The Atonement

 

The Atonement

 

In fact the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. That is why Jesus died on the cross for us, he shed his blood on the cross so that our sins may be washed clean, forgiven. That is why we need to come to him, he took away the sins of the world by the shedding of his blood on the cross (alter). He died so that we may be made free, saved, so this endless shedding of blood on a sacrificial alter could be put to a stop. Through him we receive the redemption of our sins because he shed his blood on the cross for each and every one of us.

 

Colossians 1:14 – In Jesus we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

 

What is a sin, a transgression against our Father in Heaven.

 

Transgression – to breach a boundary or limit, to act or violate a law.

 

God sets the laws, the boundaries, and the limits and when we violate one of those laws we have sinned. Again in Ephesians 4:32 it says “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you. Christ died to save us from sin.

Christ died so that man may live

 

Man lives to serve the Lord. By serving the Lord man receives life in Christ. Life in Christ brings happiness, peace and joy.

 

Atone – to make amends for.

 

Atonement – amends for an injury, wrong or sin.

 

Christ atoned for our sins so that we would not have to; no more blood sacrifices, Jesus did this for the last time.

 

That you Lord Jesus for your sacrifice so that I may be set free. Praise to you my Lord Jesus Christ, through you I have been redeemed and my sins have been forgiven. Praise you Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Pleasure – pain

 

Why does man gravitate to one or the other?

 

Comfort – to console in a time of grief or fear. A state of ease or wellbeing. Solace. Help, assistance.

 

Comforter – one that comforts.

 

Comfortable – affording comfort, adequate.

 

Familiar – having good knowledge of something. Encountered frequently, common, of established friendship, intimate. Informal. A close friend or associate.

 

Familiarity – acquaintance with or knowledge of something, established friendship.

 

Where it be either comfort or pain man will gravitate to one in which he is more comfortable, and has a high degree of familiarity.

 

In order to gravitate towards the light and life of Jesus Christ, you gain a closer association, a deeper understanding, a stronger acquaintance, a more established friendship you must first accept him as your friend and spend time with him. Since we can’t see him we do this through faith (things hoped for but not seen), pray and studying his word. When we study his word we come to know him and develop a deeper trust and belief in him. In John1:1 – we understand that Jesus was the word. Because we can’t see him, Heavenly Father gave us the word (the bible) so that we could become familiar with him. Jesus is the word and the word is Jesus. We can see the bible, it is tangible, physical, we can touch it, feel it, read it. When we read the bible we draw nearer in friendship with Jesus. Just like a friend, if we want to get to know our friend we must spend time with them. We must believe and have faith in the word, that the word is true and that it will bring us out of darkness and into the light. If we say we believe in Jesus but spend no time reading and studying his word (bible) we are hypocrites.

We say we know him or want to know him but we don’t spend any time getting to know him, how do you get to know someone if you don’t spend time with them, you can’t.

 

The only way we can come to know Jesus is to spend time with him in the word because in the beginning was the word and the word was Jesus. If we want to get to know him, spend time with him.

 

When we don’t spend time with our friend Jesus in the word we are telling him we don’t want to be his friend, when we tell him we don’t want to be his friend, he leaves us and when he leave us, we live in darkness and when we live in darkness, we live in pain, misery and suffering.

People gravitate to that which leads them to perceive pleasure, however if they live in darkness the pleasure is only temporary. It masks the pain only for a brief moment in time and then the pain cycle starts all over again. Most everyone who lives in darkness has no clue! Wisdom, knowledge or understanding are not present and therefore they do not know how to break the chain of pain because they are blinded by the darkness. So they go around stumbling and searching for things made by man that brings them momentary relief from the pain – nicotine, alcohol, caffeine, work, drugs, medication, exercise, parties, and bars. They search high and low for the solution, the answer, the magic bullet.

 

As long as they continue searching for pleasure, life and light in man or man made things they will continue to live a life of misery and pain.

 

Joy, happiness, peace comes only from loving and serving the Lord God with all your heart and soul and loving your neighbor as yourself. That is it in a nut shell.