"ATONEMENT AND RECONCILIATION DIFFER
1. In their origin.
The former had its origin in the volition of Jesus Christ, who
voluntarily took our nature, and suffered and died in our stead: the latter has its origin in the consent of man's will to accept the sacrifice.
They differ, as the necessary means to the attainment of an end, and the end attained by the use of the means.
2. They differ in the essential ingredients of their nature.
The former has exclusive reference to the mind of an offended God; the latter to the mind of offending and irreconciled man. The one is satisfaction rendered to God, for the claims of His broken law: the other is satisfaction on the part of the sinner with what God has done for him, and a full and hearty acceptation of his revealed plan.
2. They differ in the essential ingredients of their nature.
The former has exclusive reference to the mind of an offended God; the latter to the mind of offending and irreconciled man. The one is satisfaction rendered to God, for the claims of His broken law: the other is satisfaction on the part of the sinner with what God has done for him, and a full and hearty acceptation of his revealed plan.
The one, therefore has reference to a condition of the Divine Mind: the other to a disposition of the human mind.
3. They differ in their object.
3. They differ in their object.
God receives the atonement,
and man receives reconciliation.
The atonement may exist without reconciliation on the part of man; but reconciliation cannot exist without the atonement.
The atonement is the cause,
and reconciliation the effect,
to those who avail themselves of its provisions.
---They differ, therefore, as cause and effect differ; and can never be confounded, without great violence to both. The Bible, everywhere represents the atonement as the ground and basis of reconciliation to God. Rom. iii, 24-26. Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare I say, at this time his righteousness; that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Chap. v, 1.
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Verses 8, 9, 10.
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled we shall be saved by his life. 2 Cor. v, 18-21.
And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 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.
Now then we as ambassadors for Christ,
as though God did beseech you by us;
we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin,
that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
2 Cor. 5:18-21."
J. M. STEPHENSON