8. Why is Christ’s substitutionary death a necessity for salvation?

Sin, the complete opposite of God’s character of holiness and purity, brings on God’s wrath, separating the sinner from Jesus. Because of God’s relentless love for humanity, He presented Christ as the propitiation, or atonement for our sins, so we may be restored into relationship with God. Unlike pagan deities, God always loves His creation, although He cannot ignore sin. Justice and mercy meet at the cross of Christ, making our salvation possible. “He suffered the death which was ours, that we might receive the life which was His” (The Desire of Ages, p. 25.2).JTL3 4.1