Lesson 1 Day 1 - God's Nature and the Atonement

Now we begin the study of the atonement and the Cross of Jesus Christ. Our scripture explicitly points to God's Sovereignty. The text centers this weeks lesson and also captures the important point that the atonement of Christ comes about due to God's wishes. It is God's decision and not ours that has made the way for our salvation. In addition, it is God's nature that opens the way for so great a salvation.

God's Nature is Central to the Discussion

I believe that this is an important beginning point in that faulty understandings of God can lead to faulty side doctrines. For example, the idea of three persons but one God which is a community of equal persons that have voluntarily taken roles is a totally different idea than that of the One with subordinate beings. This will affect our understanding of what community means and how we are to live. It turns the pastor from one who serves to one who is served. The fact that Jesus is equal with God as Philippians 2:6 and Hebrews 1 reminds us tells us explicitly that God not only sent God's son to die, but God, in Jesus Christ, came himself.

How we see God affects how we understand ourselves and our mission, thus I think it is right to begin with this important subject, namely, what is in the nature of God that affects this idea of the Cross and the Atonement? We will answer this question over the course of this week.