What Is Atonement?
Atonement describes the covering of guilt caused by sin and the repair of the relationship between God and humanity. In the Old Testament the order of atonement is bound up with the temple and the sacrificial system: on the annual Day of Atonement described in Leviticus, the high priest offered sacrifices for the people's sins, and the removal of sin from the people was symbolically enacted. This order taught the seriousness of sin and that forgiveness was not without cost. The New Testament writings apply this background to Jesus' death on the cross: his death is presented as the once-for-all atonement that replaces the repeated sacrifices. Atonement thus becomes the point where, in Christian faith, God's justice and God's mercy meet. Though in everyday speech the word survives as 'paying a price', the Bible's emphasis is not punishment but reconciliation: the aim is the restoring of a relationship.