kamphau@oktext..sbc.com (Mark Kamphaus) (06/05/90)
In article <May.29.05.49.34.1990.4493@athos.rutgers.edu> hedrick@geneva.rutgers.edu writes: >In a posting a week or so ago, Quowong Peter Liu asked how it can be >that Jesus' death allow our sins to be forgiven. >Oddly enough, this is one area in which there is no official doctrine. >It's sort of surprising in a way, since it's so basic. >I find many of the common answers close, but not quite sufficient. >Most theories of the atonement are based on the concept that someone >has to be punished for our sins, and so God took the punishment on >himself. But this makes God sound rather arbitrary. Why does he have >to insist on punishment? And if he does, how can he take it on >himself? To me, anyway, this was a difficulty I had in really believing in a God. That is Why couldn't God have just said "Adam, I told you not to do that, but since you didn't know good from evil, i'll let it go. next time be more careful" - a more "modern" parental response. What I have come to believe is what is expressed inRomans and Hebrews. God does not lie. He said don't -or Else. He is not wishy-washy. Adam (and Eve) disobeyed and were punished. In addition the whole of the earth was cursed. But man continued on in the world doing things not acceptable to God. Through Moses, the Law came; but a Law is no good without punishment. The punishment of the Law is death. All who sin must die. The Law gave Sin the power to take life away from man. For the Law to be fulfilled someone or something had to die ( death by substitution ). The blood of animals was insufficient to fully cleanse man. Jesus came as a man in the flesh. He was therefore subject to the Law. He was put to death, but, beacause he had not sinned, death could not hold him. He was not guilty and therefore overcame death. Now, the Law was fulfilled in Him. God's new covenant is that HE will make you a part of Christ so that HIS death counts for your sins. If you accept this invitation, you will no longer be under the law because through Christs death the Law has been fulfilled. You live under grace, and this is where I started. God will say - you are forgiven.