T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
701
Isa. 59:2, “ Your iniquities have sep arated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you.” Sin is not merely misfortune, disease of miind, evil bias, a mistake, a result of heredity or environment. Sin is guilt, the breaking of the Divine Law. “ Where no law is, there is no transgres sion” (Rom. 4 :15 ); “ Sin is the trans gression of The Law” (1 John 3 :4). Hence the familiar expression in the Prayer Book: “We have offended against Thy holy laws.” Nor is sin merely an offence against man; it is against God. Joseph said: “How can I do this great wickedness (against Potiphar, a man), and sin against God” (Gen. 39:9). David said: “ Against Thee (not only against Uriah) have I sinned, and done this evil in Thy sight” (Psa. 51:4). We must humbly face the stern issues of Law, Guilt, Retribution, before the tender meanings of Love, Grace, Re demption, can be adequately realized. • Therefore sin, which is a manifest, obvious, horrible thing, needs to be put out of sight. Hence (3) The Meaning of Atonement— A Covering Up. Psa. 32:1, “ Blessed is he,whose trans gression is forgiven, whose sin is cov ered.” Psa. 65:3, “ Iniquities prevail against me; as for our transgressions, Thou shalt purge them away.” Isa- 38:17, “ Thou hast cast all my sins behind Thy back.” Mic. 7:19, “ Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.” The pure holiness of God must needs turn its face from the sight of the dying Saviour at the supreme moment of His sin-hearing: “ My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” (Mark 15:34). (4) The Source o f Atonement— God Himself. Isa. 53:4, 6, 10, “ Surely He (Jesus) hath borne our griefs and carried oqr
I t llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllt llllllll
A T O N E M E N T By GEORGE E. MORGAN, M. A. (From “ Handbook on the Atonement” )
tlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllB llllllllllllllR IIIIIIIIIII tg%ZBgBg|IKE a scarlet thread the plan ESI Bwwjl of Divine Atonement runs h LJ|| i ||S through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. In the Old Testa ment we will find it foreshadowed in the “ bruised heel” ; in the offerings of Abel, Noah, and Abrahajm (Genesis 3:15; 4:4; 8 :20 ,21; 22 :2 ); in the institution of the Passover (Exodus 12); in the offerings of Leviticus (4:20; 5:6; 6:7; 12:8; 14:18; 16 :6 ); and Numbers (15:30) ; and so on, to the prophetic utterances in the Psalms, Isaiah, and the later Prophets. In the New Testament it is fulfilled in Christ, “ the Lamb' of God vihich beareth away the sin of the world,” as described in the Four Gospels. Doctrinally explained and applied in numerous passages of the Epistles. Proclaimed in the manifestation of the “ Lamb slain” (Rev- 5:6) as the su preme object of adoration and worship. And finally— Acknowledged as the privilege and experience of the Christian believer, in the Apostolic confession of faith: “We joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom we have now received the Atonement”— or “ reconciliation” (Rom. 5:11, R. V.). (l)Th e Origin of Atonement— Sacrifice Lev. 1:4, “ He shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt-offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atone ment for him.” What is involved in the word “ atone ment” we shall see later; sufficient here to note its primary significance. See other references in Leviticus, given above, as to its sacrificial aspect. (2) The Reason of Atonement-—Sin.
Made with FlippingBook Annual report