JESUS CHRIST:      The Foundation of our Faith      ATONEMENT        ATONEMENT is an unfamiliar word to many. What does it mean to us?      What did it mean to the Old Testament believers? How is atonement made      and what is it for?      We have received atonement through Jesus. Since Jesus Christ is the foundation      of our faith, we need to know what atonement is. Today, we will define the word      atonement and see where it is used in the New Testament.        Romans 5:10, 11           10 For if, when we were enemies, we were           reconciled [Greek: katallasso] to God by the death           of his Son, much more, being reconciled           [Greek: katallasso], we shall be saved by his life.           11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through           our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now           received the atonement. [Greek: katallage]        [For those who are into little study details, the following five paragraphs are provided.      For those who'd rather get to the point, skip to the bigger font size below.]        ATONEMENT is from the Greek word "katallage," which is only used four times      in the New Testament. [Romans 5:1; Romans 10:15; 2 Cor. 5:18; 2 Cor. 5:19].      Please keep in mind that the number four "...is emphatically the number of Creation;      of man in relation to the world as created.... It is the number of material completeness."      [excerpt from Bullinger's Number in Scripture]      ATONEMENT means to exchange; restoration to the divine favor; reconciliation.      A closely related word to "katallage" is "katallasso" to change mutually, i.e.      (figuratively) to compound a difference:--reconcile.      "Katalasso" is from the Greek word "allasso" which means to make different:      --change. That word is from the Greek word "allos."      Some of you may recognize this word as meaning another when more than one is involved.   By the blood of Jesus, we have received into manifestation, into fruition, complete atonement for our sins. Spiritually, we have been made completely different. We have been changed from one state into other different states. Jesus, the Lamb of God, who had sinless blood, exchanged himself for our sins, so we would be changed from death unto life, from unclean unto clean, from unrighteous unto righteous, from unholy unto holy, from unsanctified unto sanctified, from impure unto pure, from natural unto spiritual. He has reconciled us back unto God spiritually.        We could not do this for ourselves! No other man on earth could provide once and for all time      atonement for everyone forever. Jesus' blood and death on the cross, completely accomplished      our atonement and reconciliation back to God! All we did to accept what he accomplished was      confess him Lord and believe God raised him from the dead!      Thanks, dear Heavenly Father for the atonement for our sins,for the reconciliation unto You      and for changing us!      -Carol Kenreigh

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