Showing posts with label Atonement. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Atonement. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 6, 2020

Atonement: The notion that Satan’s rebellion caused God to go to “plan B” is purely a figment of Herbert Armstrong's overactive imagination!


Church of God International Affirms HWA’s Understanding of Atonement

 

In his booklet, Pagan Holidays – or God’s Holy Days, Herbert Armstrong insisted that one goat represented Christ and the other goat represented Satan in the ritualistic observance of the Day of Atonement recorded in the sixteenth chapter of Leviticus. Even so, many of Armstrong’s critics have pointed out that the ninth and tenth chapters of the book of Hebrews make plain that the high priest was symbolic of Christ, and that the two goats represented different aspects of the high priest’s work to make atonement for the sins of the people (one providing the blood, and the other representing the removal of our sins – the very things that have separated us from God).

In Herbie’s theology, the assignment of the scapegoat as being representative of Satan was an essential component of a more complex theology elaborated in The Incredible Human Potential and Mystery of the Ages. The premise being that Satan ruined God’s original plan for the angels to inhabit this earth and complete God’s creation which in turn necessitated the creation of man (because angels were supposed to be immortal and indestructible). Moreover, Armstrong reasoned that, because Satan was the ultimate author of human sin, justice demanded that all of our sins be placed on the head of Satan. Thus, Satan would ultimately be sent away by the hand of another angel into the bottomless pit, and we would finally be reconciled to God.

Never mind that Scripture makes plain that it was God’s plan from the very beginning to create humankind, place the earth in their care and make them His children. The notion that Satan’s rebellion caused God to go to “plan B” is purely a figment of Herbie’s overactive imagination! Scripture also refutes the notion that any of the lifeforms which God has created (including angels) have immortal life (Paul tells us that immortality is a God quality). Finally, there are a great many scriptures which suggest that we are all personally responsible for our own sins, and that it is those sins which have alienated us from God.

Nevertheless, in his most recent sermon regarding the meaning of the symbolism surrounding the Day of Atonement, CGI Pastor Wynn Skelton continued to insist that HWA’s understanding of that symbolism was correct! After clearly linking the first goat to Christ’s sacrifice for our sins, he said: 

“The other represents - now, don’t get mad at me <for> this – represents our enemy…it represents the devil…Now I’ve had debates about this and there have been papers in the Church of God International saying that both goats are for Christ…What we officially teach is this: one goat for Christ – one goat for Satan.”

He continues:  

“I am not trying to create division or animosity, but I will point out for those who think that both goats are for Christ then…what would be the difference between the Day of Atonement and Passover?...How in the world are we going to have peace and harmony and at-one-ment if you don’t remove the enemy?” see Atonement by Wynn Skelton

Has Pastor Skelton forgotten what Paul wrote to the saints at Rome? Paul said: “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” – Romans 5:10 Hence, it is clear that Paul thought that we were reconciled to God by Christ’s death, and I’m assuming that Satan was still around when Paul penned this! In other words, Satan’s removal wasn’t necessary for that reconciliation to happen. Likewise, Paul wrote to the saints at Corinth that God “hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ.” – II Corinthians 5:18 And, finally, Paul wrote to the Colossians that “having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight…” – Colossians 1:20-22

For Paul, at least, the presence of Satan the devil represented no obstacle to our reconciliation with God! The fact is that Scripture clearly contradicts Herbert Armstrong’s teachings about the meaning of the Day of Atonement. According to Scripture, Jesus Christ is the vehicle for our salvation – something that Satan plays NO role in whatsoever! Moreover, Scripture makes plain that the ultimate fate of Satan will be just and force him to pay the penalty for his many sins. Ezekiel wrote about him: “Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.” – Ezekiel 28:18-19 And this is certainly consistent with what we read in the book of Revelation: “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone…” – Revelation 20:10 And, finally, the context makes plain that this lake of fire is representative of eternal death.

Hence, in officially perpetuating Herbert Armstrong’s errors with regard to the Day of Atonement, the Church of God International makes clear that they have not moved beyond the founder of the movement. In continuing to promulgate an understanding that is clearly flawed, CGI has rendered itself just another irrelevant splinter of a failed theology.

n  Miller Jones/Lonnie Hendrix

Friday, October 7, 2011

Spanky Reminds You How To Fast



Atonement begins tonight (October 7) and Spanky Meredith wants to make sure you know how to fast.  So for all of you reprobates out there who have conveniently forgotten how, here is how you do it:



1. Before you fast, prepare your body for the shock. Do not eat a great big meal (certainly not one including a big, sweet dessert), or indulge in a pepper steak or some spicy hot Mexican food just before your fast begins. These make you crave water, and all during your fast this will distract you into thinking, “Oh, no, I’m going to die!” For a profitable spiritual fast, you need a clear but humbled mind. So it is best to taper off on food, especially sweets and strong spices. Drink a lot of water the day before, to help begin to cleanse your system.






2. Take steps to ensure your digestive system is as free of poisons as it can be during your fast, so any headaches and other symptoms of hunger will be as mild as possible. Make sure you take proper care of your individual health needs before you fast, so you can obtain the maximum benefit and feel the fewest possible physical distractions when you fast. You may wish to consult your physician if you have a health condition that fasting can affect.





3. Fast regularly enough for your body to adjust itself to the practice. Some people who think they are “about to die” when they fast could actually find fasting much easier if they did it for a day every month or two, if their health allows.


4. After your fast, begin eating again slowly. Do not swallow a huge steak in the first ten minutes. It will actually do you more good if you eat a smaller, lighter meal, or eat a meal spread out over a couple of hours in stages—maybe beginning with a warm, creamy soup. If your fast has lasted for longer than a day, it may be far better—or even necessary—to end it with something very small, like some stewed prunes or maybe a poached or soft-boiled egg.