Reply #96: If a person does not believe in substitutionary atonement,

[Zebedeo]

I am hard-pressed to understand how that person can consider herself a Christian. It seems to me that substitutionary atonement is the very heart of Christian belief.

Consider the following passages:

“Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isa. 53:4-6). “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21). “Christ also suffered for us...who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness–by whose stripes you were healed” (1 Pet. 2:21,24). “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us” (Gal. 3:13). “Christ was offered to bear the sins of many” (Heb. 9:28). “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3). The “Lord Jesus Christ...gave Himself for our sins” (Gal. 1:3-4). “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and give His life a ransom for many” (Mt. 20:28; cf. Mk. 10:45). He “bore our sins in His own body on the cross” (1 Pet. 2:24). "By His wounds you are healed" (1 Pet. 2:24) "For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised." (2 Cor. 5:14-15)

Must all these passages be ignored, in your view? If so, what is left of Christianity? And whence comes salvation? Do we earn it by doing good works? "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." (Eph. 2:8-9)