Err! Em! What is Penal Substitution?

 Penal Substitution ( or Vicarious Atonement) is a theological doctrine within Christianity with the viewpoint that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross takes the place of the punishment that is due to sinners for their transgressions against God. As a result, God’s wrath is propitiated (fully satisfied), and those who accept Christ can be forgiven and reconciled to God.

It is “penal” in that Christ suffered the penalty of the Law, by taking the “punishment” for transgressions against the Law. It was substitutionary (or vicarious) in that Christ took our place on the cross when He bore our sins (1 Pet. 2:24) and became sin on our behalf (2 Cor. 5:21). So, penal substitution is the act of a person (Jesus Christ) taking the punishment for someone else’s (man) transgressions.

According to the doctrine of penal substitution, humanity is depraved to such an extent that it is spiritually dead (Eph 2:1) and it is incapable of atoning for sin in any way, as a result, humanity has been judged guilty and unrighteous (Rom 3:11) before the Judgment Seat of God, hereby receiving a verdict of eternal sentence in hell. Only Jesus’ sacrifice serves as a substitute for anyone who accepts it. In a very direct sense, Jesus is exchanged for us as the recipient of sin’s penalty. 

The work of atonement is carried through from start to finish by God Himself as the effective agent. It is above all a movement of God to man rather than a movement of man to God.

The word propitiation (Rom 3:25) appropriately signifies the removal of wrath by the offering of a sacrificial gift. The wrath of God is a punishment due upon the sinner as a legal requirement, since the sinner is someone who has broken the law of God. Jesus is our propitiation who turns away the lawful wrath of God since the law of God must be fulfilled and cannot be ignored. Jesus is the one who fulfilled the law and never sinned (1 Pet. 2:22). But, he bore our sins in his body on the cross (1 Pet. 2:24) and became sin on our behalf (2 Cor. 5:21) thereby suffering the penalty of sin, which is death.

We can only pay the price of sin on our own by being punished and placed in hell for all eternity. But God’s Son, Jesus Christ, came to earth to pay for the price of our sins. Because He did this for us, we now have the opportunity to not only have our sins forgiven, but to spend eternity with Him. In order to do this we must place our faith in what Christ did on the cross. We cannot save ourselves; we need a substitute to take our place. The death of Jesus Christ is the substitutionary atonement.

Grace & Peace

There are many great resources to read for further understanding on the wonderful and loving work that was done on the rugged Cross of Jesus Christ. My favourites so far are:

1. The Cross of Christ – John Stott (very big volume that has been a classic for 3 decades. I got the audiobook. Hehehehe)

2. Scandalous – D.A. Carson (small volume that won’t take long to read, recommend as a starter)

3. Pierced for Our Transgressions – Steve Jeffery, Mike Ovey (currently reading this. Very rich in its exegesis of scripture)

A Display of Just Love.

When tribes roamed Russia, much as the Indian tribes roamed the Americas. The tribes which controlled the best hunting and the choicest natural resources were the tribes which had the strongest and wisest leaders. The single tribe which controlled the very best of the territory was the tribe with the most powerful and the most wise leader.

One particular tribe maintained its control of the choice land because its leader was not only the most physically powerful but the most wise of all. And the success of the tribe was due to the fairness and the equity and the wisdom of the laws this great leader gave and enforced upon his people. His word was law and among his greatest laws were that parents must be loved and honoured. He also said that murder was punishable by death and stealing was to be severely punished.

The tribe was prospering greatly when suddenly a disturbing thing began to happen. Someone in the tribe was stealing. It was reported to the great leader that this was going on and he sent out the proclamation that if the thief was caught he would receive that severe punishment, ten lashes from the tribal whip master. Stealing continued despite the warnings, so he raised it to 20 lashes. It went on so he raised it to 30 lashes. And finally he raised it to 40 lashes and knew there was only one person in the whole tribe that could survive that lashing and that was him because he was superior in strength.

Finally the thief was caught. To the horror of everyone it was his own mother. The tribe was in shock. What was the leader going to do? His law was that in everything parents were to be loved and honoured. But thieves were to be whipped. Great arguments arose on the day of judgment as it approached. Was he going to satisfy his love and save his mother or was he going to satisfy his law and have her die under the whip because she could never endure that.

Soon tribal members were divided and even making wages on what he would do. And finally the judgment day came. The tribe was gathered around the great compound in the centre of which a large post was driven into the ground. The leader’s great throne sat in the place of prominence and with great pomp and ceremony the leader entered, took his place on the throne and the silence was deafening.

Soon is frail little mother was brought in between towering warriors. They tied her to the post. The crowd murmured in debate, will he satisfy his love at the expense of law? Or his law at the expense of his love? The tribal whip master entered, a powerful man with bulging muscles, a great leather whip in his hand and as he approached the little lady, the warriors ripped her shirt off, exposing her frail little back to the cruelty of the lash. Everyone gasped. Was the leader really going to let her die?

He sat staring without moving. Every eye was darting from him to the whip master and back again. The whip master took his stance, his great arm cracked the whip in the air as he prepared to bring the first lash upon her. In every heart was the question, would he allow his love to be violated or his law?

Just as the whip master started to bring his powerful arm forward with the first cutting stroke on that frail little back, the leader held up his hand to halt the punishment. A great sigh went up from the tribe. His love was going to be satisfied. But what about his law? They watched him rise from his throne and he strode toward his mother. As he walked he was removing his own shirt. He threw it aside and proceeded to wrap his great arms around his little mother, exposing that huge muscular back to the whip master. And then breaking the heavy silence he commanded, “Proceed with the punishment.” Thus both his law and his love were satisfied.

The Bible says the wages of sin death. And the Bible says Jesus died for our sins. He satisfied His love, He died in our place. He satisfied His law, He died for sin. And if you come to Christ, the judgment you should receive Christ takes in your behalf. What a gift.

“He did it to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time,

so as to be just and the One who justifies…”

-Romans 3:26

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Soli Deo Gloria

The Books and “The Book”…

May your soul “rest in peace”, the common words that echo from our hearts whenever we hear of the death of someone, whether close or distant. It is sometimes our final well wish as we ponder on a life lost in that eventual battle with death. And death, when close to the heart is never easy to bear, especially when it is tragic in nature, for it drains the minds of those left behind into exhaustion. A lot of questions go unanswered, which causes anger and frustration, with tear ducts running dry from the realisation that the life lost will never be seen again.

Death also grants us the opportunity to look within and evaluate our lives to ascertain if it is heading in the path that leads to glory, glory in Christ. It is from this self evaluation that I find it difficult to utter those words “rest in peace”, especially when I have no idea how the lost soul will stand before God. For a life outside of the covering of the sacrificed blood of Jesus has no chance of peace on the other side, only torment awaits such a soul for eternity (Rev 20:10). This is when reality starts to sink in deep for me, for We have only one shot at this life and oh it has to count.

John, paints a very graphic picture in Revelation 20…..

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11-15 ESV)

This is man’s last day in God’s court. This court scene will not be like the familiar trials held on earth. For those on trial this day will experience a very different kind of court. There will be no debate about guilt or innocence. There will be a prosecutor but no defender, there will be an accuser but no advocate. There will be an indictment but no case for the charged. There will be a swift presentation of the convicting evidence but no rebuttal, a testimony with no cross examination. There will be an utterly unsympathetic judge and no jury. There will be a sentence but no appeal, a punishment with no parole in a jail with no escape.

The dead, great (in order of earthly importance) and small (earthly insignificance) will stand before the throne with books opened before them showing in details clearer than the highest definition all they have done (sins) and not done (accepting Christ). These books will serve as the basis from where their judgement will come from, according to what they had done… Rev 20:12-13

It is said that no one in the entire New Testament mentions hell more than our Lord Jesus Christ. Let it be imprinted upon our hearts that even the very breath we take must have at its very core the purpose to bring Him glory. For every obscene word, inane thought and self gratifying act will be accounted for before God. (2 Corinthians 5:10)

In that book of life, only those submitted to Christ will be found on it. His sacrifice displayed the highest level of submission and those whom He died for live a life of complete surrender to Him, taking care to obey His commandments out of love and reverence for Him.

My warmest prayer and declaration is that me and my house will serve the Lord with every breath He gifts us (Joshua 24:15)… I pray it is so for you too..

Sola Gratia…