How did Jesus' dying on the cross save us from our sin?

[JTT]

I grew up a Christian my whole life in a baptist church, my entire family (Including an uncle who was a pastor) were all very religious church goers every Sunday. Most all of my friends were from my church.

I knew the bible, read the bible, studied the bible.. but all the words hearing them over and over and over again became more like a memorized speech, with no real meaning behind it.. and then I grew up and began to think for myself... and I began to question the things I was told and taught.

I no longer believe in Hell.
I definitely believe in a loving God.
I believe in the Holy spirit
I believe God lives within each of us ...
I definitely believe in Jesus' teachings.

But I still can't understand how God will only choose those who believe that Jesus Christ was his son. What about those who don't understand?
What about the most important question that NOONE has been able to answer that makes any sense to me at all
"How does Jesus' dying on the cross save us from our sin?"

I believe more in the life of Jesus and I believe there is too much emphasis put on his death than his life. His teaching us to love is THE MOST important thing in the world.
and alot of the Christians I have come across don't know how to do this.
I say Christians, because I no longer wish to be labeled under that name. Its just a label anyway .. I believe God knows our hearts.
So anyone wish to take a gander at answering my question?

 

[Llewelyn Stevenson]

It all has to do with the blood sacrifice.

When God created the world he set a law into nature: the soul that sins will die. This has been true since the beginning of time and the beginning of sin is disobedience to god; thus the fruit dilemma.

The law reveals the blood sacrifice that the shedding of blood can bring the remission of sin, and so God accepted the sacrifice of animals till he should compete the work himself.

By Jesus we understand that animal sacrifice was insufficient as it needed to be the blood of perfect man for sinful man. To achieve this God himself became man in the form of the son and died a substitutionary death so that we might have everlasting life through it.

By the blood sacrifice, which God duly accepted, Jesus' dying on the cross saves us from our sins. When you believe and accept this you are saved.

That is according to the Scripture.

 

[JTT]

It all has to do with the blood sacrifice.

When God created the world he set a law into nature: the soul that sins will die. This has been true since the beginning of time and the beginning of sin is disobedience to god; thus the fruit dilemma.

The law reveals the blood sacrifice that the shedding of blood can bring the remission of sin, and so God accepted the sacrifice of animals till he should compete the work himself.

By Jesus we understand that animal sacrifice was insufficient as it needed to be the blood of perfect man for sinful man. To achieve this God himself became man in the form of the son and died a substitutionary death so that we might have everlasting life through it.

By the blood sacrifice, which God duly accepted, Jesus' dying on the cross saves us from our sins. When you believe and accept this you are saved.

That is according to the Scripture.

Hello, thank you for your response. I have a couple of questions. When you say "The soul that sins will die" do you mean physical death or spirit body death? Do you know which God meant?
What if I simply do not understand how or why the shedding of blood brings the remission of sin? How is this so? Is this like Blood letting? And how could a God "accept" a sacrifice? Why is this ok? ... and yet if someone spoke of sacrificing an animal today it would sound more like a satanist group?

If God came down in the flesh, then how can be the son? Why isn't he just God, if he is God, then how could he sacrifice a son if it were himself?

... and so if one cannot accept this because they don't understand it. Not because they are ugly or defiant, they love God they simply don't understand this.. these people are not saved and are sent to be tortured in a fiery hell forever?

 

[Llewelyn Stevenson]

if someone spoke of sacrificing an animal today it would sound more like a satanist group?

That is quite a number of questions and I will try to answer them all as I come by an answer that can hopefully satisfy. Let me start with this one.

If someone spoke of sacrificing an animal today it would be pointless since God has provided the final sacrifice of his son Jesus and no longer accepts animal sacrifice. I would not go so far as to say they were definitely satanist. To sacrifice an animal is to say you do not accept that Jesus died for sin. If you do not accept that Jesus died for sin you do not have salvation.

When you say "The soul that sins will die" do you mean physical death or spirit body death? Do you know which God meant?

I only said what the Scripture reveals God said. By the Scripture I understand it to mean both. It is written by sin death came into the world. Since this is an observable death it must be speaking of physical death. However the Scripture also speaks of the 2nd death, which takes place after the judgment that is spoken of in Revelation 20:11-14 at the end of time. In the New Testament the first death is mentioned as "sleep" since it is not terminal in the eternal sense.

 

[paul1149]

studied the bible.. but all the words hearing them over and over and over again became more like a memorized speech, with no real meaning behind it.

Hi JTT,

It sounds like the truths of the Bible became mere intellectual doctrines to you. These truths do not work on that level, because they are reduced to religious parody.

God is going to judge the secrets of mens' hearts. It won't be labels or formalities or head knowledge that matters. To those who rely on these things, despite all their good works He will say, "I never knew you." He's looking for true relationship.

I still can't understand how God will only choose those who believe that Jesus Christ was his son. What about those who don't understand?

It's a matter of the heart. God is going to judge according to the heart, not what we know. He will judge according to the available Light and what we did with it. Everyone is on level ground. He does not play favorites.

"How does Jesus' dying on the cross save us from our sin?"

We inherited Adam's fallen estate, and could not lift ourselves out of it. Jesus, as perfect man, was the second Adam, who re-fathered the human race without sin. Those who receive Him and His new birth now are reconciled back to God.

 

[Llewelyn Stevenson]

What if I simply do not understand how or why the shedding of blood brings the remission of sin? How is this so? Is this like Blood letting?

I will begin with answering the last question first. I looked up the term "bloodletting" since I am not familiar with it and I can honestly say no, it is not like bloodletting.

Returning to the first, are we meant to understand how or why? To me its like saying I don't understand how or why we walk. Once I establish the question is there any answer that can fully satisfy my question?

e.g. Why can we walk? Because we have legs and feet. Why do we have legs and feet? Now you can return to so we can walk and end in a circular argument or you can continue down the linear path because we were made or formed that way but that leads to the next question of why. If the singular celled life form was happily swimming in the puddle, why did it decide it needed to grow bigger and leave the puddle? Possibly because the puddle was drying up? Why did the puddle dry up? Why did the free radicals become atoms? You see? You can always ask why, but when does it become unreasonable to do so?

The answer to why lies with God, and he actually does not need a reason, just a decision. So if I said, "Because God felt like it." I have answered your question and it need go no further. All that is needed is for you to accept it. So...

Why does the shedding of blood bring remission of sins? Because God chose it to.

How does the shedding of blood bring remission of sins? By God. He made it so.

The question is, will you accept that God made it so for your benefit?

 

[Llewelyn Stevenson]

If God came down in the flesh, then how can be the son? Why isn't he just God, if he is God, then how could he sacrifice a son if it were himself?

In the Gospel of Luke we read how Jesus became known as the son of God.

Luke 1:34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

Luke 1:35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.


Jesus was God and was also a part of God. How do we know this? We know it because both Father and Son exist together as revealed in the days of Jesus on earth. The Holy Spirit is also God and a part of God. We may not understand it but we see it. So when I look at God he looks like three but he is one.

The three are very distinct so that I cannot argue there are three, however all three declare, “I am the God.”

Not “a God” [so that I can say there are three gods] but “the God” so that I must see them all as one.

This becomes a matter of sight and faith rather than understanding. Since I see it I know it and it does not need to be explained. Trying to understand what I see may only confuse and bring doubt.

There are different ways we see things. There is plain sight. There is experience. And there is witness [what others tell us or what we read]. It is not ignorant to accept someone’s witness; we do it all the time.

Imagine that you and I made an appointment and you arrived and introduced yourself, “Hi, I’m JTT.”

With a sideways and squinting glance I reply, “Can you prove it?”

I know inside you’re thinking along the lines of this guy’s a nut but out loud you’re trying to think of all the reasons I should accept that you are who you say you are. Didn’t I expect to meet you here? Why should it be anyone else? You have arrived at the expected time, and you introduced yourself. Why Am I asking for proof? In your mind my request is unreasonable since you promised to be here and have arrived in person. I assure you I can raise more objections than you can answer. If we are to conclude the purpose of our coming together I am going to have to accept that you are who you say you are.

This is the danger of your misunderstanding: as long as it continues you are missing out on the reward that is offered. God is life and life is experience that dispels doubt. To know God you will have to accept his introduction of himself.

When he says, “I am.”

He is.