The A-Z of Salvation
Today's Devotional is written by Pastor Roy Summers
In the Scriptures many wonderful words are used to describe what God has done for his people. In this series of devotionals we plan to explore these life-giving words through the alphabet - that's if we can find a word for each letter!
No believer should be put off by big words, for the purpose of big words is to express wonderful ideas with in the short span of one word. Once we unpack the big word all becomes clear and our hearts are warmed.
A stands for Atonement
The word atonement means "at-one-ment" for atonement is the way God has made it possible for Himself and sinners to be "at one."
Our verse is this and it tells us how God has made atonement possible: "God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith..." (Romans 3:25)
The Day of Atonement
We gain an understanding of this wonderful word by looking back into the Old Testament and reading about the Jewish Day of Atonement. Once a year the High priest had to first prepare himself and among his duties of Atonement Day he had to take the blood from a sacrificed animal into the Holy of Holies, the place where God dwelt. "He is to take some of the bull’s blood and with his finger sprinkle it on the front of the atonement cover.." (Leviticus 16:14)
“This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: Atonement is to be made once a year for all the sins of the Israelites.” (Leviticus 16:34)
So once a year, all the sins of the Israelites were covered by this act of atonement. The blood of the bull paid for all their sins. Other sacrifices were for individual sins of individual Israelites, but the Day of Atonement sacrifice was for the whole nation, for all of God's people.
The Death of Jesus
Of course, the day of atonement was nothing more than a symbolic act because the blood of bulls and goats can never take away sins. It would take a human sacrifice - a being like the ones who sinned - and a divine sacrifice - a Being with the power to save all God's people - to accomplish true atonement.
And that is what Jesus, the perfect Son of God accomplished when he shed his blood for us on the cross.
"God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith..." (Romans 3:25)
The Joy of Forgiveness
When we read about the Day of Atonement, we are meant to breathe a sigh of relief. Thank God we don't live in those days! Those blood-stained days. Thank God we do not need to bring a bloody offering once a year, every year - an offering which did not actually work! Thank God we live in the Gospel age. Thank God for the one sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ which actually took away sins and did so once for all. Thank God that our consciences can be fully cleansed by the knowledge that all our sins have been paid for in full.
Isaac Watts wrote a beautiful hymn about the atonement, whose words can scarcely be bettered, and I leave you with them ringing in your ears and echoing around your hearts:
SONG FOR THE DAY
1 Not all the blood of beasts
on Jewish altars slain,
could give the guilty conscience peace,
or wash away the stain.
2 But Christ, the heav'nly Lamb,
takes all our sins away,
a sacrifice of nobler name
and richer blood than they.
3 My faith would lay her hand
on that dear head of thine,
while like a penitent I stand,
and there confess my sin.
4 My soul looks back to see
the burdens thou didst bear,
when hanging on the cursed tree,
and knows her guilt was there.
to see the curse remove;
we bless the Lamb with cheerful voice,
and sing his bleeding love.
How I wish someone would write a modern tune for this hymn! But for now, you can sing along HERE.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Our Father in heaven,
We confess our many sins to you. Our sins are the reason you gave up your Son to die upon the cross. We know that without the shedding of blood there can be no remission of our sins. We know that true Israelites looked beyond the day of atonement to the day when real and lasting and full atonement would be made by a sacrifice of nobler name and richer blood than bulls and goats.
We thank you that our sins have been paid in full. We thank you that when our consciences are stained with guilt and Satan our accuser points to all the sin within we can look to the cross, confess our sins, repent of them and know with joy that they are truly and completely forgiven.
We pray today for our government in this difficult era and ask that you would guide them.
We pray for our brothers and sisters, and especially those who live on their own, that they would know the strengthening and comforting presence of your Holy Spirit.
All this we ask in Jesus' Name,
Amen
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