Payment for sin

God loves us, not because we are loveable, but because He is love. I want this to be the forefront of the thought process as I touch on the following subject.

A couple of months ago, during the single’s evangelism discussion, a few questions were brought up that I did not have the answer to. I have been thinking about these and feel that perhaps an answer may be provided. The questions are in reference to salvation and how it is paid for.

The first question, why can’t I pay for my own sin? The strange part of this question is that in part it is true, if we do not accept Christ’s payment for our sin. Hell, in whatever form it will be, is a kind of payment. But I don’t think that is its purpose. But on to the question – why the need for Christ to pay for my sin?

The word “pay” in the question stands out to me. If someone owes me money, my desire to collect is based on them having something I want (or need) – something that was once mine. What is it that we have that God wants or needs? What can we offer Him that would be sufficient? The payment must be of value to the receiver and nothing I have is of value to the Creator of all things. The answer to this is in the next point.

The other difficulty comes in the attempt to pay. Since God is the Creator of all things, is it not fair to say that He owns everything? What can we offer Him that isn’t already His? It would be like a dog bringing his master a toy that the master had purchased for him. Nothing I have is really of value to God, and what I do have already belongs to Him. So I am left in quite a bind. I can’t pay because a) I do not have it and b) what I do have (namely, me) already belongs to Him.

The second question that came up was why did Christ have to die? To put the question another way, was there another way? Why was death of God in human form necessary for the salvation of man?

The short answer to this question is: it is a combination of Who God is and how the system is designed. The long answer to this question begins with an examination of God's character.

It is Christian doctrine that God is just. Yet, I suspect we have very little idea of what true justice really means. But, our internal sense of fairness provides a gauge by which we can get an idea of what this might mean. One thing that seems to be common everywhere is the idea that if a law is violated, a punishment is required. Payment is required for the crime. In its current form, the payment may come in the form of prison time, financial restitution, or even death.

The above is in reference to the law of man. It is a fair statement to suggest that the law of God has more severe consequences, and worse, eternal consequences. Justice, part of God's character, demands that a price is paid for the violation of His law. In our sin, we died spiritually. And here is the second part to the answer. Payment of sin through death is by design.

I refer you to the following verse: "and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness [of sin]" (Hebrews 9:22). Interesting that it took one act of sin to condemn the entire human race, but only one act of righteousness to save it. (Romans 5:12-17). Lewis suggests in his atonement chapter (Mere Christianity) that the one act of righteousness can only be done by a truly righteous person… and that person would have to be God.

So what is the problem? It is this: we are already dead! How can we pay for our sin through death when we are already spiritually dead? What it required is Someone Who is truly alive, to die, in order to pay for that sin. But that Someone would not need to die. In a strange way, this ties back to the first question.

And so, in order to satisfy His justice, and yet also express His love, in light of our inability to pay what we owe, God took it upon Himself to make the payment for us. We can hardly admire a God Who would let people off. Have you ever criticized a judge for his or her less than firm judgment in a case? We rise up in our seats and cry "Not fair!! Justice must be done." And so it is with God. Might I also suggest that your sense of fairness comes from Him, because you are made in His image?

All I can say is: "but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 15:57).