Still taking a break once a week to join in with the Challies reading group.
Required reading
Required reading
Redemption Accomplished and Applied by John Murray (available from - Read Chapter 3, 'The perfection of the atonement'.
My summary
In today's reading Murray answers the common notion that Christians need to make some sort of atonement for their sins on top of what Christ did.
Murray makes a strong case that Christ's atonement was perfect because it:
(i) Has historic objectivity - it is a work that 'antedates any and every recognition or response on the part of those who are its beneficiaries';
(ii) Was final - 'The atonement is a completed work, never repeated and unrepeatable' (on this point Murray draws a nice distinction between Christ's offering and his subsequent intercessory work as the high priest);
(iii) Was unique - we cannot replicate it - 'But it is never proposed that this emulation on our part [following his example in suffering] is to extend to the work of expiation, propitiation, reconciliation and redemption which he accomplished.';
(iv) Has intrinsic efficacy - the atonement did not simply take a half-hearted stab at paying for sin and then the gracious Father accepted what was offered - 'He did not make a token payment which God accepts in place of the whole. Our debts are not cancelled; they are liquidated.
What grabbed me
I particularly enjoyed the opening paragraph which clearly stated what it means to add our good works to the work of Christ on the cross: 'If we once allow the notion of human satisfaction to intrude itself in our construction of justification or sanctification then we have polluted the river the streams whereof make glad the city of God. And the gravest perversion that it entails is that it robs the Redeemer of the glory of his once-fo-all accomplishment.' What a disgrace it is upon the human race to ever try and add good works to Christ's work as though somehow the Holy God is insufficient.
Now it's your turn
In today's reading Murray answers the common notion that Christians need to make some sort of atonement for their sins on top of what Christ did.
(i) Has historic objectivity - it is a work that 'antedates any and every recognition or response on the part of those who are its beneficiaries';
(ii) Was final - 'The atonement is a completed work, never repeated and unrepeatable' (on this point Murray draws a nice distinction between Christ's offering and his subsequent intercessory work as the high priest);
(iii) Was unique - we cannot replicate it - 'But it is never proposed that this emulation on our part [following his example in suffering] is to extend to the work of expiation, propitiation, reconciliation and redemption which he accomplished.';
(iv) Has intrinsic efficacy - the atonement did not simply take a half-hearted stab at paying for sin and then the gracious Father accepted what was offered - 'He did not make a token payment which God accepts in place of the whole. Our debts are not cancelled; they are liquidated.
I particularly enjoyed the opening paragraph which clearly stated what it means to add our good works to the work of Christ on the cross: 'If we once allow the notion of human satisfaction to intrude itself in our construction of justification or sanctification then we have polluted the river the streams whereof make glad the city of God. And the gravest perversion that it entails is that it robs the Redeemer of the glory of his once-fo-all accomplishment.' What a disgrace it is upon the human race to ever try and add good works to Christ's work as though somehow the Holy God is insufficient.
Now it's your turn
Go over to http://www.challies.com/ and post your thoughts.
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