The Character of God: Love, Justice, Holiness, and Wrath
30 min read
Every doctrine in this course must be viewed through the cross. The cross is where the wrath of God against sin was fully poured out and where the mercy of God toward sinners was fully displayed. Without the cross, hell is only horror. With the cross, hell is the backdrop for the greatest rescue in history. This lesson brings us to the center of the gospel.
The cross is not a minor event in the life of Jesus. It is the reason He came. The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many Mark 10:45. Jesus' death was a payment, a substitution, a satisfaction of divine justice.
The New Testament uses the word "propitiation" to describe the cross. Romans 3:25 says that God put Christ forward as a propitiation by His blood. First John 2:2 says that Christ is the propitiation for our sins. Propitiation means the turning away of wrath. On the cross, Jesus bore the wrath that we deserved so that God could be just and the justifier of those who believe.
This means that the cross was not merely an example of love. It was a real transaction in which the penalty for sin was paid. The wrath that would have fallen on the lost forever fell on Christ in a finite period of time. The infinity of the punishment was satisfied by the infinity of the person who bore it.
Substitution is the heart of the atonement. Isaiah 53:5-6 says that Christ was pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities; the Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Second Corinthians 5:21 says that God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God. Galatians 3:13 says that Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.
These passages do not describe a vague influence. They describe a transfer. Our sin was imputed to Christ. His righteousness is imputed to us. The cross is the great exchange.
Because the cross has satisfied wrath, mercy is now offered freely. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life John 3:36. The invitation is not limited to the good, the religious, or the deserving. It is offered to all who will come. The thief on the cross, the tax collector in the temple, and the woman caught in adultery all received mercy because they turned to Christ.
The doctrine of hell makes the mercy of the cross more astonishing. God could have left us in our sins. Instead He gave His Son. The punishment we deserved was borne by another. The door to life stands open. Our task is to urge people to enter.
Common student mistake: Speaking of God's love without mentioning the cross, as if love were a vague sentiment rather than a costly sacrifice.
Practice assignment: Read Isaiah 53 and Romans 3:21-26. Write a one-page explanation of how the cross satisfies divine wrath and offers mercy to sinners.
Worksheet idea: "The Great Exchange" — chart what Christ took and what the believer receives at the cross.
Completion requirement: Student can explain propitiation and substitution and show how the cross makes mercy possible for guilty sinners.
ANSWER: The turning away of wrath through the offering of a sacrifice; on the cross, Christ bore the wrath we deserved.
ANSWER: Christ took our place, bearing our sin and its penalty so that we could receive His righteousness.
ANSWER: It shows that God could have left us to the punishment we deserved but instead gave His Son to bear it and open the door to life.