Why Atonement is Not Limited but Available to All - Essay Sample

Jesus Christ was known as the Messiah since he came to earth to save people from their sins and also ensure that they knew God and all his doings. Jesus was supposed to undergo a lot of objection from those who were not believers regardless of the kind deeds that were at his disposal. In short, Jesus came to carry out the process of atonement since the relationship between man and God had broken due to the many sins that were on earth. This means that the earth was full of both sinners and non-sinners. This idea can lead to a conclusion that atonement cannot be limited to anyone who believes in Jesus Christ.

This thesis statement can be backed up by basing all arguments on the research question that states, "In Phil. 1:20, when Paul writes that he "will not be ashamed" by his imprisonment for preaching the Gospel, is he alluding to the language of Isaiah's Suffering Servant who faced similar humiliation and persecution, and yet was confident that he would "not be put to shame"? The idea of atonement was supposed to be subjected to everyone even though there were others who did not believe in anything like that. God created everyone in his image, and therefore he could not discriminate anyone by being sinners or not (Bible, 2000). In that case, all those who believe in Jesus and those who do not are under the atonement that Jesus did while on earth.

Paul was among the servants of God who took a similar path to Jesus because he wanted to continue with the activity of atonement. Paul was imprisoned for preaching the word God but still believe that he would not feel ashamed of what he was doing was right (Bible, 1995). In the same way, Jesus Christ was crucified because he was preaching the word and also claimed he was God in the form a human being. The wrongdoers were ready to crucify him without even finding out the truth behind his statements (Bible, 2000). These acts are a clear indication that both the good and wrongdoers were under the atonement that Jesus came on earth to do.

Jesus Christ was confident that he would not be put to shame regardless of the fact that he was part of the sinners and non-sinners (Bible, 1995). The angels of God came to Mary and announced to her that she would give birth to a child who would save the world but would still be opposed by many. This was a statement made in preparation for the events that were going to take place in future. The honor that Jesus received in Jerusalem was similar to the shame that he got in Golgotha. Therefore, so long as one is a Christian, he or she is subjected to the blessings of God and the atonement that his people carried out during the time of Jesus.

In conclusion, it is evident that the issue of atonement is not only subjected to those who believe in Jesus but also those who are leading lives that are different from his. Paul was able to encounter the Roman conception that was in the form of honor and shame since he was preaching the word of God. The word was written for everyone regardless of the race, religion, gender or place of origin. In that case, all the positive and negative events that come with it are clear to everyone.

References

Bible, H. (1995). New American Standard Bible. Grand Rapids: World

Bible, H. (2000). King James Version. Texas: National Publishing Company.