out from under the law

Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. (Hebrews 9:22)

The latter part of this verse is a coffee cup favorite. It is commonly used to communicate the necessity of the cross when sharing the gospel message. And that is not an incorrect use of the verse, for that is the point of the entire chapter, or several chapters, that Christ died as the perfect and final sacrifice for sinners. (see my previous post).

Two things struck me as I read this verse.

First, was the phrase “under the law”. Sin can only be forgiven with the shedding of blood, under the law. Christ fulfilled the law by living a perfect, sinless life and then shedding his blood on the cross, dying in our place as a perfect sacrifice. Jesus has fulfilled the law. This is why we are no longer “under the law” but under grace. That is the nature of the New Covenant, instead of a continuous stream of sacrifices offered for our sin, “we flee by faith to the death of Christ” (John Calvin) and proclaim that sin has no hold or authority over us, we are free from its enslavement. We are no longer under the law, but under grace (Romans 6.14).

The second thing that struck me was the price of my forgiveness. Jesus died. The only reason my sins are forgiven is because Christ was nailed to a cross in my place and his blood was shed, his life given, in exchange for mine. Each and every single sin I’ve ever committed required that.

Too often after we’ve sinned, we recognize our need for forgiveness, quietly ask God to forgive us, and then move on with our day. Does the picture of Christ on the cross, bloody and lacerated, breathing his last, and dying, come into your mind in that moment? It usually doesn’t enter mine. I think it should far more often than it does. It is a sobering image. But it does cause thankfulness to spring up in my heart in a fresh way.

Resolve with me to look sin in the face and know that it has no dominion over you, that you are free of its power because Christ has fulfilled the law and you are now under grace. And when you do fall into sin, be resolved to bring thankfulness for Christ’s shed blood as close to that sin as you can. Not to delay, but to joyfully thank Jesus for his shed blood which has atoned for that sin and given you forgiveness. If we could get that thankfulness so close to our sin that it happened in the same moment, we wouldn’t commit the sin. That would be a life of freedom and joy!


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