Christ's Atonement: Reconciliation Through Divine Sacrifice

Devotional

Day 1: Christ’s Atonement Satisfies God’s Holiness

The atonement of Christ is the satisfaction of God’s demand for holiness by the substitution of Christ’s penal sufferings for the punishment of the guilty, reconciling and redeeming humanity. Sin separated us from God, making us enemies and unable to stand before His perfect holiness. Through Christ’s atoning sacrifice, we are brought back into peace with God, not by our own merit, but by the perfect and willing sacrifice of Jesus, who paid the penalty we deserved. This act of atonement is the only way we can be reconciled to God, and it is grounded in God’s holiness, which cannot overlook sin but must be satisfied. [03:15]

Hebrews 5:1 (ESV)
“For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.”

Reflection: In what ways do you try to earn God’s favor on your own, and how can you rest today in the truth that Christ’s atonement alone makes you right with God?

Day 2: God’s Holiness and Justice Demand a Perfect Sacrifice

God’s fundamental attribute is holiness—His affirmation and willing of His own infinite moral perfection and purity. Because God is perfectly holy, He cannot tolerate sin or imperfection, and His justice demands that sin be punished. The ground of atonement is the satisfaction of God’s holiness, and only a perfect sacrifice could meet this demand. Christ, the perfect image of God, lived a sinless life and died in our place, bearing the penalty for our sins so that God’s justice would be satisfied and we could be reconciled to Him. [13:30]

Isaiah 53:10 (ESV)
“Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.”

Reflection: Where do you see God’s holiness and justice at work in your life, and how does knowing Christ has satisfied these on your behalf change your view of God’s love?

Day 3: The Atonement Is Primarily About Satisfying God

The atonement of Christ is chiefly an objective work focused on God as the party who is wronged by sin. While we often think of the atonement as being about our salvation, its primary purpose is to satisfy God’s righteousness and justice, making us acceptable in His eyes. Christ’s sacrifice was made to propitiate God, to appease His holy wrath, and to reconcile Him to the sinner. Only through the shedding of Christ’s blood can God be both just and the justifier of those who have faith in Jesus. [23:55]

Romans 3:24-26 (ESV)
“…and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

Reflection: How does understanding that the atonement is first about God’s justice and not just your need for forgiveness affect the way you approach God in prayer and worship today?

Day 4: Christ’s Atonement Calls Us to Be Ambassadors of Reconciliation

The subjective side of the atonement focuses on man being reconciled to God by Christ and made new in Him. As believers, we are called to lay aside our hostility toward God, accept Christ’s atonement by faith, and become ambassadors who call others to be reconciled to God. True repentance is not just feeling sorry for sin, but a change of mind and heart that turns from self and sin to Christ. As ambassadors, we have the privilege and responsibility to point others to the reconciliation found in Jesus, starting in our families and extending to all our relationships. [37:20]

2 Corinthians 5:18-20 (ESV)
“All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”

Reflection: Who in your life needs to hear or see the message of reconciliation today, and how can you intentionally act as Christ’s ambassador to them?

Day 5: Christ’s Substitutionary Death Redeems and Transforms Us

Christ’s atonement is a work of redemption—He has bought us back and set us free from sin, darkness, and aimless living by His own blood. This redemption is costly, purchased not with silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, the spotless Lamb of God. Because we have been bought with such a price, we belong to Him, and our lives—body and soul—are to be lived for His glory. The church, every believer, is precious in God’s eyes because of this costly redemption, and we are called to live as those who truly belong to Christ. [54:50]

1 Peter 1:18-19 (ESV)
“…knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.”

Reflection: What is one practical way you can live today as someone who belongs to Christ, redeemed by His precious blood?

Sermon Summary

Tonight’s study focused on the profound reality of Christ’s atonement—what it means, why it was necessary, and how it transforms our relationship with God. As our High Priest, Christ stands as the mediator between God and humanity, offering himself as the perfect sacrifice to satisfy God’s demand for holiness. Sin separated us from God, making us enemies and rebels, but through Christ’s atonement, we are reconciled and brought into a relationship even more intimate than what Adam and Eve experienced in the garden. This reconciliation is not based on our own merit or works, but entirely on the finished work of Christ, who lived a perfect life and died a substitutionary death on our behalf.

God’s fundamental attribute is holiness, and his justice demands that sin be punished. The atonement is grounded in this holiness—God cannot simply overlook sin or show favoritism. Instead, Christ’s sacrifice satisfies the demands of justice, allowing God to remain just while justifying those who have faith in Jesus. The atonement is primarily an objective work, focused on God as the one who has been wronged by sin. It is only secondarily about us, as the atonement transforms and reconciles us to God.

The atonement is both expiatory and propitiatory: it removes our guilt and appeases God’s wrath, so that we are no longer seen as enemies but as beloved children. This work is accomplished through Christ’s substitution—he bore the penalty we deserved, fulfilling both the passive (suffering and death) and active (perfect obedience) requirements of the law. Because of this, we are not only forgiven but also credited with Christ’s righteousness, making us heirs of eternal life.

Redemption is at the heart of the atonement. Christ has bought us back from slavery to sin, darkness, and aimless living, not with perishable things but with his own precious blood. This costly redemption means we belong to him, and our lives are to be lived in grateful response to his love. The incarnation is essential: only as the God-man could Christ justly bear our guilt and exhaust the penalty for sin, making us pleasing to God.

As recipients of such grace, we are called to be ambassadors of reconciliation—living redemptively, seeking to restore relationships, and pointing others to the hope found in Christ’s atoning work.

---

Key Takeaways

1. The Atonement Satisfies God’s Holiness and Justice God’s holiness is the foundation of his character, and his justice demands that sin be punished. The atonement is not merely about our forgiveness, but about God’s own righteousness being upheld. Christ’s sacrifice satisfies the demands of God’s holiness, allowing him to remain just while justifying sinners who trust in Jesus. [13:30]
2. Christ’s Work is Objective and Focused on God First The primary effect of the atonement is on God, not on us. It is an objective, accomplished work that satisfies God’s righteous anger against sin. Only secondarily does it transform us, reconciling us to God and making us new. This perspective humbles us and shifts our focus from self to the glory of God. [19:20]
3. Substitution and the Depth of Divine Love Christ’s atonement is substitutionary—he bore the penalty we deserved, fulfilling both the demands of justice and the outpouring of divine love. This is not a mere legal transaction, but the voluntary self-giving of God himself, who in Christ bore our punishment so that we might receive mercy. The cross is where justice and mercy meet, and where we see the depth of God’s love for us. [39:32]
4. Active and Passive Obedience: Our Security in Christ Christ’s atonement includes both his passive obedience (suffering and death) and his active obedience (perfectly fulfilling the law). Because of this, we are not only forgiven but also credited with Christ’s own righteousness. Our standing before God is secure—not because of our performance, but because of Christ’s perfect work, which can never fail. [45:11]
5. Redemption and Belonging: Living as the Redeemed Redemption means being bought back and set free at great cost—the precious blood of Christ. We are no longer our own, but belong to him. This truth calls us to live in grateful obedience, loving the church, seeking reconciliation, and offering ourselves fully to God, knowing that our value and identity are rooted in Christ’s costly love. [54:50]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:16] - Christ as High Priest and the Nature of Atonement
[03:15] - Definition and Meaning of Atonement
[06:05] - The Problem of Sin and the Role of the Priest
[07:50] - Why Christ Came to Suffer
[09:23] - God’s Holiness as His Fundamental Attribute
[12:11] - The Ground of Atonement: Satisfying God’s Holiness
[13:30] - The Demands of Holiness and the Necessity of Death
[15:26] - Righteousness and Justice: The Foundation of God’s Throne
[17:32] - The Objective Focus of the Atonement
[19:20] - Propitiation and Reconciliation Explained
[23:00] - God’s Justice and the Shedding of Blood
[26:18] - Expiation vs. Propitiation
[29:16] - Christ as the Merciful and Faithful High Priest
[31:53] - Living Redemptively: Reconciling Others
[32:55] - The Subjective Side: Man Reconciled to God
[36:10] - Ambassadors of Reconciliation
[38:20] - Being Salt and Light in Relationships
[39:32] - Substitutionary and Vicarious Atonement
[41:40] - The Fulfillment of Justice and Mercy in Christ
[44:18] - Passive and Active Obedience of Christ
[47:32] - The Blessings of Christ’s Righteousness
[50:33] - Resting in Christ’s Perfect Work
[51:52] - Redemption: Bought Back and Set Free
[54:50] - The Costliness of Redemption
[56:05] - Loving the Church as the Redeemed
[59:06] - The Incarnation and the Justice of Substitution
[62:13] - Christ Bears Our Guilt and Makes Us Righteous

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: The Atonement of Christ

---

Bible Reading

Romans 3:23-26

_“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”_

2 Corinthians 5:18-21

_“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”_

1 Peter 1:18-19

_“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.”_

---

Observation Questions

According to Romans 3:25, what does it mean that God presented Christ as a “sacrifice of atonement” and how is this received?
In 2 Corinthians 5:18-19, what is the “ministry of reconciliation” that God has given to believers?
What does 1 Peter 1:18-19 say about the cost of our redemption, and how does it contrast with other things that might be considered valuable?
The sermon said, “Sin separated us from God, making us enemies and rebels, but through Christ’s atonement, we are reconciled and brought into a relationship even more intimate than what Adam and Eve experienced in the garden.” What does this mean for our relationship with God now? [[04:45]]

---

Interpretation Questions

The sermon emphasized that the atonement is first about satisfying God’s holiness and justice, not just about our forgiveness. Why is it important to understand the atonement as primarily focused on God’s character? [[13:30]]
Romans 3:26 says God is “just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.” How does Christ’s atonement allow God to be both just and merciful at the same time? [[23:00]]
The sermon described Christ’s atonement as both “expiatory” (removing guilt) and “propitiatory” (appeasing wrath). How do these two aspects help us understand what Jesus accomplished on the cross? [[26:18]]
In 2 Corinthians 5:20, Paul calls believers “ambassadors for Christ.” What does it look like in practical terms to live as an ambassador of reconciliation? [[36:10]]

---

Application Questions

The sermon said, “Our standing before God is secure—not because of our performance, but because of Christ’s perfect work, which can never fail.” Are there areas in your life where you still try to earn God’s favor? How can you rest more fully in Christ’s finished work this week? [[50:33]]
Christ’s atonement means we are “no longer our own, but belong to him.” What is one area of your life where you struggle to live as someone who belongs to Christ? What would it look like to surrender that area to him? [[54:50]]
The sermon challenged us to “live redemptively, seeking to restore relationships, and pointing others to the hope found in Christ’s atoning work.” Is there a relationship in your life that needs reconciliation? What is one step you could take toward healing or forgiveness? [[31:53]]
The atonement is described as both a costly redemption and a gift of grace. How does remembering the cost of your redemption affect your gratitude and daily choices? [[54:50]]
The sermon said, “We are called to be ambassadors of reconciliation.” Who in your life might God be calling you to reach out to with the message of reconciliation? How can you practically do that this month? [[36:10]]
Christ’s active and passive obedience means we are credited with his righteousness. How does this truth impact the way you view your failures or struggles with sin? [[45:11]]
The sermon mentioned that “trusting in Christ, you are pleasing to God.” When you struggle with guilt or shame, what helps you remember your identity in Christ? [[01:02:13]]

---

Sermon Clips

Christ bore the wrath of God so we could receive the favor of God. That's the wonderful mercy of God. So verse 25, whom God set forth as a propitiation, an appeasement, rendering you acceptable by his blood. How was that propitiation possible? By his blood. Through faith. It's given to us through faith. Through appropriating what Christ did on the cross. [00:27:06] (33 seconds)

The same God who, in virtue of his holiness, must punish sin is also a God of love, that's first blank, and mercy. In virtue of his love, he himself bears the punishment of human sin. Because he is love, he pays the price as our substitute. This substitution is unknown to mere law, and above and beyond the powers of law. It's not a function of law. It is an operation of grace. [00:39:07] (34 seconds)

Grace, however, does not violate or suspend law, but takes it up to itself and fulfills it. In grace, God can forgive us of our sins, because Christ did not ignore the law. He didn't go around the law. He didn't find a loophole. Christ took the law, and he fulfilled the law, perfectly obeying it. [00:40:01] (26 seconds)

Trust that in Christ, you are pleasing to God. When you look in the mirror, it's hard for you to say sometimes, I am pleasing to God, because we see our sin, right? We see our shame. We know what we're thinking. We know what we have done. We know our failures. We know our shortcomings. But trust that in Christ, you are pleasing to God, because Christ is pleasing, and he has taken your sin, and on him was laid your iniquity. [01:03:21] (33 seconds)

Since the objective atonement of Christ is an accomplished fact, believers are to be ambassadors to call sinners to lay aside their hostility to God, and accept Christ's atonement by faith. This is true repentance. This is true repentance and belief. We often think about repentance as feeling sorry for our sins, but it's more than that. It's a change of mind, a change of heart about God. [00:33:52] (28 seconds)

Romans 5 .8 -11, but God demonstrates his own love toward us, and that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us, much more than having now been justified, declared right by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him, because he bore God's wrath. For when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his son. The death of his son propitiated God, made us no longer his enemies, but now his own children. [00:42:14] (31 seconds)

The act of obedience of Christ is all that Christ did to perfectly observe and fulfill, fulfills the third blank, the law on our behalf, to provide us with the righteousness and merit of eternal life. If Christ's obedience was just passive, if he was just paying our price, we'd be right back to the garden, right? Before Adam fell. Our sins would be forgiven, but we would not have the high exalted blessings that we have because of his active obedience. [00:45:25] (40 seconds)

Rather than God walking beside us, now God is in us and we are in Christ Jesus. We have the blessing of inheriting God himself. The act of obedience of Christ was necessary to make his passive obedience acceptable with God as a perfect sacrifice for us and to make us heirs, heirs is the fourth blank, of eternal life. We're heirs of God in Christ Jesus. [00:46:18] (32 seconds)

Christ has freed us from our sins because he has washed us from our sins in his own blood. Isn't that amazing? Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law. And we see this referenced in Galatians chapter 3, verse 13. Let me read that to you. It says, Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, meaning he's purchased us, he has set us free, having become a curse for us. [00:52:44] (31 seconds)