The atonement of Christ according to this theory of moral influence is that Jesus Christ came and died to bring positive change to humanity. This moral change occurs through the teachings of Jesus along with His example and actions. This is the belief that Christ's atonement is a demonstration of God's love that causes man's heart to soften and repent. Those who hold this view believe that man is spiritually sick and in need of help and that he is moved to accept God's forgiveness by seeing God's love for man. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay They believe that the purpose and meaning of Christ's death was to demonstrate God's love towards man. Christ died to influence humanity toward moral improvement. This theory denies that Christ died to satisfy any principle of divine justice, but instead teaches that His death was designed to powerfully impress mankind with a sense of God's love, resulting in softening their hearts and bringing them to repentance. Therefore, the Atonement is not directed toward God for the purpose of maintaining His righteousness, but toward man with the purpose of persuading him to act righteously. Within this theory the death of Christ is understood as a catalyst for reforming society, inspiring men and women to follow His example and live a good moral life of love. In this theory the Holy Spirit comes to help Christians bring about this moral change. Logically, in this theory the eschatological development also concerns morality, where it is taught that after death the human race will be judged based on its conduct in life. This in turn creates a strong emphasis on free will as a human response to following the example of Jesus. This theory focuses not only on the death of Jesus Christ, but on His entire life. This sees the saving work of Jesus not only in the event of the crucifixion, but also in all the words he spoke and the example he set. In this theory the cross is simply an offshoot of Jesus' moral life. He is crucified as a martyr because of the radical nature of His moral example. In this way the theory of moral influence emphasizes Jesus Christ as our teacher, our example, our founder and leader, and ultimately, consequently, our first martyr. Formulated by Peter Abelard (1079-1142), partly in reaction to Anselm's theory of Satisfaction, this view was held by the Socinians of the 16th century. Later versions can be found in FDE Schleiermacher (1768-1834) and Horace Bushnell (1802-1876). While it is true that Christ's atonement is the supreme example of God's love, this view is unbiblical because it denies the true spiritual condition of man: dead in transgressions and sins (Ephesians 2:1) and denies that God actually requires payment for sin. This vision of Christ's atonement leaves humanity without a true sacrifice or payment for sin. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay The Atonement of Christ is the sacrificial work of Jesus for sinners . In his death on the cross, Christ atoned for the sins of humanity so that God would be satisfied and reconciliation would be accomplished for all who would be redeemed. Christ's obedience and death on behalf of sinners is the foundation of redemption. As stated above, Jesus' death satisfied and reconciled sinners to God.