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The cross · The heart of the matter

Sin, forgiveness and the Lamb

Core difference: who pays

Hinduism does speak about sin () and offers ways to be free of it. The difference is not whether sin is addressed, but how. In the , sin is removed by knowledge, by duty, by rites or by devotion. In the , sin is a debt against a holy God that someone must pay, and God pays it Himself.

The Hindu claim

The does promise freedom from sin. Knowledge burns up like fire burns wood. Even the worst wrongdoer can cross over on the boat of knowledge. A devotee who turns to is to be counted , and promises to release the one who surrenders from all sins.

The apologetic argument

  1. If sin is real wrong, justice requires that it be paid, not ignored.
  2. Karma gives justice with no mercy: the self pays everything.
  3. 's promise gives mercy, but never says how justice is satisfied.
  4. Only the cross holds both: God punishes sin fully and forgives the sinner fully, because He bears the penalty Himself.
The thread of the Lamb through Scripture
God will provide the lambAbraham and Isaac on the mountain,
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The lambIts blood shields the house from judgment,
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The suffering servantLed like a lamb, wounded for our sins,
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Behold the of GodWho takes away the sin of the world,
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Once for allOne sacrifice, never repeated,
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The on the throneWorshipped by every tribe and language,

What your friend may sayWhat Hindus often say

  • "'s is free too." traditions teach surrender () and . Why does God need blood to forgive?
  • "Punishing an innocent person is unjust." Your own says the son shall not bear the father's sin.

Your strongest answerHow a Christian answers

Forgiveness always costs the one who forgives. A judge who simply waives a crime is not merciful but corrupt; a judge who pays the fine himself is both just and merciful. The cross is not God punishing an unwilling third party. The Son lays down His life by His own choice (), and God in Christ reconciles the world to Himself (). The substitute is the Judge. That is what 's promise in 18:66 leaves unexplained, and what the provides.

A careful bridge

The 's () describes a cosmic person sacrificed by the gods, from whom the world comes. Some Indian Christians use it as a starting point for talking about Christ. Use it with care: in the the sacrifice creates the world and its order, it does not atone for sin. It shows the longing, not the answer.

Christ above all

Christ is both the Judge and the One who pays. He is the of God who takes away the sin of the world (). There is no one else who can stand in your place, and no one who stands more gladly.

In short

Karma gives justice without mercy, and grace without a cost leaves justice unexplained. At the cross God is both just and merciful, because He pays the debt Himself.

Why the next step followsNext, how every question in this guide points to a longing the gospel meets.From argument to gospel →
Pause and reflect

What would it mean for a debt to be paid by someone else for you? How does that land: as relief, as discomfort, or as both?