I came across this from one of the Gospel Coalition guys in the midst of the whole Rob Bell fiasco. I really couldn't believe someone would state it out like this. Usually when someone uses these kinds of words they are parodying the Reformed position, but here it is from the horse's mouth:
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SOANDSO said the primary way God showed his love toward humanity was in sending his son to die for their sins.
(Okay, I am with you here)
"When you think about the innermost meaning of the cross is, it is this," SOANDSO said. "You and I deserved an eternity of wrath in hell that would be unending."
(I would probably use some very different language here.)
"Wrap your mind around this for a second," he continued. "It is a horror that doesn't end. There's no anesthetic and you never settle in. And we all deserve it. The Bible is teaching that all the wrath that was due to us, God emptied out on his son at the cross. On the cross where Jesus died the wrath of God was satisfied. He used up all his anger that he had towards us on Jesus. At the heart of the atonement is this. You don't understand the cross without this."
"You don't know the love of God if you don't know the wrath of God," BLANK said. "The precondition to understanding the love of God is you have to see what God had to overcome to save you. These things may seem paradoxical, but they are together everywhere in Scripture."
(And now he just sounds like God is sadistic.)
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It is interesting that he essentially says God hates us so much that the only way He could accept us is by killing His son. I have never heard anyone say it that way (without intending it as a parody). So the question is, does God really need to kill someone (anyone) in order to feel better about letting us in? Is that really what the cross was about? Aren't there some very different pictures in scripture regarding what Jesus accomplished on the cross? Aren't there some very different pictures of what God was up to in the crucifixion?
2 comments:
"You don't know the love of God if you don't know the wrath of God,"
REALLY?! Does that mean I must know the wrath of my wife, mother, father, etc in order to know their love?! This kind of thinking drives me up a wall! grrrrr...
I think some folks need to re-read the four Gospels. sigh..
I recently sat down and read through Steve Burnhope's SVS paper...it was really, really good and gives a compelling and very different picture...you guys should definitely check it out!
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