It’s not immaterial. It’s far more than a matter of semantics. There’s all the difference in the world!
1. The Penal Substitution Theory (Jesus dying in our place):
Jesus died to appease the wrath of an angry God. Jesus died in our place in that He took the punishment that we deserved instead of us. As a result, we are clothed with Christ’s righteousness, so when God looks at us, He doesn’t see our sin, but Christ’s righteousness. Thus God will not punish us; His need to punish sin was satisfied by punishing Christ on the cross. God forsook Him, for He cried out in anguish, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me.” All our sins were laid on Jesus so that we get off scott free. Even if we deliberately continue in sin, we’ll get to heaven anyway, since Jesus paid the price for us by dying to let us off the hook. Otherwise, God, who cannot tolerate sin, would have to punish us in hell forever. Eternal life with God is the great benefit of Jesus dying in our place.
2. The Biblical Teaching of Salvation from Sin (Jesus dying for our benefit—to deliver us from sin):
The angel declared to Joseph, “You will call His name “Jesus” (Saviour) because He will save His people from their sins.” (Matt 1:21)
The angel didn’t say, “… because He will save His people from hell” or “… from punishment.” We do read that God gave His only-begotten Son so that whoever entrusts himself to Him should not perish but have lasting life" (John 3:15). But to entrust oneself to Christ results in being delivered from sin, and this is a requirement for obtaining lasting (or “eternal”) life.
Paul made it clear in Romans 2 that righteousness is necessary in order to acheive immortality and receive lasting (or “eternal”) life:
For he will render to everyone according to his works: to those who by perseverance in well‑doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, he will give lasting life; but for those who are self-seeking and are not persuaded by the truth, but are persuaded by wickedness, there will be wrath and fury.
Affliction and anguish for every person who does evil … but glory and honour and well-being for every one who does good … For God shows no partiality. (Romans 2:6-11)
Yes persistence in well-doing is necessary to gain immortality and “eternal” life. Continuing to practise evil results in affliction and anguish. But present this to anyone who has subscribe to the Penal Substitution Theory, and they will immediately accuse you of “works righteousness” or “trying to get to heaven by good works.” They are blind to the fact this this NT teaching of deliverance for sin and self, by the grace made available through Christ’s death, is the means by which “eternal” life is granted.
For the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all people, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and to live sensible, righteous, and devout lives in the present age, expecting the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of the great God and of our Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good works. Declare these things; encourage and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you. (Titus 2:11-15)
How do we appropriate this enabling grace? We appropriate it through faith. Jesus died to provide this enabling grace, and by trusting Him to do so, it becomes a reality in our lives. The consequence is salvation from sin (a life-long process) and everlasting life with God.
We cannot through self-effort consistently overcome sin, and God will not unilaterally save us from sin. But “working together with Him” salvation from sin becomes a reality.
At this point, the believer in substitutionary atonement will declare, “So are you perfect now?” He believes that this understanding is a proclamation of “sinless perfection.” Well, it does look forward to the goal of perfection. Salvation from sin is a life-long process:
As Paul declared in Philippians 1:6 (ESV)
I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
In my late teens, the only “salvation message” I had ever heard was that of penal substitution. But when Tom O’shiro, became the pastor of the little Baptist Church I had attended, I soon realized that he never preached that view. He was always speaking about submitting to Christ. I wondered when he was ever going to preach the gospel (that Christ died as our substitute, and that we had to accept Him as our personal Saviour, so that we would go to heaven instead of hell.)
I used to be a young people’s leader at the time. One day, Tom realized from what I had said to the young people, that I had a great misunderstanding of salvation. So he asked me, “Don, what are we saved from?” I knew the scriptural answer, and so I replied, “From sin.” Then he asked, “And what does that mean?” I answered, “That means that we are saved from the result of sin.” I had in mind that we “get saved” we are saved from hell. Tom then affirmed, “Don, nowhere does it say that we are saved from the result of sin. It says that we are saved from SIN!”
Well I wasn’t ready to accept that at the time. But Tom’s words planted a seed in my heart that eventually bore fruit. The day came when I realized he was right, and when I truly entered the door of salvation. Many years later, I gave testimony to this at a meeting in which Tom was present. He asked me whether he could relate this testimony to his congregation in the east. Of course, I agreed.
Tom spent the last 25 years of his life in service at The Mustard Seed in Victoria. People loved him so much that he could scarcely walk more than a few steps without somebody approaching him and hugging him. Please look at this short 4½ minute video of his retirement from Mustard Seed:
youtube.com/watch?v=U360Bdb78Ok
And an earlier one:
youtube.com/watch?v=GUFzjbPlfUI
Tom died last June at the age of 89.