{"id":2928,"date":"2008-01-09T03:28:00","date_gmt":"2008-01-09T03:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/adrianwarnock.com\/2008\/01\/25th-most-read-post-psa-precious-gospel-or-divine-child-abuse\/"},"modified":"2017-09-16T18:28:03","modified_gmt":"2017-09-16T17:28:03","slug":"25th-most-read-post-psa-precious-gospel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/adrianwarnock\/2008\/01\/25th-most-read-post-psa-precious-gospel\/","title":{"rendered":"25th Most Read Post – PSA: Precious Gospel or Divine Child Abuse?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

No. 25<\/em><\/strong> on the list of the all-time most popular posts with readers of this blog<\/a> appeared on July 2, 2007, and summarized some of my series on the atonement. It also included links to a number of other posts on the subject. There were many other posts within this series\u2014the most popular of which was entitled \u201cJ. I. Packer on the Atonement.<\/a>\u201d <\/p>\n

As we finally draw near to the conclusion of this long-running series on the atonement, it has struck me just how the lines are being drawn. On the one hand there are those of us who feel PSA is essential to the gospel. It\u2019s not that we think it\u2019s the only thing<\/a>\u2014or indeed that every gospel presentation must major on it. It\u2019s just that we think it\u2019s essential<\/em>, and that gospel presentations can\u2019t deny it.<\/p>\n

Just yesterday I heard what, to me, was the best gospel message I\u2019ve ever heard. In fact, it didn\u2019t major on an explanation of the exact mechanism of the atonement, but there was a line about the coming wrath of God and how that had to be taken away. I was reminded as I was listening that the gospel shouldn\u2019t become merely a battleground for us to fight over. It should, instead, be something we hold precious. I can\u2019t encourage you enough to download<\/a> and listen to Tope\u2019s sermon on the prodigal son. Many Christians heard the impact of this message of God\u2019s love and forgiveness with a fresh insight. Several visitors made a response to the gospel. I loved what he said at the close of the sermon\u2014\u201cIt may be free, but it wasn\u2019t cheap. It cost the life of his son.\u201d<\/p>\n

It seems impossible for those of us who love the gospel of the Savior suffering the punishment of our sins to simply agree to disagree with those on the other hand who claim it is \u201cdivine child abuse<\/a>.\u201d I suspect the divisions in the visible church over this issue will grow more prominent rather than less so. This is just one of several reasons that, as Andrew Cottingham spoke of today, makes ecumenicalism so difficult for some of us<\/a> who really care.<\/p>\n

Today the American magazine, Christianity Today, <\/span>published an article about the recent U<\/a>K controversies<\/a> over the atonement online. They were kind enough to quote me in the article, acknowledging my role in breaking the Word Alive \/ Spring Harvest story<\/a>.<\/p>\n

9Marks<\/em> has this month published a whole issue about defining the gospel<\/a>. They were eager to point out that PSA is essential to it, and the controversy over PSA is mentioned in one of their editorials. Others (including myself) were asked to write 100-word contributions explaining the gospel. I would love to read such a brief outline by someone from the other side of this debate.<\/p>\n

There has also recently been an article by D. A. Carson on Penal Substitutionary Atonement<\/a> which, not surprisingly, comes down firmly on the side of the authors of PFOT and makes plain that PSA is at the heart of the gospel. . . .<\/p>\n

Read more of . . . <\/span><\/strong>\u201c<\/em>PSA\u2014Precious Gospel or Divine Child Abuse?<\/em><\/a>\u201c<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

No. 25 on the list of the all-time most popular posts with readers of this blog appeared on July 2, 2007, and summarized some of my series on the atonement. It also included links to a number of other posts on the subject. 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