The Judge sets us free

I've been reading an interesting book by David Limbaugh titled Jesus on Trial: A Lawyer Affirms the Truth of the Gospel.  Limbaugh himself makes some good points, but so far the best part of the book for me are the sources he uses, the quotes from others that promote and underscore his points.

"Theologian Millard Erickson responds to the argument that it is unfair and unjust for the Father to have substituted His Son to bear our penalty.  He considers the analogy of a judge imposing a penal sentence on an innocent bystander instead of the just-convicted defendant.  The analogy fails, says Erickson, because God didn't impose the sentence on some innocent third party; He imposed it upon Himself.  'God is both the judge and the person paying the penalty,' notes Erickson.  'In terms of our courtroom analogy, it is not as if the judge passes sentence on the defendant, and some innocent and hitherto uninvolved party then appears the pay the fine or serve the sentence.  Rather, it is as if the judge passes sentence on the defendant, then removes his robes and goes off to serve the sentence in the defendant's place.'"  (pp. 72-73)

This selection comes from the chapter titled Paradoxes of Christianity, Part 1.  Limbaugh is addressing some of the seemingly contradictory aspects of the Christian faith, things that many of us feel unwilling to admit; things that we ponder within ourselves.  I would often tell my congregation that 95% of what I preach, I do not understand.  But I believe it to be true, nevertheless.

For me the paradox Limbaugh was addressing could be stated this way: How can the death of a single individual nearly two thousand years ago deal with sin and its penalty for everyone before and after that death?

Paul wrote

2 Corinthians 5:17–19 ESV
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

Reconciliation is God's act, God's initiative to bring us back to him.  Sin is separation; salvation is reconciliation.  As long as there is sin there will always be separation.  It is not enough for someone to take the penalty of sin.  Sin itself has to be done away with.

2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

It was not enough for Jesus to take on the penalty of our sin.  He took on sin itself.  He became sin.  When Jesus died, sin died. To be sure, we continue to sin, but not because of any fault of God.  God has done everything he could do.  It is our unwillingness to receive the gift of reconciliation with the Father that continues the cycle of sin.

To the extent that we can accept the gift of grace that God, in Christ, has given us - to that extent we can find ourselves free from sin and its penalty.

The Judge has taken off His robe and taken our place.  We are free.

John 8:31–32 NAS95
31 ¶ So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;
32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

Romans 8:2 NAS95
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

2 Corinthians 3:17 NAS95
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

Galatians 5:1 NAS95
¶ It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.