The Atonement
Penal Substitutionary Atonement
Christ Bearing Our Punishment
Description
At the heart of the gospel stands the cross, where Christ died as a substitute for sinners, bearing the penalty they deserved. This is penal substitution: 'penal' because He bore the legal penalty due to sin; 'substitution' because He took our place. God's justice required that sin be punished; God's love provided a substitute. On the cross, the Father imputed our sins to Christ and punished Him in our stead. The sinless One became sin for us. He was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities. The wrath we deserved fell upon Him. This is not cosmic child abuse but the Father and Son together executing the plan of redemption.
Key Verses
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.
For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God.