Why we naturally HATE penal substitution

[Diserner]

It directly offends our PRIDE, a man will go to hell just for his pride!

We want to PAY our own way, we want to be masters of our destiny, we want to not OWE someone something.


Remember what Peter said right before the cross?

"Lord, may this never happen to you!"


But why? Because he loved Jesus so much he felt sorry for him? No!

Peter knew that if Jesus just died in ignominy it meant the death of all his own dreams of greatness.

 

[Dizerner]

Wow, Diserner, that's a really thought provoking point you made.

Good to think about.

 

[Olde Tymer]

.
I suspect Jesus' crucifixion is a bit more intimate than merely substitution, rather,
it's an identification.

"Don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized
into his death?" (Rom 6:3)

If I'm reading that correctly, it indicates that folks unified with Christ were joint
principals with him in his crucifixion so that when he was put to death on the cross,
they were put to death too. (Rom 6:6, Gal 2:20, Col 3:3)

This is very similar to the mechanics of the so-called original sin, viz: when Adam
tasted the forbidden fruit, we were all accounted as having tasted it too.

"Sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way
death came to all men, because all sinned" (Rom 5:12)

The grammatical syntax of that verse is past tense rather than present or future,
indicating that Adam's posterity doesn't inherit his mistake, but instead we were all
slammed with the consequences of his mistake right then and there with him.

Now; we were given no say in our unification with Adam and his mistake, whereas
we are given some say as to whether we'd like to unify with Christ and his cross;
and we can do this by a simple RSVP.

Find some privacy. Cover your face with your hands-- it will give you a sense of
connection. And in your own words, either under your breath or out loud, tell God
you would like to take part in His son's death to protect yourself from retribution.
_

 

[Dizerner]

I suspect Jesus' crucifixion is a bit more intimate than merely substitution, rather,
it's an identification.

Great point, Olde Tymer, it's nice to have your input.

Maybe we could say it's not an either/or scenario but rather a both/and scenario here.

Sometimes I think about what experiencing the hell I deserved must have been like, and why anyone would endure that for me.