Together - Daily DevotionalSample

Why we need atonement?

We said that atonement is necessary because we are not one with God but instead are “at odds” with Him. Isaiah clearly reveals this estrangement and its cause – iniquities. This separation is perhaps similar to oil and water – they cannot mix. Their very natures are so different that they cannot be “at one”. 

In Genesis 3 we read that Adam and Eve did not just disobey God, they chose to believe He did not have their best interests at heart and sought their own independence.  Whether you regard this as literally true or a poetic parable, the message is clear. Mankind’s determination to be independent from God and His ways led to a separation from God and exclusion from His presence as they were removed from the garden.  The story of the OT can then be seen as a series of attempts by God to reconcile mankind to Himself, especially through the Levitical priesthood and sacrificial system.  But mankind has resisted God’s ways even to the extent of imagining and worshipping false gods. No wonder there is a separation between God and man resulting in a gap that no one can bridge. No one that is, except the God-man Jesus!

Prayer: Thank You Jesus that You have bridged the gap of separation between God and me