WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE?

In the first section of this book, we considered some of the problems that I and others have with the doctrine of Penal Substitution. In the next two sections we examined the evidence and concluded that the Bible does not support this understanding of the atonement. Finally, in the fourth section we set out an alternative way of understanding the atonement. 

In this chapter, I will try to summarise this alternative view and set out some of the main ways in which it differs from the Penal Substitutionary view. I will then try to show how this alternative view helps to resolve the difficulties with Penal Substitution that I listed in the section on What's Wrong With It? 

What Is Our Understanding Of The Atonement?

The main thesis of this book has been that on the cross Jesus was not being punished in our place; he was making atonement on our behalf. 

We have argued that atonement is an alternative to punishment. Rather than being punished, the offender seeks to make amends for his offence - by repairing the damage that was done and restoring to the offended party either what was lost or something equivalent in value to it. As those who have offended against God, there was nothing we could ever have done to make up to God for all the damage that has been done in our world as a result of the fall. However, in the person of His Son, God has provided us with a means of putting everything right again. 

Through His sacrificial death, as one of us, Jesus carried our sins and paid the penalty that God's law required in order for them to be forgiven. He also offered up His own life of perfect obedience to the Father in order that He might become the head of a new humanity in which everything lost as a result of the fall might be restored. Jesus did all of this on behalf of His people. His people are those who acknowledge their sinfulness and look to God for salvation and who, once the gospel is made known to them, choose to entrust their lives to Jesus and to live as His disciples, thereby receiving forgiveness of sins and new life in Him. 

Thus Jesus laid down His life for us not only in order that we might be forgiven and declared 'righteous' in God's sight but also that we might be made new through our union with Him. By raising Him from the dead, God confirmed that he has accepted the price that Jesus paid on our behalf. Furthermore, He has given us His Holy Spirit so that we can be set free from 'the law of sin and death' that operates in our lives as a result of the fall and be transformed into the likeness of His Son. And since Jesus has defeated Satan, we can be certain that He will continue His saving work in our lives as we continue in faith until the day He comes to make everything new and on that day we will go to be with Him forever.

The blood of Jesus has made provision for all to be saved but since it must be appropriated by faith, it is only those who personally put their faith in Jesus and identify themselves with Him who are actually saved by it. Faith involves a life-long commitment to following in the way of Jesus, recognising that it is only by dying to sin and being raised to new life in the power of the Spirit that we live the life that God requires of us. There is no more condemnation for those who turn away from their sins and put their faith in Jesus, but those who refuse to do so, and choose to remain in their sins, will face God's just condemnation on the Day of Judgement.

How Is This Different From Penal Substitution?

In previous chapters I have argued that while there is a penal element to the atonement - in that Jesus took upon Himself God's judgement on human sin in the form of physical death even though He Himself had done nothing to deserve this - this is not penal substitution since Jesus did not die in our place but alongside us, standing in solidarity with us as one of us. He gave His life as a sacrifice of atonement on our behalf - as our representative, rather than as our substitute.

I have also argued that while there is a substitutionary element in the atonement - in that one life is given in exchange for another - this is not penal substitution in that there is no suggestion in this exchange that Jesus was being punished in our place. Rather, He was paying the ransom price that was required in order that we might be set free from our captivity to Satan, sin and death and be restored to God as His rightful possession. There is a transfer of ownership, here, nothing more. There is no transfer either of guilt or of righteousness from one party to the other.

So I am reluctant to classify this version of the atonement as Penal Substitution. I suggest that instead it might be called Atoning Representation. This would highlight the fact that on the cross Jesus was making atonement for my sins rather than being punished for them. It would also highlight the fact that in doing so He was acting as my representative rather than as my substitute.

In order to further clarify the difference between this and the Penal Substitutionary view of the atonement I have listed in italics below a number of statements that represent the Penal Substitutionary view - although of course not all of those who hold this view will necessarily agree with every statement. And beneath each statement I have tried to sum up the position I have been arguing for throughout this book - although again not everyone who disagrees with Penal Substitution will necessarily affirm everything I have suggested as an alternative.

The statements listed include those given in 'An Exercise For You' so you may now wish to refer to the answers you gave, if you wrote them down, and compare them with what I have written below. It is of course up to you to decide for yourself which view best represents Biblical truth. You may not agree with everything I have said but I hope that at least I have helped to clarify the issues for you!

• On the cross, Jesus was being punished in my place.

On the cross, Jesus was not being punished in my place; He was making atonement on my behalf.

• God punished Jesus instead of punishing me.

God did not punish Jesus. Rather, in becoming one of us, Jesus took upon Himself the sentence of death that hangs over all human beings as a result of our sin in order that He might be able to offer Himself up to God on our behalf as a sacrifice of atonement for our sins. 

• 'In my place condemned He stood.'

It was the Roman authorities who condemned Jesus to die as a criminal. God did not condemn Jesus. Rather, He condemned sin, putting an end to it's reign, by providing Jesus as a sacrifice of atonement through which we may be forgiven and released from its controlling power. 

(I suggest that this line from the hymn 'Man Of Sorrows' should read: 'For my sake condemned He stood'.)

• Jesus bore the wrath of God for me.

God did not pour out His wrath on Jesus. It was wicked men who hurled their abuse at Jesus and it was they, not the Father, who bruised Him. Even so, it was the Father's will that Jesus allow Himself to be bruised in this way in order that He might offer up His life as a sacrifice of atonement for our sins. 

• 'On the cross where Jesus died the wrath of God was satisfied'.

The wrath of God did not have to be poured out on anyone in order for us to be forgiven. Instead, through the death of Jesus, the wrath of God was turned aside from us since through His perfect sacrifice He had made atonement for our sins. As a result, there is no longer any condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus but those who refuse God's offer of mercy and choose to remain in their sins will face His wrath on Judgement Day. 

(I suggest that this line from the hymn 'In Christ Alone' should read: 'On the cross where Jesus died, the wrath of God was turned aside.')

• Jesus drank the cup of God's wrath - down to the last drop - so that I would not have to.

Jesus did not drink the cup of God's wrath. The cup He was referring to in the Garden of Gethsemane was the cup of suffering which those of us who follow Him may also be called upon to drink as we take our stand for Him in a hostile world.

• Because God is holy, He cannot look on sin.

The verse in Habakkuk from which this idea comes means that because God is holy, He cannot overlook our sin - not that He has to turn His back on us any time we sin. The Bible shows us that it is not God who is unable to look on us because of our sinfulness but we who are unable to look on Him because of His holiness. 

• Because God is holy, He must punish sin.

Because God is holy, He requires that sin be cleansed - not that it be punished. Provision is made for sin to be cleansed through a sacrifice of atonement.

• Because God is just, He must punish sin.

Because God is just, He requires that justice be done. But this does not mean that He demands retribution from us for every sin we have ever committed against Him. Rather what He longs for is that relationships broken by sin be restored and that people be reconciled to Him and to each other. And reconciliation requires that our sins be atoned for; not that they be punished. 

• Jesus became sin for me. 

Jesus did not literally 'become sin' for me. The word translated 'sin' in 2 Corinthians 5: 21 should be translated 'a sin offering'. What Paul is saying is that Jesus offered Himself up to God as a sacrifice in order to atone for my sins.

• The Father abandoned His Son on the cross.

Jesus felt forsaken by the Father but was not actually forsaken. The Father withdrew His protection from Him and did not intervene to rescue Him. Nevertheless He remained with Him - strengthening, comforting and encouraging Him as He endured the agony of the cross in order that He might fulfill the purpose for which He had been sent - to make atonement for our sins. 

• Jesus endured separation from God because this is what my sins deserved.

Since Jesus was not being punished in our place we do not need to think of Him as having to endure eternal separation from God in order for us to be forgiven. He endured the sentence of death that was required of all human beings as a result of our sin. He offered up His life as a sacrifice of atonement in order that we might justly be forgiven. As a result of His sacrifice, no one now needs to face eternal separation from God. It is not our sin, as such, that will lead to our eternal condemnation but our rejection of the grace that is made available to us through the sacrifice of Jesus. Hell is self-imposed exile from the love of God.

• Jesus died to take away God's wrath.

The purpose of Jesus' sacrifice was to deal with the problem of our sin. The obstacle between us and God was not primarily God's wrath but our sin. It is our sin as the impediment to our relationship with God that is 'propitiated' by Jesus' sacrifice of atonement.

• Jesus died to secure the salvation of the elect.

Jesus died to make provision for the salvation of all.

• Jesus lived the life I should have lived so I don't have to.

Jesus lived a perfect life of obedience to the Father and service to others as an example for me to follow. As a follower of Jesus, I am called to live as He did. And He has given me His Spirit in order that I might do so and that the life He lived might be reproduced in me.

• Jesus died the death I should have died so I don't have to.

Jesus died and rose again so that all who follow Him might likewise die to sin and rise to new life in the Spirit. Through His death and resurrection He blazed a trail for us to follow. Following Him means denying myself and taking up my cross daily as He did. By doing so, I am both crucified and raised to new life with Him.

• I am justified once and for all from the moment I believe.

Justification means being declared or shown to be in right standing with God. However, my right standing with God is linked to my faith. My right standing continues so long as my faith continues. It is a living, active faith that has continued to this day that shows that I am in a right relationship with God.

• The perfect righteousness of Jesus has been imputed (credited) to me.

Justification does not involve the righteousness of Christ being credited to me. God does not see me as yet perfectly 'clothed in the righteousness of Christ'. He sees me and knows me as I am. But in His free grace, He has chosen to credit my faith to me as righteousness. And He has given me His Spirit so that I might display the fruit of this righteousness in my life.

How Does This Help?

Earlier in this book, we identified ten problems with the doctrine of Penal Substitution. We will now look back at these and briefly consider how the alternative that I am proposing solves each of these and thus provides a better understanding of what the Bible says about the atonement.

The Problem Of A Divided Trinity

There is no hint of a divided Trinity in this view of the atonement. The Son lays down His life in obedience to the Father. The Father remains with Him, encouraging and strengthening Him as He endures the suffering inflicted upon Him by wicked men in order to make atonement for our sins. The Father is not punishing or pouring out His wrath upon His Son. Instead He is accepting the sacrifice offered up to Him freely by His Son as the means by which He can reconcile the world to Himself. There is no conflict between the Father and the Son.

The Problem Of An Abusive Father

In this view the Father is above all portrayed as a God of mercy rather than as a God of wrath. He is not an angry, vengeful God who must pour out His wrath on someone before He can forgive us. Instead He is a God who prefers to be merciful rather than to punish us (or anyone else) for our sins. He has sent His Son to offer up a sacrifice of atonement by means of which we may justly be forgiven. He is not the Godfather - exacting retribution for every act of disobedience we have committed against Him. He is God the Father - longing for His children to come home and providing them with the means of doing so.

The Problem Of Unchanged Lives

The cross is not designed merely to bring about a change in our legal status before God. Nor is it designed merely to secure forgiveness and a place in heaven for us. Rather it is designed to bring about our complete transformation into the image of Jesus. Jesus did not die primarily to appease God's wrath but to take away our sin as the impediment that stood between us and God. The cross enables God justly to declare all those who put their faith in Him as righteous in His sight. But this is just the beginning. As we continue to live by faith, confessing our sins to God, meditating on His Word and walking in obedience to His commands, the Spirit progressively cleanses and sanctifies us so that we become more and more like Jesus. It is not just our status but our whole lives that are changed.

The Problem Of An Unjust Sentence

There is nothing unjust about this view of the atonement. No legal system permits an innocent person to be punished in place of a guilty person. However an innocent party may choose to make amends for what someone else has done so that the guilty person need not be taken before the court and may thus avoid the sentence of the law. This is what Jesus was doing on the cross. He was making atonement for our sins. He was not being punished for them. There is no injustice involved in this.

The Problem Of Eternal Punishment

Jesus did not take the punishment we deserved - so the question of how six hours on the cross can be equivalent to eternal separation from God does not arise. The suffering Jesus endured was the price He had to pay in order to atone for our sins and thus release us from captivity to Satan, sin and death.

The Problem Of Double Jeopardy

There is no double jeopardy involved here either. The wrath of God was not poured out on Jesus. It is still to come. Those who put their faith in Jesus and His atoning sacrifice will be saved from the wrath of God. But those who refuse to do so and who choose instead to remain in their sins will face God's just condemnation on the Day of Judgement when His wrath will fully and finally be poured out.

The Problem Of Violent Retribution

God was not exacting retribution from His Son for the wrongs we have done. There is no justification here for demanding retribution from those who have offended us before we will forgive them. God's justice is at heart restorative rather than retributive. The cross was designed to restore our broken relationships. Having been reconciled to Him, God expects us to seek reconciliation with those who have offended us rather than to demand retribution from them and to partner with Him in working for reconciliation between divided communities around the world.

The Problem Of Unjust Suffering

Jesus' response to unjust suffering provides us with a model for how we should respond to any opposition that may come our way because of our faith. It is God's will for us to endure suffering of this kind. But this does not mean that victims of abuse should be encouraged simply to put up with their abuse. This is not God's will. Those who are suffering from abuse should certainly respond without retaliation and should seek to pray for and to bless their abusers as Jesus taught. But it is perfectly legitimate for them to take steps to protect themselves from abuse, to flee from it and to report their abusers to the authorities if necessary. The example of Jesus enduring the cross should not be used to suggest otherwise.

The Problem Of Its Narrow View Of Salvation

In this view, salvation means complete deliverance from sin and all of its consequences. It is a process in which we participate by grace, through faith. Whilst the process will not finally be complete until Jesus returns and makes all things new, being saved does not merely mean being forgiven and having a place in heaven. It also means experiencing something of God's saving power in the present - delivering us from evil, healing our brokenness, transforming us into the image of Christ, gifting us to play our part in the body of Christ and enabling us together to transform our communities and meet the needs of others in the world around us.

The Problem Of Its Narrow View Of The Mission Of The Church

The mission of the church in this view is to both proclaim and demonstrate the gospel of salvation in all its fullness as Jesus did. Our mission is not just to get people out of hell and into heaven. It is to proclaim the good news of God's saving power which is able to transform our lives now as well as in the future. And at the same time it is to demonstrate the reality of this by working together to transform the lives of others who are in need. Evangelism and social action belong together. Gospel proclamation alone is unlikely to be effective unless at the same time we are actively engaged in meeting the needs of those we are trying to reach. We need to show compassion for them as Jesus did - seeing them as whole people and not just as souls to be saved. We need to proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God and invite others to enter it by faith as Jesus did. But at the same time, we also need to model the Kingdom as a living reality in the heart of the communities we are trying to reach so that those who live there can see and experience what it looks like for themselves. The Word again needs to become flesh so that others might be drawn to Jesus by what they see as well as by what they hear. 

What's Next?

In Book 2 we will explore how the alternative understanding of the atonement we have proposed might affect the way we understand salvation, the character of God and the Bible itself. I will then explain why I think it matters that we understand and teach the doctrine of the atonement correctly. And finally, I will provide lists of books and online resources for further study on the topics we have covered.