February 10, 2009

Christ's Victory Cry, "It Is Finished!"

Hebrews 10:12-18 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,
"This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more." Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

Christ died, rose from the dead and ascended to the right hand of the father where he maintains an expectation that his enemies will be his footstool. This heavenly sacrificial transaction, unlike the earthly transaction, was an eternal once for all event.

Unlike the earthly sacrifice it was offered often. But Christ's offering was a once for all sacrifice not to be repeated. This means that the Lord's supper is to be an ordinance of remembrance not a transubstantiation of the elements into the body and blood of Christ. The symbol of the empty cross represents a once for all sacrifice for sins. The worshipping of a crucifix from which a suffering Christ hangs is unbiblical. The confessional booth from which sins are confessed to a priest is unbiblical. It all nullifies the wording of the New Testament book of Hebrews.

The sin of Adam and Eve is forgotten. There is no quilt for their sin and the errors of the saints are to be confessed personally to the heavenly high priest, Christ our advocate. We have the calm assurance of ready grace and cleansing from heaven.

Catholics are not the only abusers of Christ's sacrifice. Evangelicals demand the sinner to repent. This is something that the sinner can't and won't do anyway. But to go ahead and urge repentance is a judgement imposed by the saint upon the sinner. We are told specifically not to be a judge following our Savior who came not to condemn but to save. When we bring up the sin of the sinner we are requiring a re-cucifixion of Christ and that means the sinner has to confess his sin in order to obtain salvation. This then is Pelagian and Arminian evangelism far more deceptive than Roman Catholicism! It is salvation by works! It is cooperative salvation by the confessing sinner and the coerced Savior. The Holy Spirit has to acknowledge the confession, Christ has to die again for the sinner's sin and the Father bows to the will of man. This is a humiliation to God and yet in His loving kindness and patience sinners are saved. Someday someone will pay dearly for this evangelical disgrace.

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