The Rationale of the Atonement

We have already established, on solid historical grounds, that Jesus of Nazareth taught that His death on the cross has a unique relation to human salvation. Through that death, God receives into His favor, in spite of their past sins, all who believe the good news Christ proclaimed. Christ chose to die for this purpose, and the need for so costly a means of salvation arose from human sin. Paul drew from Christ's teaching the further conclusion that this necessity rested in the justice of God, and we have found that this conclusion best explains the teaching reflected throughout the New Testament. In the future, we shall consider historical evidence that the Crucified One claimed to be, in a sense shared by no other, the Son of God, the eternal companion of the Father's glory, the possessor of divine attributes, and the Creator and Judge of the world. And further, we shall consider historical evidence that this Savior of the world rose from the dead. Teaching about His own death, coming from such a Teacher and supported by such credentials, carries an authority we cannot dismiss. When our argument is complete, it will yield a settled conclusion to our theological inquiry.

Righteousness Through Faith

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, 'The one who is righteous will live by faith.'”  — Romans 1:16, 17 NRSV.   

We now turn, in our search for salvation, to the gospel Paul announces in Romans 1:16. What Paul means here is fairly clear: the good news proclaimed by Christ is the means by which God’s infinite power acts to rescue people — Jews and Gentiles alike — from both the guilt and the grip of sin, provided they believe that message.

Paul goes on to explain this by saying that in the gospel a righteousness of God is revealed — by faith and for faith. He supports this claim by pointing to an ancient prophecy, spoken in the face of looming disaster, which declares that the righteous person will live by faith. In other words, as the gospel is preached, a veil is lifted. Something previously hidden is now made visible: a righteousness that comes from God. This unveiling happens through faith and is meant to lead people into faith. Through it, God’s saving power is released for everyone who believes.