Employment Theory of the Atonement

The Atonement of Jesus Christ is the real mystery.  While, I am profoundly grateful and striving to appreciate and accept the sacrifice Jesus Christ made for me; I cannot ever claim to fully understand it. Many Protestant and Evangelical Christians understand the nature of the atonement in terms of what is called the "penal substitution theory".  

The penal substitution theory of the atonement is illustrated in the story of the school-age kid who takes the punishment for his hungry classmate who was caught stealing food.  While it makes the kid taking the beating look good, the teacher in the scenario ends up concluding that "someone's got to get a whipping".  While this attempts to address the justice vs. mercy paradox, it feels inadequate. 

Another inadequate theory is illustrated in Cleon Skousen's, "Meaning of the Atonement" which presents an "injustice theory" where the atonement situation was such an injustice,  who could possibly accuse Christ of being unjust for saving a sinner considering the injustice Christ faced and overcame.  

However, when it comes to the teaching that "mercy cannot rob justice;" justice is not a monster that God is forced to appease. The justice of God is God doing exactly as He has said.  Likewise, mercy is God doing, exactly as He has said.  Accordingly, as God has said, the consequences of sin is death, but there has been prepared a way for mercy based on faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and the "conditions of repentance" = good news of the gospel. 

The atonement theory I prefer comes from the scriptures called the "employment theory of the atonement".