The Necessity of the Cross

        Furthermore, God would be endorsing evil by passively accepting it. Simple forgiveness seems merciful at first. However, what it really does is give God’s blessing to Satan and evil by approving such things as rape as murder. Because God is just, he must distinguish between good and evil by promoting the former and opposing the latter. Mere forgiveness would destroy God’s holiness, justice, and righteousness by not distinguishing between good and evil. Because God is good, he cannot approve of or ignore sin and its consequences.

        Basically, the debt of sin must be paid, or evil is vindicated. That debt is either paid by the sinner in the torments of eternal hell or by our eternal God Jesus Christ dying on the cross in our place for our sins.

-p. 129 Death by Love by Mark Driscoll & Gerry Breshears (Crossway, 2008: Wheaton, IL)