There have been several threads on various aspects of the atonement (mostly on the Penal Substitution Theory). Throughout I've been challenged on my position - which is a good thing - but no one has really asked me what I believe - which is perhaps not so much a good thing. Since we can't prove a negative, I thought I would also provide what I believe to be true in terms of the Cross.
I believe that while we were enemies of God we were reconciled to Him through Christ’s death and having been reconciled we are saved by His life. Christ died for all so that all men might no longer live for themselves but for Him, who died and rose again on our behalf. It was God’s predetermined plan that Christ suffer and die at the hands of godless men. But God raised Him up on the third day, gaining us victory over sin and death.
Jesus is the "Lamb of God" who takes away the sins of the world, dying once for all when He offered up Himself. Jesus gave Himself for our sins so He might rescue us from this present evil age. And having become a curse for us He redeemed us from the curse of the Law. Jesus Himself is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world.
He was pierced for our sins, crushed for our iniquities. Men esteemed Him as stricken and afflicted by God, but the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him and by His stripes we are healed. For Christ bore our sins in His body on the cross so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.
He had to be made like us in all things. So He came in the likeness of sinful flesh and condemned sin in the flesh. And being found in the likeness of men Jesus humbled Himself by becoming obedient even to death. This is why God exalted Him and gave Him a nave above all others – that at His name all will bow and confess that Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father.
It is for this reason that the Father loves the Son – because he lay down his life to take it up again.
The Father loved the world by giving His only Son. On the cross God was, in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself. He caused the iniquity of us all to fall on His Son, displaying Him publically as a propitiation in His blood through faith. God loved us and sent Christ to be the propitiation for our sins. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf. He sent His own Son, His Beloved, in the likeness of corruptible flesh.
And as through Adam’s transgression mankind was condemned, so also through Christ’s one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.
I believe that while we were enemies of God we were reconciled to Him through Christ’s death and having been reconciled we are saved by His life. Christ died for all so that all men might no longer live for themselves but for Him, who died and rose again on our behalf. It was God’s predetermined plan that Christ suffer and die at the hands of godless men. But God raised Him up on the third day, gaining us victory over sin and death.
Jesus is the "Lamb of God" who takes away the sins of the world, dying once for all when He offered up Himself. Jesus gave Himself for our sins so He might rescue us from this present evil age. And having become a curse for us He redeemed us from the curse of the Law. Jesus Himself is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world.
He was pierced for our sins, crushed for our iniquities. Men esteemed Him as stricken and afflicted by God, but the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him and by His stripes we are healed. For Christ bore our sins in His body on the cross so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.
He had to be made like us in all things. So He came in the likeness of sinful flesh and condemned sin in the flesh. And being found in the likeness of men Jesus humbled Himself by becoming obedient even to death. This is why God exalted Him and gave Him a nave above all others – that at His name all will bow and confess that Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father.
It is for this reason that the Father loves the Son – because he lay down his life to take it up again.
The Father loved the world by giving His only Son. On the cross God was, in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself. He caused the iniquity of us all to fall on His Son, displaying Him publically as a propitiation in His blood through faith. God loved us and sent Christ to be the propitiation for our sins. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf. He sent His own Son, His Beloved, in the likeness of corruptible flesh.
And as through Adam’s transgression mankind was condemned, so also through Christ’s one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.
