Why didn't God just forgive the world instead of making his son pay the price?

Question

Let's say your son made a mistake, will you forgive him or kill the other son?

Answer 1

Jesus IS God. You have probably heard the term Trinity. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God is 3 co-equal, co-eternal beings. To break it down even easier, He is "one what and three who's" ...so to speak. Never go by what anyone says, (not even me!) but check what the Bible says since that is Gods divine truth.
"In the beginning was the Word, (Jesus) and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light sines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it." John 1:1-5
(Jesus said) "I and the Father are one." John 10:30
(Jesus said) "If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father." John 10:37-38
"yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live." 1 Corithians 8:6
"For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time." 1 Timothy 2:5-6
"Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies..." John 11:25
"Jesus answered, "I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6

Jesus never sinned and he was the atoning sacrificed for our sins so that we may accept his free gift of eternal life.

"Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who hold the power of death-that is, the devil..." Hebrews2:14

"For all have sinnned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace trhough the redemption that came by Jesus Christ." Romans 3:23

"The words "it was credited to him" were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness-for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delievered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification." Romans 4:23

"Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!"
Romans 3:26

Answer 2

I hate it when people try to quote the bible when telling me about god. The bible was written so long ago, who knows what is really true and what's not. "God" didn't sit down and write it himself. There are so many other religions and gods. There can't just be one right god. If there is, then why do other religions exist? Or even the thought of another god?? I don't think of myself as a sinner, but some christains might. I have never killed and I live a good life. But some of my actions in life could be seen as sins. And to be sent to hell for that isn't right. So, I say it's the best story they could come up with back then.

Answer 3

If their religion made any sort of sense then christians wouldn't have to go on and on about what a great thing "faith" is.

Its really amazing that these people can claim that it is virtuous to just believe in something that someone tells you, even though they have no proof, and the story makes no sense.

They have elevated stupidity and gullibility to virtues.

The whole sorry doesn't make sense because the christians don't understand what it really means. There is a very good chance that, originally, the story of Jesus was a metaphor for people achieving the state of gnosis and enlightenment.

The gnostics believed that you had to let the part of you that was concerned with the material world "die" so that you could finally be free of the artificial bonds and illusions of the physical world and find freedom and true "eternal life" through gnosis.

The Jesus myth was used by the gnostics to illustrate their spiritual beliefs and introduce new comers to the ideas.

However, at some point, some people started to take it literally. So, we now have a bunch of people who insist that this metaphor is historical fact.

Its not too surprising that the story doesn't make sense. It was just supposed to be a parable meant to teach a concept - it was not originally designed to make sense because it was never supposed to be taken literally.

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The answers from believers to your question are all amazing! They are repeating the same thing over and over again and not a single one of them realizes they are making no sense whatsoever!

They keep saying that Jesus HAD to die because God MUST have someone die for him to forgive sins. However, this is obviously false. According to them, God makes all the rules. If God makes all the rules, he doesn't HAVE to do anything! He doesn't NEED anyone to die for a "sin" to be forgiven!

If God is all-powerful and is in control of everything, JESUS DID NOT HAVE TO DIE!!! If God really had Jesus die so that sins could be forgiven, it would have been entirely his own choice. Jesus would have only been dying because God felt like it. An all powerful God would not have to play by some meaningless, insane rules simply because those are the rules he made up. An all-powerful God could change the rules any time he wanted to! He could even use his infinite powers to change all of history so that it wouldn't even BE a change in rules - he could make it so that the rules would have always been like that.

The claim that Jesus HAD to die for God to be able to forgive sins is ludicrous. It makes NO_SENSE_AT_ALL!

Answer 4

I think the argument usually presented is that although God is Love, He is also absolutely pure. A result of this is He is absolutely just - so proper punishments must be administered. Hence forgiveness is available as far as the punishment can be made. He can't just "let people off"; thats not forgiveness according to the New Testament.

Also according to John 3 and other texts men are actually under condemnation, and fit to expelled from God's presence eternally. Most people actually think they are pretty good and will be good enough for heaven, but this is contradicted by the gospels. A pretty whopping atonement sacrifice is needed. Animals, washing of one's body and so on aren't good enough.

Thats my current understanding.

Answer 5

First point -God had only one Son.

Second point - before Adam sinned there had been no sin in the world. He and Eve brought about Man's downfall and only a divine sacrifice could save Man from himself for eternity.

Third point - God made a covenant with Adam stating that this would come about and when it would happen.

Lastly, God cared enough about everyone to send His Son to die for sins so that we may be pardoned and He still cares so why don't you accept His pardon now ?

Answer 6

Open Ur mind please??? We are a Part of the Angelic Conflict in the Appeals Trial of Satan. That is Why We Exist. In the Justice of God, an Appeals Trial was granted to Satan. Satans complaint was that he (Satan) should be Worshiped just as God is and that if God created a World for Satan, the beings there would All Worship him! So God gave Us "Free Will" & put Us in a Perfect Environment. And created a Plan for Man if Man should turn from God, as God is Not Willing that Any Should Perish!!! That Plan was Christ. Christ Volunteered to be a Sacrifice Once & for All from His Integrity Envelope & Both Impersonal Love & Personal Love for the Father & Us. Now U know what it's all about!!! John

Answer 7

The BIble teaches that there is an absolute that we can't get around and that God can't even get around. That absolute has to do with holiness and sinfulness.

God is holy in his very nature and cannot live in the presence of the unholy. We were created to live in fellowship with God, yet, we have all sinned. The only way to atone for sin is through a blood sacrifice. Before Christ, the blood sacrifice was that of an animal, yet we are told these types of sacrifices could only "cover" the sin for a time--until a final sacrifice could be made in our place. That sacrifice had to be a sinless human being. Christ became the sacrifice once for all--for all mankind.

Why is there a requirement for a blood sacrifice in order for us to enter the presence of Holy God? I don't know. God says that is how it is--that it is a truth that exists whether we believe it or not and that we cannot get around it.

Your analogy doesn't work because there is nothing on earth that compares to this dillemma. You will not be separated from your son forever to his great detriment if he makes a mistake.

If you knew that his "mistake" would cause him to be forever separated from you, from all that is good, and from what he was created for and lead him to an eternity of despair and suffering, and you knew that your other son (who is really a part of you) could die in his place and would suffer for a time, but you would have the power to raise him from the dead, therefore saving both sons, would you not sacrifice the one son and save them both?

Answer 8

The Bible tells us that God is a merciful and just God. Since that is his very nature he cannot be other than both. Because he is a just God there must be a price for sin. The very nature of the universe he created demands the justice.

But God is also merciful. When we repent and seek his forgiveness he is willing out of his love to forgive. But before our sins are forgiven there must be a price to pay. So he sent his Son to pay that price. The Son did it willingly out of the great mercy and love that he has for us.

As for your example, some things my son did might be easily forgiveable. If for example, he said something hurtful to me, I can forgive that. Some things however would require me to seek justice. Say he broke a window at someone's house or stole something from a store. It isn't enough to say you are forgiven - I must replace the window and he may have to serve stime for stealing. Taking the second account, the time for stealing, what if my other son said I love my brother so much that I will serve his time in jail. It isn't just that God sent his Son, it is that his Son chose to save his brothers and sisters. There is the difference.

Pastor John

Answer 9

And they say: The Beneficent hath taken unto Himself a son. (88) Assuredly ye utter a disastrous thing (89) Whereby almost the heavens are torn, and the earth is split asunder and the mountains fall in ruins, (90) That ye ascribe unto the Beneficent a son, (91) When it is not meet for (the Majesty of) the Beneficent that He should choose a son. (92) There is none in the heavens and the earth but cometh unto the Beneficent as a slave. (93) Verily He knoweth them and numbereth them with (right) numbering. (94) And each one of them will come unto Him on the Day of Resurrection, alone. (95) Lo! those who believe and do good works, the Beneficent will appoint for them love. (96) And We make (this Scripture) easy in thy tongue, (O Muhammad) only that thou mayst bear good tidings therewith unto those who ward off (evil), and warn therewith the froward folk. (97) And how many a generation before them have We destroyed! Canst thou (Muhammad) see a single man of them, or hear from them the slightest sound? (98)

Surat Maryam

Answer 10

Poor analogy. God did not have two sons. The one he did have had done nothing wrong - absolutely nothing. Can you claim that? Throughout the Old Testament forgiveness for doing wrong came through animal sacrifice and the shedding of their blood. Christ's death was the final sacrifice for forgiving you of everything you have done wrong.

Answer 11

If God simply forgave sins, instead of demanding justice, then that would give people the idea that rebelling against God was no big deal.

God demonstrated how much that he hates evil by executing out his justice in a brutal and visible way to set the example: this could happen to you too if you keep on sinning.

Also, if God simply allowed people to earn forgiveness by doing good, then people would become prideful and think that God owed them something because they earned God's favor by doing good.

As Jesus taught, you are not doing God any favors by doing good; you are simply doing your duty. Therefore it is impossible to earn forgiveness for sins by doing good, because doing good is NOT doing anything "extra" to make up for your sins. For example, you cannot get out of a speeding ticket by saying to the judge that at least you didn't run the stop sign. It is good that you did your duty to obey the stop sign, but that doesn't excuse you from your other duty to obey the speed limit. It is impossible for a good deed to cancel out a bad deed. God said that the penalty of sin was death, period. Someone has to die for sin in order for God to keep his word.

Hope that this helps. For a better explanation, try the articles at the link below that directly address your question in more detail than I can get into here because of limited space: