Its Nature and Object by J. O. CORLISS

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jun 22, 1916

Its Nature and Object

By J. O. CORLISS

The Atonement—No. 1

Its Nature and Object

J. O. CORLISS

It seems rather unfortunate that the generally received opinion of the atonement is that it is an act performed by Christ simply to appease the wrath of an offended God. Such a view does the Creator a great injustice, since it places him in the posture of an angry being who is demanding satisfaction by equivalent for an injury received. In other words, when one has sinned and thus wronged God, if he desires to atone for his act rather than suffer punishment therefor, he brings the offering provided by Christ, which can be accepted as an equivalent for the injury received. But with some this view is not so clear. A logical skeptic once said to me that he considered it unreasonable to think that the death of Christ could remove guilt from an individual sinner, so that he could be regarded as having never sinned. He affirmed that no sound reasoning could ever establish such a doctrine. Of course his conclusion was logically drawn, but was erroneous because he knew not the Scriptures, neither the power of God. With the commonly accepted view of the atonement, one could hardly refute the skeptic's position, even by quoting Scripture in abundance.

The atonement, as treated in the Bible, is not set forth as an equivalent for an injury received. First of all, man is not held under condemnation simply because God is offended, and therefore his resentment must be pacified before he will release man from condemnation. This would be to attribute human passions to him ‘with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.’ James 1:17. God being the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb. 13:8), he cannot possibly be subject to such changing passions as this view of him would indicate.

The foundation of the atonement was laid in Christ before man sinned, yea, before the world was spoken into existence. 1 Peter 1:20. The test of salvation through Christ was settled ‘before the foundation of the world,’ and it was that men should be without blame before him in love, according to the good pleasure of God's will. Eph. 1:4, 5.

The atonement was not established as a necessity because man had sinned, but, in its fundamentals, was arranged before sin entered, as a basis for man's eternal relationship with God. It never was designed to reconcile God to man as some have supposed, since God's everlasting love for man (Jer. 31:3) could not permit him to become unreconciled to sinners. Were that so, God could not have ‘freely’ and of ‘his own will’ sacrificed his only begotten Son to draw man back to him. John 3:16.

The entire unreconciliation was on man's part. To bring about just this state of affairs was Satan's object in entering Eden and deceiving, as he did, the first pair. The record plainly discloses that Satan's entire purpose was to create in the first pair an unreconciled feeling concerning the restrictions placed about the tree of knowledge of good and evil. This being accomplished, man was no longer in harmony with God; and thus he disconnected himself from the eternal plan of oneness with God, by which eternal life was assured. By this act on the part of Adam and Eve, God's purpose in their behalf was temporarily thwarted.

God's purpose was that these newly created ones and their posterity might be one with God. The plan of the everlasting covenant previously ratified between Father and Son, was fully followed in man's creation, and man was made in the image of both (Gen. 1:26), since both were one (John 10:30). Thus man not only received the life of God in his being (Gen. 2:7), but he was by this endowed with the mind of Deity. This was clearly demonstrated in the act of asking Adam to name all the animal products of creation. His mind was in so perfect unison with the Creator of these, that he at once could name them by his perception of their adaptability to certain uses. So satisfying was the rendering of Adam's decision in this trial that the names given by him were accepted as expressing the mind of Jehovah. Verse 19.

But notwithstanding this oneness with God bestowed on man by creation, the act of following the direction of heaven's avowed adversary broke this unity, and made man an enemy of his Creator and Benefactor. Thus the life of God, through which came finished oneness with him, was lost, subjecting man's posterity to death. Verse 17. The Creator, being unchangeable, must remain as he was before man fell. The only way, then, for a reconciliation was to remove man's enmity, so that he might again become one with God. The object of the atonement is, therefore, to restore man to God, and so should be recognized as an at-one-ment system through which man may be redeemed from the thraldom of sin.

In fact, this was the avowal of Christ concerning it; for when he was about to leave the world, he prayed thus for his followers: ‘As thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us.’ That this prayer might meet a responsive fulfilment, he added: ‘The glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one.’ John 17:21, 22.

But to become again one with God involves a personal acquaintance with him, since a reconciliation with him and his way would be impossible without this. But to acquire this is beyond man's unaided ability. When man permitted himself in Eden to become prejudiced against God, and so to be unreconciled to him, the light of God's life which had first been breathed into him departed, leaving his mind so darkened that it was unable to comprehend the spiritual things of God. Eph. 4:18. A work of divine grace was necessary in order that man might recover his spiritual perception. It was required that God be revealed in a way that all might learn to know him, and thus regain eternal life. John 17:3.

True, the heavens had ever declared the glory of God, and the firmament, rich in colors and forms, had continuously displayed his handiwork. Ps. 19:1. But the magnificent workmanship seen in the formation of these, and the calculation of mighty power required in maintaining their daily performances, could not reveal the attributes of character, such as love, mercy, graciousness, long-suffering, dwelling in him whose glory and greatness they uncovered. Neither could that object be achieved through any code of laws, however filled it might be with the righteousness of its Author, because the darkened mind of humanity had not the power to penetrate its depths, and discover him with whom the head of

the race had at first enjoyed oneness.

But what the law could not do because of the weakness of the flesh (Rom. 8:3), could be accomplished by the coming to earth of God's own Son, who is the ‘express image’ of his Father's person, or as the original will bear rendering, ‘the express character of his substance.’ He came thus to live among men, that in his life might be seen the attributes of Jehovah (John 14:9), which are the end, or design, of the law of God (Rom. 10:4).

Yet the bare life of Christ in the flesh, while it could and did reflect the holy character of his Father, could not fully reveal the ‘everlasting love’ which dwells in the breast of God. This could be done only by the sinless Son's laying down that flawless life for the salvation of his enemies. The sight of this alone could soften the hard heart, and create a longing for reconciliation with such a precious Being. By this the stubborn will is broken, and in tenderness of soul confession is made unto salvation and unity with heaven.

It is this confession of sin that brings forgiveness and the cleansing from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9. At the period in one's life when sorrowful confession for sin is made, the entire record of his past unrighteousness is cleansed; yet he is by no means counted as having never sinned, which would not be true; but this cleansing is a necessary step in the direction of oneness with God. So some record must be given to the repentant sinner, whose life record of unrighteousness has been cleansed away. What can it be? The Lord Jesus was made a propitiation, or mercy-seat (1 John 2:2), so that to the one having faith in his blood, he might impute his righteousness, in the place of remitted sin and cleansed unrighteousness (Rom. 3:25).

This imputing of Christ's life record to the repentant sinner, to become the record of his past life, is the union of the sinner with God, and entitles him to be known as a child of God from birth, as was Adam in the beginning. It is in fact his restoration to oneness with his Creator. But as in the case of Adam, should he later renounce God's fellowship through open sin, the life record of Christ imparted to him in his repentance will be forfeited, and he will lose his standing in the court of heaven.

So it is not enough simply to be forgiven past sins. The future must be provided for. The sins could have been forgiven without the added gift of the life of Christ. But this latter bestowment is for the strength of the forgiven one in his life as a child of God and a citizen of heaven. The whole matter is thus briefly stated by the apostle: ‘If, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.’ Rom. 5:10. That is to say, when a person becomes reconciled, or made one with God, through the death of Christ, his life is then given for the new relationship assumed, and for power to maintain that oneness.

All this being true, it follows that none are or can be saved who do not receive this new life from Christ, the only medium of communication between heaven and earth, and the sole Sponsor for man's restoration to his lost unity with God. Acts 4:12. The question may well be asked at this juncture, Why so complex a system to redeem men, when the voice of God could have quickly created another race more to his liking? The answer to this must be reserved to a succeeding paper.