Chalke Talk 37: Making the cross about vengeance stops us from loving our enemies

Have you ever wondered how Christians can claim to follow Jesus, who brought with him an ardent message of anti-violence, and still believe that the God who sent him is wrathful and vengeful?

Steve unpacks that contradiction, this week, suggesting that, "if the cross really is about God’s need to have his pent-up anger pacified through violence, then Jesus’ teaching around loving, and forgiving, our enemies without counting the cost, seems to be in direct conflict with God’s own character and practice." And it’s a question that begs our attention because understanding God as a vengeful being not only undermines our theology, but it affects the way we live and how we live out our faith.

What do you think? Do you agree? Does what we believe about the cross make a difference in the way we behave?

And, if so, how should we tell the story of that cross?