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Friday, May 15, 2009

Lies Taught In Church Every Sunday

From the manuscript I'm working on now - "52 Lies Taught In Church Every Sunday" Taken from my online video series called "101 Lies Taught In Church Every Sunday." (That's too many for one book.)

Lie #14: Our Sins are Under the Blood of Jesus

Just like there are trite statements in all cultures that sound true on the surface, but don’t necessarily convey the truth, so it is in the church world. We’ve heard some things said in church that have been stated so often and sound so logical that we believe they must be true. This is one of those statements. Take a close look at that statement: Your sins are under the blood of Jesus. What could possibly be wrong with that affirmation?

The answer is directly related to understanding a major difference between the old and new covenant. You may remember how the high priests in the Old Testament would annually offer sacrificial animals for the sins of the people. When the blood of those animals was poured on the mercy seat, the sins of the people would be “under the blood” and God would overlook their sins for another year.

However, things have changed with the coming of the new covenant. The book of Hebrews teaches that Jesus was an infinitely better sacrifice than those offered in the Old Testament. In fact, He was the perfect sacrifice. When He offered Himself for our sins, His shed blood didn’t just cover our sins. By His sacrifice, our sins were taken away.

Hebrews 9: 26 says that, “At the consummation of the ages Jesus has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” The words “put away” are one word in the Greek language, which means “to disannul, to do away with, to completely destroy.” Jesus didn’t come to cover your sins. He came to take your sin away and that’s exactly what He did.

1 John 3:5 says, “You know that he appeared in order to take away sins.” Remember the scene when Jesus showed up at the Jordan River where John the Baptist was baptizing? John said, “Look! It’s the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!” That old covenant prophet, John, understood better than many Christians today that Jesus came to do something different than previous priests had done. He didn’t come to hide away our sins from God’s sight by putting them under the blood of a sacrifice. He came to do away with them completely.

So it’s actually great news to know that your sins are not under the blood of Christ. His blood doesn't cover them. The blood of Jesus Christ has taken your sins away! Some have said that the doctrine of justification is the teaching that because of Christ’s finished work, it is just-if-I never sinned. That makes good sense. In the eyes of your heavenly Father, you have an unblemished record. He isn’t overlooking anything. He has rewritten your history by taking away the sins of your past and giving you the history of Christ Himself.

Believing the lie that your sins are under the blood of Christ doesn’t honor the finished work of Jesus. Ironically enough, it actually diminishes His sacrifice. What He did is much greater than most Christians have understood. He doesn’t condemn us for our sins now because there are no sins to condemn. The cross has obliterated them!
Your sins have been blotted out and you have been made to become the righteousness of God in Christ. You don’t ever need to be bogged down with a preoccupation about sins again. Instead, you can now walk in the confidence of knowing that your life isn’t defined by sin anymore, but by the righteousness of the Christ who has become your very life.

So, though it sounds good, to say that our sins are under the blood of Jesus Christ is a lie. The Bible says our sins have been taken away from us, forever, by the finished work of Christ at the cross

11 comments:

  1. Hi, Steve,

    The only problem I have with this particular lie-debunk is that it closely approaches antinomionalism and discounts the need for the process of sanctification in the lives of the believers. I agree whole-heartedly that, by the grace of God, my sins are washed clean. But that does not necessarily mean that my sinful nature is totally destroyed. We claim that death with Christ, but in reality, we still struggle daily with those habits of thought and deed that are not "holy" as God is holy. We cannot forget that our salvation through grace is the beginning of a process, not the end, and that, as Paul did in his life, we are running a race that, until the end of our mortal lives, is never finished.

    Through God's grace, we can approach Him for the power, through His Spirit, to conquer that sinful nature. But it is a process of transformation and transfiguration.

    But then, from your other posts on this blog, you already knew that, Steve. Just pointing out that grace is the means to sanctification but that sanctification is a life-long journey.

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  2. Well said, Steve. I have been enjoying thoroughly reading your book "Grace Walk". It is very freeing, very uplifting! There is a good blog site by a retired pastor in Florida, Pastor Jack Weaver, on a recent extreme lordship salvation teaching. The site is: http://expreacherman.wordpress.com/2009/02/24/macarthur-type-new-apostacy/

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  3. This is great stuff!!
    Thanks Steve.

    I look foward to the 'lies' book very much....maybe part 1 in a 2 part book series ?

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  4. Robert- you and I have an honest difference of opinion on this topic. Antinomianism has often been a charge against those who teach pure grace. I'm not against the Law. I'm dead to it. (Rom 6:7)

    I do believe that our old sin nature has died. The battle now isn't with the sin nature but with the power of indwelling sin. I wrote about this in detail in my book, Grace Walk. If you'll email me your ground address, I'll send you a complimentary copy so you can see where I'm coming from.

    Thanks for your input and for checking out my blog.

    Blessings,
    Steve

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  5. Hey, Steve,

    I think it may be a matter of semantics. Grace has "killed" our old sin nature. But sanctification is about overcoming the indwelling sin (if I'm understanding your terminology).

    I'd love a copy of the book. Send me an e-mail from what addy you want me to send back to, and I'll give ya my snail-mail.

    God bless!

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  6. You can email me at info@gracewalk.org. I'll get it in the mail to you right away.

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  7. Thanks again, Steve.

    And I welcome you to check out my own blog. I'm not as prolific as you currently (seminary study takes a LOT of time) but occasionally I toss up an interesting little article. In fact, the one that I did most recently kinda covers some of that area of difference implied above. Check it out and I'd welcome your comments.

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  8. Anonymous3:04 AM

    Robert, I read your comments and six months ago I would have typed them nearly word for word ! I also had the "semantics" argument. I encourage you to read Grace Walk and if you can find the means to order the DVD series..DO SO ! Ohmigoodness its life-changing. I am LOVING the Christ-life : )

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  9. Salvation is a taking away sins and sin principle from us. Our heart is deceitful and desparately wicked and we can break fellowship if we go to follow its degenerate desires. But we are sanctified, we are justified in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are pardoned and let go of prison and the doors are open. Walk out. Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom and leading and by this we know we're the sons and daughters of God. The Blood will never lose its power and for once for all time consummated God's plan with tetelestai, "It is finished!" Grace that taught my heart to fear is grace that will lead me home.

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  10. Oh man, Steve...I love how you throw a smackdown on religion almost every time you speak! You have, over time, challenged even the most basic beliefs I've held, encouraging me to take an increasingly 'Berean' stance the older I get. Legalists once used my ignorance to unintentionally lock me up in a prison cell of works; but Jesus came along with the keys and said, 'you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free...now here, let my friend Steve tell you more about it'. You just plain ROCK, Steve.

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  11. I want to correct myself that cleansing at the Cross is complete and we can be kept from falling and if we pursue a higher reality of belief in God Almighty we can be perfect as our Father in Heaven is perfect in pleasing Him and that's where it's at. It's not being a goody two shoes nor being overly insecure about failing but walking in fellowship koinonia where your Spirit is one with God's like a rope and you can hold the Scarlet cord like Rahab and believe God like Abraham with potential in God unlimited! Where sin abounds grace doth much more abound! For we shall behold Him and be like Him as ever increasing in the knowledge of God and fullness. II Peter 1:1-10 can show us a model of never having to be unuseful nor blind nor nearsighted as we let the listed qualities grow and abound within! This is all through the Divine Nature by God's Divine Power we love by God's love and Christ's love we can love as He loved us. This truth taught in my church.

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