice and redemption. This is why God gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to endure the cross. In that moment, Christ bore the full weight of sin, and the judgment it required, crying out,

“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46).

God’s love for His creation is immeasurable—so vast that it surpasses human comprehension. Apart from the illumination of the indwelling Holy Spirit, we cannot begin to grasp the depth of this love or the magnitude of this sacrifice. At the same time, God’s holiness is absolute, and His opposition to sin is complete. Scripture affirms that He is “Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity:” (Habakkuk 1:13 KJV).

Therefore, for fellowship to be restored between God and humanity, sin had to be judged and removed.

This reconciliation was accomplished through Christ alone. On the cross, Jesus bore the penalty of sin, satisfying divine justice while revealing divine mercy. The sacrifice was not merely costly—it was the ultimate expression of God’s love and righteousness meeting together.

There is, however, a sobering warning in Scripture regarding the human response to God’s work. The Holy Spirit can be grieved (Ephesians 4:30), and Christ Himself spoke of a grave sin: attributing the works of God to Satan (Matthew 12:31–32). Such hardness of heart reveals a willful rejection of truth.

Even so, humanity remains the primary bearer of sin’s consequences. While God’s character remains unchanged, man is deeply affected—spiritually, morally, and eternally. Yet one truth stands firm above all: God’s love does not waver according to human actions. Unlike man, whose affections are often unstable, God is faithful and steadfast. Still, we are called to respond rightly, for though His love endures, the Holy Spirit may indeed be grieved when His truth is resisted or denied.

The Process

In order to dwell in fellowship with humanity, God established a temporary covenant—a sacred system through which He could commune with His creation despite the barrier of sin, which His holiness cannot tolerate. This was the purpose of the first covenant, often called the Old Covenant. It provided a means by which sin could be covered through the shedding of sacrificial blood, pointing forward to something greater yet to come.

However, this system was never meant to be the final solution. It revealed humanity’s need for a perfect and lasting redemption. Therefore, God, in His wisdom and foreknowledge, ordained a new and better covenant—eternal, complete, and fully sufficient to redeem mankind. This New Covenant would not merely cover sin but remove it entirely.

At the center of this redemptive plan was Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He came not only as the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, but as the spotless Lamb who would take away the sin of the world.

Satan’s desire has always been to oppose and overthrow God’s purposes, and ultimately to claim dominion that belongs to Christ alone. In the wilderness, he tempted Jesus, offering Him the kingdoms of the world in exchange for worship (Matthew 4). Yet Jesus, in perfect obedience, rejected every temptation.

The conflict reached its climax in the Garden of Gethsemane and at the Cross. There, Jesus willingly bore the weight of humanity’s sin. Scripture tells us He became sin for us, though He Himself knew no sin. In that moment, it appeared as though darkness had triumphed.

But the victory of Christ was not defeated—it was unfolding.

Because Jesus was without sin, death had no rightful claim over Him. The penalty He bore was not for His own wrongdoing, but for ours. Therefore, the power of sin and death was broken. Through His sacrifice and resurrection, He accomplished what the first covenant could not: complete and eternal redemption.

The captives were set free. The power of sin was overcome. And Satan’s apparent victory was revealed to be his ultimate defeat.

The End

Satan is furious. He had lost but there are still battles to be fought. Satan’s pathological- reprobate mind is set on getting even with Jesus by taking as many souls as possible, by whatever means. This is what he is doing today. First he is leading as many as possible to not believe in him or God thereby never giving them the opportunity to be Born Again. Secondly, those who are not currently believers but may have a chance, he is telling them “…you still have more time.” (Paraphrased from CS Lewis – Screwtape Letters). Thirdly, those remaining who are true believers he is persecuting them by using his followers and the world’s system. His hope is that they will live miserable lives. Satan knows that whatever he does to us he is doing to God Himself – those with whom He had covenanted.

The wise and prudent in this world know they need only one helper in this world to defeat Satan – The Holy Spirit Whom Jesus sent to believers after ascending to His throne. Through obedience and with the Holy Spirit we can be overcomers and win the race put before us.

Conclusion

Propitiation must be rightly understood. I have shared this illustration before, yet it is worth repeating.

A statement often attributed to astronaut John Glenn during the 1962 Friendship 7 mission says, “the propitiatory shield took the heat” as the spacecraft re-entered Earth’s atmosphere. While the quote itself cannot be confirmed, the principle it conveys is sound.

Christ is our shield. He bore the full weight of divine judgment so that we would not have to. If we consider the language of atonement, the meaning becomes even clearer: the atoning shield took the heat. It absorbed the cost, enduring what would have consumed us, so that we might be spared.

In this way, Jesus Christ satisfies both justice and mercy—He takes upon Himself what is rightly ours, that we might receive what is rightly His.

God reveals His will to us according to our character.

“With the merciful you show yourself merciful; “with the blameless man you show yourself blameless; with the purified you show yourself pure; and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.” Psalms 18:25-26

I leave you with this thought – The value of anything is determined by its purchase price. We are as precious to God the Father as His son – God bought us from Satan for the price of His son.

“You live fully in me and now I live fully in them so that they will experience perfect unity, and the world will be convinced that you have sent me, for they will see that you love each one of them with the same passionate love that you have for me.” John 17:23 TPT

“For this is how much God loved the world—he gave his one and only, unique Son as a gift. So now everyone who believes in him will never perish but experience everlasting life.” John 3:16 TPT

THIS IS THE ATONEMENT!

Enough Said

“Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts.” Jeremiah 15:16 ESV