6to7Life

The Biblical Truth:
Christ’s blood did not cover our sins, it took them away!

A verse to point us to that truth:
Colossians 2:13-14 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has resurrected together with Him, having forgiven you all sins. 14 He blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us and contrary to us, and He took it out of the way, nailing it to the cross.

What was the main purpose of Christ’s death? Some might answer “To atone for our sins!” But what does this mean and is it accurate? One of the lies satan likes to spread is that the redemptive work that Christ did was nothing and how does that apply to mankind. Because if we can misunderstand what that Work was, then we will misunderstand our role in receiving Eternal Life and ultimately how we share the Gospel to the lost world.

One of the most confusing words in the Bible is the word ‘Atonement’. What does this word really mean? Yom Kippur is probably the most important holidays of the Jewish year. Many Jews who do not observe any other Jewish custom, will take a day off from work, fast and usually attend synagogue services on this day. The name “Yom Kippur” means “Day of Atonement”. Today, it is a day set aside to “afflict the soul” and that by afflicting the soul, you can atone for the sins of the past year. But in the Old Testament times, this was a day that God had set aside when the High Priest would be the Mediator for the Nation of Israel.

This Atonement provided the way for the people to be one with God by covering their sin for a year. Every year he would offer the same sacrifices and every year the responsibility was all his. He alone would be the one to bring the atonement to the people.

This is what Hebrews chapter 10 is referring to

Hebrews 10:1-4 For the law is a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of those things. It could never by the same sacrifices, which they offer continually year after year, perfect those who draw near. 2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshippers, once purified, would no longer be conscious of sins? 3 But in those sacrifices there is an annual reminder of sins. 4 For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

Year after year this would have to happen until one day a real Sacrifice would be given and the world would never be the same. But this Real Sacrifice of Blood … would take away sin! This Real Sacrifice would be a once and for all sacrifice. This Real Sacrifice would bring eternal reconciliation

Romans 5:11 Furthermore, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Some versions will translate this word reconciliation with the word atonement. The literal meaning of this Greek word is “To be exchanged” or “reconciled”.

Romans 5:10 For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, how much more, being reconciled, shall we be saved by His life.

In the Old Testament the word Atonement meant to cover. Which makes sense. The blood of goats and bulls covered the sins for one year, but did not remove them. This is taken from the literal act of spreading of blood on the Mercy Seat – covering the Mercy Seat.

But in the New Testament, other than this one place and only in some versions, we do not see the word atonement. The word atonement – to cover – in the New Testament is not used because Christ did not cover our sins – He took them away! He exchanged the curse of sin – death – for the gift of Life – Himself! The exchanged Life of Christ!

This word reconciliation in verse 11 is showing the effect that comes from the death of Christ. But the word is also used to mean the action from what the reconciliation, is brought about by … the death of Christ itself.

The word atonement is used as the act of satisfying the need for the blood sacrifice AND the result of that act – the reconciliation.

Christ’s work – His suffering – was not merely for our benefit, but was in our place. Our guilt is satisfied by the blood that He shed and the punishment which He bore. Satisfaction has been made for sin once and for all. Our punishment has been dealt with by a vicarious satisfaction and the result of it being satisfied is … reconciliation.

So to understand this completely, Christ’s Blood is the atonement – the payment – and with His own self as the payment, He was what satisfied the need for a blood Sacrifice. But He did not cover our sins – atone for them – He reconciled the world to God by removing the sins once and for all. His blood was more powerful than the blood of bulls and goats. His blood literally obliterated sin!

Many may have a hard time with that idea of ‘taking them away’, but when you read this next passage, you cannot deny what has happened on the cross – Christ literally obliterated sins!

Colossians 2:13-14 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has resurrected together with Him, having forgiven you all sins. 14 He blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us and contrary to us, and He took it out of the way, nailing it to the cross.

That word blotted out means “obliterate, or tear”.  He offered Himself as the payment as the satisfaction for the need for a blood sacrifice – the need for our blood to be shed in death to reconcile us to God! And the only way we can be reconciled once and for all is if the sin is no longer there!

The primary idea of this redemptive process given to us in different forms throughout the Bible, is that the death of Christ is a satisfaction of infinite worth that reconciles mankind to God.

Colossians 1:20-22 and to reconcile all things to Himself by Him, having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him, I say—whether they are things in earth, or things in heaven. 21 And you, who were formerly alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and blameless and above reproach in His sight,

There was no way man could come into the presence of God by himself without a sacrifice of Blood to bring reconciliation! Christ did this about 2000 years ago! He does not do it after you accept Him as Savior. He does not take your sins back to the cross, after you trust in Him as Savior. He did it once – for all mankind!

Here is some more biblical proof of this wonderful truth

1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also has once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive by the Spirit,

Romans 6:10 For the death He died, He died to sin once for all, but the life He lives, He lives to God.Romans 5:18-19 Therefore just as through the trespass of one man came condemnation for all men, so through the righteous act of One came justification of life for all men. 19 For just as through one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the obedience of One the many will be made righteous.