Two Versions of the Gospel

Russ Fochler October 17, 2015

Holy Spirt, we invite You to work deep in our hearts. Bring our understanding in line

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with true revelation of Jesus and Father God

Brad Jersak https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0BUFR9wSko

Clip from 0.0 to 5:23

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0BUFR9wSko Clip from 5:23 to 10:37

Did God Pour Out His Wrath on Jesus?

The image of a righteously angry God punishing Jesus for our sins permeates much of Western Christianity.

This was not the view of early Church leaders

John Calvin articulated this theology of “penal substitution”: That God’s just nature required punishment for sin. And Jesus accepted God’s full wrath on our behalf.

The “Fruit” of Penal Substitution It leads us to see Father God as too holy to stay in relationship with us when we sin.

It leads us to see Father God as intrinsically wrathful towards us. (We’re only OK if we’re hiding in Jesus).

And it’s an easy step from there to believe we are being like our Heavenly Father when we execute vengeance and wrath upon others.

It portrays a temporary “split” within the Trinity.

8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. Romans 5:8-9 NASB !

Note: The italicized “of God” is not in the Greek manuscript but was added by the NASB translators.

Some Bible Verses Seem To Imply

“Penal Substitution”

Our Wrath - Not the Father’s"The inherent legalism of the Western Church trains our eyes to see Jesus’ suffering as the judgment of God upon our sin, and virtually blinds us from the more obvious point that Jesus suffered from the wickedness of humanity.  It was the human race, not the Father who rejected His beloved Son and killed him.  The wrath that poured out on Calvary’s hill did not originate in the Father’s heart but in ours.”The Shack Revisited by C. Baxter Kruger pg 184-185

"The humiliation that Jesus bore, the torment that he suffered, was not divine, but human.  We mocked him, we detested him, we judged him.  We ridiculed him, tortured him, and turned  our face from him.  It was not the Father or the Holy Spirit who abandoned Jesus and banished him to the abyss of shame.  It was the human race.  We cursed him.”

The Shack Revisited by C. Baxter Kruger pg 185

Gospel of the Cross

“On the cross Jesus bore the Great Sadness of the world; gave himself into the trauma of our darkness.” (pg. 193)

“It deserves repeating again: the gospel is not the news that we can accept an absent Jesus into our lives.  The gospel is the news that the Father’s Son has received us into his.”  (pg. 194-195)

The Shack Revisited by C. Baxter Kruger

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0BUFR9wSko Clip from 10:30 to end (25:50)

I’m moved by the stories of God leaning towards us again and again.

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Even when we’ve turned away….

Israel Aloia’s Story

Jesus with Father are always are turned towards you - even when you turn away.!

The Beautiful Gospel - Love Himself chasing us, even submitting to our cruel responses to Him so that our hatred is disarmed.!

Jesus with Father receiving/removing our “crap” so it is no longer in our way, no longer keeping us from the rivers of His love and approval.