An Alternative Free Grace View of the Atonement and Hell

Introduction

There are several theories of the Atonement and Hell.

One theory of the Atonement teaches that Jesus's death is not applicable to the unsaved unless they first believe. This view sees its benefit as merely potential. Although this view is consistent with the Free Grace gospel, it is has a shortfall because it is unable to take several Scriptures at their face value where Christ's death is portrayed as having actual benefit and not merely potential.

One theory of Hell teaches that God will sentence the unsaved to active punishment for their sins for eternity. But wouldn't this fly in the face of God's justice? God will not allow penalties to be greater than the guilt deserves (Deuteronomy 25:2-3). To exceed it would be lawlessness and injustice. Couldn't you figure that after a number of years in Hell, that a man would pay the just penalty that his finite and temporal sin deserved? Food for thought. Note: This is not to say that Hell is not eternal - it is - or that the lost don't suffer consequences - they do. Read on...

The following, submitted for your consideration, is a treatise describing, and then illustrating by use of a parable, a different take on the Atonement and Hell, consistent with both Free Grace Theology and the Scriptures. Take a look!


Description

God is a benevolent God. He is merciful. He makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends His rain on the just and on the unjust (Matthew 5:45). He therefore desires to benefit mankind with goodness. Accordingly, God in His mercy wants all men to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4).

But God is also just. He cannot overlook sin, and He cannot wink at iniquity. If He were not to punish for transgression it would amount to: lawlessness and injustice.

It was these considerations that prompted God to come up with a plan. He would send His Son to earth to become Man and to suffer once (all that was necessary) for the sins of the world – the just for the unjust – that He might bring us to Him (1 Peter 3:18).

It was this one-time sacrifice and righteous act that freed God up to confer His unconditional acceptance of sinners, in the form of granting eternal life and the justification that springs from that life (Romans 3:26; 5:18).

This life, made possible by the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ, He invites the world to receive simply by taking the Lord Jesus Christ, His Son, at His word according to His promise:

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but has eternal life” (John 3:16)

Those who receive that life by faith in Jesus as a free gift are granted citizenship in the eternal kingdom of God (John 3:3, 5).

Those who refuse this gift are left to experience existence in an eternal abode where they will suffer the natural consequences of (1) not possessing God’s gift of life, and (2) reaping what they sowed by their sins. This is not the same as saying they are “paying” (judicially) for their sins. Justice was served, and the judicial debt was paid, in that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing its trespasses to it (2 Corinthians 5:19). Those were paid for on the cross by Jesus. But the lost are relegated to a place where they will live out the reasonable repercussions resulting from being trapped within the sphere of their committed sins.


The Parable

In order to illustrate this, the following parable is proposed:

There was a benevolent and loving Gentleman, who was rich, and had a beautiful villa in the country where He invited and housed the unfortunate and the troubled, the outcast, and the sinner.

On a walk through the city, this Gentleman stumbled upon a man who caught His attention. The man was dirty, drug-addicted, and homeless. The Gentleman sparked up a conversation with him and listened to the tragic story which was his life… a series of unfortunate events which led him to the skid row that now was his home. Yet the greatest thing that hung over his head was his judicial problems stemming from a life of breaking the law. He was looking at significant jail time!

The Gentleman went home to think about this situation. He couldn’t invite the man to His villa to live with Him, He thought, if he had justice due him for crimes. If he were on his way to jail, the Gentleman wouldn’t be able to give him a genuine invitation to come home with Him… So He came up with a plan!

This benevolent and loving Gentleman had compassion on the man, and through His connections and vast resources paid for this man’s fines and settled all accounts with the court on his behalf at a substantial cost. The Gentlman did this apart from the man's acknowledgment or acceptance.

Indeed, this man, because of the costly payment of the Gentleman, was now free from the legal consequences of his law breaking. He would not be paying for his crimes in jail. The Gentleman paid it all for him!

In this Gentleman’s concern and care for the man, He told him of His actions on the man's behalf: “Sir, I have satisfied the courts by paying all the debt you owed. You no longer are in danger of jail.” He then invited him to get off the street, out of skid row, and to come live with Him at His expanse house in the country. There the man would be well treated and cared for; and in an environment of peace and security, purpose and fulfillment. The Gentleman invited him into the beautiful and joyful economy of His villa.

The man refused. He didn’t believe the Gentleman was who He claimed to be, even though He showed proofs.

Yet the Gentleman didn’t stop there. He continued to reach out to the man: “Come, partake of this life with Me, freely!” but he continued to refuse. The man enjoyed his sin and addiction on skid row too much to consider who the Gentleman was and His offer.

Then there came a ‘definitive time’ that he finally told the Gentleman, “Do not come around here anymore. I will not go with You.” The Gentleman obliged his request. The man then lived out the rest of his life on skid row, suffering the enduring, painful, natural and corrupting consequences of his lifestyle.


Key to the Parable

The Gentleman = Jesus
The man = token human being
Villa = heaven / the eternal kingdom of God
Jail ≠ hell (because justice was paid for by the Gentleman)
Paid fines and settled accounts = Christ’s Atonement
Invitation = the promise (invitation) of eternal life in John 3:16
‘Definitive time’ = death
Rest of life on skid row = eternal Hell


Conclusion

Christ died for the sins of the world. All of them. It wasn't potential. He paid the judicial penalty for all sin for all time on behalf of all people. This freed God to be able to offer the absolutely free gift of eternal life to whosoever believes in Jesus.

Because Jesus paid the penalty for man's sins, the unsaved do not go to hell to pay for their own sins. That would be a double-payment. Instead, because they did not receive the free gift of eternal life, they are relegated to Hell to suffer the natural consequences (not the judicial penalties) of dying in their sins.

For more information, pick up a copy of "The Atonement and Other Writings" by Zane C. Hodges, available at the GES bookstore.