atonement Archives - Page 3 of 3

Most of us will never face the excruciating decision of whether or not we will die to spare someone else’s life. But think with me for a moment: For whom would you die? A family member or close friend? If you were in the unimaginable situation of choosing between your life or your child’s life, would you die for your child? There are loved ones I would die for, but I have to admit, the list for is short.

What if a criminal broke into your home and stole all that you had. He robbed you blind, showing his disdain for you, your family, and your belongings. Then an even nastier criminal found him, dragged him to you, and gave you a choice: your life or his. Would you die for the one who hated you? What if the choice was between the criminal’s life or your child’s life? Would you sacrifice your son or daughter to spare the criminal? I wouldn’t.

But God did.

Romans 5:6-8: For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

While we were yet sinners and enemies of God, Christ died for us. We can confidently trust God’s love for us, because He proved it on a real day in history, when a real man who was also the Son of God bled and died to save us from God’s wrath. The Father did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up so His enemies could become His children (see Romans 8:32).

No matter what we face this week, we can trust God’s love is true, because Christ died for us.

We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

Hebrews 6:19-20 (ESV)

Last week we talked about the anchor of our hope being in God’s sure and steadfast promises. But what about the rest of the verse?

Our hope is described as entering the inner place behind the curtain. Now, I know that can sound like a bunch of theological gobbledygook. The inner place refers to the Holy of Holies, the place where God dwelled in the temple. Once a year, the high priest would take a blood sacrifice and enter into the inner place to atone for the sin of the people and remove their guilt.

When the author of Hebrews says that Jesus has gone on our behalf into the inner place, he’s saying that Jesus’ sacrifice has taken away the guilt of our sin. Jesus’ blood qualifies him to enter into the place where God dwells. And when it says that Jesus is a forerunner, it means that we will follow him there.

When we cast the anchor of our hope, it lands in the place where God dwells. And our hope-anchor is there because Christ died once for all as a sacrifice to remove our guilt, rip the curtain that separated us from God, and secure our access to the inner place with God.

This is our sure and steadfast hope. Not hope in our own abilities or good works or trying to do a little better than yesterday. Not hope in promises that may or may not be true when we need them most. Our hope for salvation, for daily life, and for peace in the midst of a storm comes from one sure and steadfast anchor: the sacrifice Jesus Christ made for us.

So no matter what we face this week, our hope is in Christ, who entered the inner place behind the curtain as a forerunner on our behalf.

Christ Died for Us {No Matter What Monday}

Our Hope Enters Behind the Curtain {No Matter What Monday}