"Thus the cross is, for me, not a substitute for a punishment we all deserve, but rather a revelation of a love that is infinitely tender and deeply mysterious."Read that. Take it in. It is pretty clear. You know what else it is? Dead wrong. Here is what the cross of Jesus Christ truly means:
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." - Romans 3:23-26 (emphasis added)
Christian, beware of the evil doctrines that tickle the ears and appease the mind's depraved appetite.
*Edit: Check out the comments below for some further discussion on the full meaning of the cross of Christ.
*Edit: Check out the comments below for some further discussion on the full meaning of the cross of Christ.
I didn't have the time to read the whole article. What if the quote was...
ReplyDelete"Thus the cross is...not [just] a substitute for a punishment we all deserve, [but also] a revelation of a love that is infinitely tender and deeply mysterious."
Those who do not know Christ do not care about the first until they have seen the second.
@Shane
ReplyDeleteThat hypothetical quote would be fine. My huge problem is the fact that this guy flat out denies that the cross was the means of substitutionary atonement to use the common theological phrase.
Now what if the cross was presented as the solution to a problem...mainly the problem that humans are guilty of violating God's law and have no means of becoming innocent before God except by the cross...now that is good news (and also really is the second matter of love you discussed). Point being if people don't see why they need the cross (guilty of sin and its punishment), it isn't really going to mean much to them.
this is a good point trevor but you forgot Jesus words "for god so loved the world..."
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