“For where there is a covenant, it is necessary to bring in the death of the one getting covenanted, for a covenant is confirmed over the dead, since it is not availing at any time when the one getting covenanted is living” (Hebrews 9:16-17). Why is that? Well, for the elegantly simple reason that until and unless the innocent covenant victim (“the one getting covenanted”) is unjustly slain, God’s just judgment cannot kick in to fulfill the otherwise empty promise that was covenanted—in this case, namely, THE INHERITANCE OF THE AGELONG ALLOTMENT OF GOD’S ROYAL ESTATE, i.e., HIS KINGDOM AS A REWARD! So not until the Lamb of God died (thus, in effect, losing out on God’s personally covenanted and vouchsafed (by oaths!) promises to him, could God be roused to overcome the humanly irreparable loss by exerting His recreative power to…PUT “HUMPTY DUMPTY” BACK TOGETHER AGAIN. The wrongful slaying of the innocent Lamb was the necessary occasion for God to act to fulfill His oath and promises and thereby display the full MIGHT OF HIS RIGHTEOUS POWER. And if we suppose this to be unnecessary for His own name’s or reputation’s sake, then we are forgetting our human need for such proof in order to start to grasp the worth and value of the salvation being offered and thereby start to loosen our grasp on unworthy substitutes. Such a demonstration has SHOCK VALUE! Sullied, jaded, and distracted as we all are, WE NEED THIS! [11/12/07]
If the blood of the sacrifices always signified the living soul of the resurrected Jesus, then we might conclude that the soul of Jesus REALLY GETS AROUND! AND THAT WOULD BE CORRECT. Wherever his Holy Spirit shows up, you find the soul of Jesus, as it were. That is, you find his “personal presence,” “personality,” or “character.” [11/13/07]
God “IMPUTES” RIGHTEOUSNESS to us not because we are righteous, but because we are going to be. How can He possibly do this and still be righteous Himself (an old question raised to increased prominence by the Protestant Reformation)? He can do this—He can declare sinners (“the guilty”) as “righteous” IF THEY HAVE FAITH IN MESSIAH JESUS—BECAUSE FAITH IS THE OPEN CHANNEL FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT TO ENTER AND WALK US INTO AN AUTHENTIC, EMPIRICAL, VISIBLE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOOD ACTIONS THAT FAR, FAR EXCEEDS THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES OF OLD (a virtue which Jesus seems to assume would be visible to ordinary observers! [4/06/16]). FAITH OPENS THE DOOR FOR GOD’S VERY OWN SPIRIT TO MAKE US ACTUALLY RIGHTEOUS AS SONS OF GOD, FOR THIS IS GOD’S EXACT GOAL FOR EVERY ONE OF US DURING OUR SOJOURN ON THIS EARTH IN THIS CURRENT VICIOUS AGE, WHERE TO DO GOOD AND RIGHTEOUS ACTS IS TO STAND OUT AND INVITE SCORN, ENVY, RIDICULE, NOT TO ADD OUTRIGHT HATRED FOR MAKING OTHERS LOOK BAD BY COMPARISON. THE APOSTLE PAUL SAYS WE LIVE IN “EXPECTATION OF RIGHTEOUSNESS” (Galatians 5:5), WHICH MEANS TO HAVE FAITH IS ONLY A BARE START, QUITE LITERALLY, BUT THE RIGHT START, SINCE FAITH (TO ACCORD WITH GOD’S GRACIOUSNESS) IS NOT A WORK OR ACTIVITY AT ALL—IT IS NAKED OF ACTS, BUT YET IT IS THE ONLY—ABSOLUTELY ONLY WAY TO START PRODUCING THE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT, WHICH CONSTITUTE “OUR” “RIGHTEOUSNESS FROM JEHOVAH”! AND WE DIDN’T GET THIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, THIS SPIRIT OF WHOLESOMENESS, WHICH IS THE SPIRIT OF JEHOVAH BY WORKS OF THE TORAH (circumcision, Sabbath keeping, food regulations), BUT BY FAITH ALONE. (In the following passages, I specify the most pertinent verses within the larger running contexts that are germane to the above topic: I Corinthians 1:30-31, Galatians 2:21-, 3:6-14-21-26-29, 4:6-19-29-, 5:5-16-18-25-, 6:8-15-16, 2 Corinthians 3:1-6-8-9-17-18-, 4:7-11-16-, 5:4-5-21-, 6:6-14, 7:1, 9:8-10, Ephesians 4:23-24, 5:9, Philippians 1:11, 3:9-16, 1 Timothy 3:16, 1 John 1:9, 2:1, 29, 3:7, 10, 12, 4:11-13, 5:3-4, 1 Peter 2:24, 3:14, 2 Peter 1:1-, 2:20-21, 3:13) [11/13/17]
The Premial Atonement 