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Don and Wendy Francisco
Heb 7:27 - "Jesus does not need daily {or annually}... to offer up sacrifices first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people,because this He did ONCE FOR ALL when He offered up Himself."
Hebrews 10:12 - "...but this man, having offered one sacrifice for sin for ALL TIME, sat down at the right hand of God."
1 Corinthians 3:11 - 15 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
The Cross covers all sins past, present, and future for those who are His.... and to be His simply requires a prayer. The greek word for "Gospel" literally means "news that is so good, it is hard to believe".
Yet, that's what Jesus asked us to do more than anything ... believe it! All through the New Testament we are told to simply believe.
Now wait a minute... does that mean you can run out and sin all you want? Well, who would want to? A true Christian will want to use his freedom for God's Kingdom, and not for sin. Sin is damaging, destructive, and really stupid.... and beyond that, in the end it will kill us.
The prodigal son went out and sinned all he wanted...and he used His Father's riches to do it. But he lost everything of true value, and before long, he realized how hurtful and empty it was. He crawled back to his father and begged to be taken in as a slave. Even then, the Father clothed Him and reinstated him as a son.
This is the heart of God. The father did not pursue the son and throw rocks of judgement against him. He did not disown him... he just waited for his son to come to his senses.
Before Jesus came, the Jews had a sacrifice for sin which showed them something wonderful which was to come. Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice.
Because we are forgiven, God can actually place His perfect Holy Spirit within us. If we were still in our sins, He would have to leap in and out of us whenever we made a mistake... about three times a minute ...maybe more! But Jesus said He never leaves us or forsakes us. God is light and there is no darkness in Him... He is incompatible with darkness and sin. That is why there had to be a sacrifice for us, so we could have a relationship with God. No human can come anywhere near being perfect enough to earn heaven.
In the Old Testament, a Jew brought an animal to the priest. The priest never examined the person...only the animal. God remembers our sin no more, it has been taken away from us as far as east is from west. When He looks at us, He sees within us His perfect Son, the Lamb of God.
There were many in Paul's time who believed that Paul was giving them freedom to sin and that's why he had to clarify, "may it never be". That is not what the Cross was for. But Paul says the strength of sin is the Law. Now we are not under Law, but grace. His grace relieves us and gives us the very strength we need to quit sinning in our flesh. It is wonderful not to be entangled with it.
The worst way to water down the Gospel is to tell people that the Cross is too weak to cover their sins. Then Christianity will immediately become a gospel of works, condemnation, pride and failure. It will be dominated by controllers and people will still be in bondage to sin. The Cross will have no effect.
The only way we can be at peace with God is to trust what Jesus did on the Cross. This amount of love and forgiveness is hard to accept... that is why the word "Gospel" means news that is so good, it is hard to accept. It is very humbling. But that is what it means to accept Jesus.... that our salvation is a gift, complete, finished...that we have died with Him already, we have risen with Him and are already citizens of Heaven, seated beside the Father in Jesus.