Being Made One with God
Throughout this blog series, we have uncovered and unpacked some of the most essential words to the Christian Faith. We have discussed theology, Christology, Eucharist, eschatology, covenant, and exegesis – all of which have something to do with the natures of God and the Scriptures. In this post, we will delve into a word that bends a little more naturally toward humanity: atonement. My guess is that if you have heard this word used in church, you have overheard a passionate debate about the implications of sin and salvation and of our need for Jesus to have been sacrificed on the cross on our behalf. Yes. That is absolutely true, even vital, for all of Christian history. However, a proper definition of atonement focuses less on the sacrifice needed for humans to be in a true relationship with God and more about God and human beings becoming one or unified. I would like to propose a simple definition for atonement: “at-one-ment.” In other words, atonement is about two things being made into one thing. For this reason, Paul writes, “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Col 1:17). We were once separated from God without the hope of restoration because of our unfaithfulness to him. But because of the saving work of Jesus Christ in his life, death, and resurrection, we have an “at-one-ment” that has cured humanity’s relationship with the divine. Christ is the glue that now binds us to God in heaven.
Atonement and the Great High Priest
In the letter to the Hebrews, the author writes, “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Heb 4:14-16). In the Jewish sacrificial system, not just anyone could go to offer a sacrifice for sins at the Temple. Sacrifices could only be conducted by priests and religious officials. In this system, the only intercessor between humans and God was a human who sinned just as much as the rest of us. The beauty of Christ’s work is that we have a great high priest who is sinless. Christ is fully God and fully human, and therefore he is the only being in all eternity with the power to truly piece back together the broken relationship between God and humans.
Atonement is an Invitation to the Ministry of Reconciliation
So what does knowing about this fancy word “atonement” have to do with the way we live our everyday lives? Well, great question. While it may seem that some of these theological terms have no direct application to the way we live, I assure you that this one has a direct connection to our mission as a church and should impact the way we live every single day. Paul writes to the Corinthians, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation” (2 Cor 5:17-19). Being ministers of reconciliation is a process of restoring the broken relationship between God, ourselves, and all creation. Of course, the most important thing we can do to contribute to the restoration of all things is to obey God’s commands to love and serve him and the world in all that we do. Atonement teaches us that we should be in a constant practice of confessing our sins, stewarding our resources well, taking care of God’s creation, and caring well for one another. We participate in atonement best when we live out the greatest commandment: love God and love your neighbor as yourself.