Category Archives: atonement

Belief in Biblical Inerrancy Must be the Second Most Damaging, Misguided Christian Belief of All

Posted on February 4, 2019 by jesuswithoutbaggage

Earlier we discussed that Angry God is a foundational harmful belief because it gives rise to other misguided, harmful beliefs. We can say the same about Inerrancy and for the same reason. In fact, the two are closely connected. Inerrancy leads … Continue reading →

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Posted in atonement, Bible, creationism, dispensationalism, evolution, fear, gays, God, hell, inerrancy, Jesus, legalism, love, Old Testament, Satan | Tagged , , , , , , , | 84 Comments

If We Are Free to Approach God Without Fear, What Becomes of Our Other Religious Fears—Like Hell?

Posted on October 8, 2018 by jesuswithoutbaggage

To many believers God is love. This is the primary thing we know about God from Jesus—unconditional love. This is what Jesus told us about the Father and also what Jesus demonstrated in his own life as the representative of … Continue reading →

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Posted in atonement, fear, God, hell, Jesus, legalism, love | Tagged , , , , , | 22 Comments

Evolution and Original Sin: How Calvin’s TULIP Falls Apart

Posted on July 17, 2017 by jesuswithoutbaggage

Genesis 2-3 tells the story of Adam and Eve with a focus on their ‘fall’ from innocence by the disobedience of eating the forbidden fruit. We discussed last time why we should not take this story as an historical narrative; … Continue reading →

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Posted in atonement, evolution, fundamentalism, original sin | Tagged , , , , , , , | 48 Comments

How Does One Explain the Crucifixion of Jesus to Young Children?

Posted on May 15, 2017 by jesuswithoutbaggage

Recently, a reader asked an excellent question. This is our discussion, but I have not used their real name. Joe wrote: I’ve talked with you in the past. The other day, my 3 year old son and I were talking … Continue reading →

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Posted in atonement, Jesus, resurrection | Tagged , , , | 36 Comments

Why Did Jesus Die on the Cross?

Posted on March 7, 2016 by jesuswithoutbaggage

We talked last time about three atonement theories that I believe are woefully misguided and miss the point of Jesus’ death completely: The Ransom Theory, the Satisfaction Theory, and the Substitutionary Atonement Theory (Penal Substitution). All three are inadequate to … Continue reading →

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Posted in atonement, eternal life, Jesus, Kingdom of God, love, resurrection, sin | Tagged , , | 79 Comments

How Penal Substitutionary Atonement Fails

Posted on February 29, 2016 by jesuswithoutbaggage

As we discussed last time, the New Testament writers agree that the death of Jesus on the cross has a tremendous effect on us, but they never quite explain what they think this effect is or how it works. The … Continue reading →

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Posted in atonement, God, Jesus, sin | Tagged , , , , , , , | 94 Comments

What Does Jesus’ Death on the Cross Do for Us?

Posted on February 22, 2016 by jesuswithoutbaggage

When we consider how the death of Jesus on the cross affects us, we should first find the consensus of the New Testament writers—there is none! Next we can turn to the consensus of the Church Fathers throughout history—there is … Continue reading →

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Posted in atonement, Jesus, New Testament, sin | Tagged , , , , | 76 Comments

The Story of Sin and Salvation—Common Baggage Version (CBV)

Posted on January 11, 2016 by jesuswithoutbaggage

From the time I started church as a second grader, I began to hear the story of sin and salvation. I heard it from the pulpit; I heard it from Sunday school; I heard it in adult discussions; and I … Continue reading →

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Posted in atonement, baggage, God, hell, Jesus, sin | Tagged , , , | 44 Comments

How Does “Dying For Our Sins” Work?

Posted on June 20, 2014 by jesuswithoutbaggage

In response to my Tuesday post on the significance of Jesus’ death and resurrection, Jane suggested a blog post from Brian Zahnd that was extremely helpful to her. I read Brian’s post and would like to recommend it to you. … Continue reading →

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Posted in atonement, favorite blogs, Jesus | Tagged | 7 Comments

What is the Significance of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection?

Posted on June 17, 2014 by jesuswithoutbaggage

Recently, a reader asked me a question privately about Jesus’ death and resurrection. I plan to do a series in the future, but that won’t be for a while. But because it is such an important question, I decided to … Continue reading →

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Posted in atonement, eternal life, Jesus, Paul, resurrection, sin, the Good News | Tagged , , , | 50 Comments