The role of the Holy Spirit in atonement

1. THE DOCTRINE OF THE
ATONEMENT
LECTURE SEVEN:
OTHER ASPECTS OF THE ATONEMENT
(SPECIAL TOPICS)

2. THOMAS
MCCALL
WESLEYAN
THEOLOGIAN

3. Thomas McCall Forsaken, 84
If we accept some doctrine of divine simplicity, it is
unthinkable that, say, God’s righteous justice demands
one thing while his love and mercy demand the
opposite. Nor is it possible that some divine attributes
(or divine persons) work for some results while others
work for other results.
…Divine wrath is not the opposite of divine love. It is
not even in tension with his love. Quite the contrary is
true—the righteous wrath of God is the (contingent)
expression of the holy love that is the essence of God.

4. The Trinity and
Atonement:
Atonement and the Simplicity of God.
- John Duns Scotus:
‣Distinctions within God are “formal”—really
distinct and really inseparable
๏e.g. Father, Son, Spirit.
๏e.g. Holy Love (Wrath and Mercy)
‣In Atonement, this is helpful because it shows
that God’s wrath and love are not separate.
Questions?

5. The Spirit and Atonement:
The Father and Son receive a lot of attention in
the discussion of Atonement, but what about the
Spirit’s Role???
- What Part Does the Spirit Play in Atonement?
- Opera trinitatis ad extra sunt indivisa

6. The Spirit and Atonement:
The means by which Christ is conceived.
The means by which Christ lives a holy life.
- We must not merely appeal to a “divine nature” at
this point (Christ is guided by the Spirit).
The means by which Christ is raised.
The means by which anyone believes in Christ
- 1 Cor. 12.3: No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,”
except by the Holy Spirit.

7. The Spirit and Atonement:
The means by which Christ is conceived.
The means by which Christ lives a holy life.
- We must not merely appeal to a “divine nature” at
this point (Christ is guided by the Spirit).
The means by which Christ is raised.
The means by which anyone believes in Christ
The means by which we are “made one” with
Christ.

8. Resurrection &
Atonement:
How does the Resurrection relate to our
justification?
- Key Text: Romans 4.25: “He was delivered over to
death for our sins and was raised to life for our
justification.”
- What does this mean???
- If Christ took all our sin on the cross, why would we
not be justified apart from his resurrection?
- Paul rejects this altogether (1 Cor. 15)

9. 1 Corinthians 15.17
If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you
are still in your sins.

10. Resurrection &
Atonement:
Possible links between Resurrection and
justification: (modified from A. Warnock, Raised with Christ)
1.Raised to bring about our future resurrection.
- Our future resurrection is linked to justification.
- While true, this doesn’t seem to be Paul’s point.
2.Raised to prompt faith in us.
- The resurrection inspires faith, by which we are
justified.

11. Resurrection &
Atonement:
Possible links between Resurrection and
justification: (Modified from A. Warnock, Raised with Christ)
3.Raised for his own justification, by which we are
also justified.
- The resurrection is proof that Christ is “in the
right,”despite the verdict handed down by men.
4.Raised, so that we can be united with him by faith.
- For Paul, imputation flows from participation.

12. Resurrection &
Atonement:
Conclusion:
- Paul, in Romans 4.25 and 1 Cor. 15.17, shows that
without Resurrection, there is no Atonement.
- This should caution against purely forensic or penal
substitutionary accounts of Atonement.
- It is only by our union with the risen Christ that we
may be justified - this comes by the Spirit, through
faith, and it REQUIRES a Resurrection.
- T.F. Torrance

13. THOMAS F.
TORRANCE
(1913-2007)
SCOTTISH
THEOLOGIAN ::
STUDIED UNDER
BARTH

14. T. F. Torrance
When the Protestant doctrine of justification is
formulated only in terms of forensic “imputation” of
righteousness or the non-imputation of sin..the
resurrection is bypassed. If we think of justification
only in the light of the crucifixion… then we have
mutilated it severely.
We require an active relation to Christ…an actual
sharing in his righteousness. This is possible only
through the resurrection
(Atonement, 224).

15. Resurrection &
Atonement:
Conclusion:
- Paul, in Romans 4.25 and 1 Cor. 15.17, shows that
without Resurrection, there is no Atonement.
- This should caution against purely forensic or penal
substitutionary accounts of Atonement.
- It is only by our union with the risen Christ that we
may be justified - this comes by the Spirit, through
faith, and it REQUIRES a Resurrection.
- T.F. Torrance