1015. Will Your Dedication Be Enough? The Limitations of Legalism

Did Jesus really take away sins for all time? Was the blood He shed enough to complete what was necessary for eternal redemption or do you need to work at adding something to what He has done? How can you be sure your efforts of "doing" will bring justification without judgement?

Many church goers have struggled with thinking the gospel revolves around right doing while going through life being needlessly worried about whether they are truly forgiven and in right standing with God. It's tricky because even the most aggressive of legalists can bait the top of the eye-pleasing dessert with some grace-like sugar sprinkled over a religious hook underneath.

When it comes to us and our good or bad actions within the eternal life package, how much "doing" will be enough? How does that mesh with the blood of Jesus from the perspective of a new and better covenant? The good news is ... God's grace has no limitations.



   
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845. Jesus Put Away Sin Once for All

The book of Hebrews explains how Jesus put sin away by the sacrifice of Himself. He accomplished something the blood of animals could never do in the first covenant and even before that—sins were taken away, once for all. Let’s think this through. When did this happen? And prior to the cross, how many sins had you committed? Did Jesus only remove the sins of the world up to the moment He died? If so, Hebrews 9 explains that this would mean He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world. Jesus isn’t shedding any more blood, and this is great news for us.

   
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786. Christmas: Just Exactly What Are We Celebrating?

The birth of Jesus is perhaps the most celebrated event in the history of the world. When we think of the Christmas holiday, we probably picture the baby Jesus and a manger scene with angels communicating with shepherds. And yet the birth would mean nothing without the death that would occur a few decades later. Jesus was born at a time when the Mosaic law and Old Covenant with Israel was still in place. It would be with His death and the shedding of blood that would bring a better covenant to replace the first one … for all of mankind.

The real celebration with God entering the world as a human is that He would do a work resulting in justification, forgiveness, redemption, righteousness and so much more—which He extended through perfect love by grace. This is why believers have peace with God. The Savior brought faith and life—and it’s much more excellent than a religious system of works which falls short. When it comes to your celebration this year, don’t keep hanging out at the manger, but remember the ultimate result of what it brought.

   
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707. Born Identity: God Remembers Sins No More

The Christian religion is often built upon the idea we should repeatedly be seeking a renewed forgiveness from God whenever we fall short.

It’s time to ask ourselves a question at it relates to the message of the gospel and the New Covenant of Jesus Christ: How can we be forgiven for something that God says He no longer remembers?



   
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706. Born Identity: Forever Forgiven - Unconditionally

How can we know for certain we’re forgiven by God? Is it based on the condition we repeatedly confess all our sins? Is it dependent on whether we forgive others or not? Water baptism?

Let’s ask a different question that contains a very significant answer: Why did our High Priest offer His blood by a sacrifice that occurred “once for all” and afterwards - He sat down? Knowing you are completely forgiven by God should never be something you have to wonder about.



   
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705. Born Identity: God’s Forgiveness Is Not Repeated

If we needed to continue seeking more forgiveness from God for every time we fell short, then the second covenant established by Jesus was a failed experiment. Repeated forgiveness is what the Jews pursued under the first covenant (before the cross).

If more forgiveness needs to be dispersed by God, then Jesus would need to keep offering Himself again and again. We have a better proclamation inside of a new and better covenant. Sins weren’t just covered; they were taken away.



   
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567. Contrasting the Priesthood of Men with Jesus Christ

Under the Old Covenant, there were many priests who would serve under the law for many years or until they died; other priests would then replace them. They offered many sacrifices for the sins of the people, as well as their own sins. But the New Covenant would usher in a different priesthood with Jesus Christ, who was perfect, holy and undefiled. He would become the one and only mediator between us and God through one sacrifice for all. When did this occur? It came after the law, when the Old Covenant would be put aside and forgiveness would last forever. The shedding of blood is no longer needed.



   

502. The Finality of Unconditional Forgiveness

Forgiveness under the Old Covenant was based upon certain conditions, which included repeated sacrifices from priests under the law which could never take away sin. This ministry provided a temporary forgiveness and covering, but sin still lingered. If forgiveness still needed to be dispensed repeatedly to us in Christ, this suggests Jesus would need to return to perform more sacrifices – over and over again – because without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

Where statements by Jesus and the Apostle Paul appear to contradict each other regarding forgiveness, they can be explained by recognizing the work of two entirely different covenants, producing very different results. The Old Covenant consisted of continual sacrifices that only provided a reminder of sins. The New Covenant consisted of one sacrifice that took away all sin.