Substitutionary Atonement

Substitutionary atonement in the christian faith refers to Jesus Christ laying down his life as a substitute for sinners. The death of Christ on the cross was substitutionary, which means that he died in the place of the ungodly. The substitutionary death of Christ was foreshadowed in the sacrificial system under the old covenant. When a person transgresses against God's law, he offers a lamb without blemish to be used as a sacrifice to atone for his sins. Instead of the transgressor to die, the innocent lamb dies as his substitute, the sacrifice was vicarious in nature (Leviticus 4). The blood of the animal sacrifices were impossible to permanently expiate the sins of the people. The sacrificial system was a type which pointed to the spotless Lamb of God to come, who would offer the perfect sacrifice, by which the sins of his people will be permanently forgiven (John 1; 29).

 The bible reveals the entire human race as sinners (Romans 3; 23) and the punishment we deserve for our sin is eternal separation from God. Our rightful place was to spend eternity in hell, for it written: For the wages of sin is death (Romans 6; 23). We had sunk deep in sin, we were slaves to sin and our desire was to live in obedience to our slave master. The way of peace we did not know and there was no fear of God in our eyes. There was none righteous, no, not one of us (Romans 3; 10). We broke God's law several times and the law sentenced us to death. We were alienated from God and were in a state of enmity with him. We were far away from him, and we lived licentiously. So the question is, how can a holy God pardon a sinner of his sins, and still remain just? The answer to this all important question can be found in the vicarious or substitutionary sacrifice of Christ. Mercy and justice are two attributes of God which makes God God. 

Michael Houdsman an excellent teacher of God's word defined the difference between Mercy and Justice in these words, "Mercy is all about pardon and compassion for an offender, whiles Justice involves the dispensing of deserved punishment for wrongdoing". Every good judge must dispense righteous judgement. The moment a judge makes room for mercy at the expense of justice, then the judge has betrayed his office. For example, when a person is guilty of murder, and the judge instead of judging righteously, rather declares the murderer not guilty, then it is evident that he is a corrupt and a bad judge. This means that the judge has set aside the law and has made room for mercy, which ought not to be so. It is the duty of every good judge to uphold and implement the law. In the Islamic religion, when a person supposed good deeds outweighs his bad deeds, Allah will grant the person the right to inherit paradise.

 This tells me that Allah is an unrighteous judge. Allah will pass over the sins of his people and will make room for mercy at the expense of justice. Whatever law that was broken, he will simply wink at it and pardon the offence of his people by allowing them to gain entrance into heaven. So where lies justice? As I have written afore, every good judge judges righteously, but the judge who pardons an offender by setting aside justice or the punishment encapsulated in the law for an offender is a corrupt and an evil judge. But christianity is unique in the sense that God did not set aside his justice to make room for his mercy, rather is mercy is beautifully shown through his justice. God's mercy and justice was harmoniously reconciled at the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. Jesus stood as the sinners substitute when he was crucified on the cross. 

On the cross, God showed his displeasure against sin when he punished the sins of all his people in the body of his Son Jesus Christ. God is holy and his justice demands that death should be the sufficient payment for sin. God is not an unjust judge who will just pass over sin, no, sin must be dealt with, justice must be dispensed on the law breakers. We are the ones who have sinned against God and broken his holy laws. We deserve to be punished, but Jesus stood as our substitute and he bore in his own self the punishment we deserve, and died to set us free. Because of the suffering and death of Christ as our substitute, God in his grace has shown us mercy, he has justified us freely by his grace. So we can see that God has shown us mercy because his justice has been satisfied through the substitutionary death of Christ.

The sacrifice of Christ was substitutionary in nature, for it is written: He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5: 21). Jesus was made sin for us, for our sins was imputed to him and his sinless righteousness was credited into our account. In another place it is also written: For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit (1 Peter 3:18).

 Christ being the just One, died for the unjust, that he might bring us to God. This reveals that the death of Christ on the cross was not for himself, but for our sake, he died for us. If you really want to know how much God hates sin, then behold the cross of calvary. Atonement on the other hand means the act of making amends for wrongdoing especially in appeasing a deity to bring about reconciliation. The death of Jesus Christ on the cross satisfied the justice of God against sin. God's wrath which was contrary to us and against us have been propitiated through the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ. The question still remains that how can a holy God forgive a sinner of his sins and still remain just? The answer is simple, God can forgive a sinner of his sins, because all his sins have already been borne by his substitute. 

The death he deserves, has been dealt with by his substitute Jesus Christ. Therefore, God can pardon a sinner and still remain just. God is just and yet the justifier of the ungodly who trust in Jesus Christ for salvation (Romans 3; 26). God cannot punish sin twice, first in the substitute and also in the person who have exercised saving faith in Jesus. We who are in Christ, our sins are forgiven and we will not be punished by God for any other sin, because our substitute has made sufficient payment for all our sins, for it written: Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8; 1). This is the truth of the gospel which has been committed to our trust, and we have to assiduously proclaim it for the salvation of the lost out there. 

             A thought to ponder 🤔

The death of Christ on the cross was substitutionary, which means that he died in the place of the ungodly

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