Conquest of the fear of death and judgment. Getting into the subject of death and judgment or the fear that follows on with this subject. We need to really understand what causes death and brings judgment and how it is related to Christ's death and resurrection.
The hardest thing for a believer is his constant struggle with sin. And it is in fact very difficult to overcome sin. It is clearly shown in Romans 7:7-24. The struggle each and every person goes through with sin. Sin doesn't go away or gets easier when we grow old. The pressure of sin doesn't go away as it is deeply rooted. There is this pressure of constant guilt. And the guilt doesn't give our consciences any rest and sin cannot be contained by just ignoring it. The sin keeps constantly disturbing us. In the small ounce of the night when we cannot sleep, it comes back to us. And when he hears the name of the person we wronged, we feel the pain again. Also when we have to relate to a person whom we have not forgiven, then we are grieved by the sin inside of us again. In today's society, answers to sin are many. The common one is asking sorry or apologizing. It is the least we can do. And yet sorry is not enough. Suppose if a person broke the window of his neighbor, then asking sorry is not enough but somebody has to pay for the window. In fact asking sorry all the time is not enough to make the amends. The true fact remains is that we need to repent. Repentance is more than saying sorry and more than being sorry. Repentance is the determination to change the way of living so that it won't happen again. Repentance is change in mind that leads to change in behavior. And yet repentance is not enough either. Repentance is better than saying sorry but hurt that we cause for the broken window of the neighbor remains. The hurt feelings still remain. Repentance deals with the future but repentance doesn't deal with the past which we messed up. We should receive just punishment for our sins and moreover, the window needs to be fixed.
In bigger sense, when we break traffic rules, when a man violently hurts someone or steals something from someone, the law of the state or a country is broken. Eventually it is like breaking the law and the penalty must be paid. And the real payment of sin is death. Just as real nature of sin is against God, the real punishment for sin is being cut off from God. The problem we encounter in moral lapses of our relationships is that we have ignored God. Effectively asked God to back out of our lives, as we go on doing our own thing in our own way. We don't want God to interfere with our freedom, our autonomy, our self determination and our lives. It is as if I live my life as I please, it is a act of rebellion against God. It is like natural declaration of being independent of God. However, God has warned us from very beginning, there is no life without him. God is the source of our life and he is the sustainer of our life. And if we turn our back on God, then we turn our back on life. God has warned us that wages of sin is death as in Romans 6:23. And Israelites had to remind themselves of this yearly by the sacrificing of the bulls and the goats. Instead of the worshipers, the Israelites used to sacrifice the animals so that they can draw near to God. Animals death for their lives, so that Israelites could continue to serve God. It is annual reminder of sin that must be met with the penalty of death. Sacrifices that were offered reminded them of death and wages of sin and it was never sufficient to deal with sin. We do need to say sorry, we do need to repent and we do need just punishment. The wages of sin is death. The bulls and goats were killed in accordance with God's law. The inadequacies of this answers must be understood. For there can be no truth dealing with sin without payment. Sweeping sins below the carpet never deals with the broken relationships, never solves hurt feelings and never provides justice for the victim. People keep thinking we can have redemption without ransom, reconciliation without restitution and forgiveness without atonement. This way we go on with sin and failing to deal with sin properly. That is failing in our relationships properly with one another and with God. Sometimes we offer insufficient payment in a futile attempt to deal with sin. A quick apology thinking that others should be satisfied with that. Sometimes we ask sorry, as means of compensation without thinking of the hurt we caused to the heart of the other person. Sometimes there would be no payment that would ever be enough. All the more, the actions of one person has served or ruined the life of another. For example, a drunk driver who took the life of another person what can he pay or to whom could he pay it.
From Hebrews 10: 1-3, is very evident that within Israel, the temple sacrifices in Israel were an obvious failure. Hebrews 10:4, proves us that it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. And failure of this sacrificial system was advertised annually and daily. Each year they returned to once again to offer the same sacrifices. If they had been successful, then need not have offered them again and again. Moreover, Hebrews 10:11, shows us that "day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties: again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins." These are God's people, offering sacrifices according to God's law and they couldn't deal with sin. If the holy distinguished people of God in Old Testament couldn't offer any proper sacrifices, then how can Anglican, Presbyterian or any other denomination related to today's churches can offer any sacrifices to deal with sin. However, we have foreshadow of God's answer in these patterns that only fulfills in Christ.
When Christ came into this world, he came to deal with sin once and for all as in Hebrews 10:10. This was not an offering of bulls and goats but it is an offering of an innocent man. The blood of not any man, but the blood of the Son of God. And first part of this offering was his willingness. For nobody took his life from him but he voluntarily laid out his life for others (John 10:18). No goat had willingly volunteered for sin offering but Christ volunteered proclaiming let your will be done oh God (Hebrews 10:5-7). God never wanted their sacrifices nor did God desire to be fed by Israelites but God only wanted obedience. Obedience is better than sacrifices is what God told in 1 Samuel 15:22. And it is that Son of God came to the world to do the will of the father and be obedient to God's will (Mathew 26:39). By Jesus obedience we are sanctified and it is by his sacrifice of his body in our place, as substitute for our sin to win us forgiveness, that is full and complete forgiveness. There is no longer any sacrifice required (Hebrews 11:18). Jesus willingly volunteered unlike the bull and goats, obeyed his father. Even laid down his entire life from birth to death for sinful humans who had suppressed and ignored him. Both his spiritual and physical life for the sinful people, paying the price that which we could not afford to pay and paying it completely. There was no other good enough to pay the price of sin. Jesus is the only one who could unlock the gate of heaven and let us in. It was completely satisfactory sacrifice; it never has to be done again. The sacrifice cannot be done again. It must not be repeated. Somehow if someone says it must be repeated, then it shows that it was insufficient and it must be done again. However, that is not the case.
Jesus dealt with sin once for all when he died on the cross. This is the conquest of judgment. The judgment of God fell on him and he willingly accepted his father's commission and in his death he paid our debt and dealt sin fully, properly and permanently. So now we can say sorry knowing that just punishment has been paid for. Now we can repent as the wages of sin has been paid for. It is still requires me to forgive others. Since Jesus has forgiven our sins so much then forgiving our brother next to us who has only done little towards us is easy. It still requires for me to repent, apologizing and asking for his forgiveness. Asking for the change of mind. That means we no longer live in opposition to God.
Now the prayer of a Christian must be fervent prayer acknowledging that we don't deserve to be accepted by him and we don't deserve the eternal life and that we are guilty of rebellion against God. Ignoring him in daily forgiveness. We can start thinking about all kind symptoms of our rebellion against God which is demonstrated in my speaking, in my lying, in my cheating, in my rudeness and in my unforgiving nature towards others. Thanking God for sending the son and that he died so that I can be forgiven and he rose so that I can have a new life. Now our duty is only to take hold of that which God has done in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:4). Now praying fervently in the name of Jesus is only required for forgiveness and pleading to God to change me so that I no longer live that old life of sin. It is this simple to become a Christian.
The hardest thing for a believer is his constant struggle with sin. And it is in fact very difficult to overcome sin. It is clearly shown in Romans 7:7-24. The struggle each and every person goes through with sin. Sin doesn't go away or gets easier when we grow old. The pressure of sin doesn't go away as it is deeply rooted. There is this pressure of constant guilt. And the guilt doesn't give our consciences any rest and sin cannot be contained by just ignoring it. The sin keeps constantly disturbing us. In the small ounce of the night when we cannot sleep, it comes back to us. And when he hears the name of the person we wronged, we feel the pain again. Also when we have to relate to a person whom we have not forgiven, then we are grieved by the sin inside of us again. In today's society, answers to sin are many. The common one is asking sorry or apologizing. It is the least we can do. And yet sorry is not enough. Suppose if a person broke the window of his neighbor, then asking sorry is not enough but somebody has to pay for the window. In fact asking sorry all the time is not enough to make the amends. The true fact remains is that we need to repent. Repentance is more than saying sorry and more than being sorry. Repentance is the determination to change the way of living so that it won't happen again. Repentance is change in mind that leads to change in behavior. And yet repentance is not enough either. Repentance is better than saying sorry but hurt that we cause for the broken window of the neighbor remains. The hurt feelings still remain. Repentance deals with the future but repentance doesn't deal with the past which we messed up. We should receive just punishment for our sins and moreover, the window needs to be fixed.
In bigger sense, when we break traffic rules, when a man violently hurts someone or steals something from someone, the law of the state or a country is broken. Eventually it is like breaking the law and the penalty must be paid. And the real payment of sin is death. Just as real nature of sin is against God, the real punishment for sin is being cut off from God. The problem we encounter in moral lapses of our relationships is that we have ignored God. Effectively asked God to back out of our lives, as we go on doing our own thing in our own way. We don't want God to interfere with our freedom, our autonomy, our self determination and our lives. It is as if I live my life as I please, it is a act of rebellion against God. It is like natural declaration of being independent of God. However, God has warned us from very beginning, there is no life without him. God is the source of our life and he is the sustainer of our life. And if we turn our back on God, then we turn our back on life. God has warned us that wages of sin is death as in Romans 6:23. And Israelites had to remind themselves of this yearly by the sacrificing of the bulls and the goats. Instead of the worshipers, the Israelites used to sacrifice the animals so that they can draw near to God. Animals death for their lives, so that Israelites could continue to serve God. It is annual reminder of sin that must be met with the penalty of death. Sacrifices that were offered reminded them of death and wages of sin and it was never sufficient to deal with sin. We do need to say sorry, we do need to repent and we do need just punishment. The wages of sin is death. The bulls and goats were killed in accordance with God's law. The inadequacies of this answers must be understood. For there can be no truth dealing with sin without payment. Sweeping sins below the carpet never deals with the broken relationships, never solves hurt feelings and never provides justice for the victim. People keep thinking we can have redemption without ransom, reconciliation without restitution and forgiveness without atonement. This way we go on with sin and failing to deal with sin properly. That is failing in our relationships properly with one another and with God. Sometimes we offer insufficient payment in a futile attempt to deal with sin. A quick apology thinking that others should be satisfied with that. Sometimes we ask sorry, as means of compensation without thinking of the hurt we caused to the heart of the other person. Sometimes there would be no payment that would ever be enough. All the more, the actions of one person has served or ruined the life of another. For example, a drunk driver who took the life of another person what can he pay or to whom could he pay it.
From Hebrews 10: 1-3, is very evident that within Israel, the temple sacrifices in Israel were an obvious failure. Hebrews 10:4, proves us that it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. And failure of this sacrificial system was advertised annually and daily. Each year they returned to once again to offer the same sacrifices. If they had been successful, then need not have offered them again and again. Moreover, Hebrews 10:11, shows us that "day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties: again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins." These are God's people, offering sacrifices according to God's law and they couldn't deal with sin. If the holy distinguished people of God in Old Testament couldn't offer any proper sacrifices, then how can Anglican, Presbyterian or any other denomination related to today's churches can offer any sacrifices to deal with sin. However, we have foreshadow of God's answer in these patterns that only fulfills in Christ.
When Christ came into this world, he came to deal with sin once and for all as in Hebrews 10:10. This was not an offering of bulls and goats but it is an offering of an innocent man. The blood of not any man, but the blood of the Son of God. And first part of this offering was his willingness. For nobody took his life from him but he voluntarily laid out his life for others (John 10:18). No goat had willingly volunteered for sin offering but Christ volunteered proclaiming let your will be done oh God (Hebrews 10:5-7). God never wanted their sacrifices nor did God desire to be fed by Israelites but God only wanted obedience. Obedience is better than sacrifices is what God told in 1 Samuel 15:22. And it is that Son of God came to the world to do the will of the father and be obedient to God's will (Mathew 26:39). By Jesus obedience we are sanctified and it is by his sacrifice of his body in our place, as substitute for our sin to win us forgiveness, that is full and complete forgiveness. There is no longer any sacrifice required (Hebrews 11:18). Jesus willingly volunteered unlike the bull and goats, obeyed his father. Even laid down his entire life from birth to death for sinful humans who had suppressed and ignored him. Both his spiritual and physical life for the sinful people, paying the price that which we could not afford to pay and paying it completely. There was no other good enough to pay the price of sin. Jesus is the only one who could unlock the gate of heaven and let us in. It was completely satisfactory sacrifice; it never has to be done again. The sacrifice cannot be done again. It must not be repeated. Somehow if someone says it must be repeated, then it shows that it was insufficient and it must be done again. However, that is not the case.
Jesus dealt with sin once for all when he died on the cross. This is the conquest of judgment. The judgment of God fell on him and he willingly accepted his father's commission and in his death he paid our debt and dealt sin fully, properly and permanently. So now we can say sorry knowing that just punishment has been paid for. Now we can repent as the wages of sin has been paid for. It is still requires me to forgive others. Since Jesus has forgiven our sins so much then forgiving our brother next to us who has only done little towards us is easy. It still requires for me to repent, apologizing and asking for his forgiveness. Asking for the change of mind. That means we no longer live in opposition to God.
Now the prayer of a Christian must be fervent prayer acknowledging that we don't deserve to be accepted by him and we don't deserve the eternal life and that we are guilty of rebellion against God. Ignoring him in daily forgiveness. We can start thinking about all kind symptoms of our rebellion against God which is demonstrated in my speaking, in my lying, in my cheating, in my rudeness and in my unforgiving nature towards others. Thanking God for sending the son and that he died so that I can be forgiven and he rose so that I can have a new life. Now our duty is only to take hold of that which God has done in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:4). Now praying fervently in the name of Jesus is only required for forgiveness and pleading to God to change me so that I no longer live that old life of sin. It is this simple to become a Christian.
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