1981 Jun -- XIV 6(81) Watchman, What of the Night.
p 5 -- THE GOSPEL
IN THE LIGHT OF THE ATONEMENT -- Now
having talked about the Atonement - God's atonement with man, and man's
atonement with God - what is the Gospel, the good news about our redemption?
In
the KJV of the New Testament, the word, atonement, is used only once. In
Romans 5:11, it reads - "And not only so, but we also joy in God through
our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement."
The
word translated - "atonement" - is the Greek
word katallage (katallagh), which means reconciliation. This word is
used only by Paul in the New Testament; and by Paul only in Romans, and his
letters to the Corinthians.
In
II Cor. 5:18-20, Paul sets forth this reconciliation - this atonement
and indicates that God has committed to us "the ministry of
reconciliation." The message to be given is - "Be ye reconciled to
God."
2Co 5:18 And
all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and
hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
2Co 5:19 To
wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing
their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of
reconciliation.
2Co 5:20 Now
then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we
pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
God
by the Cross has been reconciled to man, but now man must be reconciled to God.
The good news is that God can still be just; and yet the justifier of those who
believe on Jesus. The story of that reconciliation and how it is to be attained
on the part of man, and how it will be achieved is to be found in the message
of the Sanctuary for the way of God is in the sanctuary. (Ps. 77:13)
This,
too, is good news - the Gospel. To mitigate it, to deny it, is to preach an
incomplete and partial gospel - another gospel.
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