Christ the Victor through Penal Substitution
It seems some contemporary evangelicals are no longer convinced the death of Jesus involves atonement through penal substitution; that is, in death Jesus undertook in the place of sinners (substitution) the punishment (penal) that God’s righteous character demands if sin is to be forgiven . We are told by some that such a view of the atonement is tantamount to, ‘cosmic child abuse’. This emotive and astonishing claim is made despite the compelling weight of biblical evidence that penal substitution lies right at the heart of the atonement .
A more appropriate or central theory of the atonement, we are told, views the death of Jesus as the defeat of evil powers – of Satan, sin and death; the motif of Christ as Victor over all our enemies.
That in death Christ is Victor over all malign spiritual powers is certainly biblical and central . The Bible clearly declares this and hymns over the centuries have celebrated this routing of all God’s enemies at the cross.
He hell in hell laid low
Made sin he sin o’erthrew
Bowed to the grave, destroyed it so
And death by dying slew.
The question is, how did Jesus death upon the cross – an act of apparent weakness and defeat accomplish this triumph over evil powers? The answer it seems takes us right back to penal substitution; Jesus defeated malignant powers and rescued us from them by being a sin-bearing, curse-taking and wrath-absorbing substitutionary sacrifice.
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About John
Hi there - I am a member of Greenview and have been for over 20 years. For a number of these years I functioned as an elder, however, indifferent health forced me to take more of a back seat. I see this as an opportunity to do a little writing, often focussing on issues that are a matter of evangelical debate today. Naturally the views expressed are my own and may not reflect the views of the elders or church at large, though differences are likely to be in the detail and not the substance.
These articles and sermons were written partly to clarify my own thoughts and partly with the intention of provoking thought in others who may read them. If you read one I hope you find it stimulating. Please feel free to give me feedback or discuss my articles in the forums.
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