God and Atonement

The difference between a saved person and an unsaved person is Jesus rose from the dead. 

The saved person knows that Jesus not only died, but also rose from the dead. The Old Testament saint hoped for it. The unsaved person does not believe it.

The crux is that God had to be satisfied which is why there must be atonement:

kâphar כּפר  kaw-far'

A primitive root; to cover (specifically with bitumen); figuratively to expiate or condone, to placate or cancel: - appease, make (an) atonement, cleanse, disannul, forgive, be merciful, pacify, pardon, to pitch, purge (away), put off, (make) reconcile (-liation).

To say that the unsaved person must pay for his sins is wrong because we all know that we cannot. There is nothing that we can do that will pay for our sins. Burning in Hell does not pay for our sins. It is punishment for not believing God, but it does not pay for the sins because only a perfect sacrifice would atone, satisfy, appease the perfect and holy God Almighty. Jesus was the only perfect human and willing sacrifice.

That takes care of the first part of the requirement which is payment of the debt of sin’s wages. 

The second part, victory over death, was achieved when God raised Jesus from the dead. Only then could the Old Testament saints rise from the dead and walk about Jerusalem (Matthew 27:52-53), only then was the Door to Heaven created so that all who believe in Jesus may enter into God’s holy presence.

Jesus bought the whole world’s debt. There are too many verses that state this. Buying the ticket does not automatically put a person inside the gates of Disneyland. A person must use the ticket. A person must believe the ticket is good in order to use the ticket. Chapter 11 of Hebrews indicates numerous people who used their ticket.

Abel used his ticket and offered a better sacrifice than Cain. Enoch used his ticket by living a life that was pleasing to God so that he was translated by God. Abraham used his ticket by obeying God’s command to go, and he went.

I used my ticket by declaring before God and my whole church that I believed Him. I believed that He sent His only Son to die on the cross to pay for my sins and that God raised Him from the dead on the third day; and I know that He shall one day raise me from the physical death to be with Him forevermore.

Just because you have a ticket does not mean that you will take the trip. You must first believe the ticket is real, believe that it will do what it is meant to do and then you must use the ticket.