Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Messiah Yeshua. Romans 8:1, TLV
The Cost. What was the cost for our salvation and adoption? Our atonement? It was so great of a cost. For a long time folks who don’t understand what atonement means, have substituted the word “saved” for atoned. Saved means many things. Yanking someone from the path of a speeding car is saving someone. Throwing a lifesaver to rescue a person from drowning is saving someone. Each of these examples there might be some risk for the “savior” but that’s not what atonement is.
What is atonement?
The Hebrew for atonement is Kippur — or to cover. To understand atonement is to go back to the foundation of our faith, the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). When the Creator of the Universe created Adam and Eve, He gave them free will. He gave the couple a beautiful garden, sweet fellowship with Him, and the choice to obey or not (Genesis 3). They chose the “not.” Which created a problem: sin was not acceptable to The Creator or in the Garden.
Atonement is a blood sacrifice that “covers” sin. Similar to the innocent beasts’ who were sacrificed to cover Adam and Eve’s naked bodies, atonement is a covering over our corrupted souls — our sin. Except, this is a very specific and complex blood sacrifice (Leviticus 16: 3-34; 23:26-32).
ADONAI Elohim [The LORD GOD] made Adam and his wife tunics of skin and He clothed them. (Genesis 3:21, TLV)
To this day, Yom Kippur [the Day of Atonement] is one of the holiest days of the Jewish calendar. Before Yeshua [Jesus] fulfilled the Torah (Matthew 5:17) for us, the Jewish people who accepted this complex sacrifice over them, were only “covered” for one year. Because Jesus is our eternal Kohen Gadol [High Priest], and His blood was placed on the Altar in heaven, we’re covered for eternity.
But when Messiah appeared as Kohen Gadol of the good things that have now come, passing through the greater and more perfect Tent not made with hands (that is to say not of this creation), He entered into the Holies once for all—not by the blood of goats and calves but by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. (Hebrews 9:11-12, TLV, Emphasis Mine)
When our Savior “saved” us, it wasn’t about a hand out. It was a purposeful, painful, and loving act of sacrifice of His life. Yes, we’re saved from the eternal punishment of sin and yes, He rescued us from a life that would ultimately destroy us. But, atoning for our sin means His blood covers us.
And nearly everything is purified in blood according to the Torah [the Law], and apart from the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. (Hebrews 9:22, TLV)
That means, when we stand before the throne of the Creator of the Universe, whose mere presence can evaporate the sinful, we stand covered in His only Son’s blood — His bloodied robe of righteous (Zechariah 3:1-4). The only acceptable sacrifice of the innocent blood of His Son — willingly given. So, as adopted, redeemed children, the Creator of the Universe becomes our Father, and when we offer up prayers or on that last day, the Father sees His Son’s righteousness covering us.
Being “saved” is so much more than “fire insurance” against damnation. We are atoned — covered — through great sacrifice.
So what? What difference does all this make? By understanding what our Savior did, what our Father did by sending His only Son (John 3:16), it’s much more difficult to not want to change. To make teshuvah — to turn from our sinful life, to change. Once I fully understand this, it’s difficult to not feel condemnation for putting Jesus through all this.
But, if I ponder too long on the ugliness of my sin and what Yeshua endured on my behalf, I miss out on the beauty of what He has given me. Adoption. Freedom. Connection.
Regret must never supersede gratitude. Gratitude protects us from condemnation.
Our Father knew what He was doing…
