Courtroom Salvation?

A lot of times salvation is presented like this.

 

You broke God's law. The penalty for that is death. Since God is infinitely just, He cannot just let it go. That would be unjust. So, he sent Jesus to pay the penalty for you. Now, he's declared you innocent because the price was already paid.

 

This is sometimes called forensic justification. However, it's not the only way that salvation is depicted in the Bible, and I'd argue, maybe not even the best or clearest way.

 

It's sometimes referred to as an "atonement" motif. It is a way of trying to explain, by metaphor, what Christ actually accomplished for us on the cross.

 

But if this is our only working motif we have a few problems.

 

First, it seems to make the "resurrection" optional. After all, if all that was necessary to satisfy "justice" was that the price was paid for you, and Jesus paid that price, the resurrection is just a nice afterthought. But that's not what the Bible says:

 

And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. (1 Cor. 15:14-15, ESV).

 

Still, some people will say, the resurrection was important to prove the Jesus got the job done. I'm sympathetic to that idea. I mean, if Jesus just "died" It would be hard to know for sure that He was really the Son of God, that his sacrifice was actually sufficient to pay the price for my sins.

 

But Paul doesn't say here that the resurrection was necessary just to prove/show you that the crucifixion was sufficient. Rather, he continues from the passage above saying:

 

And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. (v. 17).

Clearly, the resurrection does more than put a "stamp" on the crucifixion. It's not just a way of ratifying that the sacrifice was actually sufficient. It clearly does something more that's actually necessary for our salvation. Because Paul makes it clear, if Jesus was crucified (that's the sacrifice) but wasn't raised, we'd still be in our sins. Clearly, the "forensic" motif of talking about salvation doesn't cover everything.

 

Second, the "forensic" / courtroom motif doesn't really make God look all that just. I have a friend whose son had to go to prison not long ago. He told me that he told his son, just before he self-surrendered, "If I could go in there in your place, I would."

 

The truth is, though, that if the father volunteered the judge would never accept it. Why? Because it wouldn't actually be just for the father to pay the price for his son. In such an instance, I imagine the judge would say, "if that was something I could do, I might as well just exonerate the boy and be done with it, what good would punishing you do anyone?"

 

But God demands payment for sin! Right? Well, God doesn't need our payment. It's not like our sacrifice/death actually satisfies something that's lacking in God. God could totally just up and forgive us, exonerate us, without the payment being made. Most of us know, instinctually, letting someone else just "pay the price" doesn't really deal with the problem completely, because it's not about what's owed, as if God's sitting there with a bank account with justice-bills that has to be kept full.

 

Again, the forensic view of justification isn't wrong... but if it's our only way of thinking about how Jesus saved us, we end up with a lot of issues that don't make sense. And this might be the biggest one...

 

Third, it doesn't reflect God's character. The idea that God needs a "sacrifice" to be appeased really makes it sound like God is a little bit capricious, like he just needs a "pound of flesh" to appease his wrath. But the Gospels make it clear, Jesus came because "God so loved the world" and that's why He "gave His only son" (John 3:16).

 

The forensic view, though, really makes our all-loving God (God IS LOVE, after all) appear a lot like he's kind of petty, and so angry and wrathful that unless he has someone to take it out on--in this case, His only begotten son--we're all basically screwed. Because who could possibly survive the wrath of our God?

 

So if the forensic/courtroom motif isn't all sufficient to explain what Jesus did for us, what is? How do really understand what Jesus took on human flesh, why he lived a perfect life, why he died and rose again?

 

Alongside the forensic model, other biblical motifs and theological understandings offer a more holistic picture of salvation. Here are some key perspectives:

 

1. Theosis or the "Mystical Union," or Deification/Divinization: This is a central concept, emphasizing that God became man so that human beings might become "partakers of the divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4, ESV). Salvation isn't just about being declared "not guilty"; it's about being transformed from within by God's grace, healed of sin's corruption, and elevated to share in God's own life. As the Apostle John records Jesus' prayer: "that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us... The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one" (John 17:21-22, ESV). This transformation aims for us "to be conformed to the image of his Son" (Romans 8:29, ESV).

 

• Incarnation as Central: The Incarnation itself is salvific. The Son of God taking on human flesh—"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14, ESV)—begins the process of uniting humanity to divinity.

• Resurrection's Role: The Resurrection is absolutely crucial here. It's not just proof of the crucifixion's efficacy, but the very event through which Christ conquers death and makes new, glorified life available. "We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life." (Romans 6:4, ESV). Indeed, "in Christ shall all be made alive." (1 Corinthians 15:22, ESV). We are saved by His life (Romans 5:10) as much as by His death.

• Means of Grace/Incorporation: Practices rooted in Christ's institution, like baptism and communion, are understood as vital ways we are united with Christ and receive this divine life. "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ." (Galatians 3:27, ESV). "The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?" (1 Corinthians 10:16, ESV).

 

2. Christus Victor (Christ the Victor): This motif views Christ's work primarily as a decisive victory over the powers of sin, death, and the devil, which held humanity captive. "The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil." (1 John 3:8b, ESV).

 

• Cosmic Battle: Christ, through His life, death, and resurrection, engages in a cosmic battle and defeats these spiritual enemies. He "disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him." (Colossians 2:15, ESV).

• Liberation: Salvation is liberation from this bondage. "Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery." (Hebrews 2:14-15, ESV). The Cross is the battlefield where the decisive victory is won, and the Resurrection is the declaration and manifestation of that victory.

• Ransom Theory (a subset): Sometimes this includes the idea of a "ransom." While interpretations vary, the emphasis is on Christ's power and triumph breaking the hold of hostile powers over humanity.

 

3. Recapitulation (Anakephalaiōsis): This view sees Christ as the "New Adam" who "sums up" (recapitulates) all of humanity in Himself, according to God's "purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth." (Ephesians 1:9-10, ESV).

 

This view is especially prominent in the writings of Irenaeus of Lyons, one of the earliest theologians in the apostolic era. But it's also thoroughly biblical. Some features of this motif include:

 

• Undoing Adam's Disobedience: Where the first Adam disobeyed and brought sin and death, Christ, the New Adam, lived a life of perfect obedience. "For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous." (Romans 5:19, ESV). "Thus it is written, ‘The first man Adam became a living being’; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit." (1 Corinthians 15:45, ESV).

• Restoring Humanity: He takes humanity through all its stages of life, sanctifying each one, and through His Incarnation, life, death, and resurrection, He restores and renews human nature, making it possible for us to be reconciled with God.

• The Church as His Body: We are saved by being incorporated into Christ, the Head, and becoming part of His Body, the Church. His perfect humanity becomes the source of new life for us.

 

4. Justification as Transformation and Sanctification: Another perspective understands justification not merely as a legal declaration but as an actual inner transformation and renewal through the Holy Spirit. God "saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit" (Titus 3:5, ESV). "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." (2 Corinthians 5:17, ESV).

 

• Grace Heals and Elevates: God's grace doesn't just cover over sin; it actively works to heal the wounds of sin, forgive, and make us holy (sanctify us). This is so "that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." (Romans 8:4, ESV). In other words, it's not just that Jesus lived a perfect life so he could be the unblemished lamb of God (though that's true, too!) but He also gave us His spirit so that our faith might be completed in love. That's why Jesus said that it's love (of God and of neighbor) that actually fulfills all of the law! (Matthew 22:37-40; Romans 13:10).

• Cooperation with Grace: While salvation is entirely a gift from God, believers are called to respond to His grace. "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." (Philippians 2:12-13, ESV). This is a lifelong process of growth in holiness.

• Sacrifice of Love and Obedience: Christ's sacrifice is seen not just as paying a penalty, but as the ultimate act of loving obedience to the Father, which repairs the broken relationship between God and humanity. His love is redemptive and transformative, modeling the life of love and obedience to which believers are called.

 

How does this address the three concerns I named above when the "forensic" or "courtroom" model is taken alone?

 

• Resurrection: As seen above, the Resurrection is indispensable in these models. It's the source of new life, the moment of victory, and the foundation of our hope for transformation and ultimate union with God.

• God's Justice and Love: These models tend to avoid the image of a God who needs to punish an innocent substitute to satisfy His own justice. Instead, God's justice is restorative. His actions are rooted in His immense love and mercy, seeking to heal and elevate humanity, not merely to balance a legal ledger. The "payment" is less about appeasing God's wrath and more about what is necessary to overcome sin and death and restore communion. God Himself, in Christ, enters into human suffering to overcome it from within.

• God's Character: God's initiative is always one of love. "God so loved the world that He gave His only Son" (John 3:16) is foundational. The "sacrifice" is an expression of this profound love, a self-giving that conquers evil and draws us into divine life. It's not about a "pound of flesh" but about the Divine Physician entering into our sickness to heal us.

 

Now, I imagine, most of the above "ideas" are pretty clear and obvious. Even for those of us who when asked to explain the Gospel default to the "courtroom" model. If you've been a Christian very long, you've probably nodded along to several Gospel presentations that accord with one of the other motifs above and never saw a conflict there.

 

It's helpful, though, to be aware of that. Especially when sharing the faith. When someone is overwhelmed with personal guilt the forensic/courtroom model might be a great place to start. But person guilt isn't the only way that sin breaks a person.

 

Some of us are broken by sin because of our sorrow, our loss, our suffering. In those instances, focusing on personal guilt doesn't really seem to "meet the person" where they're at. It doesn't really address the brokenness they're experiencing. How much more powerful would it be in a case like that to talk about how God Almighty loves us so much that rather than merely removing all our sorrows and sufferings, He meets us there... so that in all sorrow/suffering we can take hold of him there, and trust He'll see us through to resurrection victory?

 

How much more powerful might it be if someone is stuck in a habitual sin and it's not so much guilt that's overwhelming them as it is the sense of hopelessness that they just can't seem to get past it, if we talked about How in Christ we're actually new creations, we have a new identity (not just a clean "criminal record") which means because we're now participants in the love of God, even in God Himself, we have the power to escape the chains that bind us, to truly be (not just be declared) a new person?

 

In Jesus' name,

Judah