George Smeaton And The Atonement

"We cannot conceive of such a stupendous economy, if it were not necessary. There could be no other reason sufficiently important for God to abase Himself and to be made in fashion as a man, and suffer on the cross; for God would not subject His Son to such agonies if sin could have been remitted without satisfaction. To suppose that all this was appointed merely to confirm Christ’s testimony as a teacher, is a shock to reason; for that could have been effected by a martyr’s death. To hold that it was meant to impress the human mind with a conviction of God’s love, is no better; for the whole historic basis of Christianity would be little better than a mere drama or scenic arrangement, intended to make an inward impression, but nothing real in the moral government of God, if the vicarious sacrifice were not necessary on God’s part for the ransom of sinners, and to put away their sin. The facts are too momentous and solemn, and too closely connected with all the attributes of God and all the persons of the Trinity, to be brought down to the level of an imposing representation. To take this roundabout way of making a moral impression, if the death of God’s Son was not necessary, would be repugnant to the Divine goodness and wisdom."*

*Smeaton, G. (2009). The doctrine of the atonement, As taught by Christ Himself (Second Edition) (23–24). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

 "Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me" (1 Co 15:1–8).


Soli Deo Gloria!

For His Glory,
Fernando