ATONEMENT AND RECONCILIATION
ATONEMENT AND RECONCILIATION
It is important to understand the scriptural meaning of these two words. Every believer has, in some measure, apprehended the meaning of atonement; but very few, as far as I know, have entered into the light and fulness of reconciliation.
[p. 298] Adam sinned and came under the judgment of God, with all his race. Cain thought he could be in favour with God by means of an offering unto God - as we might say, by ‘religious services’; while Abel was so sensible of the judgment that he knew there must be atonement, that he must be sheltered from the eye of God by the blood of the victim. Now this we see all through the Old Testament. Exodus 12 gives us a very good illustration of it. Israel were all sheltered under the blood of the lamb, typical of that blood whose virtue is everlasting, and the smallest faith in the atonement now finds that the benefit is complete and everlasting. But, apart from reconciliation, there is no present enjoyment of the benefit; no service for Christ down here. Atonement does not go beyond shelter; as has been said by another, ‘If you atone for a thing you keep it’.
All through the Old Testament we see that the man of faith was sheltered by the blood of atonement; but until we come to Christ, who terminated the man who offended in bearing his judgment on the cross, and in it glorified God where man had dishonoured Him, so that He was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, reconciliation had not fully come in. The word ‘reconciliation’ is used in the Old Testament incorrectly, whereas the word ‘atonement’ is never really used in the New Testament. Now many christians never get beyond the atonement; they have faith in the blood of Christ, and are thus sheltered in the eye of God; all the benefits of Christ’s work are secured to them hereafter; that work has made their title sure to all the grace that has been secured by Him; but if they do not know reconciliation, they do not come out upon this earth in an entirely new way for Him. They may rejoice in their shelter but, like Israel in Egypt, they are still morally there, and they do not see that the power of death has been destroyed; they have not begun here on earth the heavenly journey [p. 299] across the wilderness to Christ in glory. Sheltered by the blood you are safe eternally; but unless you know reconciliation you cannot serve the Lord, and unless you serve Him here, there is no reward in the kingdom.
Now reconciliation is based on the fact that the man who dishonoured God is removed; but the Man who honoured Him in bearing the judgment of death has been raised from the dead to God’s right hand in glory. If you only know atonement you do not get beyond Romans 3; but when you see Christ risen from the dead, you have “peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand” (Romans 5: 1,2); this grace is summed up in Romans 5: 11: “we are making our boast in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom now we have received the reconciliation”. The scope of reconciliation is detailed very distinctly in 2 Corinthians 5: 14 - 17: “For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new”. Not a vestige remains before the eye of God of the one who has offended Him; but the One who has glorified Him fills the whole scene, and every believer in Him knows that God’s heart is toward him, as we see illustrated in the prodigal; the father runs and falls on his neck and kisses him - he is reconciled; and then as he enters into and enjoys this reconciliation, he begins to joy in God, he knows that he is in Christ before God, in the power and grace of Christ, as son of God and joint [p. 300] heir with Christ. There is not a cloud between him and God, and finally he learns that the Father loves him as He loves Christ.
I may add now, in conclusion, that no one will enter into the fulness of reconciliation who does not understand the gospel of the glory as set forth in 2 Corinthians 3. There we find the contrast between mount Sinai and what we have at the present time one is a demand for righteousness from the glory of God, the other is the ministration of righteousness from the glory of God through our Lord Jesus Christ; so that the nearer we approach to the glory, the more we are assured of His righteousness in having us there. We get a good illustration of this in the dream of an old divine when he was learning the gospel. He dreamed that he went to the gate of a palace, and was so well received that he went in, and as he passed through each succeeding suite of rooms, he was still better received, until he reached the presence chamber of the sovereign, where he was received with acclamation! So the nearer we approach, the more assured we are of welcome. We are not repelled by the glory like Isaiah (Isaiah 6), but on the contrary, beholding the glory of the Lord we “are transformed according to the same image from glory to glory”. (2 Corinthians 3: 18) Now, when we are in the enjoyment of this wonderful grace, it is very blessed to perceive that not only is all the distance removed, but the nearer we approach the more we know how righteously God can accept us, for righteousness is the bulwark of love.
Hence it is an immense satisfaction that we, through His grace, are formed and adapted by new creation to this new and great position. “Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 5: 18); and the more we enter into the perfection of His love, “perfect love casteth out fear”, (1 John 4: 18)
the more we are assured that “as he is, so are we in this world”. (1 John 4: 17) Blessed and happy portion! May our hearts enjoy it more.
Scarborough,