1-2. In what way is mankind’s situation like that of the young man mentioned in paragraph 1?

 IMAGINE a young man who has been brought up in a wealthy family. One day tragedy strikes; his parents are killed in an accident. The news is devastating to him. However, another shock awaits this young man. He learns that his parents squandered the family fortune and that they acquired huge debts. Now imagine that instead of inheriting their wealth, he inherits their debts, and creditors are demanding payment. The debt is far beyond his ability ever to repay.

² In some ways, our situation is like that of this young man. Our original parents, Adam and Eve, were perfect and lived in a beautiful paradise. (Gen. 1:27; 2:7-9) They had the prospect of enjoying a rich, endless life. But then everything changed. They lost their Paradise home as well as their prospect of everlasting life. What inheritance could they pass on to their future children? The Bible tells us: “Through one man [Adam] sin entered into the world and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because they had all sinned.” (Rom. 5:12) The inheritance Adam passed on to us is sin, resulting in death. This inherited sin is like a huge debt, one that none of us can pay off.​—Ps. 49:8.

 3. Why can our sins be likened to “debts”?

³ Jesus likened sins to “debts.” (Matt. 6:12; Luke 11:4) When we sin, it is as if we incur a debt to Jehovah. We have to pay the penalty for the sin. Should this debt be left unpaid, it would be canceled only when we die.​—Rom. 6:7, 23.

 4. (a) Without help, what would happen to all sinners? (Psalm 49:7-9) (b) To what does the word “sin” refer in the Bible? (See the box “ Sin.”)

⁴ Is it possible for us to regain all that Adam and Eve lost? Not on our own merits. (Read Psalm 49:7-9.) Without help, we would have no hope for a future life or a resurrection. In fact, our death would be just like that of animals.​—Eccl. 3:19; 2 Pet. 2:12.

 5. How has our loving Father helped us with our inherited debt of sin? (See picture.)

⁵ Thinking back to the young man mentioned at the outset, how would he feel if a wealthy man offered to pay off all his debts? No doubt, the young man would be moved by deep appreciation to accept that generous offer. In a similar way, our loving Father, Jehovah, has given us a gift that pays for the debt of sin that we have inherited from Adam. Jesus explained it this way: “God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) Additionally, this same gift allows us the possibility of establishing a good relationship with Jehovah.

 6. What Bible terms will we consider in this article, and why?

⁶ How can we benefit from this amazing gift and have our sins, or “debts,” forgiven? The answer to that question is found in the Bible’s use of such terms as reconciliation, atonement, propitiation, ransom, redemption, and being declared righteous. In this article, we will discuss the meaning of each of these concepts. As we meditate on these explanations, our appreciation for the basis of Jehovah’s forgiveness will grow.

THE GOAL: RECONCILIATION

 7. (a) What else did Adam and Eve lose? (b) As descendants of Adam and Eve, what do we desperately need? (Romans 5:10, 11)

⁷ In addition to losing the prospect of everlasting life, Adam and Eve lost their precious relationship with their Father, Jehovah. Originally, Adam and Eve were part of God’s family. (Luke 3:38) But when they disobeyed Jehovah, they were expelled from his family before they started to have children. (Gen. 3:23, 24; 4:1) As their descendants, we therefore need to be reconciled to Jehovah. (Read Romans 5:10, 11.) In other words, we need to develop a good relationship with him. According to one reference work, the Greek word used here for “reconcile” can mean to “make a friend out of an enemy.” Amazingly, Jehovah is the one who took the initiative to make this possible. How?

THE ARRANGEMENT: ATONEMENT

 8. What is (a) atonement? (b) propitiation?

⁸ Atonement is the arrangement Jehovah put in place for restoring a good relationship between him and sinful humans. It involves exchanging one thing for another of equal value. In this way, something that is lost or destroyed can be regained or replaced. The Christian Greek Scriptures use a related term that is similar in meaning to “atonement,” propitiation. (Rom. 3:25) Propitiation is the act that allows one to be at peace with God and to have a good relationship with him.

 9. What temporary arrangement did Jehovah make so that the sins of the Israelites could be forgiven?

⁹ To enable the Israelites to enjoy a good relationship with him, Jehovah instituted a temporary arrangement for the forgiveness of their sins. In Israel, Atonement Day was observed annually. On that day, the high priest would offer animal sacrifices on behalf of the people. Of course, animal sacrifices could not completely atone for anyone’s sins because animals are inferior to humans. But as long as the repentant Israelites offered the sacrifices that Jehovah required, he was willing to forgive their sins. (Heb. 10:1-4) In addition, that arrangement and their regular sin offerings impressed on the minds of the Israelites the seriousness of their sinful state and their great need for a permanent solution.

10. What permanent arrangement did Jehovah make for the forgiveness of sins?

¹⁰ Jehovah had a permanent arrangement in mind for the forgiveness of sins. He arranged for his beloved Son to be “offered once for all time to bear the sins of many.” (Heb. 9:28) Jesus gave “his life as a ransom in exchange for many.” (Matt. 20:28) What is a ransom?

THE PRICE: THE RANSOM

11. (a) According to the Bible, what is a ransom? (b) What would be needed for this ransom to be paid?

¹¹ According to the Bible, a ransom is the price paid to bring about atonement and reconciliation. a From Jehovah’s standpoint, it provides the basis to restore what was lost. In what way? Remember, Adam and Eve lost their perfect life along with the prospect of living forever. So the ransom would need to be a price of equal value to what was lost. (1 Tim. 2:6) It could be paid only by an adult man who (1) was perfect; (2) had the potential of living forever on earth; and (3) was willing to give up, or to sacrifice, that life for us. Only then could the life of that person replace, or atone for, the life that was lost.

12. Why was Jesus able to provide the necessary ransom price?

¹² Consider three reasons why Jesus was able to pay that ransom price. (1) He was perfect​—“he committed no sin.” (1 Pet. 2:22) (2) Because of that, he had the potential of living forever on earth. (3) He was willing to die and give up that life for us. (Heb. 10:9, 10) As a perfect man, Jesus was the equal of the first man, Adam, before he sinned. (1 Cor. 15:45) So by Jesus’ death, he was able to atone for Adam’s sin, that is, to replace what Adam had lost. (Rom. 5:19) Jesus thus became “the last Adam.” There is no need for another perfect person to come and pay for what Adam lost. Jesus died “once for all time.”​—Heb. 7:27; 10:12.

13. What is the difference between the atonement arrangement and the ransom?

¹³ What, then, is the difference between the atonement arrangement and the ransom? The atonement arrangement is the action God takes to restore a good relationship between him and mankind. The ransom is the price paid to make atonement possible for sinful mankind. This price is represented by Jesus’ precious blood poured out in our behalf.​—Eph. 1:7; Heb. 9:14.

THE RESULTS: REDEMPTION AND BEING DECLARED RIGHTEOUS

14. What will we now consider, and why?

¹⁴ What are the results of the atonement arrangement? The Bible uses several expressions to highlight the benefits. Although the meanings of these words overlap, each word emphasizes a certain aspect of the atonement arrangement that opens the way for Jehovah’s forgiveness. As we analyze these words, we will also see how they affect us personally.

15-16. (a) In the Bible, to what does the word “redemption” refer? (b) How does this affect us?

¹⁵ In the Bible, redemption refers to the releasing, or acquittal, that results because of the payment of the ransom. The apostle Peter expressed it this way: “You know that it was not with corruptible things, with silver or gold, that you were set free [lit., “you were ransomed; you were redeemed”] from your futile way of life handed down to you by your forefathers. But it was with precious blood, like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb, that of Christ.”​—1 Pet. 1:18, 19; ftn.

¹⁶ Because of the ransom sacrifice, we can be set free from the oppressive rule of sin and death. (Rom. 5:21) Certainly, we have good reason to feel deeply indebted to Jehovah and Jesus for the redemption that comes from the precious blood, or life, of Jesus.​—1 Cor. 15:22.

17-18. (a) What does being declared righteous mean? (b) How does this affect us?

¹⁷ Being declared righteous means that the charges against us have been dropped and that our record has been expunged, or wiped clean. By doing this, Jehovah does not violate his own standards of justice. He does not declare us righteous on our own merit; nor does he condone our sins. But because of our faith in the atonement arrangement and the ransom price that was paid, Jehovah has a basis for canceling our debts.​—Rom. 3:24; Gal. 2:16.

¹⁸ What does this mean for each of us? Those who have been selected to rule with Jesus in heaven have already been declared righteous as children of God. (Titus 3:7; 1 John 3:1) Their sins have been forgiven. They no longer have, as it were, a criminal record, and thus they qualify to be in the Kingdom. (Rom. 8:1, 2, 30) Those who have an earthly hope have been declared righteous as friends of God, and their sins are forgiven. (Jas. 2:21-23) The great crowd, who will survive Armageddon, have the prospect of never dying at all. (John 11:26) “The righteous” and “the unrighteous” who are sleeping in death are in line to be resurrected. (Acts 24:15; John 5:28, 29) Eventually, all obedient servants of Jehovah on earth will “have the glorious freedom of the children of God.” (Rom. 8:21) What an amazing blessing comes from the atonement arrangement​—total reconciliation with our Father, Jehovah!

¹⁹ Truly, our situation was once like that of the young man mentioned earlier who lost everything and inherited a huge debt he could never repay. But thanks to Jehovah, we have help. Our situation has changed because of the atonement arrangement and the payment of the ransom. Our faith in Jesus Christ allows us to be redeemed, or set free, from sin and death. Our sins can also be canceled, and our criminal record, erased. Most important of all, though, we can now have a good relationship with our loving heavenly Father, Jehovah.

20. What will we discuss in the next article?

²⁰ As we meditate on what Jehovah and Jesus have done for us, our heart is filled with appreciation. (2 Cor. 5:15) Without their help, we would have no hope at all! But what does Jehovah’s forgiveness really mean for us individually? That is what we will discuss in the next article.