A few weeks ago I shared the biggest shift in my theology since coming to Christ. (Click here to read.) I was taught, or absorbed a doctrine that I didn’t question until about a year ago.
Since most of my readers aren’t theologians, the title up there might not mean much. In lay terms, what PSA teaches is that because man sinned and broke the rules of a holy God, someone had to be punished to soothe his wrath. But since God is so nice, he killed his son for our crimes instead of us.
Most of my Protestant friends have probably heard, believed or taught this.
Did Jesus die for us? Absolutely.
The Bible clearly teaches that Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
Was there a debt that needed to be paid? Absolutely.
Again the Bible clearly teaches that Jesus Cancel[ed] the record of debt that stood against us... Col 2:14
Was the debt paid to vengeful God? I don’t think so.
By canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. Col 2: 14-15
The ransom was the means to disarm the rulers and authorities, that being the devil.
The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8
Why doesn’t it matter? Because lost and hurting people need Jesus. They need to be reconciled to the Father in love.
Instead they are being told:
God is angry.
But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. Psalm 86:15
God wants to punish them.
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 1 John 4:18
God killed his own son.
But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us, in all future ages, as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. Eph 2:4-7
That is the gospel story that needs shared. That is truly the good news.
In our quest to serve God in obedience, we can never lose sight of his forever love, lavish grace and his total commitment to bringing us back to life through Jesus Christ, his one and only Son. To accomplish that, we need to walk back the misleading doctrine of PSA and point people to the champion of our souls because he loves us and he wins!
“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him”. 1 John 4:9
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