Joseph was told by an angel to name his son Jesus, because he would
save his people from their sins (Mt 1:21). In times past in Egypt, the
Passover lamb had borne people's sins. But now Jesus came into the world
to become the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (Jn
1:29). In our day some would have us confess Jesus as Savior, but
suggest that he saved us by doing something other than taking our sin
away. Or if they admit that sin needs to be taken away, they say that
Jesus does this by training us not to sin. In either case, we are left
with something other than Biblical salvation.
No plan of
salvation that leaves out Christ's payment for sin is a Biblical plan of
salvation. And yet I find that those who fight for this doctrine (may
they always be given the honor that is their due) often are so focused
on the truths under contention that they forget to flesh them out with
other Biblical truths. In the heat of battle it is forgotten that we
must not only contend for that part of the truth that is being
attacked, but we must tell the whole truth, even that part that might
not be objected to. It might put the controversial statements in a new
light. The doctrine of substitutionary atonement needs to be fleshed
out with the doctrine of Christ's deity, his two natures, and his Supper
if people are to see just how glorious a teaching is at stake.
Purchased with God's Own Blood
The
doctrine of substitutionary atonement teaches us that Christ saved us
by paying for our sins, that is, he died in our place. As the
Scriptures say "The wages of sin is death" (Rom 6:23). Christ, who being
sinless did not need to die, laid down his life for the sake of those
who were condemned to death. The resurrection shows that God accepted
the payment as complete. Christ was raised for our justification. It is
what Luther called the great exchange. Our sins are imputed to Christ.
His righteousness is imputed to us. We can press these images even
further. When we are united to Christ, God looks at us as if we had
done our time. Eternal hell is our sentence, and we show up in God's
presence as if we had done the unthinkable and made full payment. Of
course, we did not. Christ did it for us, but we receive the benefit. Continue at Rick Ritchie
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