The Christian answer begins by saying that man is a moral creature made in the image of the Creator; that there is a law in the universe which, if broken, means that man is culpable. In this view, man is morally significant both as far as God is concerned and as far as his fellowmen are concerned.  

The modern non-Christian answer denies the legitimacy of moral absolutes, refuses to make any kind of final moral comment on man’s actions, and thus reduces cruel and non-cruel acts to the same level. With this answer not only is the concept of sin reduced to less than the biblical concept, but man is reduced to less than the biblical concept of guilty man. If the modern explanation is accepted, then there ceases to be an answer to man’s dilemma — man is as he was in the beginning and ever will be. 

With the moral (in contrast to the metaphysical) explanation of man’s position in the universe and his consequent dilemma following the Fall, there is a possible solution. If there is true moral guilt in the presence of a personal God (rather than a metaphysical intrinsic situation of what is and always has been), then perhaps there will be a solution from God’s side.  

And God says to man that there is a solution. That solution rests upon God saying that He is holy and He is love, and in His love He has loved the world, and He sent His Son. Now in history, there on Calvary’s cross, in space and time, Jesus died. And we should never speak of Jesus’ death without linking it to His person. This is the eternal Second Person of the Trinity. When He died, with the division that man has caused by his revolt now carried up into the Trinity itself, there in expiation, in propitiation and substitution, the true moral guilt is met by the infinite value of Jesus’ death. Thus, Jesus says: “It is finished.” 

Thoughts developed and/or taken from the works of Dr. Francis A. Schaeffer, Trilogy – The God Who Is There