In the Bible God is described as a Judge, who executes both justice and mercy. God is also described as being Holy. It is often stated that sin is so offensive to a Holy God that He cannot simply forgive the sinner without first satisfying His sense of Divine Justice. And, since the wages of sin is death, the death penalty must be met. So how then does God show mercy to the sinner whilst also executing perfect Holy Justice?

The death of Christ is the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of the world: past, present and future.  It is said that God Himself struck His Son with death upon the cross in order to get revenge for sin and, through this penal substitute, mercy could now be extended to sinners. However, this doctrine has left many Christians cowering under a God who only loves us because He got to vent His wrath against His innocent Son in place of us. It has left many critical atheists mocking.

The Father of Love community has come to understand Jesus’ life on earth as a complete revelation of the character of His Father—like father, like son—and by this we know God as One who never gets impatient, never keeps a record of wrongs and most certainly never kills His beloved children. This revelation of God’s character is completely inharmonious with the doctrine of penal substitution and for many of us the court has been adjourned…until now.  

Rowan’s sermon reveals a fresh perspective of the execution of Divine Justice at the cross of calvary. God is the judge, Christ is the victim, we are the offenders of Their Holy Law. Never has the gospel been so clearly articulated in judicial terms as now… Pleas for insanity are made and Christ steps down as plaintiff, the law of consequence is suspended and an out-of-court settlement is made upon one condition…