The Doctrine of Christ - Atonement

"And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house." (Leviticus 16:6)
Although theologians tend to use the term atonement to summarize Christ's work on the Cross, it occurs only in the Old Testament (Romans 5:11 is better translated "reconciliation"), and only relates to one part of what was accomplished for us, that is, the cover of our sins. This word probably means "cover", and is first used where Noah is commanded to cover the ark with pitch (Gen. 6:14).
Illustration: Just as the ark was a "type" of Christ in saving His people from judgment (Hebrews 11:7), the "cover" within and without emphasized the means whereby our salvation is secure-that is, our sins are covered by the blood of Christ. This covering of sin is an expression of God's love for mankind (Prov. 10:12).
Application: When a Christian hears about another's failings, he should both forgive and forget the event. All believers should follow Christ's example and seek to build up the fallen one, rather than follow the natural inclinations to engage in gossip. (Prov. 17:9)