Young is presenting the idea that the Father died on the cross with the Son and that they bear the marks of the cross to this day. p 95-95, 164 This is heresy.
“When we three spoke ourself into human existence as the Son of God, we became fully human. We also chose to embrace all the limitations that this entailed ...flesh and blood.” p 99
To include the Father and the Holy Spirit in the humanity of the Son confuses the nature of the persons of the Tri-unity and their function to no end. The book teaches that all the members of the Trinity took human form at the incarnation, and this introduces a form of the ancient heresy of Patripassianism (the Father suffering,) the belief that God the Father became incarnate and suffered on the cross as the Son. Saying that the Father's "scars (are) now clearly visible on his wrists” is heresy.
Mack: “At the cross? Now wait, I thought you left him―you know―‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’”
Papa answers: “You misunderstand that mystery there. Regardless of what he felt at that moment, I never left him” p 96
Point 1:
The fact that the Father DID leave Jesus when he hung on that cross, is a central and necessary element in the atoning work of Christ. Christ took the judgment of OUR sins on that cross, and the judgment on sin is separation from God. Jesus WAS separated from God, and the atonement is not complete without that element.
Point 2:
"Regardless of what he felt..." indicates that the Son of God could be wrong. No, the Scripture is correct and the Son of God was VERY aware that he was separated from the Father.
In taking the position that the Father died on the cross and suggesting that the Father did not turn away from Jesus on the cross when the sins of the world were put on him, but physically participated in it, is heresy.
In other words he is introducing a challenge to historic Christianity.
When Mack asks what Jesus accomplished by dying he is told:
"Through his death and resurrection, I am now fully reconciled to the world.”
The Shack's "god" explains that he is reconciled to “the whole world,” not just to the believer. p 192
The Bible teaches that the world is offered reconciliation to God, not the other way around, and this is no small difference. It must be taken by the faith of each individual or it is does not occur.
"He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."
John 3:18
"Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God."
2nd Corinthians 5:20
2nd Corinthians 5:20
“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”
James 4:4
James 4:4
The world is NOT reconciled. The reconciliation takes place in a personal act of faith in the atoning death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.