The Atonement Revisited

When I was in Seminary, one of my systematic theology classes was taught by a Korean Doctor of Ministry (D.Min) student.  His English was sub-par.  My toleration for it was also not too high.  So I would complain to my friends about my systematic theology class and by Korean D.Min teacher.  One of them went several weeks before asking, "I know you're teacher is bad, but is it really OK to call him the Korean Demon?"  Maybe it was one of those subconscious things. 

In this class the Korean Demon presented three theories of Christ's Atonement.  Basically, this means he gave us three ways of thinking about how Christ's death and resurrection work.
1) Ransom - Christ paid a ransom to the Devil (or Sin, or God) because he (it) owned our souls.  Christ has paid the ransom price and freed us
2) Moral Influence - Christ's death was of such exemplary obedience to God that we are all now empowered to live as God's people
3) Substitutionary Anotement - We are sinners and cannot approach God.  The penalty for sin is death, so Christ dies in our place, allowing us free and unfettered access to God.

Not to keep knocking the KD, but check wikipedia and you'll find at least 4 other actual, orthodox theories.

I dislike how we get caught up in one way of viewing how Christ's life, death, and resurrection are efficacious. 

There's nothing wrong with this picture, or it's use in telling others about Christ.  In fact we need to be doing this more often!

But, when I read a passage like Colossians 3:1-7, it strikes me that it's not talking about bridging gaps or paying prices.  It says, quite simply:  You have died with Christ and your old way of living died as well.  Now you have been raised with Christ and you are participating in a new way of living.

I know there's no fancy drawing to accompany it, but this is the type of stuff that really impacts people!  There's a way of living that is not the way of God.  But we have been transferred from that.  The key here is with Christ -- we participate in Christ's death and resurrection because we belong to God as God's people, symbolized through baptism.

We don't need to do anything to be raised with Christ, we just need to look around.  What do you see?  How is life different?  What is God doing?

Audio Adrenaline (one of the Christian bands that I can tolerate) has a song entitled My World View.  The first verse goes like this:

I want to see the world through Jesus eyes
see through Jesus tears
I want to see the world through Jesus eyes
my vision's not as clear
I want to feel the world with the hands that made it
know the pain and appreciate it
hear their cries and hope to understand

My friends, this is my prayer for you.  Open your eyes, realize that you are participating in Kingdom life with Jesus Christ.  Look around, through Jesus' eyes, and see what life is like!