For Sunday School these days we are going through the book of Galatians and using Timothy Keller's "Galatians for You" as a supplemental text. I recommend the book. It has been a joy for me to read and to be encouraged by the message of the gospel. That is, that Christ has done for me what I could not do in terms of satisfying God's wrath and providing me with righteousness that is acceptable to God.
From the first chapter:
"Christ's death was not just a general sacrifice, but a substitutionary one. He did not merely buy us 'a second chance', giving us another opportunity to get life right and stay right with God. He did all we needed to do, but cannot do."
Keller distinguishes between a "general" sacrifice and a "substitutionary" sacrifice. What jumps out at me immediately is the intentional quality of a substitutionary sacrifice. When you start determining to take the place of another, it is intentional and specific, or particular. It is not general. Could this suggest that Christ did not die for all, or generally, but for particular, specific individuals, or the elect? I think it does. At least the idea of particular atonement, or election, would certainly be in tune with Keller's statement.
Whatever your stance on the nature of the atonement, the thought that Christ's death was substitutionary, or intentional is a great comfort, I think.
Is there a scripture that speaks to 'satisfying God's wrath'? I have always thought of the sacrifice satisfying the demand of justice. Not that God isn't angry with the wicked every day. It just seems to imply that God had to be mollified through bloodletting.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about substitutuonary/general. It feels personal therefore He cares for me in particular.