Reading some stuff on the sovereignty of God - enjoying reading some books by a guy called Greg Boyd and also reading some stuff on the atonement. The atonement is to do with the cross and how the crucifixion affects us. There's a big conservative Christian emphasis on the atonement as penal substitution - ie God was so angry he had to punish someone. But although there is stuff on the 'wrath of God' in Scripture, there is more on his grace and love and I think it's wrong to have at the core of salvation an angry and punishing God. What do you think?
Thursday, August 21, 2008
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4 Comments:
Alan,
I'd be very interested to know your response to the "Christ’s Death Makes It Possible to Know and Enjoy God" section of this article by John Piper...
www.desiringgod.org
I get concerned when church ldrs focus on the wrath of God as the central focus of the cross. I have no problem with the term 'substitute'. Even Is 53:8 can makes sense without resorting to penal substitution (A very good translation REB translates it a different way) Do we really want to worship a God who is fuming with rage at us constantly? I lean more to the Christos Victor model which sugests that God offered his SOn to the principalities and power to be bruised and crushed. CS Lewis exemplifies this very well in 'The Lion the witch and the wardrobe'.
Hi Alan, A very difficult mystery to understand. What do you think of this idea? Although God feels 'wrath' when we turn away from Him He knows the true source of disobedience is the influence of Satan. He sent Himself [ in the body of Jesus] to be sacrificed to allow His love for us to shine through and by it's power to defeat the 'principalities and powers' for all eternity. Self-sacrifice is surely the ultimate in love and forgiveness, especially by the one who is the creator of all that is visible and invisible. The fact the He cared so much for us to protect us in this way is almost incomprehensible, we who in a bodily sense are just specs upon specs upon specs, etc. upon a dust particle of his creation, and has always been a source of awe and wonder and praise for me.
Anonymous
I think that there is something in what you say,
Alan
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