Board Thread:Bible Questions/@comment-35697166-20180526194241/@comment-1777104-20181130200936

Paul, you are correct, the post was by a troll. You are also right that the question is misstated, not to mention "answered" in a way as to doubt the doctrine of vicarious atonement.

In offering a response to the "question" (or objection), I will be touching on some misconceptions I see in you answer. I mean no offense in disagreeing with you.

First, the Original Post:

(1) How did Jesus pay the penalty for people's sins?

To that he asserts:

(a) The penalty for sin is going to Hell for eternity.

(b) Jesus did not go to Hell for eternity.

The question could more easily be stated: "How could Jesus pay the penalty for sin? That would indicate an appreciation for the severity of the problem. Mankind is "infected" with a condition: the default setting ever since Adam fell. The apostle Paul deals with this when he compares the "first Adam" with the "last Adam" (Jesus Christ) . Theologically, this called "Original Sin". As Paul points out, Jesus represents believers the same way Adam represents all of mankind.

Now, what is the penalty for sin? Quite clearly it is death. Another way of stating this that death is the "wages" due for sin. This started all the way back in Genesis 2, where God warned Adam that to eat of a certain tree would cause death. Adam's wife Eve knew about this warning, but was tempted and succumbed to the wiles of the Devil. By God's grace, the couple did not die immediately, but were saved. God gave them coats of skin to wear, a type of the substitution that Jesus fulfilled on the cross.

Yes, Hell is a place to which unsaved people go after dying. A complete knowledge of this place did not come until Jesus and his followers taught of the conditions there. In the Old Testament the word for "hell" was Sheol, which can be translated "grave" or "pit". These words were descriptive of where the body was placed, and not much more. The New Testament word is hades, which makes a transition to place of suffering.

The point is, death comes to all people. The sacrificial system of the Old Testament was a picture of how God deals with covering the sins of His people. A substitute is used to remind the one that offers a sacrificial animal--innocent by nature--of what should have been the consequences. Jesus--innocent by nature--fulfilled that type.

Now, to you response:

You state that Jesus died "so we would have a chance of purifying ourselves so we don't taint Heaven with sin".

We are not being "given a chance" to live a godly life (assuming that is the "purifying ourselves") by Jesus dying in our place. We are in a very real way covered by His sacrifice "once and far all" (see Hebrews 9 passage cited above). While it is true that we will live a godly life, our sanctification is not a result of works making us "worthy" to enter Heaven.

Check out the articles on Jesus Christ, Sin Nature and Salvation for more information.