The Cruxifcation was central to God's plan of salvation.

At first glance, it seems that a God who loves sinful men and women enough to save them could devise a salvation plan that would not involve the death of His beloved Son.

Is God unreasonably vindictive in demanding that payment be made for sin? Couldn't He forgive us without requiring some price to be paid?

These questions probe the very nature of God, and while we cannot fully understand God's infinite perfections, the Bible reveals enough about His character to give us an answer (Job 11:7; Deuteronomy 29:29).

While the Bible states God is love in 1 John 4:8, 16, it does not present love as God's sole attribute.

Throughout Scripture God is portrayed as:

* Pre-eminently Holy Psalm 99:9, Isaiah 5:16

* Holy in Character Psalm 22:3, John 17:11

* Holy in Name Isaiah 57:15, Luke 1:49

* Holy in Works Psalm 145:17

* Holy in His kingdom Psalm 47:8

The reason Christians can count on God's promises is because He has verified them with His holiness (Psalm 89:35).

The resolution of the alleged conflict between God's love and His wrath lies only in His holiness. The same God can show both love and wrath because He is first of all holy. God's holiness involves a strict separation from all sinfulness and perfect justice in dealing with the sins of His creatures.

If God were to violate this basic attribute, His forgiveness would be well right useless. Of what value is the forgiveness of someone who has no standards? The concept of salvation makes no sense unless one starts with God's holiness. Consequently, sin is no trifle, to be lightly dismissed or conveniently ignored. The existence of sin necessitated some response.

The Apostle Paul dealt with this problem in Romans 3:21-26, and he shows how God could be both just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus (Romans 3:26). The main emphasis of this passage is God's righteousness, mentioned in verses 21, 22, 25 and 26.

Since God's holiness remains an immutable part of His character, He will not merely overlook sinful rebellion. However, justice and mercy merge in God's plan for men, to provide the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those that believe (Roman 3:22).

God does not have to violate His holiness to provide salvation, for God the Son provides "a propitiation in His blood" for those who believe (Romans 3:25). "Propitiation" refers to the satisfaction of divine justice and comes from the practice of anointing with sacrificial blood the Mercy Seat on the Old Testament Ark of the Covenant.

This application of blood symbolized the death of a substitute as a penalty for breaking God's law. Jesus Christ became our Substitute, For the wages of sin is death; but the (free) gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23).

Jesus suffered on the cross, and the Apostle Paul explains the suffering, saying, This was to demonstrate His righteousness; because of the forbearance of God He passed over sins previously committed (Romans 3:25). God had forgiven the sins of the Old Testament believers on the basis of Christ's future sacrifice, just as He forgives today on the basis of Christ's past sacrifice, once for all time (Hebrews 10:12). And in it all, God remains holy.

The crux of Paul's evangelistic teaching at Thessalonica was that Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead (Acts 17:3). Christ's death was not optional, for it was central to God's plan of salvation.

Some confusion results from the erroneous notion that God the Father must not have loved Christ since He required Him to die before granting forgiveness to sinful men and women.

This ignores the plain teaching of Scripture that Jesus was God the Son, and as equal in every perfection with God the Father, concurred in the redemption plan. On the eve of His crucifixion, Jesus prayed, Father, the hour has come, glorify Thy Son, that the Son may glorify Thee (John 17:1). Hebrews 12:2 reveals that Jesus both endured the cross and despised its shame because of "the joy set before Him."

While some modern errorists present Christ going to the cross under protest against the cruel Father, the Scripture shows the Father and Son in perfect harmony throughout redemption.God's holiness, righteousness and justice are immutable parts of His character, so He exercises judgment on sin as One who is sovereign in His moral kingdom. Yet He himself has fulfilled that righteous penalty in the person of His Son so that without violating His holy nature, He guarantees forgiveness and justification to all who believe.

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