Great Doctrines of the Bible—God the Father, God the Son/ Martyn Lloyd Jones

28. The Atonement 

The death of Jesus Christ was not an accident. Jesus came into the world in order to die. He told us that thing was planned in eternity (1 Peter 1:20) (Acts 2:23). He knew he was going to die, and He knew the exact time. 

There are some false theories pertaining to the death of our Lord: 

1. Ransom theory: Jesus was “paying a ransom price to the devil in order that He might liberate those who were held captive” (313). 

2. Anselm’s theory, the satisfaction or commercial theory: “when man sinned, the honour . . . of God had been wounded . . . So the teaching was that our Lord had come to pay tribute to the honour of God” (313).

3. The moral influence theory: “God forgives even without the cross, but the cross of the proof of God’s love” (314). 

4. The death of Christ is just an example: “we still have save ourselves and we save ourselves by imitating His examples” (314).

Great Doctrines of the Bible—God the Father, God the Son/ Martyn Lloyd Jones

27. Christ the Priest 

“The priest is one who represents us with God” (297). 

“For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people. And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was. So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, ‘You are my Son,/ today I have begotten you’” (Hebrews 5.1-5). 

We are told that “he must be taken from among men in order to be their representative,” “he is chosen and appointed by God,” “he is active in the interests of men in things pertaining to God,” and “he has to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins” (299). 

In addition, a priest must be holy (Leviticus 21:6-8). 

Jones continues, the “priest is essentially a mediator who does two main things. First, he propitiates by sacrifices; second, he intercedes on behalf of the people” (300). “The priest propitiates by making offerings and sacrifices” and offerings and sacrifices are “piacular” (301). 

Romans 3.23 虧缺上帝的榮耀

「因為世人都犯了罪，虧缺了上帝的榮耀」（羅馬書3:23）。

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 

上帝用祂的形象創造人，所以人理當要活出上帝的形象，就是要活得像上帝，如此才符合人的本性，因為人的本性是按照上帝的形象造的。但按照上帝的形象創造的這個人竟然犯罪，竟然做出了這個形象不應該做出的行為，並沒有榮耀上帝，人就大大損害上帝的榮耀。而虧損上帝榮耀的下場就是要被上帝毀滅，因為罪的工價乃是死。[註]

Romans 3.20 無法因行律法稱義

「所以凡有血氣的，沒有一個因行律法能在上帝面前稱義，因為律法本是叫人知罪」（羅馬書3:20）。

For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. 

律法，用現代的語言就是做道德、行公義。

全世界沒有一個人靠自己的道德實踐，可以站在上帝面前；全世界的人在上帝的審判台前都是站不住腳的，因為全世界的人都是罪人，都是不義的人。

當聖經講罪的時候，不是指得罪人，如果只是得罪人，我們會覺得沒什麼，我們會覺得人多多少少都會犯罪。聖經講罪的時候，是指「得罪上帝」。

全世界的人都是罪人，都得罪上帝，如經上所記，「沒有義人，連一個也沒有。沒有明白的；沒有尋求神的；都是偏離正路，一同變為無用。沒有行善的，連一個也沒有」（羅馬書3:10-12）。從律法的角度，從上帝的標準來看，我們是沒有希望的，我們的罪是非常嚴重的，我們無法靠著道德實踐，在上帝面前被稱義。［註］