Substitutional Atonement
This aspect of Christ’s work for us is extremely important since for one thing, one cannot argue for God being both just and loving if you do not believe in substitutional atonement. God cannot forgive sins out of love and yet still be fair and just if there is not some form of atonement equal to or greater than the debt owed by the forgiven. In the case of the sinner, his wages are death (Rom. 6:23)–physical, spiritual, eternal–and that is exactly what Christ suffered in his behalf. It must be in our place otherwise it’d just be a wasted life or a very cruel way of dying a meaningless death. Whatever Christ suffered, we deserved originally but by God’s good will, our sins have been atoned for by Christ’s death and suffering.