Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20060108.htm

UNDERSTANDING GOD'S WORK AT THE CROSS OF JESUS CHRIST
Part I: Understanding Key Terms Relative To The Work Of Christ On The Cross
  1. Introduction
    1. Dr. John F. Walvoord wrote in his book, Jesus Christ Our Lord: "No event . . . compares with the . . . significance of the death of Christ on the cross. Other important undertakings of God such as the creation of the world, the incarnation of Christ, His resurrection, the second coming, and the creation of the new heavens and the new earth become meaningless if Christ did not die." (p. 153)
    2. However, many believers are ignorant of even basic truths relative to that work; words like expiation, justification, propitiation, remission, sanctification and redemption many can just not adequately explain.
    3. We thus begin a study of the work of Christ on the cross by focusing on a brief glossary (in alphabetic order) of terms from Walvoord's work, p. 154-157 so we can start to understand the cross of Jesus Christ:
  2. Understanding Key Terms Relative To The Work Of Christ On The Cross.
    1. Atonement - This word actually appears only in the Old Testament and in a mistranslation of Romans 5:11 KJV [where it should read "reconciliation"], Ibid., p. 154; Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978 ed., ftn. to Rom. 5:11. The Old Testament use meant "to cover" or "put out of sight". The word, "atonement" is now is used by conservative theologians to stand for the total work of Christ's death on the cross!
    2. Expiation - This word is not in the Bible, but means "the act of bearing a penalty for sin," Ibid., Walvoord.
    3. Forgiveness - When used of God, forgiveness is "an act of God in which charges against a sinner are removed on the ground of proper satisfaction" of the righteous standard of God, Ibid. (Colossians 1:14)
    4. Guilt - Biblically, guilt "represents any just charge against a sinner for any kind of sin or transgression" though this term is popularly used by men to refer to a mere violation of a "moral law," Ibid., p. 155.
    5. Justice - Coming from the Latin word "justus, justice . . . [is] a strict rendering of what is due in the form of either merited reward or punishment."
    6. Justification - When used of the cross of Christ, justification "is the judicial act of God declaring one to be righteous by imputation of righteousness to him. It is judicial not experiential, and all believers in Christ are equally justified." (Ibid.) (Romans 3:20-24)
    7. Forensic - When we say that Christ's suffering was "forensic," we mean it is "representative and infinite in value and sufficient to pay the penalty for the sins of the whole world." (Ibid.) (1 John 2:2)
    8. Penalty - The penalty of sin laid upon Christ at the cross "represents the natural and judicial results of sin which end in suffering either in the form of retribution or chastening." (Ibid.) (Isaiah 53:6)
    9. Propitiation - As used of the work of Christ, this means the "satisfaction of all God's righteous demands for judgment on the sinner by the redemptive act of the death of Christ." (Ibid.) (1 John 4:10)
    10. Ransom - Used of the cross, this is "the price paid by Christ to God in providing propitiation," the price paid to satisfy God's righteous demands of judgment on the sinner. (Mark 10:45; Isaiah 53:11; 52:15)
    11. Reconciliation - Relative to the cross, this is "the application of the death of Christ to the individual by the power of the Spirit changing his status from that of condemnation to complete acceptability to God," elevating him "to God's level morally", Ibid., p. 155-156. (Romans 5:10)
    12. Redemption - This term refers to "the payment of the price demanded by a holy God for the deliverance of the believer from the bondage and burden of sin. This payment results in the sinner being set free from his condemnation and slavery to sin." (Ibid., p. 156) (Romans 3:24)
    13. Remission - This word comes "from a Latin word meaning to send back'" and "means a sending away' of sin in the sense of forgiveness, pardon and freedom from punishment that is due." (Ibid.) (Rom. 3:25)
    14. Righteousness - Simply put, this term means to conformity to God's moral standard, Ibid. (Romans 3:21)
    15. Sanctification - This term means to set apart for holy use, and has wide applications! (Ibid.) "It may be positional, referring to the Christian's position in Christ [as in Hebrews 10:10]; experiential, resulting from the power of the Holy Spirit in the life of a Christian [as in Romans 12:1]; or ultimate, speaking of the complete perfection of the believer in heaven [as in Ephesians 4:1]." (Ibid., brackets ours)
    16. Satisfaction - Used in reference to the death of Christ, this word means the same as "propitiation," Ibid.
    17. Substitution - This word used of Christ's work on the cross pictures "the death of Christ on behalf of the sinner (John 1:29)." (Ibid.)
    18. Vicarious - This word means the same thing as "substitution" above when used of Christ's cross, Ibid.