Life Is the Stories You Can Tell
  • Life is the Stories You Can Tell
  • Sing His Praises
  • My Creed
  • Books I Love
  • Christmas Letters

The INFINITE Atonment

4/21/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
Christian theory defines the Atonement as “the reconciliation of God and humankind through Jesus Christ”.     Infinite means “limitless or endless in space, extent, or size; impossible to measure or calculate.”   Jacob tells us the Atonement “must needs be an infinite atonement” (2 Nephi 9:7) and Amulek adds “..there can be nothing which is short of an infinite atonement which will suffice for the sins of the world.”   (Alma 34:12) What does infinite mean when applied to Christ’s Atonement?


Christ’s Atonement is infinite is that it is limitless and endless.   Christ’s Atonement is truly infinite in:
  • Power.    Christ’s Atonement has the power to conquer spiritual and physical death.  His is the truly the power of God, infinite and eternal.
  • Time.   The Atonement reaches forward and backward through time.   The option it gives all of God’s children to be reconciled with Him extends backwards to the origins of creation and forwards to the Final Judgement.  Though the time for repentance is not is eternal, the effects of Christ’s Atonement are.
  • Coverage.   All things, ALL, are blessed by the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
  • Depth. Christ descended below all things, beneath “all sins, all transgressions, all ailments, and all temptations known to the human family.”  (Callister, pg 96) He knows the suffering caused by sin because he experienced it. He knows the loneliness of being single, the heartbreak caused by losing a child, the relentlessness of chronic pain and ALL other aspects of our human experience.  
  • Suffering.   Christ suffered in both body and spirit.  (D&C 19:18) Not only did the Savior experience all aspects of the mortal experience, He took upon Himself ALL the suffering associated with ALL of mortality.  And He chose to do so as a mortal. “He took upon him infinite suffering, but chose to defend with only mortal faculties, with but one exception--his godhood was summoned to hold off unconsciousness and death….that would otherwise overpower a mere mortal when he reached his threshold of pain…. His divinity would be called upon, not to immunize him from pain, but to enlarge the receptacle that would hold it.   He simply brought a larger cup to hold the bitter drink.” (Callister, pg 119)
  • Love.  “Greater love  hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)  Christ, a divine Being, indeed the very Son of God, laid down His life for us. And He suffered, deeply, for us.   And why? Because He loves us. Infinitely

Today, on Easter Sunday, on this day that represents Christ’s resurrection, on the day when we celebrate our opportunity to be resurrected physically and reborn spiritually, I want to express my gratitude to Christ for His Infinite Atonement.  I thank my Heavenly Father for so loving the world “the He sent His Only Begotten Son” and I thank my Savior for being that Son.


*This post was significantly influenced by the book The Infinite Atonement, authored by  Callister, T. R. (2013). Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book.  

**Photo credits:  
https://www.maxpixel.net/Joy-Jesus-Easter-Christ-Sun-Resurrection-God-4138925 He is risen sign
http://pngimg.com/download/22911 Picture of Christ with open arms
https://www.pexels.com/photo/art-atonement-bronze-christ-415636/ bronze statue
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Christus_statue_temple_square_salt_lake_city.jpg Christus statue

Picture
Picture
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Teresa Hislop
    [email protected]

    Archives

    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    September 2012
    August 2012

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.