Explaining Forgiveness

Hebrews 9:11-22

12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.

13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean.

14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

16 In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it,

17 because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living.

18 This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood.

19 When Moses had proclaimed every commandment of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people.

20 He said, "This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep."

21 In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies.

22 In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

How Christ Saved Us from Sin. Explaining Forgiveness.

If you are a Christian you may already understand words like "saved" or "salvation." But, if not I hope today's passage and commentary will help you to relate to what these words can mean in your life.

 

In dictionary terms here are two definitions I found:

 

Saved - to keep from being lost: to save the game.

 

Salvation (there is a theological reference here): deliverance from the power and penalty of sin; redemption

 

Both of these meanings can apply to what is presented here about obtaining salvation.

 

How do we receive salvation?

 

Christ is the solution because He is ...

 

1. The perfect son of God, He never did anything wrong

 

2. He willingly took our punishment for our sins

 

3. He gave his blood by dying on the cross for you and me (The shedding of blood)

 

4. He died but He didn't stay dead. He came alive again on the third day.

 

5. He now lives in Heaven with his Father

 

And now because of what the Lord Jesus did for you and me, we can have our sins forgiven and receive the gift of everlasting life.

 

Why Blood?

Why does forgiveness require the shedding of blood? This is not because God enjoys seeing bloodshed, as some have suggested. Blood is life. Jesus shed his blood and gave his life for our sins so that we wouldn't have to experience spiritual death - eternal separation from God.

Christ is the very source of life, not death. He gave his own life to pay our penalty for us so that we might live forever with God. After shedding his blood for us, Christ rose from the grave and achieved an everlasting victory over sin and death.

The Battle Between Good and Evil

Because of the bloodshed of Jesus, the war with evil is already won. No matter what happens on earth from now until the time Christ returns, the outcome will be the same. God will prevail.

I know this is a lot to take in but just consider that the shedding of blood by Christ insures that our sins are forgiven. All we have to do is admit that we have sinned, then believe and accept Jesus. He is waiting.

God will continue to wait but there will come a time when it's too late. We are not promised tomorrow on this earth. We can die within the next few minutes or live another 50 years. With that said, when do you feel would be a good time to take the first step and accept Christ as your savior?

Love in Christ

- Bob