UNDERSTANDING ATONEMENT
“Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come— In the volume of the book it is written of Me— To do Your will, O God.’ ” Hebrews 10:5-7 NKJV
A simple way to understand atonement is this: it is the restoration of our broken relationship with God.
Because of our fallen nature, sin keeps piling up like an unpayable debt. From the beginning, sin separated us from God, and no amount of human effort could bridge that gap. For generations, Israel offered animal sacrifices as temporary coverings, yet God was never ultimately satisfied with them. They were shadows, signposts pointing to the perfect payment yet to come.
In our passage, we see the heart of God revealed: He prepared a body for His Son. Jesus did not come merely to teach or to model morality. He came clothed in flesh like ours, so that in that body He might offer Himself as the once-for-all atonement for sin. Unlike bulls and goats, His sacrifice was not partial or passing, it was perfect, willing, sufficient, and eternally effective.
Child of God, this means you can no longer live as though you are bound by guilt or chained to your past. To carry a victimized mentality is to dishonor the blood that has already secured your freedom. To live as a son but think of yourself as a servant is more tragic than never knowing sonship at all.
Let this truth sink deeply into your heart: atonement is not just a concept, it is Christ Himself, offered in your place, bringing you back into fellowship with the Father as His beloved son or daughter. Selah.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I thank You for coming into the world with a body prepared for sacrifice. Thank You for doing the Father’s will when I could not, and for making me one with God again through Your death and resurrection. Help me to live in the joy and freedom of Your finished work – in your name, for your glory. Amen.
CI.
RELATED RESOURCES
• John 1:29
• Colossians 1:19-20
• 2 Corinthians 5:18-19
