(Door, in Jerusalem)
Some progressive Christians argue that humanity has never been separated from God. If that were true, then our sin has not separated us from God. The implication of this is universalism; viz., the idea that all persons are saved. (See my book Deconstructing Progressive Christianity, ch. 8.)
This reasoning eliminates the idea that Christ died an atoning death to forgive the sin that has separated us from God.
The problem with this "progressive" thinking is that it's not what the Bible teaches.
For example, Romans 4:25 states that Christ “was put to death for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” By Jesus' atoning, sacrificial death, we can be reconciled to God. William Lane Craig writes,
"Reconciliation is the overarching theme of the NT, and other important NT motifs such as the Kingdom of God, salvation, justification, and redemption are subservient to it. Atonement in this sense thus lies at the heart of the Christian faith." (Craig, The Atonement, p. 4)
