Is God Just a Human Invention? And Seventeen Other Questions Raised by the New Atheists

by Sean McDowell

Is it just for God to punish an innocent person? James Taylor has a helpful comment on this: “Since Jesus is God the Son, he is not merely an innocent human being who was sacrificed in place of the guilty. He is the one wronged by human sinners. As such, it is his prerogative to choose mercifully to endure the penalty owed to him by those who wronged him. Moreover, as a human being who lived a life of complete obedience to the Father, Jesus is the perfect one to represent the entire human race in paying the penalty of sin. Therefore, it is both that justice was served (the penalty was paid by someone who had the right to pay it) and that the sacrifice was effective (since Jesus paid the penalty, those who trust in Christ are saved from having to pay it themselves).”