Present Truth - Atonement - Justification - New Birth

From: The Christian Shepherd: 1997 By: Henry Edward Hayhoe

• 2 min. read • grade level: 7

Atonement

The word atonement in the Hebrew is literally “to cover” and refers to the removal of positive guilt out of God’s sight. Atonement then refers to the cross where expiation (full payment) was made for sin.

The holiness of God’s nature demanded the judgment of sin. The love of God provided a sacrifice.

All the claims of God as “light” have been met at the cross, so that God is free to come out in the fullness of His grace; therefore the riches of His grace are now made known in the present blessing of every one that has believed the gospel.

This fullness of blessing is given by the Spirit through the apostles in the New Testament epistles. It is Christ speaking from heaven (Heb. 12:25²⁵See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: (Hebrews 12:25)).

The knowledge of it is through faith in the Word of God. The enjoyment of it is the result of walking in the path of obedience to the Word, so that the Holy Spirit can without hindrance fill our hearts with the precious love of Christ and our minds with the fruit of His atoning work that has glorified God in the putting away of our sins.

Justification

To justify is to declare righteous. Now justification in Christianity always brings the believer into a new position before God. The believer is justified as being “in Christ” before God.

Grace is the way of it (Rom. 3:24²⁴Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: (Romans 3:24)).

Faith is the means of it (Rom. 3:28²⁸Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. (Romans 3:28)).

The blood is the ground of it (Rom. 5:9⁹Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. (Romans 5:9)).

“Justification of life” in Romans 5:18¹⁸Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. (Romans 5:18) is our standing before God in Christ, who is our life (Col. 3:4⁴When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:4)).

Wondrous grace! What praise must break forth when we see ourselves “in Christ” before God and learn that the will and the heart of God put us there!

New Birth

Being “born again” is really being “born of God” (1 John 5:1¹Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. (1 John 5:1)). That is, we partake of the life and nature of Him who gave us new birth. It is not the re-enthronement of man’s spirit nature, nor is it the old nature improved or governed by a new life.

John 1:12¹²But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (John 1:12) declares that we become the children of God when we believe on His name. This new life is manifested by having God as its object.

This new life walks in the light. That is, it has now the knowledge of God revealed in the Son (1 John 1:7⁷But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)).

Its fruit is obedience (1 John 2:35) and righteousness (1 John 2:29²⁹If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him. (1 John 2:29)), and those divine affections that have God as their object, and love to all the children of God as their character (1 John 3:14¹⁴We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. (1 John 3:14)). When the new life is manifested, the world knows us not, because such live with wholly new desires new objects new pleasures. We joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 John 3:13¹³Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. (1 John 3:13); Rom. 5:11¹¹And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. (Romans 5:11)).

May this life be seen in all His children!

H. E. Hayhoe

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