Only God atones.

I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall know that I am the Lord, that you may remember and be confounded, and never open your mouth again because of your shame, when I atone for you for all that you have done, declares the Lord God.

Ezekiel 16:62-63

God does the saving work. Even in the Old Testament, the keeping of God’s Law was powerless to save, as Israel proved. They failed to obey, turned against God, and sold themselves to idols. And it would take God’s atoning work to save them and restore the covenant with them again. They could do nothing to save themselves. They were lost and powerless in the tragic destruction from sin.

I am reminded of Jonathan Edwards’ astute observation: “You contribute nothing to your salvation except the sin that made it necessary.” Jesus has done the atoning work. God sent His Son in the fullness of time to redeem us! We are powerless, dead in our sin, and dead men can do nothing! God has done it all for us in Jesus!

“Not the labor of my hands

Can fulfill Thy Law’s demands;

Could my zeal no respite know,

Could my tears forever flow,

All for sin could not atone;

Thou must save, and Thou alone.”