The doctrine of atonement is fundamental to the Christian faith. However, due to the influence of cheap justification theory on some traditional conservative pastors, the grace of atonement has faded from people’s attention. Many only understand it theoretically but fail to grasp it accurately, resulting in the loss of its power. Consequently, heresies have been allowed to take its place. Therefore, we seek to firmly establish the doctrine of atonement from a biblical perspective in order to restore Christianity to its rightful position.
All people have sinned, and therefore, everyone needs the grace of atonement for salvation. The key question is: where is our sin recorded, and how can it be cleansed?
The Bible provides insight into this matter:
“The sin of Judah is written with an iron stylus; with a diamond point it is engraved on the tablet of their heart and on the horns of their altars.” (Jeremiah 17:1)
This verse reveals that sin is recorded both on the tablet of the heart and on the horns of the altar.
But how does Judah’s sin relate to us?
The Bible testifies that our Lord came from the tribe of Judah (Hebrews 7:14).
Furthermore, regarding Jesus’ name, it is written: “He will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)
Therefore, to receive salvation through Jesus, one must belong to the tribe of Judah.
However, the Bible clearly states that those who belong to Christ are Abraham’s descendants in a spiritual sense.
“If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:29)
Moreover, it is not one’s physical birth as a Jew that makes them a true Jew, but rather a person who has undergone a true transformation of the heart.
“A person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, but a Jew is one inwardly.” (Romans 2:28-29)
Therefore, from a spiritual perspective, “the sin of Judah” refers to our own sin.
Sin is recorded on our hearts and on the four horns of the altar. However, there is a way to cleanse that sin. In Leviticus 17:11, God says, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.” Likewise, Hebrews 9:22 states, “Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.”
In Leviticus 16, God established a method of atonement. The high priest first sacrifices a bull and a goat, then applies their blood to the four horns of the altar and sprinkles it seven times to purify it. This signifies that the price of sin is death, and the shedding of life’s blood serves as a substitute for the sinner’s death.
Next, the high priest lays his hands on the head of the live goat (the scapegoat), confesses all the sins of the people over it, and sends it into the wilderness. This act symbolizes the goat carrying away the sins of the people into a desolate place.
This atonement ritual foreshadows the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Through His shed blood, He has completely and eternally atoned for our sins.
Today, we do not follow the Old Testament method of cleansing sins because it was only a shadow of the reality to come. The blood of bulls and goats could not completely remove sin; it was merely a foreshadowing of the good things to come (Hebrews 10:1-4).
So, what is the reality behind this shadow? It is Jesus Christ (Hebrews 10:9-10).
Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away our sins.
- Scapegoat (Azazel): John 1:29 “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
- Passover Lamb: 1 Corinthians 5:7 “For Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed.”
- Propitiation (Atoning Sacrifice): Romans 3:25 “God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of His blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished.”
- Ransom: Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
Therefore, the Old Testament atonement sacrifices prefigured the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who, through the shedding of His blood once and for all, fully atoned for our sins.
The Spotless Sacrifice and the Power of Jesus’ Blood
A sacrifice offered to God must be without blemish. Jesus was without sin (Hebrews 4:15, 1 John 3:5, 2 Corinthians 5:21) and was like a spotless and unblemished lamb (Hebrews 9:14, 1 Peter 1:19). He committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth. When He was insulted, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He did not threaten but entrusted Himself to God (1 Peter 2:22-23).
The spotless blood of Jesus accomplishes amazing things for us:
- It grants us the forgiveness of sins (Matthew 26:28, Ephesians 1:7).
- It gives us true life (John 6:53-56).
- It justifies us before God (Romans 5:9).
- It brings reconciliation with God (Colossians 1:20).
- It opens the way for us to enter God’s presence (Hebrews 10:19).
- It sanctifies us (Hebrews 13:12).
- It cleanses our conscience so that we may serve God (Hebrews 9:14).
- It redeems us from our sins (1 Peter 1:18-19).
- It purifies us from all sin (1 John 1:7).
- It sets us free from sin (Revelation 1:5).
- It makes us God’s people, offering us to Him (Revelation 5:9).
- It renews us and clothes us in clean garments (Revelation 7:14).
- It gives us victory over Satan (Revelation 12:11).
Through these truths, we come to understand the great and mighty power of Jesus’ blood.
The Death and Resurrection of Jesus: The Fulfillment of Justification
The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are at the core of Christian faith. Jesus’ shedding of blood and death on the cross are deeply related to us. The Bible says:
“He was delivered over to death for our sins” (Romans 4:25)
This means that Jesus’ death was a substitutionary sacrifice for our sins. Then, how is His resurrection related to us?
“He was raised to life for our justification” (Romans 4:25)
Through this verse, we see that justification is directly connected to Jesus’ resurrection. Therefore, justification cannot be fully explained with the theology of the cross alone; it must also include the theology of resurrection.
However, since justification has often been explained solely in terms of the theology of the cross, it has left room for religious pluralism and postmodern theology to enter the church. The death and resurrection of Jesus are inseparable as one unified event and form the heart of the complete gospel.
“And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.” (1 Corinthians 15:17, ESV)
This verse means that if Jesus had not been resurrected, our faith in His atoning death on the cross for our sins would be in vain, and each of us would remain in our sins. The reason is that although Jesus shed His atoning blood by dying on the cross, if there were no resurrection, there would be no High Priest to sprinkle that blood on behalf of each person, and thus our sins would remain.
Who has the authority to sprinkle the blood? God has given this authority to the High Priest. And God has granted this High Priestly authority to the resurrected Jesus in relation to our sins (Hebrews 2:17-3:1, 4:14-15, 5:6-10, ESV). This is the central theme of the book of Hebrews.
Therefore, what is the faith that we must firmly hold onto? It is to believe in Jesus Christ, who shed His blood on the cross for our sins, was resurrected for our justification, and ascended to serve as the High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary (Hebrews 4:14-16, 9:24, ESV)..
- The Sprinkling of the Blood Is Not a Visible Ritual but a Spiritual Reality
In order to be justified before God, the sprinkling of the blood is absolutely necessary. However, unlike in the Old Testament where sacrifices were visible and tangible, the sprinkling of blood today is a spiritual reality that we participate in by faith.
The writer of Hebrews testifies:
“By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them.” (Hebrews 11:28, ESV)
This verse refers to the Passover event in Exodus and interprets the act of sprinkling blood on the doorposts as a faith-driven ordinance. It teaches us that the way to participate in this divine act of redemption today is not through physical rituals, but through faithful worship in spirit and truth.
- Drawing Near to Our Great High Priest in the Heavenly Sanctuary
In the New Covenant, believers do not approach an earthly tabernacle or a physical temple. Instead, we are called to draw near to our Great High Priest, Jesus Christ, who is in the heavenly sanctuary.
The Apostle Paul writes:
“and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:6, ESV)
Therefore, by faith, we are to come before the risen Christ and confess:
“I am a sinner, worthy of curse. But please have mercy on me through Your precious blood.”
This confession is not a mere expression of words but a repentant plea for atonement through the blood of Christ, and a spiritual act of participating in the sprinkling.
- Where Does Jesus Sprinkle His Blood?
Hebrews 10:22 explains that the place Jesus sprinkles His blood is our hearts:
“let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” (Hebrews 10:22, ESV)
Theologically, this means that the blood of Christ cleanses the inner moral awareness of the believer—our conscience. But why the heart?
Jeremiah 17:1 answers this:
“The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron; with a point of diamond it is engraved on the tablet of their heart, and on the horns of their altars.” (Jeremiah 17:1, ESV)
Sin is not just an outward behavior—it is a matter of the inner nature, engraved deeply on the tablet of the heart. Therefore, the sprinkling of Christ’s blood is God’s ordained means to cleanse the very source of defilement—the heart itself.
- The Passover and the Typological Sprinkling in the Old Testament
Exodus 12:7 gives instructions regarding the blood of the Passover lamb:
“Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it.” (Exodus 12:7, ESV)
This visible act was, as Hebrews 11:28 reveals, a foreshadowing of the spiritual reality fulfilled in Christ. The physical sprinkling of blood in the Old Testament was a type pointing forward to the eternal redemptive work of Jesus. Today, we no longer practice this physical rite, but we participate in its reality by faith in the blood of the Lamb of God.
Do you know that you are one of God’s chosen people, chosen to be sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ?
As 1 Peter 1:2 says, “To those who are elect… for sprinkling with His blood.”
What does Jesus do with those He sprinkles with His blood?
Revelation 5:9 says, “You ransomed people for God by your blood,”
and Acts 20:28 describes the church as “purchased with His own blood.”
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 tells us, “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.”
Therefore, who owns those who have received the grace of justification?
They belong to Christ Jesus (Romans 1:5-6, 1 Peter 2:9).
If someone uses something that doesn’t belong to them for their own purposes, what would you say about their conscience?
It would be corrupt or evil.
But those who have received the blessing of Christ’s blood will have a good and clean conscience
(Hebrews 10:22; 9:14).
What is a good conscience?
It is the confession: “I am not my own, I belong to the Lord.”
This is an honest declaration of faith, and its fruit is a deep conviction that one lives not for their own will, but entirely for the will of God.
Do you still desire the grace of Christ’s blood, even though receiving it means you can no longer live by your own will?
If so, do you have clear evidence that you have been sprinkled by the blood of Jesus?
If you do not have that evidence, you cannot escape God’s judgment—the sentence of hell.
Even if you faithfully pray, fast, study the Bible, give to the needy, engage in fellowship,
even if you avoid evil, strive for a pure conscience, fight the good fight,
believe the Bible is God’s Word, receive baptism, and even serve as a church leader or a clergy member—
without receiving the grace of Christ’s blood,
you are merely an Almost Christian.
Only those who have the evidence of Christ’s blood are Altogether Christians.
What is that evidence?
It is a good conscience,
a heart that confesses: “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live by my own will.”
Since the Holy Spirit dwells within,
they live in obedience to the Word as the Spirit brings it to remembrance.
This is the life of sanctification.
If the self is not crucified—if you are still living for yourself—then when God’s Word contradicts your will, you will not obey. Instead, you will argue or resist.
Scripture commands, “Do not judge your brother,”
but if the self is still alive, you will judge and condemn others.
You will inevitably fall into sin.
Why? Because justification sets you free from the power of sin.
Without receiving the grace of justification, you remain a slave to sin,
and you will end up doing whatever sin demands.
Sanctification is not achieved by human effort but is a gracious gift that follows justification.
That is why Paul says,
“By the grace of God I am what I am” (1 Corinthians 15:10).
In the Old Testament, the four horns of the altar symbolized both divine judgment and mercy.
When someone sinned, they would bring a sacrifice, apply the blood, and grasp the horns, pleading for grace.
The sins recorded on the altar’s horns represented guilt awaiting atonement—only a shadow of what was to come.
That shadow was fulfilled in the cross of Jesus Christ.
The cross is the altar of the true Lamb of God.
Christ’s blood was sprinkled on the four “horns” of the cross—extended to the whole world.
Thus, the sins written on the altar horns—Judah’s guilt, and the sins of all who are in Christ—have been erased by His blood.
However, if we do not hold fast to faith in the risen High Priest, Jesus Christ,
we fall into the error of universalism, thinking: “Because God is love and Christ suffered, everyone is already forgiven and saved.”
This false belief turns Christianity into a moral religion focused only on justice and ethics,
abandoning the truth that Christ’s blood must be sprinkled on each heart.
The result is a faith that, rather than proclaiming the gospel, uses the law to judge, condemn, and even destroy others in the name of justice.
But what does the Bible say?
“You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment…” (Romans 2:1–5)
“There is only one Lawgiver and Judge… who are you to judge your neighbor?” (James 4:11–12)
The gospel is not merely a doctrine. The gospel is a Person—Jesus Christ Himself.
At the heart of the gospel is this truth:
He died on the cross for our sins,
and He was raised for our justification. (Romans 4:25)
Whoever confesses their sins and calls upon the Lord in faith,
Jesus will sprinkle His blood upon their heart,
declare them righteous,
and offer them to God as His own, set apart as holy.
This is the gospel.
And this is only possible through the grace of Christ’s blood-sprinkling.
Everyone who has been redeemed by the blood of Jesus will say,
“I can no longer live according to my own will, but will live according to the Lord’s will.”
Then the Holy Spirit dwells within them,
and through their lives, the world begins to see the body of Christ revealed—
a people who live as the salt and light of the world.
Through such a church, the gospel of life is made visible to the world,
and salvation is offered to all who believe.
In today’s evangelical circles, the grace of justification has been distorted into a means for church growth and popular appeal. As a result, instead of proclaiming the costly grace (as Bonhoeffer emphasized), many have adopted a cheapened version of justification.
Consequently, some church leaders, seeking to preserve their own power and privileges, have embraced worldly values and culture, leading the church into secularization. The church has thus lost its role as the salt and light of the world, becoming a target of the world’s ridicule and criticism.
In response to this moral and theological decline within evangelicalism, postmodern theology emerged. Often linked with religious pluralism, it tends to deconstruct traditional doctrines.
Postmodern theologians assert that justification is the doctrine that has corrupted Christianity, weakening human responsibility and ethical commitment.
Thus, they interpret the Bible through mythological and symbolic lenses, advocating the “Historical Jesus” approach.
For example:
The virgin birth of Jesus is said to be a mythical narrative created to affirm that Jesus is greater than Caesar Augustus, who at that time was called “son of god” and “savior” in Roman culture.
The resurrection of Jesus, they argue, was originally a symbolic affirmation of the martyrs who died pursuing justice under God’s rule. The early church allegedly transformed this into a personal, literal resurrection of Jesus alone.
Therefore, they claim the resurrection is not a historical fact but a symbol of justice and love lived out in the faith community.
In this way, one side cheapens the gospel, while the other symbolizes and de-historicizes it—leading the church to lose the essence of the true gospel.
Today, some modern theologians do not explicitly deny that Jesus is the “Savior,”
but instead argue that living according to the spirit and moral principles of Jesus is itself salvation.
This effectively reduces the redemptive work of Jesus Christ to a symbolic interpretation.
Within this trend, the biblical doctrine of justification by faith is often seen as outdated or even a theological relic irrelevant to modern people.
Moreover, such thinkers portray themselves as more morally upright than evangelical theologians,
gaining public favor by emphasizing social justice and ecological theology.
Alarmingly, some even go so far as to justify homosexuality theologically and claim that Jesus Himself was homosexual, in an attempt to support their arguments.
In our time, when this human-centered reinterpretation of the gospel is becoming a mainstream theological movement worldwide,
the recovery and re-establishment of biblical justification is more urgent than ever.
If the gospel’s central truth—justification through the cross—is proclaimed rightly,
then Jesus Christ, who has already triumphed over Satan at the cross,
will nullify all satanic efforts to distort the gospel, wherever they arise.
According to Scripture, anything that touches the altar that has been made holy becomes holy and must be offered to God (see Exodus 29:37; Matthew 23:19).
Therefore, since the cross of Jesus Christ has been sanctified by His blood, everything that touches the cross is also made holy.
Here, “to touch” does not simply refer to emotional or religious sentiment.
It means a real, spiritual participation and union with Christ by faith.
The Apostle Paul expressed this when he said, “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20).
Such a confession is evidence that one has truly participated in the cross of Christ and, therefore, their whole being has been made holy.
This holiness is not merely moral uprightness, but a theological reality:
to be consecrated and offered to God.
And this is also a confession of having received the grace of justification.
In other words, the one who participates in the cross of Christ is a person who has been made holy by being offered to God.
How then should we, who have been made holy, live?
The apostle Paul says clearly:
“What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!” (Romans 6:15, ESV)
Those who have been sanctified by the grace of Christ are no longer under the dominion of sin.
As it is written in Romans 6:14, “For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.”
Even if offered great wealth, the holy person cannot commit sins that harm their neighbor or bear false witness—
because the righteousness and truth of God dwell in their heart.
1 John 3:6–9 declares:
“No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil… No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God.”
Christ appeared to destroy the works of the devil,
and those who are born of God cannot live in sin because of who they are and whose they are.
Why couldn’t I overcome sin while under the Law?
The apostle Paul confesses in Romans 7:21–25:
“I want to do what is good, but evil is present with me. In my inner being I delight in God’s law, but I see another law in my members waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.”
Why does he say this?
Before knowing the commandments of the Law—such as “Do not covet” or “Do not judge”—
I did not consider such actions sinful (Romans 7:9).
So I judged others, thinking I was right.
This was when I was “alive”—that is, ignorant of sin and yet enslaved by it.
But once I came to know the Law, I recognized those actions as sin.
I tried not to commit them, yet the power of sin in me still caused me to judge others—
thus leading me again into sin.
At this point, Paul came to realize this truth:
“The wages of sin is death, I am a slave to sin, and the Law, instead of leading me to life, led me to death.” (Romans 7:11)
Finally, Paul confesses:
“I am of the flesh, sold under sin.” (Romans 7:14)
In summary, the Law could not save me, but revealed that I was a slave to sin and destined for death.
The one who is redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ is set free from sin and begins to live in the Spirit.
Jesus Christ purchased me—who was sold under sin—with His own blood and presented me to God.
Through this act of redemption, I am no longer a slave to sin but have become one who belongs to God.
From that moment, the Holy Spirit came to dwell within me, and my life was transformed to be lived not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
Before the Holy Spirit dwelled in me, I lived in the flesh and served the law of sin.
But now, I live in the Spirit and walk according to the Spirit.
Therefore, I now confess, “Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!” (Romans 6:15)
The new nature given by the Spirit can no longer remain in sin.
In short, Romans 7 reveals the inner struggle of a believer bound by the flesh,
while Romans 8 proclaims the victory of those who, justified through Christ, now live in the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
We must speak by faith and live in obedience to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
The Bible says:
“For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).
Jesus also said:
“For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind… If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains” (John 9:39–41).
And: “But my righteous one shall live by faith” (Hebrews 10:38).
Therefore, we are not people who judge by what we see, but those who speak and live by faith—following what the Holy Spirit reminds us in our hearts.
In other words, we are the body of Christ, called to bring life and salvation to others.
When Christians are grounded in the biblical doctrine of justification, the Church can truly become the salt and light of the world, worthy of trust.