God the Son, Mentor's Guide, MG10

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G O D T H E S O N

1. Advocates of this view: Hugo Grotius, a lawyer (1583-1645)

2. The righteous God has established laws, and sin violates those laws.

3. Although God has a right to punish sin, he doesn’t have to do so.

4. God acts in order to maintain “the interests of government,” not necessarily to punish every specific disobedience of his laws.

a. He acts with the best interests of humankind.

b. He provides for the possibility of forgiveness (if he chooses to do so) and establishes a stable structure for him to rule.

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5. Jesus’ death shows us what God’s righteous justice will do to us if we keep on sinning.

a. Christ’s misery can convince us that sin doesn’t pay.

b. We can be forgiven if we repent, and God’s government of his world will be kept secure.

B. The case against the Governmental view:

1. No biblical or scriptural references to back it up (only a misapplication of Isa. 42.21).