21 Nov December 14th Daily Devotion

A SERIES OF DEVOTIONS BASED ON PAUL’S LETTER TO THE  CHURCH AT PHILIPPI

VICARIOUS ATONEMENT  

Philippians 2:5-8 “Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage; rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!”

Theologians teach about the vicarious atonement of Jesus Christ.  It helps to break this teaching into the two words, understanding each one separately in order to understand them together.  Vicarious means one individual assuming the burden of another.  The word atonement comes from the word atone.  Atone means to make payment or to make amends.

When theologians write about or discuss the vicarious atonement, they are referring to what Jesus did on Calvary’s cross for sinners.  On the cross Jesus assumed all of the sins of all people for all time, took them upon Himself, claimed them as His own in their place.  Taking all of these sins, He then suffered and died to pay the debt to God He demanded for these sins keeping in mind the words of Romans 6:23, “the wages of sin is death.”

So, the doctrine of Christian teaching of the Vicarious Atonement of Jesus is the Good News message of the Gospel that God sent His Son Jesus into the world to vicariously (in the place of sinners) make atonement (make payment) for their sins.

What an awesome sacrifice Jesus made for you, a sinner.  He, as today’s devotional verse says, gave up heaven, though remaining God He took upon Himself a human nature (became a human being), and did for you and all human beings what we cannot do for ourselves.  Through His sinless life while on earth He met God’s requirement that God’s Law must be fully and completely and perfectly obeyed.  Never once did Jesus sin.  Having kept God’s Law, He then took upon Himself all of your sins and the sins of all people, made them His own and paid the debt these sins had accumulated. He paid for them with His death on the cross of Calvary.

God the Father accepted His sacrifice as full and complete payment for your sins and all sins.  And, the gospel says, “whoever believes in Him,” namely Jesus, God forgives the debt of their sins and gives them Jesus’ sinlessness.  Therefore, the gospel says, “. . . if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!  All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ.” (2 Corinthians 5:17-18) Whoever believes in Jesus shall be saved. (John 3:16)

Briefly, this is the Doctrine of the Vicarious Atonement of Jesus.  Praise and thanks to Him for giving you His sinlessness making it your own.

Prayer:  Thank You Jesus for giving Your life in my place, paying the debt of my sins, and freeing me to live forever.  Amen.

Thanks to Thee, O Christ, victorious!

Thanks to  Thee, O Lord of life!

Death hath now no power o’er us,

Thou has conquered in the strife.

Thanks because Thou didst arise

And hast opened paradise!

None can fully sing the glory

Of the resurrection story.

Thou has died for my transgression,

All my sins on Thee were laid;

Thou has won for me salvation;

On the cross my debt was paid.

From the grave I shall arise

And shall meet Thee in the skies.

Death itself is transitory;

I shall lift my head in glory.

For the joy Thine advent gave me,

For Thy holy precious Word;

For Thy Baptism, which doth save me,

For Thy blest Communion board;

For Thy death, the bitter scorn,

For Thy resurrection morn,

Lord, I thank Thee and extol Thee,

And in heav’n I shall behold Thee.

(LSB 548)