ATONEMENT

F. E. Raven

I think that in approaching the subject of atonement we must remember that of necessity Scripture regards man here on earth from God’s standpoint, and that is with the sentence of death on him from God, and nothing could free him of that sentence save death having been borne for him.

This has been effected in Christ, who has tasted death by the grace of God, and the blood is the witness that death has been suffered. Hence God can have to say to man here in grace. He sets forth Jesus a mercy-seat through faith in His blood. But then death, though the penalty resting on man here, is not the bearing of the wrath of God, for which sin calls, nor the real clearance of sin from before God, though without shedding of blood is no remission. Hence in the nature of things, I think we must distinguish between death and the wrath of God, which in man’s case is the second death, the lake of fire. Now I believe that Christ in being made sin bore the wrath of God, which, as I said, death is not, and drank the cup of wrath to the dregs. And sin having thus been removed, He entered into death, the governmental penalty of sin, in perfect love and obedience, so that man down

here might not only enjoy forgiveness, but be freed from the penalty under which he lay. And further, the state in which man sinned against God has been removed, and in such a way that God has been glorified in its removal; hence man can now be in a new state before God for God’s glory.

(Vol. 3, p.294)