That is difficult, because there is so much evidence that convinced me, but were I to pick one thing it would be the Writings of Baha'u'llah, which can be found in the Bahai Reference Library:
The Works of Bahá'u'lláh
Where you brought up in the Baha'i faith or were you a convert? I have been assuming you were a convert. I need to start with one piece of evidence at a time. As a Christian I hold to the gospel of Christ as true. As a Baptist I hold to the Christian New Testament as the sole Apostolic authority - so by default rejecting the claims of the Baha'i scriptures. I need steppiing stones, so to speak, some kind of evidence to change may mind, or at the very least to understand why you cannot change yours. Some sarting evidence, one piece at a time.
Now I understand what you mean, I was just hung up on the words "substitutionary atonement." Basically it just mean Christ died for us, so we could have eternal life, and I agree with that.
That sounds good.
In order to fully understand what Baha'is believe about the significance of Christ's sacrifice you would have to read this chapter:
29: EXPLANATION OF VERSE TWENTY-TWO, CHAPTER FIFTEEN, OF THE FIRST EPISTLE OF ST. PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS
Below is an excerpt from that chapter . . .
If I understand that to contradict the Apostolic authority how am I to accept what I think is not true?
"But Christ, Who is the Word of God, sacrificed Himself. This has two meanings, an apparent and an esoteric meaning. . . .
Right here are two problems. First Jesus Christ as the Word "was God," John 1:1. That He as the Word is the uncaused Cause on behalf of the Father, John 1:2-3 and Colossians 1:15-18, Ephesians 3:9, ". . . the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: . . ." That mystery is that non-Jews can share in the New Covenant, Epehsians 2:12, Ephesians 3:3-6, ". . . That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: . . ."
This is not, I am sure the same "esoteric meaning" which you refer to.
Please note, so it is my understanding, Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin
is death; but the gift of God
is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." So no amount of good deeds satisfies "death for sin." Ezekiel 18:4, ". . . the soul that sinneth, it shall die." That is why forgiveness can only be a gift. And God in His justice made His Son that death for us, Just for ref, Romans 3:26, Romans 5:8, 2 Corinthians 5:21, 2 Corinthians 5:10-11, Revelation 20:11-15, 1 John 5:4-5, Revelation 3:5, John 3:3. 1 John 5:9-13. 2 John 1:9. Of course if the bodily resurrecion of Christ is not true then 1 Timothty 2:5 would not be true either and all would have no basis to believe in any of that, in that case, then the so called holy writings. The New Testament documents are the evidence of the bodily resurrection along with the new birth, Romans 8:16, 2 Corinthians 5:17.