Tag: forgiveness

God can forgive your sin

The Bible is a very realistic book. It does not hesitate to recount the sexual failures of some of its main characters – to make us realise two essential truths. One, that in even the best of men there is sin (the sole exception is Jesus). And two, the worst sinners may be redeemed.

Take King David for an example. He was called “a man after God’s own heart”, he penned a number of Psalms that are in the Bible, many of which express his devotion to God and trust in the Lord. But when he was tempted, seeing Bathsheba bathing, he was overcome with lust and committed adultery with her. Then, in a vain effort to cover us his sin, he brought about the death of Bathsheba’s husband, and then married her.

When the Bible records such events, it never encourages such behaviour, of course. The reader is to learn from the bad examples in the Bible as well as from the good: to imitate the good, not the bad!

Indeed, the Bible recounts how a prophet came to rebuke David for his sin, and two of David’s psalms (numbers 51 and 32) give deep emotional expression to his most earnest contrition, his search for forgiveness, his prayer of repentance, and the ultimate joy of knowing God had forgiven him. 

The Bible constantly maintains that double message: first, we are all sinners in need of forgiveness, whether our sin is desperately wicked or relatively respectable; and second, our sin can be forgiven however awful it may be.

We need both those messages. To ignore how sinful we are leads us into pride and self-deception and we fail to realise our need of God’s forgiveness. To ignore the grace of God that saved even a wretch like the slave-trader John Newton (who wrote the hymn “Amazing grace”) is to cut yourself off from the hope of a conscience finally cleansed of all guilt and at peace with oneself and (more importantly) with God.

So the Bible abounds with God’s offer of forgiveness and salvation, and as we all fall short of the good life we should lead, we all need God’s forgiveness. Furthermore, no-one else can grant us that forgiveness; but God can and he wants to forgive you. In fact he wants so much to forgive you that he sent his Son to bear your sins and “pay” for them when he died on the cross, so that if you accept his offer of forgiveness you won’t have to pay for them in all eternity – yes, in hell. 

So listen to God’s words: “Seek the Lord while he may be found… Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55.6-7). What an invitation!

“Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity? …He delights in showing mercy. He will have compassion on us… You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7.18-19).

“In Christ we have redemption through his blood (shed on the cross), that is, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1.7).

“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow” (Isaiah 1.18).

“Repent therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out” (Acts 3.19).

If you turn from sin in your life – whatever you may be conscious of, and call on the name of Jesus, he will forgive you.

Clive Every-Clayton

0

Relationship with God?

Where can we find the perfect partner who will love us constantly with perfect love? Only in the God of love who made us. His creative design for humans is that we find fulfilment – whatever may be our principal activities – only when we are in harmony with him. 

The great tragedy of world history was when sin made its entry into the human race – as is depicted in Genesis chapters 2 and 3. The first couple rejected God’s order – thinking they could better judge what is right and wrong. (That same mentality reigns in many today who set aside God’s infinitely wise guidelines – his commandments – and try out some new man-made ethics). 

With the arrival of sin twisting the hearts and perverting the actions of the first couple, their marital harmony was damaged, and this continued down the generations to our day. Hence any life-partner that a man or a woman might find, turns out to be vitiated by an indwelling tendency to selfishness rather than love, to rebellion rather than union, to pride and anger rather than sweetness of temper. Such unloving traits render marital bliss a great challenge to accomplish – though mercifully, by learning to overcome one’s selfishness and to forgive one’s partner’s failures, it is possible for reasonably happy families to exist!

Human hearts nevertheless often suffer from the lack of that steadfast love which ministers to our inner hunger of soul. People still long for a deep and enduring harmonious relationship and can spend their lives unsuccessfully trying to find the perfect partner. Of course the children from such broken relationships begin their lives with a kind of handicap in the area of love and trust. To prevent such harm is one of the reasons why God is against adultery. God is also against adultery because unfaithful lovers do not reflect as they should the loving harmony of God’s own Trinitarian relationship. We were made in his image so as to show forth his divine kind of love, and our inability to do so grieves God, brings distress to ourselves, and trouble to our nearest and dearest. 

In the midst of our depressing failure, however, there is a gleam of hope, for true fulfilment of our passion for love can come when we know in our experience that God loves us very, very much.

Ultimately, the only truly satisfying relationship of love is for us to be in a harmonious relationship with God (as Adam and Eve were in Paradise before sin interrupted their blessedness). We can turn to God and find in him the forgiveness of our failures and an assurance of his eternal love as we enter into spiritual union with Christ. This is the essence of what Christians call salvation from sin: to be loved despite our wretchedness and to be assured of God’s full forgiveness. That is the relationship we were made for. It alone provides true human fulfilment. 

So how can a person get that? What we have to do is, first of all, realise how much our sin is serious before God; we really have no idea – that’s why we need the Bible to enlighten us. Then we need to realise how great the love of Jesus, God’s Son, was, in coming into our sinful world to seek and save us from all the pains that sin has brought on us. Then we need to open our hearts to Him, inviting him to wash us clean, be our dearest friend and helper, and confirm his love to us. He promises to do just that!

Clive Every-Clayton

0

Jesus’ comments on Christmas

Jesus didn’t actually refer to his birthday, but he did make several comments on why he was born. Let’s look at them.

“For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world – to bear witness to the truth” (John 18.37). Here was a man who knew his purpose in life! And he knew “the truth”. This statement of Jesus is as vital as it is radical. Don’t we need to know the truth? Isn’t God the only One who knows the truth and the true answers to our existential questions? Jesus was born into the world to make that truth accessible. 

“I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness” (John 12.46). Jesus sees the world of human being enshrouded in the darkness of sin and ignorance, needing light from beyond this world – divine light. He also said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life” (John 8.12). I wonder if you are “walking in darkness”; here is hope for you.

“I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me” (John 6.38). Jesus saw his primary aim in life was to obey His Father’s will and fulfil the plan for which he was sent. He lived and died in complete accord with the will of God his Father: “I seek not my own will, but the will of him who sent me” (John 5.30).

He said he “came to seek and save the lost” (Luke 19.10). The New Testament explains: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1.15). Jesus taught that we are lost when we are far from God, indifferent to his love, living in disobedience to his will, and careless of loving and pleasing him. Multitudes living like that are lost, they have no idea where they are going, but they are on their way to a lost eternity. Jesus came to seek such people, and to save them both from a life of sin and from an eternity in hell. 

He explained how he would do this, when he said he had come “not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10.45). It’s as if lost sinners are held captive to evil habits and evil powers, subject to righteous judgment. A ransom price would “redeem” or deliver them; that price was Jesus’ own death. Sinless himself, he chose to bear our penalty on the cross, dying to redeem us. Such is his compassion for us in our bondage and our lost state.

 “I have come in my Father’s name” he declared, often alluding to “the Father who sent me” (John 5.43, 36, 37). He so represents God his Father that he says, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. And whoever sees me sees him who sent me” (John 12.44-45). 

Jesus sums up the ultimate aim of his coming: “I came that they might have life and have it abundantly” (John 10.10). His coming was in order to give abundant life (“eternal life” – true human fulfilment) to people who trust in him. God loved us so much “that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3.16)

That’s why Jesus came at that first Christmas. We all need him.

Clive Every-Clayton

0

Christmas – why all the fuss?

As Christmas approaches it seems that multitudes are on a spending spree: presents, Christmas trees, food and wine, cakes and puddings, turkeys and trimmings… So many people seem to be looking forward to a great family get-together and such joyous festivities should certainly not be disparaged. However, Christmas is not “all about” these things. Christmas certainly has its reasons for festive celebration but we need to remember exactly what Christmas really is “all about”.

While many Xmas cards wish us “Happy Holidays”, they seem to totally overlook the real meaning of Christmas. What is Christmas all about? It is the enthusiastic and wondering commemoration of the greatest event that has ever taken place since the original “Big Bang”! For that little baby boy, wrapped in cloths and laid in a manger, was none other than a totally unique incarnation of the one and only Creator God. The infinite Deity was clothed with human flesh, lying there helpless, totally dependent on his mother’s care. What wondrous lowliness in the majestic Lord of all!

This baby was Jesus: at Christmas we celebrate the beginning of the life-history of the greatest human being who ever lived – the one whose coming made a more beneficial impact on the history of the world than any number of other people.

This baby was conceived by a miracle: a work of God accomplished his unique conception without the sexual union of two parents. The young mother-to-be, Mary, received the divine message that she would become pregnant with a son who “will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High”; he would “reign on the throne of his ancestor David”, as a king “whose kingdom shall have no end”. On hearing that announcement Mary was baffled and astonished, asking: “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1.31-35)

The answer given to her by the heavenly messenger foretold the miraculous intervention of God’s Holy Spirit so that “the child that will be born will be called holy – the Son of God”.

In other words, here, on this unique occasion, the Son of God who was with the Father in eternity, was now clothed with human flesh, a historic human being, subject to the limitations of time and space. He was to grow up in the home of Joseph and Mary until the day when he was to be revealed to Israel and to begin his public ministry of teaching and working miracles, curing the sick and even raising the dead on three occasions. 

Joseph, who was pledged to be married to Mary, also received a divine communication: “the Lord appeared to him in a dream” saying that this unique baby conceived in her is “from the Holy Spirit… You shall call his name Jesus” he was told, “for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1.20-21).

This is what we celebrate. The world needed a Saviour and, very humbly, in the town of Bethlehem, about 2,028 years ago, the Saviour of the World was born.

Many great Christmas carols celebrate the big event: “He came down to earth from heaven, who is God and Lord of all”; yet “how silently, how silently the wondrous gift was given!” “Veiled in flesh the Godhead see: hail the incarnate deity! Pleased as man with man to dwell, Jesus our Emmanuel” – which means, “God with us”. God came into the world, demonstrating that he exists! He came to save us from our sins.

That is what Christmas is all about.

Clive Every-Clayton

0

Ultimate human fulfilment

The fullness of human happiness – or blessedness, which means the same – is to be found only in a harmonious relationship with the Creator God and Saviour, who loves us with infinite tenderness, warmth, compassion, and wisdom. If you’re looking for an authentic answer to our human predicament – be forgiven and get into that relationship. That is to “know God”, which is how Jesus defines “eternal life” (John 17.3). It means hearing Jesus’ call to repent, deny our selfishness, and commit to following him. Having taught his disciples for three years, Jesus said to them, “If you know these things, happy/blessed are you if you do them” (John 13.17). The obedient disciple is the fulfilled human being; the holier you are, the happier you are.

As Jesus began to delight his hearers with his passionate proclamations, from the very start in his famous Sermon on the Mount (found in Matthew’s Gospel chapters 5 to 7), he cried out, “Blessed are those who…” followed by virtues to acquire. By these beatitudes which include being “pure in heart”, and “hungering and thirsting after righteousness”, he was indicating the way to true happiness. The word Jesus used in the Greek original for “blessed” means “most fortunate” – but not just because of good fortune or luck. Rather, this is the greatest human fulfilment that God himself grants to those who come into that intimate personal relationship with him, where we receive and follow his wisdom, spurn the sins that he hates, entrust our whole lives into his loving hands, share our joys, our sorrows and our worries with him, and seek to please him in all that we do. 

I can say that this is no mere theory; I have lived this way as best I could from my youth, and can testify that in the good days as in the bad days (like when I had cancer, when my daughter was long in hospital, and when my wife died) God’s goodness and love upheld me.

True, at the beginning I struggled to yield all of my life without reserve to do the will of God, because I thought my way was best; but the day I did surrender was one of the happiest days of my life. If you’re afraid of totally submitting your will to the will of God, so was I. What helped me was to realise just how much God’s love, shown in the total self-dedication of Christ on the cross, dying to save me from hell, was the same attitude of love God has to me all the time. And it is from that kind and loving heart that my Lord and Saviour in his wisdom would choose what he considered would be the very best path for me. So I trusted him, and gave him my all, without reserve, and have kept that attitude all my life.

My recent blog posts have spoken about heaven. Why is heaven a place of supreme happiness and blessedness? Because the will of God is done perfectly there! Jesus indicated this when he taught us to pray, “Father… your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. On earth, we see a lot of terrible things that sin and wickedness do, and that God allows, as he respects our freedom. The prayer asks God to prevent the worst and instead see his holy will accomplished, “as it is done in heaven”. In heaven there will be no sin or evil, that’s why it is a place of supreme happiness.  

Will you be there? 

Clive Every-Clayton

0

God calls people

When God comes to call us, he doesn’t softly say, “Do you mind if…? Rather, he comes as the sovereign Lord that he is, rightful supreme master of the universe with all the weight of his glory… yet, for all his rightful power, he does come asking a question. This is specially his approach when he comes to a person who has sinned: “Adam, where are you? … Have you eaten of the forbidden fruit?” (Genesis 3.9-11). God doesn’t ask such questions to get information, of course. Rather it is his way of gently inviting a response of humble admission of sin.

When a woman taken in the very act of adultery was dragged by the Jews before Jesus, he first deals with the accusers, and when they leave, duly humbled, his first words to her are, “Woman, where are they? Has no-one condemned you?” Then he sets her free: “neither do I condemn you” (John 8.3-11).

When God “arrested” the fiery aggressive persecutor Saul of Tarsus on the Damascus road, yet again he asks a question: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 9.4).

Isn’t that astonishing? How would you expect God would come and speak to you? You may be afraid of his almighty judgment; you may expect him to come down on you like a ton of bricks and condemn your moral failings. But no: he would ask you a question. Like: “How are you doing?” If God asked you that, it would make you think, wouldn’t it? Well, how are you behaving? Do you need God’s forgiveness? Would you like God to wipe away those things you have on your conscience from the inglorious days of your past?

Jesus actually asked people, “What would you like me to do for you?” So maybe God would ask, “Would you like the forgiveness, the peace, and the joy that I would like to give you?” Or again, “Are you finding life tough going?” Or, “would you like to know the way to real human fulfilment?”

After giving us pause for thought by posing questions like those that make us conscious of our need of God’s mercy, then he would come with his imperious advice – which is more of a command than a suggestion!

Maybe God is coming to you right now, saying: “The time is ripe: mercy is available. I love you in spite of how you have behaved: turn right around, ‘come to me and I will give you rest’ (Matthew 11.28) – the inner rest and peace you’ve always longed for. You’ve been looking in the wrong place. I will welcome you if you repent and turn to me. I will make you anew”.

Clive Every-Clayton

0

What is faith?

Faith is essentially very simple, though it is deeply profound. We all have faith in people every day – we have faith in the bus driver, in our teacher, in our doctor, in the lady down the road who passes on the latest gossip, though we may sometimes doubt her.

The young couple about to get married have faith in the love and faithfulness of each other, so they make their commitment “until God shall separate them by death”. 

The scientist has faith that the world runs – and will continue to run – according to consistent order; he has faith in the scientific research papers he reads, without knowing how truthful the academic who wrote them really is.

Even the atheist has faith in his ideas – for his atheism is a “faith system” according to one-time atheist Alister McGrath.

Whatever religion people may have, they have faith in it. The question is: is that faith well placed? How do they know that what is proposed is reliably true? People who always ask that question can end up totally sceptical, because it is not easy to find a basis for our trust that is 100% watertight. In fact, the only basis that qualifies for that degree of truth would be a God of absolute truth.

I have set forth that basis as we looked at Jesus, who affirmed, “I am the truth” (John 14.6) and that he “came down from heaven” to “teach just what God the Father had taught” him to say; so “whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say,” and his “word is truth” (see John 6.38; 8.28 and 40; 12.50; 17.17).

As we listen carefully to Jesus’ words, and consider the purity of his life and the wisdom of his teaching, we are led to believe that he could indeed be the unique incarnation of God and the Saviour of the world. As we consider what he taught about salvation and forgiveness through his death for us, and examine the evidence for his resurrection from the dead, we are logically led to the conclusion that he must indeed be who he said he was. This is the first step of faith.

On that basis, we must go further, because real faith goes beyond simple belief in facts; it must lead us to trust. Faith as trust is essential in every human relationship, and so it is in our relationship with God. When Jesus calls people to follow him, he makes promises, and invites us to trust him to fulfil them. His promises are recorded in the Gospels and are open to “whoever believes in him” (John 3.16). 

Even if we’re not fully convinced that he came from God, as we pay attention to his words, faith and trust grow in our hearts. Jesus promises rest of soul, spiritual new birth, forgiveness of sins, abundant life and eternal life – the full, true meaningful life we deeply long for. All this and more is included in the restoring of a harmonious loving relationship between the forgiven sinner and God our gracious Saviour. This is – I keep repeating – the human fulfilment in life that we were created for, and we come to experience it as our faith expresses itself in trust.  In a prayer of commitment, we receive Jesus as our Saviour, to forgive our sins; we acknowledge him as our Master whose teaching we will believe and follow, and we commit ourselves to him as our Lord whom we will learn to love obey from now on.

Have you expressed your faith in that kind of prayer? 

Clive Every-Clayton

0

God’s radical, total forgiveness

In one of his stories – that we call parables – Jesus used a powerful word to speak of God’s forgiveness. In the temple, a self-righteous worshipper was praying, thanking God as he enumerated the good things he did, comparing himself favourably with those he considered worse than himself. In a corner of the same temple, a broken-hearted outsider beat his breast as he pleaded with God for mercy for his sinful behaviour. This second man, said Jesus, was heard rather than the proud religionist, and he returned home “justified” (Luke 18.9-14).

To be “justified” is to be more than merely forgiven. It means he obtained the status of a man right with God, considered righteous in God’s eyes so as to be accepted as guiltless in the final judgment. This is God’s radical, total forgiveness and it assures the penitent that he has “no condemnation” to fear on the Day of Judgment.

In 1517 AD, Martin Luther hit on this glorious revelation, famously revalorising how God justifies sinners. In his day, religion taught that you had to earn your way to heaven. He had tried his best to do that but ended in despair because sin was deep in his psyche, even as a religious monk. Then he discovered in the New Testament that God was so kind and gracious that he promised to “justify” the sinner who turned away from all wrong and trusted Christ, the Saviour of sinners, to forgive him totally. Luther had grasped the biblical revelation that we are “justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law” (Romans 3.28). By a radical faith commitment, a person could be totally forgiven and made clean in God’s sight. And this was possible only because Jesus, on the cross, had borne the sinners’ punishment in our place, out of love for us. This work of atonement satisfied the demands of Justice, allowing the righteous Father to grant full and free forgiveness to those who came to trust in Jesus as Lord and Saviour.

That radical faith commitment is referred to in the Bible as “conversion”, or being “called” by God, or also being “born again”. It is a double decision: first, to abandon all evil conduct, turning away from all that God calls sin so as to start a new life in obedience to God. Secondly, to ask the Lord Jesus Christ, in faith, both to forgive and to clean up one’s life and to enter in, to dwell within, by his Holy Spirit, to enable that radical transformation to take place.

Now this step of commitment is how a person enters into the harmonious relationship with God, for the Father gladly accepts the repentant sinner and grants both his full forgiveness and the status of being justified.

Those who make that commitment can affirm with Luther and the apostle Paul: “We have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the Law” (Galatians 2.16). And “being justified by faith, we have peace with God by our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5.1).

Clive Every-Clayton

0

True abundant life

I have sought to show that in Jesus, God has revealed himself and has given us truth so we can obtain authentic answers to our deep existential questions. Our Creator knows perfectly what it takes for us, his human creatures to enjoy the abundant life he made us for, and he has spoken to the world by sending his Son from Heaven. Jesus’ life, teachings, death, and resurrection are so uniquely true that on that basis we can listen to him and trust the wisdom he brought us.

In fact Jesus himself made it plain: “I am come so that people may have life,” he explained, “and have it abundantly” (John 10.10). This abundant life we can enjoy here and now, even though Jesus also calls it “eternal life” because its pure happiness continues after death into eternity.

Jesus clarifies what the essence of this eternal life really is. When he prays to his Father, he says: “this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you sent” (John 17.3). As I have already shown in earlier posts, the real purpose of our human existence is to enjoy a positive, good, harmonious relationship with the God who loves us very much. That is what Jesus means when he speaks of knowing God – not just understanding theological truth, but being in a relationship with God, receiving his love and responding with gratitude. This is the true “Good Life”, the way to real happiness independent of circumstances. The day before he died, Jesus said to those whom he had trained, “if you know these things, you are happy if you put them into practice” (John 13.17). That’s the happiness I want for you.

God’s wisdom marks out the best way for human fulfilment. Our folly is that we follow other ways that in our blindness we think will bring us satisfaction: we are indifferent to God, or we misconceive of him; we ignore or spurn his word, we disobey his will, we live an anti-God lifestyle. Yet God kindly persists in seeking us. This revelation of a God who lovingly comes seeking sinners to draw them into his friendship is unique to Christianity. Jesus likened God to a shepherd who goes out to look for his lost sheep, finds it, and brings it home rejoicing (Luke 15.1-7).

As God seeks to bring us into the pure joy of being in a harmonious relationship with himself, he knows that our first need is to be forgiven. He has therefore taken the initiative, sending his Son on a Love Mission, so that by giving his life on the Cross our sins are “paid for” by our Saviour. This opens up the way for God to receive all sinners who turn to him, asking his forgiveness.

So now it is up to each one of us to respond to his generous kindness. God is not far away; he is knocking on your door. You need to hear his voice, calling you to turn to him. You can “hear” him as you read his life and words in the Gospels and then, he promises, “you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8.31-32). 

The truth of the Gospels is what we can believe. Jesus said, “whoever hears my word and believes in him who sent me has eternal life” (John 5.25).”This is the will of my Father, that whoever sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life” (John 6.40). 

And “whoever” includes you! 

Clive Every-Clayton

0

Mission accomplished

When Jesus was dying on the cross, two “famous last words” with deep, but obscure meaning.

The first is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15.34). To understand this properly we need to know that it is actually a quotation from the first verse of the prophetic Psalm 22, in which the sufferings of the Messiah are predicted. Centuries before crucifixion was invented, this psalm made the astonishing prophetic statement, “they have pierced my hands and my feet” (v16). 

One may then ask: did the Father abandon his obedient Son on the cross? It is of the essence of hell to be forsaken by God, excluded from the warm experience of his loving presence. Is that what Jesus felt on the cross?

His cry of dereliction came when “he bore our sins in his body” on the cross (1 Peter 2.24), accomplishing the atoning sacrifice necessary so that God’s forgiveness could be granted freely and in accordance with absolute justice. Jesus’ cry expresses the Saviour’s anguish as he voluntarily took on himself, out of love for us, the full weight of the hell that we deserve for our transgressions, so as to save us from it.

The eternal punishment of hell that sinful humans incur was condensed on the infinite, divine Son of God – and that provoked his anguished cry. His supreme sacrifice, endured out of compassion for lost humanity, was the way of granting salvation to the likes of me and you. This was the greatest act of love in all the history of the world!

The second mysterious cry was Jesus’ last: “It is finished!” (John 19.30). This also was not a shout of despair but a victorious cry of accomplishment. Jesus had previously affirmed that his aim was “to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work” (John 4.34). It was his saving work that needed to be “finished”. In John 17.4, he prayed in anticipation on the eve of his death, “Father… I have finished the work that you gave me to do”. Finally, having made the perfect and unique atonement by giving his life “as a ransom for all” (Mark 10.45), shedding his blood “for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26.28), he spent his last breath proclaiming that his mission was accomplished.

So Jesus died, “the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3.18). He was “the Lamb of God” introduced by John the Baptist, “who takes away the sin of the world” (John1.29).  He was the perfect human fulfilment of the Old Testament animal sacrifices offered previously which were never effective, but rather prophetically didactic, looking forward to the coming of Christ who “was sacrificed once to bear the sins of many people” (Hebrews 9.28). Now no more is needed. “All is finished”.

We owe our salvation to Jesus: he was the only sinless person who could offer his life in the place of sinners. As the divine Son of God, his human sacrifice had value far beyond that of a mere man dying in the place of another. His death had infinite value to atone for the sins of a vast multitude.

As his mission and sacrifice have been so perfectly accomplished at the cross, God, on that basis, offers full and free forgiveness, by grace, to all who repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Clive Every-Clayton

0

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑