p.1 Did Jesus die for our sin?

I recently came across an article telling us that we who believe Christ paid for sin are wrong.

“When you ask a Christian why Jesus died on the cross, they will almost automatically all answer “to pay for our sins.” This has become a deep rooted Christian belief that is widely taught in churches across the world. It has been accepted by many as Christian doctrine and been passed down from generation to generation. It’s a statement that has been accepted as fact, and one that is the foundation for many Christians.”

Therefore it may come as a surprise then to say that the Bible doesn’t actually say this.”

No matter how hard you search, you will not find a single passage in the entire Bible that says anything about Jesus paying the penalty for our sins . That’s because this is a “Christian belief” that the Bible doesn’t teach. Rather it was a theology created by humans.”

… There are some limited verses that speak about Jesus’ death in relation to our sins, but they only point to Jesus' death somehow being related to our sins, but not that His death was a substitute or penalty because of our sins.” ( Jesus Did Not Die on the Cross For Our Sins

The idea Jesus “paid the price” isn’t found in the Bible.)

The author claims this come from tradition, that He (Jesus) was not substitute for sin.

The article goes on to clarify, “there is a huge difference between the two ideas and it can dictate how Christians run their lives. In 1 Corinthians 15:3 the Bible reads: “Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures.” Dying for our sins is not the same thing as dying to pay the penalty for our sins . If an innocent person dies because of another person’s wrongdoing, the person who did wrong is still guilty. Whenever the Bible talks about penalties, it always attaches them to the one who committed the offense. We are still held responsible for the sins we commit. At the end, each of us will have to pay for our deeds and there is no way around that . We are responsible for the totality of our actions.”

So we are told we will have to pay for our sins, because Jesus did not do this. Consider this obfuscation from Scripture, “Dying for our sins is not the same thing as dying to pay the penalty for our sins”?

The Bibles answer- 2 Cor. 5:21 “ For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him .”

Eph. 5:2-3 Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma .” Meaning he took our place to pay for our sins and God (the Father) accepted it.

Heb. 1:3 Himself purged our sins, according to A.T. Robertson’s word pictures means purification.

2 Peter 1:9 “was cleansed from his old sins.”

Heb. 10:10 “ sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. ”

Heb 10:10 We have been sanctified heegiasmenoi (NT:36) esmen (NT:2039). Periphrastic perfect passive indicative of hagiazoo (NT:36), to set apart, to sanctify. The divine will, unfulfilled in animal sacrifices, is realized in Christ's offering of himself. "He came to be a great High Priest, and the body was prepared for him, that by the offering of it he might put sinful men for ever into the perfect religious relation to God" (Denney, The Death of Christ, p. 234). (from Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament)

Heb. 10:14 “ For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.” “He has done what the old sacrifices failed to do (Heb. 10:1).” (from Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament) This is why there is no more sacrifices for SIN.

The article claims his death paying for sin is a statement that has been accepted as fact, but it is not fact; that it is wrong!

What this doctrine reminds me of George Otis Jr’s heresy “ The assertion that Jesus paid for our sins has caused immeasurable damage to the Body of Christ .” (p. 93, The God They Never Knew)

If he didn’t pay for sin than who did? No one else could! John introduced Jesus as “ The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29-30) Speaking of "bearing" the sins away, his life made an atonement for sin.

Jesus cried out on the cross:  “it is finished,” which means “paid in full.” Did Jesus fully pay for our salvation, or left us to do it? And how exactly could we? 

When someone says Jesus did not pay for our sin they are raising their opinion over God’s Word that says not just this but far more. “ For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures .” (1 Cor.15:3)

Though this scripture is quoted the author interprets it as “ Dying for our sins is not the same thing as dying to pay the penalty for our sins . That “penalties, it always attaches them to the one who committed the offense. We are still held responsible for the sins we commit. At the end, each of us will have to pay for our deeds and there is no way around that .”

Someone is not speaking the truth and I know it’s not the Bible, for THE Word is truth. For one to really understand the totality of what happened from Christ’s death takes an extensive study time.

John 12:48-49 “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him--the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.”

On the day believers are judged, “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.” (1 Cor. 3:13-15) Meaning our works in Christ will endure, anything else will not.

We do not pay for our sins, for Romans 6:23 “ For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord .” If our sin was held against us we could not have salvation. 1 Cor. 15:54-55" Death is swallowed up in victory." "O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?"

If we have to pay for our own sins then Jesus being sent to have our sins forgiven, cleansed is meaningless. It is the law that points to our guilt (Rom. 3:19), it is the sacrifice that cleanses us from it. We cannot be daily cleansed of sin without a substitution, and the penalty being paid

Gal 1:4 who gave Himself for our sins” Jesus paid for our sin when he died for that individual “on the cross.” He is still ministering as our Advocate, his blood continually cleanses us (1 Jn. 1:7-9).

The blood of Christ has paid for all our sins, His life was given in our place. Nothing else can accomplish what Christ did, God the Father judged our sins as He punished Christ in our place.

A ransom

“He came, to give His life a ransom for many” (Matt 20:28) a ransom for all” (1 Tim.2:6).

What is meant by “ransom”, his dying for sin is “the blood of Jesus” was the price that had to be paid for the penalty of our sin. He took our place to redeem us. Rv. 5:9 “And have redeemed us to God by Your blood?

I’m not going to put the Scripture references but the Scripture itself for us to fully grasp the magnitude of all that his death and shedding of blood did.

The ransom was paid to fulfill the holy Law of God. This righteous Law given by God had to be righteously and justly met, that was accomplished by his death. The blood and death of the Jesus is a ransom paid to God for us. Rom. 8:3-5 “ For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin.”

Redemption (ransom) is an ancient Hebrew concept for slaves. In the Old Testament redemption was applied to one’s property, animals, persons, and the nation of Israel. It was secured by the payment of a price, called ‘a ransom,” (money paid according to law to buy back something) which must be delivered or rescued (Num. 3:51; Neh. 5:8) obtaining freedom, favor, or reconciliation, (there were exceptions Num. 35:31)

Christ died on the cross in our place and paid the ransom. His blood is the ransom price to buy us back from the slavery of sin. Man could not be perfect on his own so God personally comes down in human flesh lived a perfect life of obedience to accomplish this by being perfectly obedient to the law. 1 Tim. 2:6 who gave Himself a ransom for all.”

From this ransom Paul could say in Gal 2:21 the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me . ” The language of the New Testament does teach a substitution describing it in various ways.

This reconciliation changed our relationship from enmity to friendship.

Christ died for sin as our sacrifice and to be a Christian one must see that we are sinners and accept Christs payment for our sin. We can’t pay for it ourselves, we are not righteous. The work of Jesus bought us out of the slave market of sin, Jesus paid it all. This is why He said tetelestai on the cross (it is finished), a term in the 1st century used for contracts on a debt owed. It is finished meant the whole debt of sin has been paid; PAID in full. That sin was laid upon My account and yours, that He as the savior washed it away.

It’s disturbing to read this poorly written rebuttal that is supposed to be based on the Bible to correct a false belief that Christians hold, that “Christ paid for our sins.”

The last Sacrifice

We do not want to misunderstand the Bible and its sacrificial system that deals with mankind’s sin issue. The article tells the believers what Jesus’ death really means:

“Jesus died because he had offended those in power, challenged the status quo and refused to step aside. … He knew He was being viewed as a threat from the government at the time and predicted how His crucifixion would take place . (quoting John 15:13)”

Apparently this addresses the Romans or the Religious Pharisees but neither has any bearing of his death by crucifixion. He died for our sin, nothing less and nothing more. Whether those in power, in government or religious circles saw him challenging them or not, he still would have died for our sins. That is what He was sent to do (1 Jn.3:8).

The article states, “Jesus died on the cross to show us what love truly looks like in action.” Because he laid his life down.”

This is partly true. His act of love was not just an illustration but a propitiation in our place, it did something that the animal sacrifices could not. Heb. 10:4 “ For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.”

His death was to remove the sin that has separated us from God, once for all who believe. There is power in his blood. Rom. 3:25 “ whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed .”

God the Father poured out his anger and punishment against sin upon his Son (Rom.3:25; l Jn.2:2; 4:10) Christ became the atoning sacrifice, “a propitiation by His blood” to satisfy Gods wrath and justice toward sin.

By Jesus keeping the requirements of God’s law perfectly in his life and dying on the cross for our sins God would redeem man and bring the believer back into a relationship with his creator.

(I Jn.2:2) to propitiate means “to appease the wrath of God.” That was revealed ... against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men (Rom. 1:18), by his death He forgives all sins, known and the unknown, to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Sin and justice met, resulting in salvation for those who believe. He paid the ransom price in full to set us free from the slavery of sin now and its penalty later (Gal. 3:13; Rom. 7:4, 6; Heb. 9:12;

The evidence of God’s love for sinners is Jesus willing death for the world (Jn.3:16) in its sinful state. Those who believe are no longer to be judged with sinners because His blood cleanses us. It’s not just because he died to show love, but it had the purpose to redeem us, and to change our relationship and change us into his likeness. We are new creations.

Gal. 4:5 “to redeem those who were under the law”

Titus 2:14 “ who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works ”

The article states:

The Bible says in John 5:24 “ he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.”

The fact is we are forgiven as individuals – the one who did wrong, sinned will no longer will be punished for their sins, as Peter says in Acts 3:19 “ Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.”

The Bible teaches paying for sin, means we can be forgiven

Acts 13:38-39 that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins ; and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.”

pt.2 Did Jesus die for our sin?

 

Copyright (c) 2020 The material on our website can be copied and used in its original format Portions lifted from articles can be reproduced for ones personal use for witnessing or for teaching and apologetics.  Any other use, such as posting is to have the permission of Let Us Reason ministries.  If you have trouble printing an article please copy the web page. Highlight the text first - then click copy -  then paste the article into a word program on your computer.

We would like to hear from you. Please send us  an e-mail and let us know how we can be of any help.   Our time is just as valuable as yours.  Please keep in mind, that we only have time to answer sincere inquiries.   We will use discretion in answering any letters.