Understanding Your Religion
7 Major Doctrines that Define Christianity
God's Method of Reconciliation (continued)
The Sub-Doctrine of Atonement - Part 2
Estrategia pedagógica
This lesson is a continuation of God’s Method of Reconciliation. Of special note in this lesson is the language the Bible uses to describe Jesus’ act of atonement.
Resultados del aprendizaje de los estudiantes
- Know: Understand how Christ’s sacrifice satisfies the requirements of God’s justice and love.
- Feel: Appreciate the love God has for us.
- Do: Seek to live faithfully to God’s will.
Cuerpo de la lección
Preguntas de discusión
A continuación se sugieren preguntas para utilizar durante la parte de debate guiado de la lección. También se sugieren respuestas a las preguntas para ayudar a los alumnos a comprender los distintos conceptos. Se proporcionan para ayudar al debate y no se consideran respuestas "correctas o incorrectas".
The intent of this question is to help students understand the meaning of atonement. Look for expressions commonly used. As a follow-up question, ask students to explain in their own words what the term or expression they used means to them.
Common expressions are: payment for the debt of sin, satisfying God's justice, sacrifice of Jesus for our sins, freedom from sin.
There are many emotions one can express. For example, mercy, grace, pity or forgiveness, but the core emotion is love. As a follow-up question, ask how other emotions involved with our forgiveness have love as a foundation.
In reality, there is nothing we can add. We might want to but Jesus paid the full price (I Peter 2:24). This gets to the heart of Paul's words in Ephesians 2:8, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God." We cannot earn any part of our salvation. We can only respond to God's grace through our faith.
- Belief – We believe who Jesus is and what God has done through Him.
- Repentance – We resolve to put sin away from our lives.
- Confession – We acknowledge Jesus as the Lord and Christ.
- Baptism – By being immersed in water we express our faith in Jesus.
- Faithfulness – We strive to live by the teachings of Jesus.
The basic responses expressing our faith are believe, repent, confess, be baptized and live faithfully. Of these, the only one needing to occur once is baptism. Baptism brings us into contact with the blood of Christ through which we find salvation.
We stand before God guilty and helpless. We cannot do anything to earn our salvation. Because of God's love for us, He offered a suitable sacrifice for our sins. This was Jesus, His Son. God requires of us that we demonstrate our acceptance of His grace (gift) by our active faith beginning with our belief, repentance and baptism. We then live faithfully according to the teachings of Jesus.