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SUMMER 2012/13 the Cross: What Jesus Won, and Why

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SUMMER 2012/13 the Cross: What Jesus Won, and Why Australia’s reformed AP evangelical periodical SUMMER 2012/13 The Cross: What Jesus won, and why Gerald Bray on reconciling justice and mercy Mark Powell on our perfect prize Philip Burns: the Master Weaver Editorial the New Testament says, that Christ’s exhibit one attribute by denying the blood satisfies the justice of God. other - which is clearly impossible. As Robert Haldane pointed out: “Mercy Not only was God just, He was also the and justice are irreconcilable except in justifier of the guilty who have faith in Christ.” Or, in the stark and moving Jesus (Rom. 3:26). That is, He was words of ‘Rabbi’ Duncan: “There is both just and merciful at once. Take nothing but Christ between us and hell; away the cross, and God could be just and, thanks be to God, we need by sending us all to hell for our sins. Or nothing else.” He could be the justifier of sinners, by harles Spurgeon once called ignoring our sins. He could only Peter Barnes substitutionary atonement “the Cgreat net of gospel fishermen”. That used to be taken as given in evangelical circles. Today, however, there is widespread embarrassment at what some have portrayed as cosmic child abuse. That Christ is our substitute is seen as a primitive and barbaric notion. Richard Dawkins opened a recent Q & A session with a blistering attack on substitutionary atonement, to which Cardinal Pell apparently felt unable to respond. The god of the modern world, if he is allowed to exist at all, is bland to the point where he would not offend the delicate sensibilities of anyone. William Barclay used to say that the cross shows us that God will always love us. Very comforting, but how is this true? It is only true if it achieves something needed for our salvation. The Scottish theologian James Denney was too concessive in a number of areas, but he was right to say that unless this is shown it would be like someone leaping into the water and drowning to prove his love for me when I was sitting on the pier and not in any danger of drowning. What, then, is the connection between the love of God and the death of Christ? Denney confessed that he had not seen any intelligible relation established between them, except “that which is the key to the whole of New Testament teaching, and which bids us say, as we look at the cross, He bore our sins, He died our death. It is so His love constrains us”. In short, Denney was saying what 2 AP All we like sheep Our straying meant Christ had to die. Peter Hastie talks to Gerald Bray. esus did not sin, but on the cross conversational and contemporary and likeness so that we could enjoy a He became sin for us. What does overview of Christianity’s leading ideas. special relationship with Him. This this mean? In this interview Dr relationship is similar but greater than J Gerald, Paul says to the Corinthians Gerald Bray explains and defends the relationship that He has with the that the death of Jesus Christ for our the traditional Christian doctrine of the angels. We have been created, not sins according to the Scriptures is of atonement. In recent times this crucial simply to communicate with God, but “first importance”. What does he mean? doctrine has been doubted by some, to have fellowship with Him. Clearly, even within the church, and despised He means that unless Jesus had gone to the angels can communicate with God by many who are acclaimed in the the cross and died as an atoning too, but only as servants, whereas we world. One thing is for sure: the sacrifice for sin, then the basic problem are created to be God’s children. atoning death of Jesus provokes strong of how to deal with sin would never Now the problem we face is that we reactions. have been tackled. He reminds us that have spurned the love of our Heavenly the death of Christ makes a permanent Dr Bray is a research professor of Father. At the instigation of the fallen difference to the nature of our divinity at Beeson Divinity School in angel, Satan, we have followed him in relationship with God. Birmingham, Alabama. He has earned his rebellion against God and have a D.Litt from the University of Paris- Of course, atonement had been going come under the sentence of death. You Sorbonne and is an ordained minister on for a long time in the Jewish context, know the saying, “The greater they are, in the Church of England. but by its nature it was only temporary. the harder they fall”? Well, that’s true of Dr Bray’s specialty is church history It had to be constantly renewed. us. God created us for an amazing and historical theology. A prolific However, the coming of Christ put an destiny of fellowship and service, but author, he has published many end to the temporary sacrifices and He also warned us that if we ever scholarly articles and books, including fulfilled a long-held hope in the Old rejected Him we would die in our sin. The Doctrine of God (IVP) and Creeds, Testament that one day God would put Rebelling against God has the most Councils, and Christ (Christian Focus away sin forever through the offering of serious consequences. You can’t paper it Publications). His book Biblical a special sacrifice. This took place when over or think it doesn’t matter. Interpretation: Past and Present (IVP) Jesus, the sinless Son of God, acting as Rebellion against God brings death. was voted as one of the 10 books every God’s appointed high priest, offered up That is what defines our predicament. pastor should read. His book Yours is Himself as the final sacrifice. Since God is the source of our lives the the Kingdom (IVP 2007) is a systematic Our relationship with God either penalty for sin shows us how serious it theology based on the Lord’s Prayer and wouldn’t exist or would be quite is to rebel against Him. When Adam his recent biblical and systematic different to what it now is had that not and Eve chose to disobey the Lord, they theology, God is Love (Crossway), is a happened, so the death of Christ for actually chose death. They chose to our sins is the key doctrine in reject God’s will, a choice with I certainly couldn’t Christianity. Without it, Christianity as catastrophic consequences. And to we know it never would have existed. overcome the tragedy that we have die for my own sin brought upon ourselves, God has to get Why is atonement necessary? What is into the mess of what is wrong and because I am already it about the nature of God and our cleanse it at the root. It’s like healing an own situation that makes the a sinner. I can’t infected wound or a cavity in your teeth. atonement our greatest need? overcome it. Nor can Unless you get right down to the bottom I think the atonement is necessary of the infection or decay and remove I do this for you. because God created us in His image them, then there’s no possibility of SUMMER 2012/13 3 healing. Our problem is that we have brought death upon ourselves through Some people think that we can ignore sin sin and, therefore, only by overcoming or let it go unpunished. But we are too death is it possible to pay the price of sin. significant for God to turn a blind eye to Where does it first become clear in the Bible that we need to be reconciled our ruptured relationship. to God? Right at the beginning, after the fall of most solemn day of the year. Jews still eyes because you can’t see for yourself. Adam and Eve, where they are expelled recognise it as the basic need. You have lost the power of sight and so you need someone who can see to help from the garden and were cut off from Can you explain why God requires you. I know it’s not a perfect analogy, the tree of life. It’s clear that while they the death of a substitute to remove but it does highlight that there are were in fellowship with God the tree of sin from us? life was something that they were conditions from which we suffer when Well, the first thing to point out is that intended to draw from but as soon as we need someone without that it is not just any substitute that can they defied God’s word they were cut condition to help us because we cannot remove our sin. The substitute we need do it ourselves. off from it. If they are ever to receive is the sinless Son of God. I certainly life again, they need to be reconciled British theologian James Packer has couldn’t die for my own sin because I with God. said that the phrase “atonement am already a sinner. I can’t overcome it. through propitiation” is the essential You see this in the story of Cain and Nor can I do this for you because I message of the cross. What is actually Abel. Abel offered the sacrifice of a don’t have the ability to take away your meant by the phrase? lamb, and later we see Noah offering sin. If I can’t die for myself or for you, animal sacrifices to turn away God’s our only hope is in the sinless Son of Well, this phrase preserves an wrath as soon as he left the Ark.
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