Wow, I am so thankful that our Head Shepherd (Jesus) stirred Lou’s heart and led him to do this series on the Atonement! Aren’t you?
I have found myself over the last few weeks trying to focus on the different aspects of what God has done for us and the depths of what it cost Him to work our redemption for us. Not just on Sunday as we are sitting listening to the sermon, but again and again as I go through the week, replaying certain aspects of what we have heard that week about the Atonement in my mind.
The major thing that has just come back up over and over to me from the very first sermon was the simple definition that Lou gave us for the Atonement. That it was an Anglican word and could be dissected to provide it’s meaning.
That quite simply Atonement means AT – ONE – MENT!
That God in His love and mercy for us, took not only the first step but ALL the steps necessary, (Put on flesh and became a man, lived a perfect and sinless life, went to the cross and bore the wrath of God that we deserved), and worked for us the only way that we could have our damaged relationship with Him repaired, so that we could be AT ONE with Him. That God, not because He had to, but rather because He wanted to, made of Himself the sacrifice that was necessary because of our sin. And then, accepted that sacrifice as the payment for that sin.
And because He did it all for us, we can now be in a personal relationship with Him. At oneness. At one with Him! At peace with our Creator. In fellowship with almighty God.
Please take just a moment and really think about this with me. I know these are not the kind of things that we like to think about, but we are in and of ourselves, alienated by our sinful condition, from the only true source of peace, and joy, (Jesus). We are enemies of the God that created us for His own pleasure, we are desperate and without hope. And now because of the work of God through Jesus, because of the Atonement, our relationship to our Creator, can be repaired! We can live a life that is in fellowship with GOD! We can be healed from the hopelessness and despair that comes from living in our sin, and we can receive from Him true PEACE and JOY as our hearts and minds turn to worship.
We sang “The Revelation Song” this past Sunday. It is one of my favorite songs. The picture it paints is so moving…
The throne room of the Lamb that was slain for us, now the resurrected King of Glory, and all who are there singing, “Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God Almighty!” This is the response of a person who begins to understand the magnitude of what it cost God to work our salvation for us, and what our lives would be like WITHOUT the At – One – Ment.
What an incredible difference the Atonement has made for me, I hope it has for you as well….HOLY HOLY HOLY is the Lord God Almighty.