“The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!”

Welcome to week 6 in our “Foundations of Faith” devo series. This week, we are going to be learning about atonement, what it is, and what the Bible teaches us about it. Atonement can be a really church-y word that maybe you aren’t familiar with. Or maybe you’ve heard it tossed around in Christian circles but are unsure of what it actually means. So let’s take a quick look at the word and the practices that surround it to better understand:

The Lexham Bible Dictionary defines atonement as “The means of reconciliation between God and people.” Simple, right? Well, there is a little more to it than that. See, from the very moment that Adam and Eve bit into the fruit of the forbidden tree, sin has taken root inside every human heart. We are hopelessly sinful, not a single one of us able to live righteously before God. Our very nature is corrupted by sinful desires and actions. No matter what we do, we can not do enough to bring reconciliation between us and God. It is impossible.

But God, in His amazing love and longsuffering, was not content to leave us eternally separated from Himself. So, He initiated the reconciliation we needed. In the Old Testament, God established sacrificial rhythms for the people to walk in the reconciliation of God. These rhythms and practices were established as a means of reminding the people of their desperate need for a Savior and giving them an opportunity to turn continually to the Living God- the only means by which we can be reconciled.  

But they also pointed the people to the coming Savior, promised to Adam and Eve in the wake of their disastrous choice to disobey. This coming Savior would be the final payment, the final sacrifice for our sins. And as such, He would usher in a permanent atonement for every person who believed and chose to receive. The people of God lived in the promise of the coming Messiah, the one who would serve as the perfect Lamb, the atoning sacrifice, once for all.

No human could ever meet the need. No human could ever make atonement. It was in God and through God alone that we could be made right, that we could be reconciled. So, Jesus, the second person of the Godhead, stepped out of heaven, took on human flesh, and paid the price that none of us could pay. He purchased for us reconciliation, oneness, wholeness. He purchased for us eternal peace with God.

This week is what is commonly referred to as “Holy Week” in the church. As we step each day closer to Easter, it can be easy for us to get wrapped up in the celebration and forget what we are celebrating. The fun, the food, the festivities… they can get in the way of understanding what this holiday is really about. But can I just ask you to take a moment today to really reflect? Can we just sit in this moment and let the truth of what God did for us wash over us once again?

To be atoned means that we are made right with God. The eternal debt that we could never hope to pay is paid. Our freedom is purchased. Our eternity set. These are concepts that we talk about so much, I worry that in the church we’ve grown numb to the weight of them. I worry that we are so used to being in right standing with God that we’ve forgotten what it means to be separated from Him.

Imagine it- Everything that is good comes from God. To be separated from Him for all of eternity means to be in a place where there isn’t even a drop of goodness. To be unreconciled to God means to be unreconciled to anything that we were created for, anything that is a blessing, anything that is true. The idea of eternal separation should make us quiver in our souls. And the reality that if God hadn’t stepped in and provided means to reconciliation, THAT would be our destiny should rock us to our inner being.  

But another thing I fear is that in our comfort and familiarity we’ve grown numb to the fact that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of people all around us that are still in that unreconciled state. They are still destined for eternity apart from God. They are still under the weight and consequence of their sin. That should make us weep!  

This Holy Week, can we all just stop to really see? Can we take a look around us at the people who celebrate with parties, streamers, egg hunts, and fun but who have no idea they are missing the point? Can we ache for them? Can we move toward them? Can we reach out in ways that are real and tangible, sharing our lives with them in impactful ways? Can we stop hoping they’ll come to church to hear the gospel but instead invite them into our homes to hear it firsthand from our mouths? Can we preach it with our lives, with our hearts, and with our hands?  

This Easter, let’s not be lulled to sleep, comfortable and forgetting the truth of our amazing atonement. Let’s be moved to action. Let’s let the truth of what God did for us and continues to do for us spur us into action in a way that is impactful, genuine, and tangible. The time is short. The time is now. Let’s not wait.  

God,  

I needed Your atonement. I needed Your reconciliation. I need it every day. God, don’t let me grow numb. Don’t let me miss the opportunity to share Your truth and help bring others into reconciliation with You. I don’t want to be blinded to the world around me, missing the thousands of people who are separated from You. God teach me to be effective. Empower me to be bold. Give me wisdom and discernment.  

In the name of Jesus Christ,

Amen