Select Page

A Different Gospel: Insufficient Sacrifice?

by | 1 comment

In my last post, I wrote about a popular distortion of the Gospel: Universalism. It embraces a hyper-grace—that God’s grace is so powerful, no one will be able to resist it, thus removing the possibility of refusing it. The other popular distortion is the complete opposite view of grace.

Photo by Noah Silliman

 This “gospel” is based on the idea that our perfect lifestyle must be added to Christ’s sacrifice in order to be saved. In other words, God’s grace is not enough. It is best known through the concept of “perfectionism.” The main argument for this alternate gospel is that, since no one who has sin will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, it is our responsibility to work to remove all sin from our lives before Jesus returns. Interestingly, most who subscribe to this belief do not reject the sacrifice of Jesus. It is generally agreed that Jesus paid the price for sins on the cross and provides us with salvation. However, they add, we have to work to “keep being saved.” 

Biblical Support?

Once again, there are a few texts that seem to verify this idea. In Matthew 5:48 Jesus said, “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” However, read in its context, it is clear Jesus is not calling us to personal perfection (see my post on this passage). 

Jesus also said, “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20). While it almost sounds like Jesus is challenging us to “outdo” the pharisees, why would He call attention to the works of the Pharisees when He later calls them hypocrites (see Matthew 23)? In fact, when we examine all of Jesus’ teachings concerning salvation and the Pharisee’s works, we will find that He was actually telling us to quit trying to be like them—to stop trying to earn salvation.

Furthermore, Paul appears to support this idea when he wrote, “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). However, if we continue reading, Paul adds, “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (verse 13). How can it be about our efforts to “work out our own salvation,” if it is God who is working in us to do it? Actually, Paul consistently taught that salvation is not reliant on our works (see Galatians 2:16, Ephesians 2:8, 9, and Titus 3:5).

The Error of this Distortion 

The danger of this “gospel” is that it gives the misperception that heaven will be inhabited by people who deserve to be there. While it accepts the sacrifice of Jesus, it removes the power of God’s mercy and grace. Claiming the need to perfect ourselves for salvation makes Jesus’ sacrifice grossly inefficient at best, and completely unnecessary at worst.

Once again, we have merely to go to the fall of mankind to see this teaching’s origins. When speaking with Eve, Satan not only deceived with the lie, “you will not surely die” (Genesis 3:4), but he sowed another deception with the claim, “you will be like God” (Genesis 3:5). He claimed that through their works (eating the fruit) they would become like God. In fact, through this lie, our enemy created a new goal in the minds of mankind: becoming like God. Interestingly, Satan was simply tempting us with his goal (Isaiah 14:14).

Becoming Perfect

This deception causes many to chase after personal perfection. Yet, we must not forget that if we claim to be without sin (perfect) the truth is not in us (1 John 1:8–10). Besides, if it were possible to remove the sin from our lives through our own good works, then why would we need a Savior? A Savior is necessary because our works are worthless toward salvation—they only make us more in debt. Romans 6:23 says that the wages (what we earn) from sin is death. Isaiah 64:6 says that even our righteous works (works done in a relationship with God) are “filthy rags” (literally, bloody rags—which represent death).

In addition, even if we were to become “perfect” on our own, how would we know if we had reached it? Paul, the apostle, great missionary, and a contributor of the New Testament, didn’t even claim to have reached perfection but said that he was pressing on to the finish line (Philippians 3:4–14). Again, according to Paul, it was Christ doing the work in him and He would finish it by the time He returned (Philippians 1:6). Therefore, it isn’t our duty to do the work of cleaning ourselves up, we just have to keep holding on to the One working in us! 

Truth about our Works

Don’t be deceived, our works have nothing to do with our salvation. We will be saved because we trust in God’s mercy and grace, not our personally-obtained perfection (Ephesians 2:8, 9; 2 Timothy 1:9). Of course, this doesn’t mean our works are worthless. Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). While our works cannot earn salvation, our obedience to Him expresses our love towards Him—it is our response to the wonderful gift of His grace.

Honestly, I am surprised that this concept is accepted by so many. I would have thought that “salvation is a free gift” would be more inviting. However, there are still many who feel the need to “do something.” In fact, many who adopt this belief often refer to the free gift of salvation as “cheap grace.” Our salvation is, by no means, cheap. Just because we don’t have to pay, doesn’t mean it didn’t cost anything. The price God paid was enormous—Jesus died on the cross for us. But that’s how much He loves us. It was a full payment too. And if our debt is paid, why would further payment be necessary? It’s not necessary. Praise God, He paid it all!

Revisiting Ancient Stones: The Savior

by | 0 comments

The Bible prophesies that the Messiah would come to save all of mankind from the problem of sin, but it wouldn’t be easy. One such prophecy, Isaiah 53:4–6, explains the price of our redemption: He would be pierced, crushed, and wounded. Somehow, though, the cost of our salvation has been softened and romanticized. We have forgotten the true price Jesus paid. We need to revisit one of the greatest reminders of God’s love—something that would draw more people back to God than anything else since the dawn of man.

You see, in their desperation, the leaders of Israel did not think through what they were planning. Only one thing mattered to them: that Jesus would be stopped. Jesus had become a threat to their influence. After Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, which caused many more to believe in Him, they realized that their only option to truly removing Jesus’ influence was to remove Jesus—even if it meant torturing and killing Him.

They waited patiently for their opportunity and when it came, they pounced. Using one of Jesus’ own disciples, they learned where Jesus would be (the Garden of Gethsemane), and sent soldiers to arrest Him. But Jesus didn’t resist. He allowed Himself to be taken and brought before the Sanhedrin (the Jewish judicial system).

Sadly, Jesus had no chance of a fair trial. There were many things the Sanhedrin did against their own rules, but one in particular took away any chance Jesus might have had. A conviction could only occur if they had two or three witnesses that saw the exact same thing. However, according the Bible, they couldn’t get two people to even agree on what Jesus was being accused of! The best they could do was gather three people who all mentioned Jesus saying the same thing (which was taken out of context). Yet, the witnesses accusations were not enough for a death sentence (which they desired—John 18:31), so they were forced to move Him from the church’s courts and bring Him to the Roman courts with a made-up charge of treason.

Pilate wanted nothing to do with the trial and tried passing Jesus off on Herod. Herod only wanted to see magic tricks, and when Jesus wouldn’t comply, he had Jesus humiliated and sent Him back to Pilate. While Pilate tried several times to set Jesus free, the leaders wouldn’t allow it. His punishment was even their suggestion: crucify Him. During His time in the public judicial system, He was mocked, spit on, punched, had His beard pulled out, had a crown made of thorns jammed on His head, and was brutally flogged—“He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth” (Isaiah 53:7).

The severity of the flogging would have left Jesus incredibly weak. It was in this state of pain and weakness that Jesus was forced to carry the heavy beams of the cross through the streets of Jerusalem, out through the gates, and up to the hill where the crucifixion would take place—while the people of the city watched, threw things at Him, and mocked Him. The pain became too great for Him to bear, though, and He collapsed under the weight of the cross before getting to the hill. Not wanting Jesus to die early, a man was grabbed from the crowd to carry it the rest of the way (what a life-changing even that must have been).

At the hill, they prepared Jesus for the cross. While one soldier held Him down, another soldier began to pound the nails into His hands and feet. Each time the hammer hit, it would send even more agonizing pain through His body. Once His hands and feet were securely nailed, they raised the cross in the air and dropped it into a hole that would hold it in place—the nails tearing at His hands and feet. The way that crucifixion was designed, He would have gone through more pain than you or I can even imagine. Yet, even in this pain He would say, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they’re doing” (Luke 23:34).

Sadly, His suffering didn’t end there. Of all the pain that had come before, nothing would compare to the feeling He experienced that would cause Him to cry out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken [forgotten] me?” (Mark 15:34). At this moment of great misery, He couldn’t feel the Father’s presence. Why? We learned already that our sins separate us from God—I believe it was at this moment that our sins were placed on Christ. As it says in 1 Peter 2:24, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” Yet, according to Paul, Jesus didn’t just carry our sins, He became sin (2 Corinthians 5:21). The result of Him becoming sin for us was this separation from His Father—worse than all the torture man could give Him.

Not long after, Jesus said, “It is finished. Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46; John 19:30), and breathed His last breath. He died hated and tortured by man, and separated from God—“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

You see, the nails did not hold Jesus on the cross, His love for us did. Galatians 1:4 says that Jesus gave Himself to us in order to rescue us from sin. He willingly went to the cross. He willing became sin for us. Because when He died on the cross, sin died on the cross—the penalty that our sins had required was fully paid (Romans 8:3, 4; 1 Peter 1:18–20)! Praise the Lord!

How can we forget the cost of our salvation? We forget anytime we refuse to accept His offer of salvation and attempt to create our own. Here’s the thing to remember: “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22), and “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). So death is required for the payment of sin. One way or another, your sins will be paid for—either through Christ’s sacrifice on your behalf, or by you.

If you have never accepted Christ’s sacrifice on your behalf, why wait? Accept it right now.

New Covenant, Part 3: The “New” of the New Covenant

by | 0 comments

In the first part of this study, we confirmed that there is indeed a new covenant in Jesus. In the second part, we saw some of the things that stayed the same between the old and new covenants. In this final part, we will look at what has changed and what it means for us.

It is interesting that, so far, quite a bit about the new covenant is the same as the old covenant. Not as much has changed as some have claimed. Of course, God did say He wouldn’t alter it or defile it (Psalm 89:34). However, there is one aspect of the former covenant that was changed, though not removed, in the new covenant. Our first hint is in Jesus’ statement that the new covenant would be “in His blood” (Luke 20:22; Matthew 26:28; Mark 14:24). Thus, the answer to what is new about the covenant can only found in His blood.

As we had learned in the last blog, Jesus’ statement has led some to believe that His death made an end to the law and obedience. However, we also saw how neither of those had changed at the cross. So what has changed?

To begin, we go to this interesting passage in Exodus: “Then [Moses] took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. and they said, ‘All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.’ And Moses took the blood [from the animal sacrifice – see verses 5, 6] and threw it on the people and said, ‘Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance to all these words’” (Exodus 24:7, 8 – notes and emphasis mine).

According to this passage, one of the aspects of the old covenant was that it was inaugurated through the blood of animals. We find this same idea written in Hebrews 9:18–22, where the author makes the concluding statement, “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” It is no coincidence that, at both the beginning of the first (old) covenant as well as the start of the new covenant, there is mention of the “blood of the covenant.” In the old covenant, it was the blood of animals. Therefore, it is Jesus’ blood makes the new covenant new.

This change was prophesied long ago. In a messianic prophecies found in Isaiah 42:6 and 49:8, it says the Messiah would be given “as a covenant for the people.” In other words, Jesus, the Messiah, would become the covenant to us. Another interesting messianic prophecy is found in Daniel 9:27—“He will confirm a covenant with many for one week. In the middle of the week he will put an end to sacrifice and offering.” This may seem confusing at first, but should become clearer as we look at what Jesus did.

We know that the Last Supper was to symbolize His death, and it would be on the cross where His blood would be shed. So how could this change the covenants? (Again, we established that Jesus did not do away with the law on the cross, but rather our debt.)

As we learned, the sacrifice of animals was necessary during the old covenant. In fact, the whole sacrificial system, including the priesthood, was for forgiveness under that covenant. The priests would mediate on behalf of the people by presenting their sacrifices before God inside the Holy Place. However, that system was obviously flawed. Besides the fact that God promised to make a new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31–34), it was mediated by men who were temporary (they died), and flawed (they sinned), and the paid by insufficient blood (animals—which cannot pay man’s debt of sin). Then Jesus died and everything changed.

When He died, the temple curtain (that separated the Holy and Most Holy Places) was torn in two from top to bottom (Matthew 25:51). This very direct miracle interrupted the sacrifices, but for a moment, because a greater sacrifice had taken place. But, Jesus didn’t die because of His sins, but He died for our sins (Isaiah 53:5)! He became the sacrifice for us.

Instead of relying on the blood of animals, Jesus presents His own blood as payment. “For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant” (Hebrews 9:12–15).

Not only did Jesus become the payment of the new covenant, but also the mediator. Psalms 110:4 (a messianic prophecy) said that Jesus would be “a priest forever.” As a result of Jesus’ sacrifice—and resurrection!—all of the flaws of the old covenant were covered. As Hebrews 7:23–25 says, “The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost, those who draw dear to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.”

It is in this way that there is a new covenant in Jesus: His sacrifice and priesthood makes the first one obsolete (Hebrews 8:13). No longer do we need to sacrifice animals for our sins—Jesus paid it all! No longer do we need a human priest to mediate on our behalf—Jesus is our High Priest! This means that after three and a half years of ministry (half of seven), Jesus ended the need for sacrifices and offerings, by becoming the offering. This is what makes the new covenant new. What changed was our payment and our priest.

Did you notice that when Israel entered into the covenant with God, in Exodus 24, Moses poured the blood on the people (I know, gross isn’t it?). They started their relationship covered in the “blood of the covenant.” After the cross, we are to start our relationship with God covered completely in Jesus blood.

Yes, the new covenant is much better. Not because it might have done away with all the rules and requirements—because when you love God, His “rules” are not burdensome (John 14:15; 1 John 5:3). It is better because it is 100% effective. Because His sacrifice covers sins committed under the new and the old covenants. Because Jesus, our Creator, is our Sacrifice, our Savior, and our Mediator. The new covenant in Jesus’ blood is greater because it is the only way eternal life is possible. Praise God for the new covenant!

New Covenant, Part 1: How New Is It?

by | 0 comments

In an upper room, hours before He would be crucified, Jesus was eating what many refer to as the Last Supper with His disciples. During that meal, Jesus took a couple of items from the meal and told His disciples how they would now symbolize aspects of His soon sacrifice: broken bread and poured out drink. As He took the cup and presented it to His disciples, He said something very interesting, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood” (Luke 22:20). He told them that there was a new covenant in His blood.

His statement has brought out some very interesting ideas as to what the new covenant is and what it has replaced, or done away with. Needless to say, not all of the ideas that are taught agree with each other. It is easy to think that we can just pick one that sounds most logical (or suits our current thinking), but I am learning that merely choosing a side based on my own wisdom isn’t being a good student of scripture. I need to study for myself (like the Bereans of Acts 17:10, 11) and see what God says about the subject. So I did.

In order to keep this blog from becoming huge (it was a big study), I will share what I have learned over the next few blogs. In this one, I will start where I began with my own study by asking, if there is a new covenant, what was the old covenant?

First, a covenant in the Bible is an agreement between two people. In most cases in the Bible, two individuals are involved with each party having some requirements to hold up their end of the covenant. Once a covenant had been entered into, it could be broken (and often was) but breaking it came with consequences.

Now, of the many covenants of the Bible, not many really impact us today. There are covenants between two humans: Like the one between Laban and Jacob (Genesis 31:44 — however, this one was made based on lack of trust), or the one between Jonathan and David (1 Samuel 18:3).

There are also a few covenants mentioned between God and individuals: God made a covenant with Noah for deliverance from the flood (Genesis 6:18); He made a covenant with Abraham promising to make him a father of nations (Genesis 17:2, 4); and He made a covenant with Phinehas promising a permanent priesthood (Numbers 25:12, 13).

Finally, there are covenants made between God and a group of people (mainly the Israelites – see Exodus 31:16, 19 and 34:10 for examples). He made only two covenants that impacted all of mankind, one of which was promising to not destroy mankind again by a flood (Genesis 9:9–17). Yet, could any of these covenants be made new with Jesus’ sacrifice? How could they? None of these were impacted by the cross (ie: Jesus didn’t die to keep a flood from happening again).

However, the other covenant God made that impacts all of mankind is often missed. At first glance, it appears to be made with an individual, Abraham. However, it is also made with his offspring (some translations say “seed”). It may be easy to assume that Abraham’s offspring simply refers to the Israelites, but we must remember Galatians 3:29 — “And if you are Christ’s then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.” Abraham’s offspring represents all who follow God as Abraham did—in faith. This covenant was not made with a specific nation, or a specific blood-line, but with all who chose to walk with God. In fact, as we read it, we will realize that entering into this covenant is entering into a relationship with God.

The foundation of this covenant is first mentioned in Genesis 17:7 – “And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offsprings after you.”

In this covenant God says, “I will be your God.” It is a covenant of relationship. And this covenant language continues throughout the Bible (here are a few examples):

  • Deuteronomy 29:12, 13 – “…that you may enter into the sworn covenant of the Lord your God, which the Lord your God is machine with you today, that He may establish you today as His people, and that He may be your God, as He promised you, and as He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.”
  • Jeremiah 24:7 – “I will give them a heart to know that I am the Lord, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart.”
  • Ezekiel 37:23, 26, 27 – “… I will save them from all the backsliding in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. … I will make a covenant of peace with them … My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
  • Zechariah 10:6 – “…and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness.”

Why do I believe that this covenant is the covenant that is made new? Besides the frequency of its language (especially when connected to a covenant) throughout scripture, notice what Jeremiah 31:31–33 says: “Behold the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that i made with their fathers … For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (emphasis mine).

Here is God’s promise to make a new covenant and notice how the language is very similar. We can already see some differences, yet the underlying relationship language is the same as the covenant made with Abraham. In addition, in Hebrews 8, when talking about the new covenant replacing the old covenant, the writer quotes this very passage!

Finally, this is what the last book in the Bible has to say: Revelation 21:3 – “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘behold the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.” When all is said and done—when sin is no more and the earth is made new—this is the relationship God will have with His people. It’s the same relationship spoken of in the original covenant with Abraham and his offspring.