Ask a Pastor Column

Q: God could have forgiven all sins Himself so why did he send his son to a torturous death to forgive sins?

A: I can think of at least three things that were accomplished by the Cross that could not have been accomplished any other way. First, sin was publicly and fully punished. We have in the gospels a record of the severity of sin and the kind of punishment it warrants. Even though we do not have to suffer that penalty, the fact that the punishment was meted out to Christ in real history is a sobering message to all about the severity of sin. Without the cross it would be all too easy to take sin as “not that big of deal.”

Second, the cross was an outlet for the wrath of God (Ephesians 5:5-6). God is patient and forbearing, and while he has withheld judgment on the earth for millennia, all sin offends Him and wrecks the perfect Creation that was made as an expression of His skill and worthiness (Romans 1:18). God’s patience is one of His few attributes that is not infinite, so the bill had to come due sooner or later. By agreeing to bear the brunt of God’s wrath on our behalf Christ opened the door for us to escape (Romans 5:1; I Thessalonians 1:10).

But there is also an upside to the Cross; it demonstrated God’s unconditional love and grace to a greater extent than anything else could. The suffering and hardship of the Cross reveals just how much God loves us (John 3:16), in that He was willing to extend grace and a way of escape; even to His enemies! This shows us the value our salvation because God paid the highest price He could to give it to us (1 John 3:16). This has many implications for the believer today (1 Peter 1:17-19)

The central conflict in the story of Scripture has been how a perfect, holy, and just God could be both “Just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Christ Jesus,” (Romans 3:26). The Cross was the perfect solution to this thorny problem; and that is precisely why God chose it.

The questions and answers compiled over the last year are now available in hard-copy and digital format. To request a copy send an email to askapastor [email protected] or by mail to Formoso Church; P.O. Box 66; Formoso, Kan. 66942