Once and for All

"He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2:2)

Think about that for a moment. "The whole world"

Before Christ Jesus, once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest of Israel would enter the Most Holy Place in the tabernacle to apply the blood of a bull calf sacrifice to the mercy seat to cleanse himself of sin. He would then leave to sacrifice a goat and return to apply the blood of the goat to the mercy seat for the sins of all other Israelites. As a result, the sins of all Israelites were atoned for that year. This occurred year after year, a never ending ritual of blood sacrifices, to atone for the sins of Israel. Then came Christ Jesus...

"But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption." (Hebrews 9:11-12)

"Once for all". So all your sins, and the sins of all others who have ever lived in this world, have been eternally atoned for, not by pastors, priests , monks, or 12 imams...not by baptisms, crusades, jihad or prayers towards Mecca...but by the blood of Christ Jesus, the "Savior of the world".

"...now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.” (John 4:42)

Wow! Thank you Jesus.

Four Dreadful Judgments

“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says...I send against Jerusalem my four dreadful judgments—sword and famine and wild beasts and plague—to kill its men and their animals!" (Ezekiel 14:21)

DEATH by various natural phenomenon are God's four dreadful judgments. Note that there was not even a hint of eternal conscious torment after death.God has and will continue to send those four judgments ending in death during this present evil again which we live.

At the Cross, however, God through Christ Jesus revealed His plan to save all from the DEATH caused by His judgments. This salvation is the result of the LOVE of God for the "ungodly", all of whom are "powerless" to save themselves from His "wrath" - DEATH.

”You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly…God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life…” (Romans 5:6-11)

In the days of Ezekiel the Jewish religious teachers were falsely testifying that God IS NOT ANGRY and will not bring judgment. And now, after the Cross, religious leaders of all professions are saying God IS ANGRY and in His wrath He will not only bring DEATH through His Judgments, but will add ETERNAL conscious torment in hell thereafter.

Religious men are getting worse.  They have always been wrong about what God has said, adding to what God actually says, or denying what God says. Jesus might say - "of what Spirit" are they?

"And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. But they did not receive Him...his disciples James and John...said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them...But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save." (Luke 9:54-56)

God has "justified" sinners to Himself by the "blood" of our Lord Jesus Christ. In his death "we were reconciled" to God. That is the gospel...the good news...the opinions of religious men notwithstanding.

"And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” (Acts 20:32)

What does “the word of His grace” mean and what is this word? The Greek for “word” is “logo” and simply means that which is communicated to mankind by God. And what is that? His GRACE…unmerited favor among those who are sanctified. 

Mankind is sanctified (deemed Holy by God) through the truth of His Word (what He has communicated to us)…

“Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.” (John 17:17-18)

Christ Jesus came to save the world. He consecrated himself for that purpose and through his shed blood he succeeded.

“…all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness… But he has appeared once FOR ALL at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.” (Hebrews 9:22-26)

So for me, the “WORD OF HIS GRACE” is as follows:

Mankind is SAVED by His GRACE, not of works…

“For by grace you have been saved…not as a result of works” (Ephesians 2:8-10)

Mankind is JUSTIFIED (declared righteous) by His GRACE…

“…so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:7)

Mankind is RECONCILED to God through Christ Jesus by His Grace…

“…God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them” (2 Corinthians 5:19)

So where does FAITH fit in?

The Greek word for FAITH is also translated BELIEVE. So FAITH is simply believing what God says. Mankind can only find true JOY and PEACE in this present evil age by having FAITH in the “Word of His Grace”….in other words by believing it. 

NEVERTHELESS, there will come a day when everyone will come forth from the grave (“hades”) as Jesus said…

“…for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment. I can do nothing on my own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and MY JUDGMENT IS JUST (right), because I do not seek my own will, but THE WILL OF HIM WHO SENT ME.” (John 5:28-30)

It is my view of Scripture that at the resurrection those of us who have BELIEVED the “word of his Grace” in this age will rise to enter immediately into immortal life. Those who, for whatever reason, have NOT believed the “word of his Grace” in this life will rise to be judged JUSTLY, according to the WILL of God who sent Jesus to SAVE the world, not condemn it…

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him...it is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers. Prescribe and teach these things.…” (John 3:17; 1 Timothy 4:8-10)

Eternal Redemption

“And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself…I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father, but by Me.…consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him” (John 12:32; John 14:6; Hebrews 7:25)

When Jesus was lifted up on the cross he brought ALL people to God, mankind does not bring himself to God. And Jesus saves to the uttermost those people because they have been drawn near to God by the sacrifice of Jesus.

“But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place ONCE FOR ALL, having obtained ETERNAL REDEMPTION.” (Hebrews 9:11-12)

Most Christians do not believe this however the bible clearly says that Jesus was the propitiation for and the Savior of THE WHOLE WORLD. Someday the whole world will know it, not because of what someone told them, but because they heard it from Jesus himself.

"It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world… He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.” (John 4:42; 1 John 2:2)