The Cross (addressing sin)
Christ’s work on the cross accomplished much more than the forgiving of sins. His work not only forgave sins but remitted sins, that is, all sins were blotted out by his shed blood for “without shedding of blood, there is no remission” (Heb 9:22). This is not just past and present sins, but future sins as well. Christ took on all the sins of the world not just the sins up to the cross but also all the sins thereafter. For it is written “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice forever, sat down on the right hand of God” (Heb 10:12). Christ’s sacrifice addresses the issue of sin (the nature) and sins (committed). The sin nature came because “by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for all have sinned” (Rom 5:12). This is the sin nature that all have inherited from Adam at their birth. This is not based on how good you are, what you do or don’t do, what you think or how you feel about things, this “Adamic” nature can only be addressed by the power of the Holy Ghost of which gives you power over that sinful nature which, over time, will change your weakness to that nature, if yielded to. The cross also addressed the “sins” issue. We sin when we do not even know that we’ve sinned. For it is written, “To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth not, to him it is sin” (Jas 4:17). All sin must be addressed. As an unsaved person, it is addressed at the cross. As a saved person, it was addressed at the cross. Once saved “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1Jo 1:9). Paul never taught that we should ask for forgiveness, for by doing so we deny Christ’s finished work on the cross by continuously asking Him to do something he’s already done. When Christ said, “It is finished” (Jo 19:30) he had completed His purpose. We must accept His finished work on the cross in it’s totality which will free us from the burden of having unforgiven sin on our conscious which brings on doubt of his longsuffering and patience toward us. Even though we are righteous through Christ, we still sin but when we sin “… we have a advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the propitiation (proxy) for our sins, and not for ours only, but also the sins of the whole world” (1John 2:1, 2).
