A Much Better Agreement

[Olde Tymer]

~
● Jer 31:30-33 . . Behold, days are coming-- says The Lord --and I will form a covenant
with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: a new covenant . . . for I will
forgive their iniquity and their sin I will no longer remember. (chabad.org)

During dialogue with a Jewish man several years ago, I was asked a very pertinent
question that went like this:

"Jesus died for your sins up to the point of your conversion. What about the sins you are
committing now?"

That's a reasonable question coming from a Jew because Levitical atonements had to
be repeated over and over again. Even Yom Kippur, the great day of atonement, is only
useful up to that point and from thence Jews began accumulating sins towards the next
Yom Kippur.

Now supposing God were to stop keeping track of a Jew's sins on Yom Kippur? Well;
that would be the cat's meow because the Jew would then need to avail himself of the
great day of atonement but one time only rather than repeatedly year after year after
year.

Well; the covenant that Moses' people agreed upon with God per Exodus, Leviticus,
Numbers, and Deuteronomy doesn't allow for God to stop holding His people's sins
against them; whereas the new covenant's system is much better than Yom Kippur
because it does allow for God to stop.

● 2Cor 5:19 . . God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's
sins against them.

The Greek word translated "counting" pertains to inventory, i.e. an indictment. Well,
needless to say; without an indictment, prosecutors have no grounds for hauling
someone into court.

** There's a bit of a moral hazard under these circumstances. Due to the fact that
Christ's followers are on an honor system instead of a legal system, they have an
incentive to become ever more sinful; hence Paul's urging them to cultivate self
restraint.

● Rom 6:1-3 . . What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may
increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?

● Rom 6:12-14 . . Do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil
desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but
rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and
offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.

● Gal 5:13 . .You, my brethren, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to
indulge the sinful nature.

FAQ: If God is no longer keeping tabs on the sins of His son's followers, then what's
with 1John 1:5-10?

REPLY: God desires fellowship with His son's followers; which of course requires
transparency on their part. But the important thing is: according to John 5:24 nothing
Jesus' followers do now goes in the books to be used against them later on down the
road at the great white throne event depicted at Rev 20:11-15. Their sins are no longer
criminal matters, instead; now they're family matters. (1John 3:1-2)
_

 

[TibiasDad]

Their sins are no longer
criminal matters, instead; now they're family matters. (1John 3:1-2)

This creates a two tier system of sin; one for believers and one for unbelievers. This, however, is not possible, for the atonement is for all sin, and all sin is not held against any man. Using your argument, leads us to conclude that the unbeliever’s sin is a “family matter” too.


Doug

 

[Olde Tymer]

~
Were I the Devil, I would do my utmost best to disprove the resurrection of Jesus
Christ's crucified dead body because his crucifixion is only half enough to protect
people from the wrath of God. Though his physical body's demise is adequate
retribution for people's sins, its death doesn't gain anybody a clean slate.

● Rom 4:25 . . He was delivered over to death for our sins, and was restored to life
for our justification.

The Greek word translated "justification" basically means acquittal; defined as an
adjudication of innocence due to a lack of sufficient evidence to convict.

People merely forgiven still carry a load of guilt; viz: they have a criminal record.
The resurrection of Christ's crucified dead body permits God to expunge their
record so that on the books, it's as though they've never been anything but 100%
innocent.

This clearing of one's guilt that I'm talking about is obtained via the kindness and
generosity of God through belief in the resurrection of Christ's crucified dead body.
If the Devil can succeed in convincing people that Jesus' crucified body is still dead
or, even better yet, make them question whether the man even existed at all; then
their sins will remain on the books, and consequently they will end up put to death
in brimstone when they answer for themselves at the great white throne event
depicted at Rev 20:11-15.

FAQ: It appears you are suggesting God is capable of a miscarriage of justice. How
is it possible for Him to acquit guilty folks of all the things for which they fully
deserve justice?

REPLY: Christianity is a lethal religion. In some mysterious way-- which I have
never yet been able to fully understand --God accounts Christ's followers as joint
principals in His son's crucifixion. In other words: when Christ died, they died.

● Rom 6:3 . . Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus
were baptized into his death?

● Rom 6:6 . . Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him

● Gal 2:20 . . I am crucified with Christ

● Col 3:2-3 . . Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For
you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

.

Using your argument, leads us to conclude that the unbeliever’s sin is a “family matter” too.

In order for one's sins to become a family matter, one first has to become a family
member.
_