************ Sermon on Belgic Confession Articles 20 & 21 ************
Doctrine: The Atonement
By: Rev. Adrian Dieleman
This sermon was preached on November 8, 1998
B.C. 20, 21
Hebrews 4:14-5:10
"The Atonement"
Introduction
When it comes to Christ and His work, the church has asked 3 questions.
The first question: Why did God become man? That's an easy question to answer: to save us from our sins (cf 1 Tim 1:15; Jn 3:16).
The second question: How does Christ save us from our sins? That's also an easy question to answer: by dying on the cross.
The third question comes in several different forms:
-What is it that the death of Christ did that saves you and me from our sin?
-What is the connection between my salvation and Christ's death?
-How does the death of Christ bring God and man together?
-Or, to use the words of the Belgic Confession, how does the death of Christ make atonement for our sins?
In Articles 20 & 21 of the Belgic Confession of Faith we are given one answer to the question of how Christ's death and our salvation are connected. There are 2 other answers to the question, but what we have in front of us is the answer of the Reformed family of churches.
I Theories of the Atonement
A What is the connection between Christ's death and our salvation? The first answer is the Christus Victor theory loved by the Eastern Orthodox family of churches. This theory says Christ's death is directed towards Satan. According to this tradition, man is under the power and control of Satan because of sin. At His death, Jesus gave Himself to Satan as a ransom in exchange for our freedom. However, our salvation was not assured until 3 days later when Christ arose from the grave. The resurrection spelled defeat for Satan, death, and darkness and victory for Christ and His people.
What is the connection between Christ's death and our salvation? Simply put, Christ's death means Satan's defeat. Let me tell you what I like about this view. First, it does reflect the Biblical theme of victory over sin, evil, and Satan. The Apostle John says,
(1 Jn 3:8) He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work.
Second, this view (like the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15) puts a lot of emphasis on the resurrection of Christ. But there are also some things I don't like. Under this view it is too easy to blame Satan and not ourselves for the sin and evil that exists in the world and in our own lives; in other words, this view minimizes human guilt. Furthermore, under this view it is with Satan rather than with God that accounts are settled; in other words, there is no place in this view of the atonement for the appeasement of the great and terrible anger of God against human sin. Finally, according to this view Christ spent the time between Good Friday and Easter Sunday in the fires of hell as the captive of Satan. This view looks at 1 Peter 3:19 and says that Christ spent the time in hell preaching to and converting some of the lost souls down there. On the third day He overthrew the power of Satan and escaped hell-fire with those He saved.
I should tell you that we don't believe Christ actually went to hell. We believe He suffered the torments of hell upon the cross but also earlier. We believe that between Good Friday and Easter Sunday Christ's divinity was everywhere present, His body was in the grave, and His soul was in heaven. We say this because Jesus said to the thief on the cross, "Today you will be with me in Paradise" (Lk 23:43) and His last word on the cross was, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit" (Lk 23:46).
B What is the connection between Christ's death and our salvation? A second answer is the Example or Moral Influence theory of the liberals. This theory says Christ's death is directed towards man. In Christ God holds out for us an example of suffering love. If we only repent of our ways and follow Christ's example than we will be reconciled with God. This view too comes from the Bible. The Apostle Peter says:
(1 Pet 2:21) To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
I personally like the way this view emphasizes the life and ministry of Christ and not just His final days or hours. However, it too says nothing about the justice of God and His anger against sin. Instead of sin being disobedience against God, it is a following of bad examples. Also, it stresses Christ's human nature at the expense of His divine nature. And, finally, this view can too easily degenerate into a salvation by works instead of by Christ.
C What is the connection between Christ's death and our salvation? A third answer is the Satisfaction theory of the Reformed and Presbyterian family of churches, a view we see in Article 21 of the Belgic Confession of Faith. This theory says Christ's death is directed towards God. The death of Christ appeases God's wrath against sin and satisfies the requirements of His justice. This view too comes from the Bible. I think of what Paul writes to the church of Ephesus:
(Eph 5:1-2) Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children (2) and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
I especially like this third view because it gives proper weight to the anger of God, the seriousness of sin, and the agony of the cross. However, as traditionally understood, this view gives no place to the resurrection of Christ; all the emphasis, you see, falls upon Good Friday and the cross.
D You may have noticed that each of the views of the atonement are called "theories." Generally we call something a theory when all the facts are not available. But in this instance we have all the facts because they are revealed to us in the Bible. So the word "theory" here does not refer to the facts; rather, it refers to our understanding of the facts. The simple matter is that our understanding of the atonement is limited. We don't fully understand the relation between Christ's death and our salvation. I say this because none of the views or theories includes all the facts mentioned in the Scriptures.
I would like to spend some time this evening looking at what the Belgic Confession says about the connection between the death of Christ and our salvation.
II Jesus Satisfies God's Justice
A What is the connection between Christ's death and our salvation? Our starting point is Jesus Christ as high priest. High priests do two things: they pray for the people before the throne of God and they offer sacrifices for their sins. Jesus, as high priest, makes offering for sin and, on the basis of that offering, He intercedes for us before the throne of God.
Jesus is not just any high priest. He is a special high priest. Keeping in mind our Bible reading from Hebrews, Guido de Bres tells us,
that Jesus Christ is a high priest forever
according to the order of Melchizedek--
made such by an oath--
and that he presented himself
in our name
before his Father ...
Melchizedek is a strange Biblical figure. He only shows up twice, in Genesis and in Hebrews. He is king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He has neither beginning of days nor end of life.
Jesus is a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. This means He is a high priest forever. He is forever able to save His people and to intercede for them before the throne of God. No other Savior is needed. No other Savior can be found.
Jesus is high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. He makes offering for sin. But unlike every other high priest He makes no offering for His own sin because He has no sin (Heb 5:3).
Jesus is high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. He makes offering for sin. But unlike every other high priest He presents Himself as an offering for sin. He is both the offerer and the offering. Says the Confession:
by offering himself
on the tree of the cross
and pouring out his precious blood ...
It was awful what Christ our high priest went through. His sweat became like "big drops of blood falling on the ground." He hung on the cross and suffered the torments of hell. He cried out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Mt 27:46). Quoting from Isaiah:
(Is 53:3) He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
B Over and over again the Confession reminds us that our high priest's offering of Himself was in our place, for our sin. We call this the vicarious suffering of Christ. We are "guilty and worthy of damnation" but it is Christ "who was charged with our sin." Notice how many times the prophet Isaiah says He suffered in our place:
(Isa 53:4-6) Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. (5) But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. (6) We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Our high priest's offering of Himself was vicarious. It should have been us sweating and moaning and hanging upon the tree, but our high priest was there in our place. Can you imagine being thrown in jail for a bank robbery you did not commit? Can you imagine getting a ticket because someone else was speeding? Can you imagine suffering in someone else's place? That's what Jesus did as high priest – He took your place and mine.
Topic: Example
Subtopic:
Index: 1175-1178
Date: 7/1996.21
Title:
Ron Rand tells this story: "Michael usually takes his family out each week to see a movie or sports event. When they come home, they make a fire in the fireplace and pop popcorn.
"During one of these evenings, little Billy made a real pest of himself in the car on the drive home, so he was punished by being sent to his bedroom while the rest of the family had popcorn. After the family had the fire going and the popcorn ready, Michael went back to Billy's room and said, 'You go out with the others. I'll stay here and take your punishment.' Through Michael's action, the entire family experienced a vivid example of what Jesus did for everyone.
C Our high priest's vicarious offering does two things: expiation and propitiation.
First of all, our high priest's vicarious offering expiates the guilt of our sin. Says the Confession:
and pouring out his precious blood
for the cleansing of our sins,
as the prophets had predicted.
Expiation of sin – this means our high priest's vicarious offering cleanses us, washes us, purges us, makes us whiter than snow. It makes us so clean it is as if I had never sinned nor been a sinner (Catechism, A 64).
It would do us no good, congregation, if our high priest's self-sacrifice only removed the guilt of our sin. The guilt of our sin would be gone, but the anger of God against that sin would still be there. So, secondly, our high priest's vicarious self-offering propitiates the wrath of God. Says the confession:
... he presented himself
in our name
before his Father,
to appease his wrath
with full satisfaction
by offering himself
on the tree of the cross ...
Many people are uncomfortable with the idea of propitiation. They do not like to think of God as hating and despising sin. In fact, people today want to believe that God allows anything, tolerates everything, and forbids nothing. People today want to believe that God loves everyone, forgives everyone, and saves everyone – even if they do not repent of their sin and believe in Jesus. People today do not like to think of God as being a God of justice Who punishes those who make Him angry. But we know that God is terribly angry about the sin we are born with as well as the sins we personally commit. As a just judge He punishes them now and in eternity. He has declared, "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law" (cf Heidelberg Catechism, A 10).
By His self-sacrifice, Jesus the high priest propitiates the wrath of God against your sin and my sin.
D God sent His Son to be a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. Why would God do this? Very simple, really. He is not only a God of justice but also a God of love. He is not only a God Who is angry at sin and demands its punishment but He is also a God Who desires the destruction of none and the salvation of all. His is not only a most awful anger but His is also a "most perfect love."
III A More Complete Theory
What is the connection between Christ's death and our salvation? I mentioned before that there are 3 answers to this question: the Christus Victor theory, the Example theory, and the Satisfaction theory. Of the 3 I prefer the Satisfaction theory, but as I already said, it shortchanges the resurrection of Christ.
What is the connection between Christ's death and our salvation? As I was thinking about this, it occurred to me this past week that the historic church was asking the wrong question. The historic church was asking the wrong question because it gave the wrong answer to the second question.
Remember the second question: How does Christ save us from our sins? Without thinking about it, I'm sure you accepted the answer: Christ saves us by dying on the cross. But that answer is not correct because it is not complete. The complete answer is: Christ saves us by dying on the cross and rising from the grave. I think here of the words of Paul to the church of Rome:
(Rom 4:25) He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.
In other words, our salvation rests upon both the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.
Let's rephrase the third question. It's proper form is: What is the connection between Christ's death and resurrection and our salvation? The answer: His vicarious death expiates the guilt of our sin and propitiates the wrath of God against that sin; and His glorious resurrection wins for us His righteousness and new life.
Conclusion
Jesus Christ, He is a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
(Heb 7:25) Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.