Penal substitutionary atonement
Historic orthodoxy
On the cross, Christ took the place of sinners and bore the penalty their sins deserved, satisfying God's justice so that He could forgive them.
Also called: penal substitution, PSA, substitutionary atonement, penal substitution central
What it means
"Penal" refers to penalty, and "substitution" to one taking another's place. Sin is not only a sickness or a bondage but a real offense against a holy God, and it deserves His just judgment. The good news is that God Himself, in the person of His Son, bore that judgment in our place. Christ, who knew no sin, was made sin for us. He became a curse for us. He suffered, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring us to God.
This is why God can be both "just and the justifier" of the one who has faith in Jesus. He does not overlook sin; He punishes it fully in Christ, and then freely forgives those who trust Him. The cross shows God's love precisely because it shows what it cost Him to save us.
Scripture describes the cross in many ways: a victory over the powers of darkness, a ransom, a supreme example of love. Confessional Protestants receive all of these, but they hold that penal substitution is at the center, the ground on which the others rest. Christ defeats Satan by taking away the guilt that gave Satan his claim, and the cross moves us because of what Christ bore there.
In Scripture
He was pierced for our transgressions; the LORD laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
God presented Christ as an atoning sacrifice, so that He is both just and the justifier.
God made the sinless One to be sin for us, so that we might become His righteousness.
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.
Christ suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring us to God.
Love is this: God sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Where it comes up
Confessions: WCF 8.5; WCF 11.3; LBCF 1689 8.5; Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 37; Belgic Confession Art. 21
On this site: Atonement
Related terms
Penal substitution as one modelFlagged as a concern
The teaching that penal substitution is one valid picture of the atonement among several, with no special place at the center.
Moral influence theorySerious error
The teaching that Christ's death saves only by showing God's love and moving us to repent, not by bearing the penalty for our sins.
Christus VictorTerm
Latin for "Christ the Victor"; the biblical teaching that by His death and resurrection Christ defeated sin, death, and the devil.
Definite atonementA view held among orthodox Christians
Christ died with the intention of actually securing the salvation of those the Father gave Him, and His death will save every one of them.
The gospelHistoric orthodoxy
The good news that God saves sinners through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and freely forgives and accepts all who turn from sin and trust in Him.