REDEMPTION WITH BLOOD

Repentance of sins is necessary for our salvation (Acts 2:38, 3:19, 11:18, 17:30, 20:21, 26:20, Matthew 3:2, 4:17, Mark 1:5, Luke 13:3), because we are all guilty before God (Romans 3:10,23, 5:12, 1 John 1:7-10, Psalm 51:5). I quote Romans 5:12: “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned”. Other verses confirm that through Adam, sin and death came to all of us (Romans 5:19, 1 Corinthians 15:21,22). Repentance is the precise act that gives us redemption through the blood of Jesus, shed while on the cross (Colossians 1:20). Colossians 2:14 make clear that the crucifixion of Jesus was salvation completed. The sins of all men were nailed on the cross.

Colossians 2:14: “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.”

There is a claim coming from certain parts of Christianity that the Law of Moses was nailed on the cross. Our sins or trespasses were nailed on the cross, not the Law. The final phrase of Colossians 2:13 is “having forgiven you all trespasses” and then continuing in verse 14 “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross”. The ancient Greek word dogmasin is correctly translated either as ordinances or decrees, and exaleipsas is translated as blotting out. The same verb blotting out as an English translation from the original Hebrew is used twice in Psalm 51. Psalm 51:1: “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions”. Psalm 51:9: “Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities”. In both cases, our transgressions are blotted out. In Ephesians 2:15, Paul talks about the same subject using the same word dogmasin, again translated in KJV as ordinances. Ephesians 2:15: “Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace”.

First of all, there is no reference to either the words Law or Moses in the epistle of Colossians. The handwriting of ordinances is against us. The Law of Moses was not presented by God against Israel or against mankind. There is no disapproval of the Law in the Bible, even in the New Testament. Quite the opposite as several Bible verses show, the Law is a positive thing in our lives (Deuteronomy 4:6,8, 6:24,25, 10:12,13, 30:11,14 Romans 2:13,20, 7:12, 15:14, 2 Timothy 3:16, 1 John 5:2,3). We learn in these verses that the Law is holy, it is for our good and the doers of the Law will be justified.

One of the words used in the original Greek New Testament to describe sin or iniquity, is anomia. Law is nomos in Greek, and the first letter “a” means without it. The exact translation of anomia is lawlessness and the Greek word is found in several verses such as Matthew 13:41, 23:28, 24:12, Romans 6:19, 2 Corinthians 6:14, Titus 2:14, Hebrews 1:9, 1 John 3:4. In 1 John 3:4 the word anomia is mentioned twice, and sin is defined as anomia (lawlessness or, in KJV “transgression of the law“). “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” 2 Thessalonians 2:8-10 describes the “lawless (anomos) one”, the man of Satan. It would be absurd for the Law to be a bad thing and lawlessness to be a bad thing as well.

I quote in full selected verses showing that the Law is good and beneficial: Deuteronomy 10:12,13: “And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, To keep the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?” Romans 2:13: “For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.” In 1 John 5:2,3, loving God is synonymous with keeping his commandments. “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous”.

Jesus said during his ministry “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. (Matthew 5:17,18). It is clear enough. In Luke 16:17 Jesus said “And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.” Paul said in Romans 3:31: “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law”.

Now we will see what is against us and what Jesus bore for us on the cross, starting with the prophetic chapter of Isaiah 53 which is about Jesus. Isaiah 53:6,11,12: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all… He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

1 Peter 2:24: “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”

Let’s emphasize the fact that he bore our sins on a tree. The original Greek word xilon is translated as wood.

Romans 6:6: “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”

Galatians 5:24: “And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.”

Hebrews 9:28 “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”

What happened on the cross is at the center of the gospel of Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:18: “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”

1 Peter 2:24: “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”

The Lord instructs the Day of Atonement in the Old Testament, to take place once a year. The High Priest takes into the Holy of Holies the blood of a bullock and the blood of a people’s goat, to make atonement for all the sins of the children of Israel.

Leviticus 16:15-16: “Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat:

And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness.”

Leviticus 16:30,34: “For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the Lord…. And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. And he did as the Lord commanded Moses.”

There is no atonement without blood. Leviticus 17:11: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.”

Hebrews 9:22: “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.”

Jesus entered the Holy Place once and for all.

Hebrews 9:12: “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.”

Hebrews 9:24-28: “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:

Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;

For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”

The cleansing of all our sins through the blood of Jesus, is written in several verses. Hebrews 9:14, 10:29, 12:24, 13:12, 1 Peter 1:2, 1:18-19, Colossians 1:14, 1 John 1:7, Ephesians 1:7, Romans 3:24-25, 5:9, Revelation 1:5, 5:9, 7:14, 12:11.

I quote just three of them.

Colossians 1:14

“In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins”.

Ephesians 1:7

“In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.”

1 John 1:7

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

Jesus himself said: “This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.” (Luke 22:20, Matthew 26:28, 1 Corinthians 11:25).

As a result of Jesus' atonement on the cross, we have the “boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus” (Hebrews 4:16, 10:19, 1 John 3:21-22), with a clean conscience (Hebrews 10:22). We are justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law (Romans 3:20,28, Galatians 2:16, 3:11, Ephesians 2:9, 2 Timothy 1:9, Titus 3:5). Jesus bought us with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20, 7:23, Galatians 3:13,) with his own blood (Acts 20:28) to reconcile us with himself (2 Corinthians 5:18-20, Colossians 1:20,22, Romans 5:11).

I quote 2 Corinthians 5:19-22 “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”