Doctrine of Atonement

Doctrine of Atonement 4-19-09 Sara Lincoln

Let’s remind ourselves: doctrine means _______________
atonement means ________________________________
theologian means ________________________________

A great theologian, Mary Baker Eddy, focused on the higher, spiritual, meaning of atonement: agreement, concord. Man is, you and I are, in agreement and harmony (concord) with God. Other theologians, in her day and still in 2009, focus on another meaning of atonement: ‘the sufferings of Jesus Christ in his effort to pay for and put an end to the sins of mankind.’ We want to follow and apply the teachings of Christ Jesus. Do you think we need to focus on his suffering? ____________________
“The atonement is a hard problem in theology…” but Christian Science shows that “…both sin and suffering will fall at the feet of everlasting Love.” SH 23: 7 - 11

Why does this week’s lesson focus on Jesus? What did he show the world about atonement? __________________________ See Matt. 5: 48
Science and Health explains that man has always been at one with God and that Jesus gave the best example. See SH 18: 3-5. Let’s put that in our own words.

Three qualities and one continuous action enable us to follow Christ Jesus’ example:
__________, __________, __________ and __________ __________ SH 4: 3-9

Was Jesus killed by sinners? _____
Christ Jesus could not be killed because he understood that God is ______ and God expresses _____ in His creation. Christian Science gives us a higher, spiritual understanding of atonement. It explains that Jesus was willing to be crucified so that he could prove L_____. Jesus proved that nothing could kill the Life of man. What else did Jesus prove? _______
“…the inspiration of Jesus’ intense human sacrifice” was his desire to give to everyone, even to sinners, the knowledge and understanding that God’s love for every man changes everything for the good! SH 54: 10-17

Think of a TV commercial where the person talking keeps your attention.
In what way are you important to this speaker? __________________
Is this actor showing love to you? ___________
This actor appears to have knowledge about something, but St. Paul tells us we need to express ______ even when we are showing that we have a lot of knowledge. Paul says, “everyone who loves _____ _______ _____ ______ and _______ _______.”
I John 4: 7

This past week, someone tried to cheat me. He said in an email that I should send him $195. then he would send me $850,000. He said I had ‘won a lottery,’ which I did not even enter! This is called ‘fraud’ or ‘extortion’ because he offered no proof. Do I have to love this man in order to know God? ______Would Jesus have loved this man? ______

Micah, a prophet / theologian in the Old Testament gives me an answer in this week’s Bible lesson: “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” Micah 6: 8
In this example of fraud, what would it mean for me to
‘do justly’ _______________________________________________
‘love mercy’ _____________________________________________
‘walk humbly with God’ ___________________________________

John, a prophet / theologian in the New Testament, also gives me an answer: “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” John 3: 17
I think this says that I’ll be protected if I am keeping the commandments of our Master and following his example. What do you think it says?
Put your name in the place of his Son and read to us what it now says.
Can you really help to ‘save the world’? _______

Which of the six tenets of Christian Science is about ‘atonement’? ________
It says that Jesus’ atonement was the evidence of “…Love unfolding man’s ________with God.” SH 497: 13. In other words, Jesus’ atonement was not about the supposed power of hate to kill love. It was about the power of love to kill hate!

Gethsemane was the name of the garden where Jesus prayed that he didn’t want to go through the crucifixion, but did trust God’s will that good would be the result. Wow! That’s a lot of trust! that something as awful as a crucifixion could result in good! What good thing happened after the crucifixion? ____________________

Science and Health offers the KEY to Gethsemane:
“…love meeting no response, but still __________ __________.” SH 586: 23
Does that mean that you and I can keep on loving even if we are not treated with love and get no love in return? ___
Why do you think I used capital letters for KEY?

Thank you Christ Jesus for proving what we also can prove:
* Material life and intelligence are not of God and cannot fool man;
* God, good, has all the power in every situation and includes everyone in this good. SH 52: 19

Thanks to God, Christ Jesus, and Mary Baker Eddy, I know that in every conversation,
I can show Truth overcoming error, and that way I will know what it’s like to have
“at-one-ment with Truth and Love.” SH 21: 1-5