but not so keen on justice that it matters whether he punishes the right person
I think this is a reasonable criticism of how penal substitution is often presented. It is (obviously) unfair to punish someone else for the crimes of another.
Luckily, that is not what Christianity claims. Christ is not an arbitrary substitute for people, but is a substitute for those who are "in Christ" and "have Christ within them". The exact mechanisms of what this means are mysterious, but the Christian claim is that there is a real identity between the Christian and Christ. Hence it is meaningful, and just, to speak of my sins being punished on the cross, as I am in Christ and he in me.
no subject
I think this is a reasonable criticism of how penal substitution is often presented. It is (obviously) unfair to punish someone else for the crimes of another.
Luckily, that is not what Christianity claims. Christ is not an arbitrary substitute for people, but is a substitute for those who are "in Christ" and "have Christ within them". The exact mechanisms of what this means are mysterious, but the Christian claim is that there is a real identity between the Christian and Christ. Hence it is meaningful, and just, to speak of my sins being punished on the cross, as I am in Christ and he in me.
nlj21