A Brief Book Notice from Books At a Glance
Table of Contents
1 The Necessity of an Atonement
2 The Just God
3 Debtors, Enemies, and Criminals
4 Ransomed from Above
5 The Saving Substitute
6 Made Like His Brethren
7 The Suffering Servant
8 The Blessing and the Curse
9 A Secure Faith
10 Questions and Answers
Selected Quotes
- “The third view, which is the classical, orthodox Christian view, which I am convinced is the biblical view, is that an atonement was not merely hypothetically necessary for man’s redemption, but was absolutely necessary if any person was ever going to be reconciled to God and redeemed.” (14)
- “Thus, the necessity of the atonement of Christ finds its genesis, in the first instance, in the character of God. Because He is holy and righteous, He cannot excuse sin. Rather, He must pass judgment on it. The Judge of all the earth must do right. Therefore, He must punish sinners—or provide a way to atone for their sin.” (29)
- “The motif of ransom and redemption is an idea that is often overlooked, but it is deeply rooted in Scripture.” (58)
- “A Substitute has appeared in space and time, appointed by God Himself, to bear the weight and the burden of our transgressions, to make expiation for our guilt, and to propitiate the wrath of God on our behalf. This is the gospel.” (81)
- “Therefore, Christ’s supreme achievement on the cross is that He placated the wrath of God, which would burn against us were we not covered by the sacrifice of Christ.” (79)
- “He is our Savior, not merely because He died, but because He lived a sinless life before He died, as only the Son of God could do.” (96)
- “I think it’s impossible to have a full understanding of the death of Christ apart from an understanding of the whole process of the covenant that is worked out in the Old and New Testaments.” (121)
- “There is a plan of God designed for your salvation. It is not an afterthought or an attempt to correct a mistake. Rather, from all eternity, God determined that He would redeem for Himself a people, and that which he determined to do was, in fact, accomplished in the work of Jesus Christ.” (152-153)
Endorsement
“The cross stands at the very center of our Christian lives. Still, many Christians are confused about the heart of the gospel, for many deviant views are in the air. R.C. Sproul blows the fog away in this wonderfully clear, theologically profound, and pastorally rich work. Learn afresh or anew what God has accomplished in the cross, so that you will boast only in the cross of Jesus Christ.”
~ Thomas R. Schreiner