CHRIST CAME TO BRING REDEMPTION – NOT FORGIVENESS

CHRIST DID NOT COME TO BRING FORGIVENESS OF SIN

Bishop Brian J. Kennedy, O.S.B.

 

Christ did NOT come to bring forgiveness of sin.  Christ came to bring REMISSION OF SIN.  Forgiveness of sin was available in the Old Testament.

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“And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, even a ram for a trespass offering. And the priest shall make an atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering before the LORD for his sin which he hath done: AND THE SIN WHICH HE HATH DONE SHALL BE FORGIVEN HIM.” [Lev. 19:21-22]

 

In the Old Testament the law made provisions by animal sacrifice for the sins to be forgiven, but in the New Testament these provisions were superseded and completed by the REDEEMING sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

 

If the Blood of Christ brought only forgiveness, we would be among the saddest of people because forgiveness of sin does not remit the guilt of our sin.

 

“Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty;” [Ex. 34:7]

 

The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, [Num. 14:18]

 

Only the REDEEMING work of Christ on the cross can purchase the eternal redemption of any person in any age.  When THE Jews offered a sacrifice for their sin according to the law, they were treated as righteous and forgiven but technically their sin remained. It could not be dealt with until the sinless Christ died in their place.

 

The devil seeks to destroy the Church of Christ.  We know that he will not ultimately be successful, but that does not mean he won’t win some battles along the way.   One of the ways the devil seeks to destroy the Church is by “subtlety” changing what we believe.  THE LAW OF PRAYER IS THE LAW OF FAITH is a true statement.

 

The Modernist are unwittingly minions of the devil as they ‘improve’ the ancient formulas of faith.  For an example the Apostles Creed has been changed in modern times.  Most will never notice or care, but care they should because the ancient faith is being denied in the modern version.

 

Here is one ancient formula of faith.

 

The Apostles' Creed

"The Old Roman Creed"

 

I BELIEVE in God almighty [the Father almighty}

And in Christ Jesus, his only Son, our Lord

Who was born of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary

Who was crucified under Pontius Pilate and was buried

And the third day rose from the dead

Who ascended into heaven

And sitteth on the right hand of the Father

Whence he cometh to judge the living and the dead.

And in the Holy Spirit

The holy church

The REMISSION of sins

The resurrection of the flesh

The life everlasting.

 

Here is another ancient formula of faith.

 

The Apostles' Creed (sixth-century Galician version)

 I BELIEVE in God the Father almighty,

I also believe in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord,

conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary.

suffered under Pontius Pilate, crucified, dead and buried; he descended into hell,

rose again the third day,

ascended into heaven,

sat down at the right hand of the Father,

thence he is to come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost,

the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints,

the REMISSION of sins,

the resurrection of the flesh and life eternal.

 

The formulas above represent the faith as once delivered to the Saints.  It is the faith as believed everywhere, at all times by all people.  Now, we can examine the NEW creed and see if it is the same.

 

The Apostles' Creed (as usually recited today)

 I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth: And in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the FORGIVENESS of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen

 

The ancient formula of faith has been denied by the new and improved creed.  It is not the same statement of faith.  Those who do not understand the Scriptures and the power of God tell us that the two words Redeem and Forgive mean the same thing but in truth they are not two ways of saying the same thing as we have seen above.  When our sins are forgiven the guilt remains but when our sins are remitted, the guilt is taken away.  Christ bore our sins and the guilt of our sins on the Cross.  We have been “purchased at a great price, we have been REDEEMED.”

 

Just seven weeks after Christ's death on the cross the Apostle Peter accused his audience of crucifying the Son of God, they cried out "What shall we do?" (Acts 2:37). Peter announced the terms of Divine pardon: "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the REMISSION of sins" (Acts 2:38). This passage makes an inseparable connection between baptism and the REMISSION of sins. He did not talk to them about the forgiveness of their sins because forgiveness was already available under the Law of Moses.   Had he told them Christ brought forgiveness of sin they would have said we already have it.  The Modernist has made many attempts to negate the force of this passage and negate the POWER in the Blood of Christ.  The power of the Blood is remittance of sin and access to the Father.

 

“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread and blessed it and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”—Matthew 26:26-28.

 

We know that “without the shedding of BLOOD there is no REMISSION of sin” (Heb. 9:22).

 

INSTRUCTION TO THE FIRST BISHOPS OF THE CHUCH: Acts 20:28: “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock over which the Holy Spirit hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath PURCHASED with his own BLOOD.”

 

Redeemed means to pay the price: to purchase.

Purchased how? With His own blood. That’s the price.

The devil has deceived many into making light of the fact that it was the Blood of Jesus that purchased, bought, and set us free. It’s the BLOOD, that’s the PRICE.

 

It Is The Blood That Is The Basis For Our Redemption

People who claim to be Orthodox or Catholic forget “For as much as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold . . . but with the precious BLOOD of CHRIST, as a lamb without spot or blemish.”—1 Peter 1:18, 19.

 

There are three words used in the New Testament for redemption; Agorazo, which means to buy IN the forum, or market place. The second word is Exagorazo, which means to buy OUT of the market place, and set free. We were being auctioned off in the market place as slaves to sin, but Jesus, by His Blood, bought us and forever set us free.

 

The third word used is Lutroo that means to pay the price and set free. Jesus paid the price and set us free.

 

In 1 Peter 1:18, 19 the Apostle Peter was talking to Law abiding Jews, and they understood that under the law, men who were sold into slavery, if they could, would save enough money to redeem themselves from their masters. So he raises the question, how they were redeemed from sin, and tells them it was not with such corruptible things as silver and gold, but with the precious BLOOD of Christ. It was the BLOOD, he said, that redeemed.

 

In Ephesians 1:7 we learn  “In whom we HAVE REDEMPTION through His BLOOD, the FORGIVENESS of sins, according to the riches of his grace.” We have REDEMPTION. What else? FORGIVENESS of sins. We have it.  It’s a gift.  We have to ask for forgiveness of sin but REDEEMPTION is a free gift that makes PERFECT THE FORGICENESS WE RECEIVE and expiates the eternal consequences of the sin. 

 

In Acts 10:43 the Apostle Peter says the same thing to the household of Cornelius: “To him (Christ) give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall RECEIVE REMISSION of sins.”

 

The blood of Jesus was shed and Jesus paid for our sins. The old debt was settled on the cross.

 

To change the formula or words of Consecration negates the power in the Blood of Christ; it is not the continuation of the one Sacrifice of Christ offered once for all but a new creation of men that denies the power of the Blood.  Christ’s Blood provides our access to the Father.

 

No man without the merits of Christ’s blood has the right to approach God. He is not God’s child. He has nothing wherewith to plead his own cause before God. He must have the blood of Christ.  Hebrews 10:19, 20: “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the BLOOD of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the evil, that is to say, his flesh.”

 

Paul said by the blood of Jesus we have access into the Holiest. Who dwells in the Holy Place? God. Who has access to the holy place? Only those who come by the blood of Jesus have access to the Father. The BLOOD of Jesus provides the access to God.

 

Our model should be the Liturgy offered in Heaven for all eternity.  Revelation 5:9-10: “And they SUNG a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and has redeemed us to God by THY BLOOD out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth.”  If our Liturgy on earth does not mirror the Heavenly Liturgy it is a false Liturgy; it is the liturgy of man, not of God. 

 

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