Nov 27 2009
Redemption Accomplished & Applied - Chapter Two - P2
Murray obviously believed a correct understanding of Christ’s atoning work is foundational to our faith and hope for eternity. He spent an entire book defining Christ’s redemption, breaking out what was accomplished, and then showing how this work is applied to believers. In chapter two Murray goes into great detail drawing us a clear word picture of the atonement. In my review I felt it would be an injustice to lightly cover such an important section. Thus I resorted to a two part post. For the sake of brevity, I will dive right in trusting you will read the prior post if you need to get up to speed.
Having looked at the sacrificial aspects in the atonement, Murray turns to the propitiation wrought in Christ’s atonement. It was interesting to note the word ‘propitiation’ (which means: to cover, placate, pacify, appease or conciliate) is most often translated atonement. This word is used in reference to sin. It refers to the cleansing and forgiveness which occurs before the Lord. Our sin makes this covering necessary.
Because of the propitiation aspects within Christ’s atonement, “. . .the sin, or perhaps the person who has sinned, is covered before the sight of the Lord. . .Vengeance is the reaction of the holiness of God to sin, and the covering is that which provides for the removal of the Divine displeasure which the sin evokes.” Thus “the doctrine of propitiation means that Christ propitiated the wrath of God and rendered God propitious [favorably inclined] to His people.”
A common error seen in relation to this doctrine is our misconception of an obedient Son appeasing an angry Father. This mental image produces the idea of a rift in the Godhead. Murray steps forward to correct this misunderstanding.
First we must understand propitiation does not cause or constrain God’s love. Secondly, propitiation does not make God loving. He was already loving. Remember 1 John 4:10? “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” Instead we find propitiation to be the ground and channel for God’s love. Thus propitiation enhances our appreciation for God’s love rather than detracting from it.
To correctly understand propitiation, we must understand the atonement. Murray says, “To deny propitiation is to undermine the nature of the atonement as the vicarious endurance of the penalty of sin. . .to deny substitutionary atonement.”
Third Murray addresses the reconciliation aspect in Christ’s atonement. Reconciliation presupposes a rift between God and man. It “implies enmity and alienation. . .the cause [of which is]. . .our sin.” While many Christians believe the reconciliation wrought upon the cross addressed the alienation between man and God, Murray points out “the reconciliation [Christ accomplished] deals with the alienation of God from us on account of our sin. . .”
Consider Romans 5:8-11 in this light. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”
Murray shows how this verse reveals God making the first move toward sinners in Christ’s death. This act reveals God’s supreme love. Thus the Divine attitude is the starting point. Furthermore, the statement ‘reconciled to God through’ in verse ten is parallel to ‘justified by His blood’ in verse nine. Yet we know justification does not refer to any change in man’s disposition. So we see, as verse eleven clearly states, reconciliation is something we receive - reinstatement into God’s favor.
Murray would also have us consider 2 Cor 5:18-21 which reads, “Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
Verses eighteen and nineteen make it clear reconciliation is God’s work. The verb tenses in verses eighteen, nineteen and twenty-one further reveal reconciliation is a finished work. Verse twenty-one identifies Christ’s work as the origination of reconciliation. Verse nineteen goes on to declare reconciliation is an accomplished fact. And, the phrase in verse twenty ‘be ye reconciled’ means “be no longer in a state of alienation from God but rather enter into. . .favor and peace.”
The redemption accomplished in Christ’s atonement, then, “presupposes a relation of alienation, and it effects a relation of favor and peace.” This is achieved by the removal of our sin and guilt which Christ’s vicarious work brought about. He became sin for us. We received righteousness from Him.
Finally Murray looks at the redemption aspects in Christ’s atonement. He says, “The language of redemption is the language of purchase and more specifically of ransom.” Jesus came to accomplish a ransom. His life was the ransom price. The ransom was His substitutionary act.
Redemption implies some kind of bondage or captivity. We were bound to obey the law. Christ’s redemption does not redeem us from the law’s obligations, but it does redeem us from the law’s curse.
We were bound to obey God’s law as we see in Gal 3:10. “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” We failed in every respect. Thus we read in Gal 3:13, “Christ has redeemed us from the law’s curse, by becoming a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”),” Murray says, “It is from this curse that Christ has purchase His people. . .”
Furthermore, we have been redeemed from bondage to the ceremonial law (Gal 4:4-5: “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”). “In Him the Mosaic law realized its purpose. . .He redeemed [us] from the relative and provisional bondage under which the Mosaic economy was the instrument.” (Gal 3:25-26: “But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”)
Finally we understand we are redeemed from having to keep the law to be justified and accepted by God. In Rom 5:19 we read, “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.”
Not only did Christ’s atoning work redeem us from our obligations to the law, it redeemed us from the many aspects from which we can view sin. It covers every aspect (Heb 9:12). It refers to Christ’s work in relation to guilt and justification (Rom 3:24, Eph 1:7, Col 1:14, Heb 9;15). It refers to sin’s power and defilement (Tit 2:14, 1 Pet 1:18). Christ “interpreted the purpose of His coming into the world in terms of substitutionary ransom. . .this ransom was nothing less than the giving of His life.” He shed His blood to purchase the many for whom He paid the ransom.
Murray concludes, “. . .redemption from sin cannot be adequately conceived or formulated except as it comprehends the victory which Christ secured once for all over him who is the god of this world.”
I believe most Christians take their salvation lightly. We appreciate it. We trust it will keep us from hell. But, in the end it matters little, perhaps because we understand it little. I trust, as we continue to study this valuable book, you and I will grow in our understanding and be humbled thereby.
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