Why is it important to understand penal substitutionary atonement?

Unless we understand the doctrine of penal substitutionary atonement, we will not understand why Christ died. From one of our Ask Ligonier events, John MacArthur explains why the cross stands at the very heart of the Christian faith.

#AskLigonier

[bumsharvest]

I was raised a Catholic being dragged to church as a kid and going to Catholic school for a few years too, and I never even heard of substitutionary theory of atonement. Its a real heavy subject and these videos gets me a bit closer to understanding it. Thank you.

[dviewpointaris]

Dr.R.C. and Pastor John MacArthur (was a great 👍 help for me when I start studying Theology)

[jw]

Unfortunately for Protestants, no teacher in the history of the Church prior to Luther and Calvin ever taught this. The historic teaching of the Church was, is, and always has been that Christ died to destroy the power of death by his own death, as the Eastern Church sings at Easter:

Christ is risen from the dead,
by death conquering death,
and to those in the tombs
granting life!

Christ died not to appease an angry Father, but to liberate mankind from the dominion of death. This is truly Good News, the very gospel that the early Church preached and that has simply been forgotten in the West.

[denonjoka]

Thanks Pst. John MacArthur *4 Yur Powerful, Blessed Message on Penal Substitution Atonement 4 Our Great Almighty God Commandeth His Love Towards Us That While We Were Yet Still Sinners, Christ Died 4 Us 4 There Is God and One Mediator Between God and Men, The Man Christ Jesus 4 We Have Been Given The Ministry of Reconciliation Written In Romans 5:8, 1st Timothy 2:5 & 2nd Corinthians **5:21* 4 I Say That May Our Great Lord Jesus Christ Bless Yu Pst. John MacArthur & Lingoiner Ministries So Very Much.🙏🙏🙏🙌🙌🙌🕊🕊🕊🕊🕊🕊🕊🕊

[jasonegeland]

I clearly understand the doctrine of PSA, and it's absolutely false and unscriptural.

[JonathanGrandt]

God doesn’t love His enemies?

God doesn’t forgive without demanding payment?

Why should we forgive without demanding payment?

[psalm]

Most contemporary western "Christian" churches NEVER mention this. All you may hear is "Jesus died for our sins...", but rarely do you hear the Why or even the His-story leading to the Why. We must must must read our bibles from beginning to end, regularly. The whole bible is the Gospel message, and the Gospel account.

[BrittanyAmberHeberling]

If God has to punish sin, does He really forgive? If I had a sister who sinned and came and confessed to me, would I be forgiving her if I made her pay what she owed or if I simply pardoned her? Hebrews 9 talks about Jesus having to die because a covenant is not inaugurated unless the death of the one who made it takes place. So what if Jesus died to enact the new covenant, and in that sense took away our sin? I’m not sure, I’m still studying. But penal sub is starting to not make a lot of sense to me.

[bornwin]

I've never heard the "penal substitution" term before. But thank God that I understood that he died for MY sins and took the Punishment that I deserved. Isaiah Chapter 53 explains this clearly. God bless you all.

[annosborne-reed]

I did not have the knowledge of penal substitution until I heard Paul Washer explain it. I never heard it taught in any church. Yes, Christ died, I believed that. What I did not know is the death He died was the death we deserve. He also lived for us. He lived, perfectly fulfilling the law, so we can be clothed in the robes of HIS righteousness. Praise be to God!

[christophersnedeker]

2:27 but it does not maintain his justice to punish the innocent and let the guilty off scott free.

[emanuelkournianos]

"The Lord opened Lydia's heart to respond to Paul's message!"
Acts 16:14

When did God decide to open Lydia's heart!

From all eternity!

Why does God open some hearts and not others so they will respond to the gospel?

Nobody knows but God is not arbitrary.

"First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds!"
Acts 26:20

[Mari.]

Before I became Christian I had this thought that Jesus died for me bec plainly He loves “me” & to save me from Satan’s punishment in hell. That’s why it’s impt. explain fully what’s the true meaning of The Gospel whenever we have a chance :)

[suaptoest]

I think the "penal substitutionary doctrine of atonement" is due to a misunderstanding.

Colossians 2:13-14 (LEB) "And although you ( you=Gentiles)were dead in the trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made you alive together with him, having forgiven us (us= Israel) all our trespasses, having destroyed the certificate of indebtedness in ordinances against us, which was *hostile to us*, and removed it out of the way by nailing it to the cross."

hostile to us = Deut.11:26 Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a CURSE;
Deut.31:26 Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.

As you can see, something is missing in the teaching of the churches.
And that "something" changes the whole message.

When Jesus died on the cross, he erased what was written in the law of Moses against the Jews.
He at the same time caused that the act by which he died was done against a person, (Not against God Himself).
Because Jesus is the head of the New Covenant, he is subjected to transgressions instead of God.
In the New Covenant, according to the teaching of Jesus, all deeds that are now against Him are subject to His forgiveness.

Matt. 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Mark 3:28 3:28 Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of
men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:

[gracewalk]

"To those who say that they believe in this false doctrine of [penal] substitution, I respond: To believe in it is your punishment for being able to believe it; you may call it your reward, if you will. You ought not to be able to believe it. It is the merest, poorest, most shameless fiction..."
--George "Tell it Like it Is" MacDonald

[sheridanfalkenberry]

*Pelagian screeching in distance intensifies*

[TheRootedWord]

1:35 Penal Substituion would make God unholy and unjust in a very serious way! He would be punishing the innocent for the wickedness done by another. This is perverse and injustice. It not only fails to uphold God as a just god, but it completely tarnishes his holiness, turning him wicked to the core. God cannot punish the innocent for any reason, even if the innocent volunteers. Penal Substitution is wicked right to the core.

[QuietPlace]

John 1:17 Grace came to reveal the Truth.
What is greater than the law of punishment?, Unconditional Love.
This Love for us, was demonstrated on the Cross "Unconditionally".
Love, Grace and Truth supercede everything.

[johncole]

We can all agree that our future look bleak at most.let me put music into your being and bring out the passion I put in your heart and you have faith in me I'll show you to joy in your spirit
To seek knowledge of world events and travel like never seen.freedom of fear

[colel.]

PSA is literally an eye for an eye and tooth for tooth.

It’s like saying I can’t forgive someone unless I first punish them. It’s not even forgiveness at that point.