5. The Lumen Christi Theory
The previous chapter’s depiction of atonement logic looks like a solution to a maths problem. So, as one might expect, theologians do not often use this tool. However, informal logic, to use the name for the study of reasoned arguments, helps verify the reasoning, which is sorely needed in soteriology. But since critical reasoning is unfamiliar to many people, this chapter will replace the logic expressions of the previous chapter with a plain English account of the model but without repeating the incidental details.
The need for atonement has come about because of evil. The problem of evil from God’s perspective is not the philosophers’ abstract problem of evil (how can God be both good and omnipotent and allow suffering and evil in the world). To God, the problem is how to save humanity before he eliminates evil. Besides, as Gregory Boyd has pointed out, the classical-philosophical tradition renders the problem of evil in a way that is unsolvable (Boyd, 1997. p. 43). The responsibility for evil acts rests with the human or demonic perpetrators. Yet the philosophers criticise God for his patient endurance of these acts of evil while he saves his children (2 Pet 3:9). The notion that God is meticulously controlling every detail of what happens in creation does not necessarily follow from the doctrine of the sovereignty of God in spite of the many worship songs and hymns to the contrary. It flies in the face of the goodness of God in ordaining freedom to created beings.
God’s problem with evil motivates his plan for atonement, not God’s sovereignty or honour or justice, none of which were ever in doubt. Nor was Christ’s obedience to the Father’s will in any doubt even though as events turned out, Jesus had to submit to crucifixion.
Atonement is an ongoing work of God. Jesus did not complete it 2,000 years ago on the cross. J. I. Packer (1974, p. 43) said of the penal substitution model, “according to this model, the cross achieved – and achieves” the salvation of God’s people. But how could Christ’s death save anyone? The world is far from perfect and even God’s people on earth are still sinful although, hopefully, improving in their Christlikeness. Christians believe Jesus has forgiven their sins and given them eternal life and they look forward to a physical resurrection to righteousness after they leave this world. Atonement is a work in progress but God’s involvement guarantees the success of the outcome. So, how does God do this? What is the mechanism of atonement? Or are there many mechanisms?
God proclaimed an everlasting covenant with all people who would receive it. The covenant of God goes back to the time of Adam (Hos 6:7), which implies the covenant expresses God’s intention in creation. When the Lord established his covenant with Noah (Gen 6:18), God applied the covenant he made from the beginning. The promise never to flood the earth again resulted from God’s covenant. Nor should Christians reduce God’s over-arching covenant to a compilation of the promises to Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and David. God’s covenant is behind all of his promises and is the driving force for atonement. But to be clear, Scripture uses the word “covenant” metaphorically and not as a literal legal contract or pledge.
God promised to be God to his people. This commitment to humanity impels God to save them from sin and death. Atonement entails more than giving mortals eternal life. It also includes giving them new bodies after they die, bringing them into the community of God’s people and renewing the planet as a safe place to live. We speak of earthquakes and natural disasters as “acts of God”, but evil is never an act of God. The kingdom of darkness blames God for its actions. From a human point of view, we may see catastrophes as “judgements of God” because of the guilt of human sin. The future end-time judgement of the Lord will remove all evil and sin as part of his work of atonement.
God created people with their own free will to freely flow with the Spirit. Even so, their choices and fall into sin was predictable, especially to an omniscient being. Note that prediction is different from determinism. In spite of human sin, God acted through Christ to reconcile all things (Col 1:20). God removes the sins of his people to fulfil his covenant (Rom 11:27). The Son of God entered creation by taking human form (Phil 2:7). Jesus prophesied that he would die to save many − those who believe in him (Mark 10:45). Eternal life is an attribute of Christ because of his divinity and righteousness. Eternal life is the gift of Jesus received by those who believe in him. “Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life” (John 6:47). Since Jesus said this before his execution, it suggests Jesus’ violent death on the cross was not a prerequisite for salvation.
Evil pervades, not just human behaviour, but the cosmos, every dimension of God’s creation – the physical, social, spiritual, psychological, political, and more. Climate change, hurricanes, earthquakes and volcanoes evidence the disorder in nature. Jesus taught his disciples to pray for God’s will to be done on earth because God’s will is often not done (Matt 6:10). These prayers are not restricted to the fallout from human behavioural sins but include the tragedies of a world gone astray. Prayers for God to remove evil are not always successful in a rebellious world. Sin has reigned in death ever since Adam and Eve (Rom 5:21). Jesus, however, is a sinless human being who has access to God. The Proverb, “By loyalty and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for” (Prov 16:6a), applies to Christ. He mediates atonement in every facet of creation. God uses different and appropriate means to accomplish atonement in each dimension of creation. Consequently, atonement is multifaceted, but not a kaleidoscope of inconsistent theories. Christ atones for each and every facet of creation; here are six.
1. Human society – Christ repairs damaged interpersonal relationships;
2. Religion – Christ restores communion with God;
3. Moral order – Christ establishes righteousness and justice;
4. Liberty – Christ frees us from slavery to sin;
5. Spirituality – Christ restores holiness;
6. Physical creation – Christ will renew the world.
There are other facets, such as political leadership, aesthetics and economics, but the above six suffice to show that Christ meets humanity’s diverse needs. Satan’s kingdom is at war with God’s kingdom in regards to all of these facets of creation. The claims that Satan is the ruler of the world and that humanity is enslaved to him are enemy propaganda. Jesus was not moved by the devil’s lies and temptations.
The Son of God took on human form to save humanity. But God’s presence in the world threatened the powers of darkness because God aims to destroy all evil. Jesus’ humanity presented the devil with an opportunity to thwart God’s plan. Satan may have reasoned that God, because of his covenant, would not destroy his people, and if Christ failed in saving them, Satan could continue to rule the world.
The devil fought for his kingdom of darkness and attacked Jesus throughout his life on earth. Herod tried to kill Jesus as a baby (Matt 2:7-18) and Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness at the start of his ministry (Matt 4:1-11). If Jesus succumbed to the trials and temptations of Satan, he would have departed from God’s plan, with dire implications for humanity. Satan did not need to entice Jesus to immorality. The devil only needed to get Jesus to deviate from God’s path to atonement. The next chapter discusses the temptations of Christ in more detail.
In the Garden of Gethsemane before his arrest, Jesus committed himself in prayer to doing the Father’s will (Matt 26:39). This does not imply God desired his Son’s crucifixion. Such a conclusion would not be in keeping with what Jesus taught about God’s character. Jesus knew from Scripture that God revealed his will in the words of the covenant. The Godhead from the beginning planned to create a people to be in communion with their God.
Satan used the fear of death, and not just any death, crucifixion. God the Father did not seek Christ’s death on the cross. Jesus’ own disciples tried to fight to prevent his arrest. Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Matt 26:52b). Then Jesus said, “Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matt 26:53). This does not sound like someone forsaken by God. The ultimate source of those temptations was the devil. In all likelihood, Satan mocked Jesus with “Even your disciples do not understand and have deserted you.” The Jews, God’s own people rejected their Messiah. Satan, no doubt, reminded Jesus that Scripture says “anyone hung on a tree is under God’s curse” (Deut 21:23b). The devil, the Prince of Darkness, displayed his power on earth by bringing darkness over the land.
God did not require Jesus’ crucifixion for reconciliation with his people. The crucifixion was Satan’s desperate final attempt to get Jesus to abandon his mission to save God’s people. If Satan and his followers had left Jesus alone, God would have saved humanity without the cross. Jesus would probably have amassed a huge following, died of old age, rose from the dead and sent the Holy Spirit to live in God’s people. Of course, no one, including God, expected Satan to allow that to happen, hence the Old Testament prophecies predicted a grizzly end for the Messiah (Ps 22, Isa 53:5).
Christ saw his enemies’ opposition as the “power of darkness” (Luke 22:53). When Jesus quoted Ps 22:1 from the cross, he drew comfort from Psalm 22 which affirms God will stand by his covenant people: “For he did not despise or abhor the affliction of the afflicted; he did not hide his face from me, but heard when I cried to him” (Ps 22:24). Isaiah prophesied the Messiah’s suffering as “a perversion of justice” (Isa 53:8). The Father neither turned away from the Son on the cross nor used a perversion of justice, as the penal substitution theory proposes.
Satan did his worst but failed to coerce Jesus into either sinning or withdrawing from the course. The devil did not gain a victory in Christ’s death, “But God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power” (Acts 2:24). And God will also raise all of Jesus’ followers so that Jesus will have a kingdom that lasts forever (Matt 25:34; Luke 1:33; Rev 1:5b-6). It is no surprise that the early church emphasised the contest between the powers of darkness and Christ.
The vertical and horizontal components of salvation act independently of each other. Christ’s vertical relationship with his Father allows God to relate to a sinless human. God exalted Christ as a response to the evil done against Christ throughout his life including his crucifixion.
Christ’s horizontal relationship with his followers is the plane of forgiveness and faith. People enter communion with God through a relationship with Jesus. Sinners need to receive Christ’s forgiveness. Jesus came preaching “repent, and believe in the good news.” (Mark 1:15). Repent here means to turn from unbelief (not from sin). If humanity could turn from sin, it would not need a saviour. Christians eschew sin because they are saved. Christ’s willingness to forgive does not of itself result in salvation. Nor does the believer’s faith in Jesus play any role in meriting salvation, which is a gift of God (Eph 2:8-9). So, neither forgiveness of human sin, nor friendship with Jesus, by themselves reconcile humanity with God. This is because sin makes people abhorrent to a holy Lord. Something more had to happen.
God the Father exalted Jesus to the place of authority over God’s kingdom. God gave this good reward to overcome the evil done to Jesus on earth. Christ’s resurrection and exaltation were instrumental in saving God’s people. Jesus died for sinners. God would not allow Jesus’ death to pass and not give him what he sacrificed his life to win. Humanity’s salvation might be thought of as a fringe benefit of Christ’s exaltation. When Christians say God saves them by his grace, the grace is of all the members of the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. For God so loved the world he refrained from preventing the wicked from testing Jesus to the point of death. The Son of God gave himself to set people free of sin. The Holy Spirit dwells with God’s people, making them holy.
Each of the following six facets of creation needs repair.
War, crime, quarrels and fights are symptomatic of the breakdown in interpersonal relationships. The thrust of Jesus’ teaching is to love one another, so atonement for sin must quell antagonism between people. Jesus encouraged his disciples to restore friendship through repentance and forgiveness. Sinful people are not always inclined to do this. But in the New Covenant, or church age, Jesus sends the Holy Spirit as a helper. Christians seek to live by faith in Christ for their forgiveness, to love one another in the communion of God’s kingdom, and have the hope of salvation (1 Thess 5:8-9). They possess eternal life now even though they continue to endure sin, attacks from the enemy and the inexplicable natural calamities. Life is not perfect for Christ’s followers just because the Spirit is with them. God sent his Son to save believers not give them an easy life. Although hardships continue, the Spirit’s presence assures Christians of ultimate atonement.
The Son of God condescended to live in this world under the same conditions as humanity. We humans are susceptible to the vagaries of nature, attacks from the demonic realm, the sin of others and the temptations to personal sin. For Jesus, participating in the human condition led to his death on the cross. God is not continually intervening in the everyday sin of the world, but he will not allow evil to prevail over good. As Paul wrote, “all things work together for good for those who love God” (Rom 8:28) implying that God will not let suffering have the last word. The Son overcame evil with good as does the Father and the Holy Spirit. God defied humanity’s sin against Christ by raising him from the dead. When God raises believers from the dead so they are in heaven with Jesus, God does not raise their sinful natures or allow unrighteousness into his presence. God raises Christians righteous. “For just as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous” (Rom 5:19).
Jesus paid for human sin with his life. This is a rhetorical way of speaking but, for Jesus, crucifixion was real and brutal. The devil does not fight fair and is quite prepared to use violence. But, God defeated Satan, not by might nor by power, but by God’s Spirit (Zech 4:6). God did not pay Satan with the life of Jesus. Neither did God purchase the liberty of Christians from Satan. God set them free from slavery to sin to serve in God’s kingdom as the context of Mark 10:44-45 makes clear: “and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” From a human perspective, God’s exaltation of Christ appears as a reward for his lifetime of obedience. However, Christ’s exaltation to glory was not a reward for services rendered, but returning to his rightful place. The reward, was those he had died for. Just as God does not intend humans to win his favour by good works, Jesus did not need to either. Salvation for humanity is a free gift.
Christ remained faithful and obedient to God and his people, laying down his life and taking it up again for them (John 2:19-22). Jesus saved his disciples, those who placed their faith in him, and gave them eternal life. The Father grants his Son’s prayer to save his followers, for it was the Father’s desire too. The Father raised Jesus from the dead (Gal 1:1) and exalted him to his right hand in heaven. The Holy Spirit was also involved in Jesus’ resurrection (Rom 8:11) and presides over God’s kingdom on earth through the lives of God’s people. This glorious Trinitarian act of goodness nullifies the evil done to Jesus and, because of Jesus’ forgiveness of people’s sins, salvation comes to the world. Christ’s light overcame the darkness of evil by his holy presence in the world. The Spirit of Christ continues to shine in God’s kingdom throughout the earth.
“Justification” is the reason we give for doing something and, when referred to atonement, it is the reason we obtain justice, the justice of the kingdom of God. Such justification is by faith alone. Justice in God’s kingdom motivates good works as James alluded, but neither faith nor good works causes salvation (Jas 2:14). So when Paul says Jesus “was raised for our justification” (Rom 4:23-25) he is saying the resurrection of Jesus brings people of faith into God’s kingdom of justice. The final ground of salvation is not found in the cross, an evil act perpetrated by men and Satan, but in the grace of God seen in Christ, a light shining in the darkness.
Humanity in its sin, replaced trust in God with trust in self. People decide how they will live and they do so by using rules. Even if the rules came from God in the form of biblical laws, using those laws independently of God is where the Pharisees went astray. Hence the name “Pharisaism” is a by-word for religious legalism. Separated from God, sinners appeal to laws to justify their own actions and judge the actions of others. The apostle Paul said the sting of death is the law (1 Cor 15:54-56). Paul was referring to legalism, the law of death in the kingdom of darkness, which mimics the law of the Spirit of life in the kingdom of light. Paul said, “You who want to be justified by the law have cut yourselves off from Christ” (Gal 5:4a).
Nevertheless, moral laws are useful for regulating behaviour in a secular world. Ethicists have proposed many systems of ethics, including deontology (the study of duty), consequentialism and virtue ethics. Scripture provides support for all these systems but there are also counterexamples. Joseph Fletcher (1966, p. 17) distinguished three approaches to ethical decision making: legalism, antinomianism, and situationism. Fletcher argued for situation ethics which applies the love commandment as a principle for ethical decision making (p. 31). As a principle applied in a particular situation, love is not a law. However, the decision maker retains the right to decide the most loving action in the circumstances and to choose the expected outcome. By so doing, people use a principle as a law to decide their course of action. So, replacing laws with principles does not avoid the sin of legalism.
Human wisdom is imperfect. In humility, people should admit their shortcomings and seek God’s wisdom. If they restrict their search for the good to the above-mentioned ethical systems and focus on the quality of their deeds (deontology), the expected outcomes of their actions (consequentialism), or how their characters are influenced (virtue ethics), they will fall short of righteousness. God has set the Christian free from the limitations of these ethical theories and given them the Holy Spirit as a guide. Christ has set his disciples free from legalism.
(1) The legalist wants to earn salvation but sinners cannot earn salvation. Christ has won salvation for believers.
(2) Legalists try to prove their faith by doing good works. A Christian’s faith is in Jesus who knows who belongs to him.
(3) Legalists prefer to live by rules. Christ taught his followers to live by faith in him and to follow the guidance and counsel of the Holy Spirit.
Humans, as created beings, derive holiness from God. But humanity lost its holy status because of sin. God, in his goodness and grace, is determined to restore believers as a holy nation (1 Pet 2:9). The reality of fallen creation with its disregard of God, broken relationships and the physical environment’s indifference to its occupants is plain for anyone to see, not to mention the devil’s behind the scenes attacks against humanity. Secular society, however, is not concerned at the loss of holiness. Those who feel the spiritual emptiness in their lives may still avoid God by turning to other religions.
The coming of the Holy Spirit into the lives of sinful people empowers change and gives them a foretaste of holiness. God’s command to “be holy as I am holy” is similar to Jesus’ command to the sick, “be healed”. Holiness is a gift, and just as people do not experience complete health in this life, neither does the Holy Spirit’s presence supplant all their sin. But God is working to restore his people to holiness. The Spirit did not come to believers until after Jesus Christ ascended to his throne in heaven where he mediates holiness and righteousness to his people through prayer. Meanwhile, the Spirit of Christ living with Christians sets them apart as holy to God. Believers do not need unwavering strength of faith or perfect obedience to maintain their salvation status. The Christian’s assurance rests in God whose faith never wavers.
The Holy Spirit purifies the sinner by the washing of the word making them holy in God’s sight (Eph 5:26). D. M. Lloyd-Jones (1974, p. 156) commenting on Eph 5:26, said humanity needs atonement not only for the guilt and power of sin but also the pollution of sin. The ritual of the baptism of new Christians applies the Old Testament ceremonial washing away of uncleanness to signify the new status of the believer as holy to the Lord. Thus, baptism symbolises the washing away of the guilt, power and pollution of sin (p. 159). The “washing of the word” refers to Scripture as applied by the Spirit of Christ (who is called “the Word of God” by John) to convict of, and save believers from, sins and sanctify them from depravity to sin (p. 163-166).
God is restoring more than the holiness of his own people. He wants everything to be holy, including the physical world (Zech 14:20).
Atonement theories tend to focus on humanity and neglect God’s defeat of Satan and renewal of the cosmos. What is curious about this is that apologists appeal to the wonders of creation as evidence for a Designer of the universe. Yet, the universe is indifferent and sometimes hostile to its occupants. Nature does not always display the kindness of God as people might expect. So, atonement models must show how Christ restores every facet of creation, including the renewal of the earth.
Scripture teaches that the Son of God created everything. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being.” (John 1:1-3a). This implies that the recreation of the world will also be the work of the Son of God who, at the appointed time, will eradicate all evil. It is Christ who saves God’s people from sin, renews the universe and gives believers resurrection bodies to live on a renewed earth.
Christ does not go about his work by sheer power but applies his authority to conduct justice in God’s kingdom. When Jesus ministered on earth he went about proclaiming the kingdom of God had come. The Father gave the Son authority over his kingdom. Jesus has authority to make far-reaching changes to creation. He can forgive sins and impart eternal life. Christ sent the Spirit to live in the hearts of believers and he will establish his kingdom on a renewed earth.
The Lumen Christi atonement model describes how God removes the many and varied effects of sin. The following two tables summarise the six facets of creation surveyed above.
Although some contend that the ways of God are a mystery and searching for a mechanism for atonement is futile, the Lumen Christi model describes, even if only to a limited degree, God’s actions to reconcile with creation. Since evil stains every detail of reality, reparation is an immense task. The pursuit of understanding involves theology in the complexities of atonement. But, drawing closer to God gives believers a greater appreciation of what God is doing. This is similar to the angels around God’s throne who cry day and night without ceasing “Holy, holy, holy” (Rev 4:6-8) as they behold more of God’s glory. Christians perceive Christ’s glory shining in the darkness. Even if humanity can never fully grasp God’s reconciling work because of its immensity, in seeking to do so we are privileged to see something of his glory.
Therefore, Lumen Christi attempts to describe in part God’s work of atonement. The boundless love and power of God acting through Christ to overcome evil with goodness everywhere in creation and reconcile the world with its Creator is a glorious mystery to explore (Col 2:2).