Christ Did Not Die as a Substitute Instead of Us

The Christian teaching that Jesus died as a substitute instead of us brings the sacrifice of Christ down to a level with the sacrifices of idolatrous superstition, by which wrathful deities are supposed to be placated by the blood of a substitutionary victim. Christ is represented as having paid our debts – as having died instead of us, paying the penalty due to us – as having stood in our place like a man rushing to the scaffold where a criminal is about to be executed, and offering to die instead of him.

Such teachings are contradicted by even the most superficial facts of the matter. If Christ died instead of us, then we should not die (which we do). If he paid the penalty naturally due from us – death – he should not have risen from the dead (which he did). Importantly, if Christ died as a substitute, the redeeming power of his sacrifice was in his death and not in his resurrection that followed; whereas Paul says to the Corinthians that, notwithstanding the death of Christ, “if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.” (1 Corinthians 15:17).

Furthermore, if Christ has paid our debts, our debts are not truly “forgiven,” for it would be inappropriate for a creditor to claim to have forgiven a debt that someone else has paid on behalf of the debtor. This nullifies a fundamental aspect of the gospel of the grace of God – which is the forgiveness of our sins “through the forbearance (mercy and grace) of God” (Romans 3:25).

The teaching that Christ died as a substitute puts all the emphasis on his sacrifice as being efficacious for salvation in itself, as if the sacrifice itself met some legal requirement or performed some sort of transaction by which we are saved. This is not what the Bible teaches.

The Elements of Christ’s Sacrifice

The teaching of Jesus and the Apostles about his sacrifice is comprised of three main elements.

• The shedding of the blood of Christ, Matthew 26:28, Hebrews 9:12, 10:19, Ephesians 2:13, 1 Peter 1:2, 1 John 1:7, Revelation 1:5, 5:9, 7:14.

• The offering of the body of Christ, Hebrews 10:10, Colossians 1:21, Ephesians 2:16, 1 Peter 1:24, 1 Corinthians 10:16, 11:29.

• The death of Christ, Hebrews 2:14, 9:15, 29, Romans 5:10, 1 Corinthians 11:26.

These are synonymous expressions about the sacrifice of Christ and the same efficacy is associated with them all. The offering of the body of Christ is synonymous with his death, as is the shedding of his blood.

Of themselves, the shedding of Christ’s blood, the offering of his body and his death are of no effect. They are not the magical things portrayed in the legalistic reasoning of a substitutionary sacrifice.

The Blood of Christ is not Efficacious of Itself

In a literal sense, the shedding of the blood of Christ would hold no benefit for anyone. It flowed from his side, seeped from his hands and feet, gushed from the spear wound, and dripped to the ground, drying like any ordinary blood. Nobody could locate it even if they attempted to, and even if they did, it would possess no spiritual worth.

1 John 1:7 says “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin”. If we do not walk in the light, the blood has no power, which shows that the blood of Christ is not the mystical thing portrayed by mainstream teaching, nor the automatic legally operative thing taught by some theories, such as the church doctrine of Original Sin which teaches that the guilt of Adam and Eve’s sin is passed on to all their posterity and is a debt that must be paid for and removed by Christ’s sacrifice.

The sacrifice of Christ does not literally atone, purify, wash, cleanse, cover, justify or redeem us from anything of itself or perform any transaction. This is metaphorical language. Instead, the shedding of Christ’s blood represents principles of God’s justice in the process of justifying those who believe in faith. It is not the shedding of blood or the sacrifice itself by which we are forgiven and delivered from mortality, but God who applies the results of our faith. Literally, it is God who forgives our sins and will deliver us from mortality to immortality on the basis of our faith in the principles of his righteousness represented in Christ’s sacrifice.

Literally, the blood of Christ was identical to our own blood, as expressed in Hebrews 2:14 "Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things." Therefore, it could not bring any benefit to anyone of itself. The value of the blood does not lie in its literal properties or its shedding, but rather in its connection to something for which the shedding of blood serves as a symbolic expression.

Christ’s Sacrifice is a Declaration of the Righteousness of God

We find this concept expressed by Paul regarding the death of Christ in Romans 3:21–26 which is well translated in The New Testament in Modern Speech by Weymouth.

Romans 3:21-26

21 But now a righteousness coming from God has been brought to light apart from any Law, both Law and Prophets bearing witness to it—

22 a righteousness coming from God, which depends on faith in Jesus Christ and extends to all who believe. No distinction is made;

23 for all alike have sinned, and all consciously come short of the glory of God,

24 gaining acquittal from guilt by His free unpurchased grace through the deliverance which is found in Christ Jesus.

25 He it is whom God put forward as a Mercy-Seat, rendered efficacious through faith in His blood, in order to demonstrate His righteousness—because of the passing over, in God’s forbearance, of the sins previously committed—

26 with a view to demonstrating, at the present time, His righteousness, that He may be shown to be righteous Himself, and the giver of righteousness to those who believe in Jesus.

We are told in Hebrews 9:22 “… without shedding of blood is no remission. The significance of the shedding of blood can be found in Leviticus 17:11, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls (lives): for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul (life).” And Leviticus 17:14, “For it (the blood) is the life of all flesh … for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof.” Blood symbolises life and the shedding of Christ’s blood demonstrated that death is the just penalty of sin and that mortal mankind is rightly related to death as a consequence of the first sin (but without any guilt for the first sin as the Church doctrine of Original Sin teaches).

The crucifixion of Christ as a public “declaration of the righteousness of God”, exhibited to the world the righteous treatment of sin. The shedding of blood was a symbol of this truth, signifying the cessation of life. Such a proclamation of God's righteousness could only be conveyed within a body subjected to the dominion of death as a consequence of sin.

In essence, what this means is that God upholds His righteousness and supreme authority even as He forgives us. He requires us to acknowledge and submit to His righteousness and supremacy as a condition for exercising his forbearance and mercy in forgiving our sins. Presenting Christ as the object of faith in His blood forms the basis for the forgiveness offered to believers. The believer acknowledges that they are rightly under condemnation and have no right to life, because God was righteous in sentencing mankind to mortality and death as a consequence of sin.

The sacrifice of Christ was that God might be just while simultaneously fulfilling the role of justifier or forgiver of the unjust who repent in faith. God’s righteousness was demonstrated because it upheld his just sentence of death for humanity due to sin, while extending mercy to repentant and obedient sinners who believe in faith, without compromising his justice or righteousness. Therefore God is righteous and just to forgive and to save from death those who are repentant and recognise his righteousness in faith, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9).

The purpose of this sacrificial declaration of God's righteousness is clearly demonstrated in its practical implications. It was "for the remission of sins," for those who believe. "Remission" is not obtained as a legal entitlement because our debt was paid by Christ, but rather as a grace-given gift "through the forbearance of God." There would not be a need for "forbearance" if a legal claim had been settled. God "forgives for Christ’s sake" (Ephesians 4:32).

The Sacrifice of Christ is Efficacious to Save Through Faith

God declared his justice and righteousness in the sacrifice of Christ and on the basis of our identification with those principles in faith, God will forgive us and deliver us from mortality without compromising his supremacy or justice.

It is through “faith in his blood,” (ie faith in the principles of God’s righteousness and the condemnation of sin demonstrated in the sacrificial shedding of his blood), that the sacrifice of Christ is efficacious to save us. When we repent of our sins we are acknowledging that God is just and righteous and that we sin and are unjust. On the basis of our faith in God’s righteousness demonstrated in the shedding of Christ’s blood, God can be just in forgiving and justifying us when we sin and are unjust, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

This requires a humble identification in faith with that declaration of God's righteousness through baptism. The believer is "baptised into his death" (Romans 6:3-5), is “buried with him in baptism” and receives the forgiveness of all sins "through the forbearance of God".

This is a wonderful demonstration of kindness and wisdom. It's distinctly different from a legalistic approach that would regard the blood of Christ merely as a precious substance to purify ourselves with as if the blood itself fulfilled a legal requirement or performed a transaction. It is not the blood of Christ but God who operates in the whole matter. Our cleansing from our sins occurs because God forgives us based on what Christ has accomplished, provided we accept him in faith and undergo baptism.

By his forbearance and grace God counts us as righteous on the basis of our faith in the principles of his righteousness declared in the sacrifice of Christ, as Paul says in Romans 3:22-26, “even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”

He goes on to explain that righteousness is a gift by God’s grace that we cannot earn in Romans 4:4-5, “Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.” He says the same in Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,”

This perspective emphasises forgiveness as a central focus, "through God’s forbearance," which contrasts with the substitutionary concept. The substitutionary teaching overshadows forgiveness by saying that the debt is paid by someone else. However, God truly forgives, and this is a fundamental aspect of the apostolic proclamation of the Gospel - "Through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins," Acts 13:38, "Be baptised for the remission of sins," Acts 2:38, "God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you," Ephesians 4:32.

The Significance of Christ’s Sacrifice

In his letter to the Romans, Paul explains that there are two aspects in the significance of Christ's sacrifice. Firstly, he says that it was to "declare his (God’s) righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God" (Romans 3:25). Secondly, he says that God sent Jesus “in the likeness of sinful flesh” and "condemned sin in the flesh” (Romans 8:3).

The crucifixion of Christ, serving as a "declaration of the righteousness of God" and a "condemnation of sin in the flesh," vividly demonstrated to the world the just treatment of sin. It was as though it was proclaimed to the entire world, as His body was affixed to the cross and lifted up: "This is how condemned human nature should be dealt with according to the righteousness of God; it is only fit for destruction."

God Sent Jesus as a Mortal Man Under the Dominion of Death Like Us

Jesus was sent by God under the dominion of sin in the sense of coming under the hereditary power of death as a mortal man, “therefore, just as through one man (Adam) sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12, 6:9). He was in this sense made part of the sin constitution of things, inheriting from his mother both the inclinations that lead to sin and the sentence of mortality and death that God passed because of Adam and Eve’s sin. However, Jesus remained entirely sinless in terms of disobedience, even though he experienced the impulses and the consequences of sin.

The purpose of this was to provide a way out of this mortal death state, both for himself and for his brethren, through death and subsequent resurrection. God saw it fit to require the sacrificial condemnation of this sin-nature through crucifixion in the person of a righteous possessor of it as the basis for our forgiveness of sins and deliverance from mortality.

It was right and just for God to require Christ to die, but Christ could not righteously die if death had no dominion over him, and it could not have this dominion except from inheriting it through Adam, Abraham, David, and his mother, as he had no sins of his own. His mission was to take away this dominion, and how could he achieve this if it were not upon him?

God Sent Jesus to Destroy the Devil Within

Jesus had to be "made of the seed of David according to the flesh" (Romans 1:3) so that he could share in the very flesh and blood of humanity. Through this, he could undergo death and nullify, destroy, or neutralise the devil (Greek - Diabolos), the force that is destroying us all (Hebrews 2:14). But what is this diabolos that Jesus was sent to destroy in his death?

Paul speaks of the snares and cunning ways of Diabolos (1 Timothy 3:7; Ephesians 6:11). James urges us to resist Diabolos (James 4:7). Jesus defines Diabolos as the wicked one who hinders the work of the Sower (Matthew 13:19, 38). John states that Diabolos instigated Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus (John 13:2) and that anyone who commits sin is of Diabolos (1 John 3:8).

In these and similar scriptural statements, personification is evident, portraying Diabolos as an active beguiling force. It tempts individuals to sin and is also referred to as Sin. Resisting Diabolos means avoiding being "hardened through the deceitfulness of sin" (Hebrews 3:13). Diabolos is literally described as "the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience" (Ephesians 2:2), contrasting with "the Word of God which effectually worketh" in those who believe (1 Thessalonians 2:13). This can only mean that Diabolos (or sin personified as the cause of transgression) is an active spirit of disobedience hostile to God’s Law.

The Scriptures unequivocally point to where the true Diabolos resides and operates. Jesus partook of flesh and blood so that through his death he could destroy Diabolos (Hebrews 2:14). "Now if I do that I would not," declares Paul, "it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me" (Romans 7:20). These apostolic statements make it clear that Diabolos must be situated within humanity's physical constitution. It was this nature that Jesus needed to address and redeem, so it was necessary for him to "come in the flesh." All through his life Jesus overcame the Diabolos within, which was part of his nature. In his sacrificial death, Jesus destroyed the Diabolos in himself to deliver both himself and us from death.

God Sent Jesus as a Mortal Man with “Sinful Flesh” Like Us

In Romans 8:3, Paul says that God sent His own Son "in the likeness of sinful flesh." The word "likeness" in the Greek has the force of resemblance so complete as to be sameness. This is further illustrated when it says that Jesus was made in "the likeness of men" (Philippians 2:7).

To understand the sense in which Christ came in sinful flesh, it is crucial to distinguish two aspects of this expression that require careful distinction. Sin in its primary sense is disobedience. In this sense, there was no sin in Christ. However, we must recognise that the source of disobedience lies in the inclinations inherent in the flesh. Without these inclinations, there would be no sin. Therefore, these inclinations are sometimes spoken of as sin by metonymy because they are the root cause of disobedience. For example, when Paul speaks of "sin that dwelleth in me" Romans 7:17, 20, and "the motions of sin in my members" Romans 7:5, and “the law of sin in my members” Romans 7:23, he is referring to these inherent inclinations situated within humanity's physical constitution. This is what is meant by “sinful flesh” or flesh of sin.

The depth of the “likeness of sinful flesh” in which Jesus came is described as encompassing Jesus being tempted in "all things" and in "all points" by his own lusts within (Hebrews 2:17-18; 4:15). It is only in this sense that Christ "was made sin," as stated by Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” He was made like his brethren in every way, and thus had a nature that experienced the weaknesses leading to temptation: "Tempted in all points like them but without sin".

In his sacrificial death, Christ condemned sin at its source, in the very flesh where the inclinations to sin are inherent, which are the root cause of disobedience, Romans 8:3. This condemnation of sin is described in more literal detail in Galatians 5:24 as “crucifying the flesh with its passions and desires”, which is a moral principle for us to follow based on what Christ literally did. These “passions and desires” of the flesh are the literal impulses and tendencies to sin in mortal human nature that are called “sin” by metonymy in Romans 8:3. God saw fit to require the sacrificial condemnation of this sin-nature through crucifixion in the person of a righteous possessor of it as the basis for our forgiveness of sins and deliverance from mortality.

As Our Representative, Christ Obtained Eternal Redemption for Himself and for Us Through His Own Blood

The substitutionary teaching that Christ’s blood was shed that we might go free cannot be true for this remarkable reason, that Christ himself is shown to us as coming under the beneficial operation of his own death, thus: Hebrews 13:20 - “The God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant”.

This is more clearly stated in Hebrews 9:12 (KJV), "Not by the blood of goats or calves, but by his own blood, he entered the holy place once, having obtained eternal redemption." Redemption essentially means “deliverance” and is generally used to describe God’s salvation from sin and death.

You will notice that the phrase "for us" is not in the original text and is added in some translations (such as the KJV) against grammatical correctness. The verb is in the middle voice, signifying a unique action where one performs something upon oneself. In this case, it is "having obtained in himself eternal redemption."

Jesus was sent to obtain eternal redemption for us as our representative, and as such, he obtained it through his own blood in and for himself so as to obtain it for us. Philippians 2:8 similarly expresses this concept more literally: "He became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, therefore, God exalted him greatly."

The blood of Christ was efficacious to redeem him from mortal human nature, with its impulses to sin, through his faith in what the sacrificial shedding of his blood demonstrated, viz the principles of God’s righteousness and the condemnation of sin. That is how his sacrifice is efficacious to save. His life of perfect obedience even unto the death of the cross exhibited his faith in the righteousness of God and the condemnation of sin declared in the shedding of his blood, which he literally demonstrated in his sacrifice. God redeemed and raised him from the dead “through his own blood” on the basis of his “faith in his blood” Romans 3:25.

God sent Jesus as a man like us, with mortal human nature with its impulses to sin, in need of redemption and deliverance from death and God saved him, “In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence” (Hebrews 5:7). The teaching that Christ died as a substitute instead of us, does not allow for Christ himself benefiting by his own death or being exalted due to his submission in faith.

Christ was born with the primary purpose of dying as a sacrifice for us, having been sent by God as a mortal man for this purpose so he could be our representative. This was essential for the demonstration of God's righteousness and the condemnation of sin within human flesh - the very basis for all subsequent blessings. The condemnation of sin was crucial, and resurrection had to align with the principle that death is the consequence of sin.

This resurrection was not just about restoring life to Christ but also about appointing him as Lord over all, - a Mediator between God and humanity, dispensing God's forgiveness and salvation through him. Christ would serve as the Judge, determining who will be fit for God’s salvation from sin and death. All these objectives necessitated that the sacrificial offering be a perfectly righteous man, possessing the human nature that would be sacrificially condemned, yet remaining sinless personally, while “made sin” 2 Corinthians 5:21 and treated as sin for us. He would be just and holy, obedient in all aspects, even while being "numbered with the transgressors and making his grave with the wicked," Isaiah 53.

The Importance of a Correct Understanding

Understanding these concepts is crucial, as they shape our ability to approach God in an acceptable manner and guide our character and daily conduct. In our prayers and approaches to Him, we must grasp that while God is kind and gracious, He does not compromise his justice or righteousness. It is essential to realise that we cannot establish a claim on God, because the forgiveness of our sins comes from His forbearance and grace. Our debts have not been paid and cannot be paid. The purpose of Christ's death was to declare God's righteousness so that, by identifying with him in it by faith and baptism, we may receive God's forgiveness freely through Him and finally be delivered from sinful mortal human nature at his return. This way, God is glorified in all aspects.

Misunderstandings regarding this matter hinder the proper development of character. The belief that Christ endured our punishment and settled our debts, and that His righteousness is credited to us, with our only task being to simply believe, negates another vital truth: that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God, 1 Corinthians 6:9, and true righteousness is exhibited through righteous actions. James is clear that true belief and faith is evident by the righteous actions of faith, that that without this faith is dead, (James 2:14-24). It veils the fact that we need to actively strive for our salvation by persistently doing good, and only those who endure to the end will attain salvation. Paul says “For in it (the Gospel) the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:17).

Furthermore, it undermines a critical Gospel testimony - that Christ is the Judge who will determine who should receive salvation to immortality, and He will impartially judge each person based on their faith in the principles of God’s righteousness declared in his sacrifice, as demonstrated by how they live by their faith.

Adapted from “The Blood of Christ” by Robert Roberts