God’s Remedy for Sin

The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Therefore, the remedy for sin is also death (Romans 3:21-26). Through the death of God’s Son, sin was condemned; therefore, sin has no claim on anyone.

• Romans 8:3 – For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh…

But why was a sacrifice necessary in the first place – and how could a sacrifice condemn sin?

The wages of sin is death. Sin cannot be cleansed or improved upon, it has to die, never to raise its ugly head again. Sin made man mortal and because of that, he continues to sin until death. Sin would continue on in a never-ending cycle if God did not intervene. Death is His intervention.

• Hebrews 2:14 – For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil

Death is God’s remedy to sin, which is the devil’s work, to destroy the works of the devil. A sacrifice was required. Not any death would do, though. You or I could not sacrifice ourselves for the sins of the world. God required a perfect life to be sacrificed to offset the wages of sin and thus remedy sin itself. God’s remedy had to meet His specific criteria to be accepted, which was the that the life to be sacrificed had to be sinless.

Only one life qualified since all of Adam’s descendants were tainted. Christ – God’s image – would be born in human form and would lay down his life for all creation. He would do this of his own volition in obedience out of his love for God His Father, and for the creation which was made in, through and for him.

Love sacrifices itself to save others.

Love sacrifices itself to save others. By sacrificing himself, Jesus shows us his love for God and God’s love for us.

• Romans 5:8 – But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Jesus became the sin sacrifice God required. He was the only one who fit the criteria, and he obeyed God throughout his earthly life all the way through the cross. He was obedient unto death.

• Philippians 2:8-10 – And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient to death, even the death of the cross. 
  Wherefore God also has highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 
  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 
  And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Even Jesus had to learn obedience through death. We are no different.

• Hebrews 5:7-9 – Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears to him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; 
  Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; 
  And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal [Greek: “aiōniou,” “eonian”] salvation to all them that obey him;

Even Jesus had to learn obedience through death.

God made provision for man’s salvation by providing the required sacrifice before He even made man.

• Revelation 13:8 – And all that dwell on the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation [Hebrew: “katabole,” “disruption] of the world.

The truth that God supplied the necessary sacrifice for us before we were even made exhibits God’s full knowledge of everything that would happen as He worked out His plan. It proves sin is part of His plan but that He did not sin in allowing it to enter His creation. He also provided for sin’s remedy before it existed.

• I Peter 3:18-21 – For as much as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 
  But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
  Who truly was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, 
  Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

Christ himself was foreordained “from before” the disruption, but his sacrifice was sealed in “from” the disruption. This is because his sacrifice was not necessary until sin existed. The devil is the author of sin. He caused some of God’s messengers, angels, to sin before he caused man to sin. Christ’s death destroys the devil and his works all the way back to the disruption which caused the earth to perish and ended the first eon of the Eonian Times.  Christ’s sacrifice remedies sin all the way back to its origin at the disruption of the first earth and reaches all the way forward to the Consummation when God shall be All in all. He died once for all.

• Hebrews 10:10 – By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all

Sin has been condemned. Man will stand for judgment for his deeds, not for sin (Romans 2:6). Christ paid for the sins of the world (I John 2:2). Thank God for His gracious love in providing the perfect sacrifice to atone for sin and also to our Lord Jesus Christ for obeying God and laying down his life for us. We went our own way but God laid on him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:6). Therefore, we shall live through him.

• II Timothy 2:11 – It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him:

This verse in II Timothy applies to believers now, during the Administration of the Secret. We died with Christ and shall live with him when he returns. For others, they will live with him later, in proper order.