Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Not to Deal with Sin

Hebrews 9:23-28 (ESV)
Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. [24] For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. [25] Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, [26] for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. [27] And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, [28] so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

“For then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.”
We learn a few things here. One Christ death inaugurated the end of the ages. There are no more “dispensations” to come. It is over.
Second we die once, after that Judgment. Nothing for us to do after we die. We have now. We have now and only now. There is no guarantee for tomorrow. No second chance.
Third, Christ will come again. He will come again not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. Not to deal with sin. He has done that already. He dealt with sin when he died on the cross and rose from the dead. In mercy he extends the days of this earth that others might be saved. But when he comes back it is all over. There is going to be no millennial kingdom in which He would necessarily have to tolerate sin, even as he punishes it. As long as this world is allowed to continue sin is merely curbed. That is all kingdoms of this world can do if they want to survive. This is why Jesus says my kingdom is not of this world. His kingdom will not tolerate sin at any level. It is why if we want to be part of his kingdom we have to be forgiven, and sanctified, cleansed of all our sin, and this happens when we are baptized, it is consummated with our death when we are ushered into the full glory of his presence. When he comes again, he will save us who are eagerly awaiting him.

2 comments:

Frank Sonnek said...

you got the good stuff Bror. thanks for that. and this is exactly why that joint declaration by the various churches is an exercise in "waiting on tables".

http://www.geneveith.com/the-manhattan-declaration/_3973/

Bror Erickson said...

I'm with you there, I got the Email yesterday, rolled my eyes, and clicked delete, I have too much b.s clogging my Email. And don't have time for these stupid shenanigans.