Theology of Holiness: Part 7a: Atonement

The 7th section of this theology of holiness will be on atonement. In other words, do we as humans need it? If so, what does that mean? Who can provide it? How is it provided? These are some the questions that will be examined. Take care, God bless and enjoy!
Atonement
Rather than being a part of an ordo salutis per se, the atonement of Jesus Christ is what makes the salvation of humanity possible. It is mentioned during the course of this ordo salutis, I believe, because Wesley himself believed that "Christ's work of atonement was the sole ground of human justification" (Lindstrom, 1980, p.59). For without the atoning power of Jesus' sacrifice, no one could be delivered from the sin nature that we are all born with. "The sequence of salvation proceeds from the benevolence of God the Father toward humanity, through the atoning death of the Son in offering redemption, toward the grace of the Spirit in applying and enabling redemption" (Oden, 1994, p.25). Defined, "the atonement is the act of God in Christ that breaks down all the barriers our rebellion and sin have erected between the Father and ourselves" (Dunning & Greathouse, 1989, p.67).
"The term "theory of atonement" has become commonplace in English-language theology as a term for "a way of understanding the work of Christ" (McGrath, 2005, p.410). The atonement was of great importance to Wesley yet he "never took up the atonement for special consideration in any of his treatises or tracts. Nor is it the main theme in any of his sermons" (Lindstrom, 1980, p.55). Wesley did, however state that it was "the distinguishing point between deism and Christianity" (Wesley as cited by Schenck, 2006, MIN543 lecture). Furthermore, Wesley stated, "Indeed, nothing in the Christian system is of greater consequence than the doctrine of Atonement" (Wesley as cited in Lindstrom, 1980, p.55).
"The English word "atonement" derives from the prepositional phrase "at one". Its original meaning was something like "reconciliation" (Gowan, 2003, p.21). "The Hebrew term "kipper" and "kippurim" commonly translated "atone" was used primarily in the context of the sacrificial cultus of the tabernacle" (Gowan, 2003, p.21). The Greek "hilaskomai would not have awakened for the Greek reader the connotations of covering that seem to have been associated with "kipper"… but it did shift the basic metaphor for what was happening in sacrificial cultus" (Gowan, 2003, p.23).
An aspect of the atonement that has great meaning is blood. Blood signifies a sacrifice. "For this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins" (Matt. 26:28) were the words of Christ during the Last Supper, the night before his ultimate sacrifice at Calvary. "Blood plays a particularly important role in atonement… the most common single context for atonement language (for Jews) is in reference to sin offerings (e.g., Lev. 4-6)" (Gowan, 2003, p.23). The important thing to realize about the shedding of blood was that it came "not just as reconciliation, but as an offering" (Schenck, 2006, MIN543 lecture). "…who have been chosen and destined by God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ and to be sprinkled with his blood" (I Pet. 1:2, NRSV).
The concept that God himself would come to offer himself for the sins of his creation in order that this creation could be with him is a concept that is completely unique to Christianity. It is also an aspect of Christianity that has been debated and developed since its' very inception. In fact, this concept is unconscionable to every other religion. "The worth of Christ's flesh is to be reckoned, not just according to the nature of flesh but according to the person who assumed it, in that it was the flesh of God, from whom it gained an infinite worth" (Thomas Aquinas as cited in McGrath, 2005, p.421). The Bible does not appear to give only one perspective on the issue of atonement. Yet, this should never be misconstrued for contradiction. "Various presentations should be interpreted as convergent and complementary, not opposed" (Blocher as cited in Vanhoozer, 2005, p.75). The atoning work of Christ can be viewed through the lens of sacrifice, ransom and substitute amongst other views.
Drury defines atonement as "the provision through the blood of Christ which saves us and sanctifies us. Both the forgiveness of sins and the cleansing from sin come only through the atonement" (Drury, 2004, p.181). I stand in complete agreement with this statement. There is no possibility for sanctification, let alone salvation without the sacrifice of Jesus. The language of sacrifice is apropos as this concept is found in Rom. 3:25, "whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith" (NRSV). Again, the concept appears in I Cor. 5:7, "For our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed" (NRSV). Wesley stated, "The sacrifice of Christ, once made, is that perfect redemption, propitiation and satisfaction… and there is no other satisfaction for sin" (Wesley as cited in Lindstrom, 1980, p.60). "Paul's use of the Greek term "hilasterion" points to a sacrificial interpretation of Christ's death" (McGrath, 2005, p.411). "The biblical words expiation and propitiation are also closely related to the concept of atonement. They all refer to the fact that, in the moral order, satisfaction has to be rendered for wrongdoing… for Christians, the all-sufficient, once-for-all sacrifice was offered when Christ died on the cross for the sins of the world" (Bilezikian, 1993, p.144). It is through the cross that we are saved. This is because on the cross "Christ is understood to be the covenant representative of humanity. Through faith, believers come to stand within the covenant between God and humanity" (McGrath, 2005, p.421).