J. I. Packer once noted that evangelical Christianity is a mile wide and an inch deep. (That's not a compliment, by the way.) We gravitate toward less-than-meaty devotionals, emotionally uplifting stories, and portrayals of Christianity that reinforce what we already want to believe--in short, we crave a manageable religion and a domesticated God. In such an environment, attacks upon the central truths of Christianity are expected, with no area of doctrine off limits. One example is the atonement--the glorious truth that Christ took our place on the cross, bore our sin, and gives us his righteousness as we turn from our sins and trust in him for salvation. Sadly, this teaching of "penal substitution" is unpalatable to contemporary culture's taste. But I've said enough. Read this article by Jared Wilson over at The Gospel Coalition.
