With four children in my house, we have our share of loud noises. Sometimes, it’s laughter but there are screams. Not just screams of pain, but screams of anger, frustration. Most of the time, I find that the screams make a mountain out of a molehill.
So, what about sin? Is it a mountain? A molehill? Somewhere in between? How do you know if sin really is a big deal or not? Some people say and think that it’s okay to sin, because Jesus will forgive me later.
Atonement can be one of those confusing theology words. At the heart of atonement is the idea of whether or not sin is a big deal.
To start, an easy definition of atonement is found int the word itself – it means ‘at one.’ Atonement is how you can be at one with God because of the death of an innocent life as a substitute for the death of a guilty life. Right away, we realize that sin is a very big deal with God, because sin requires death. Even if we think that sin is no big deal, God says that little sin deserves death.
The good news is that Jesus is your salvation through His atoning death; His at one death. John the Baptist tells us of this in John 1:29 when he says of Jesus, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Jesus is the sacrificial lamb, the innocent life who was put to death as a substitute for your guilty life so that you can be at one with God.
When we take sin and atonement seriously, we find profound blessings and comforts. For one, think how deeply Christ loved you, that He would die for you. Another benefit is gratitude, because there was not a single thing you could have done to offer and meet God’s holy requirement. We should be in awe of the richness and depth of our salvation. We are amazed that we are one with God. Finally, we are motivated to share the good news with those around us. They too need at-one ment; they too can receive at-one ment through Jesus Christ!