Heavenly Pilgrim said:
I would like to see one Scripture that uphold the notion of the literal payment theory and its companion dogma that states that all sins, past present and future have been atoned for. It is simply not found in Scripture, nor is either idea consistent with any truth of justice as universally granted to all men via first truths of reason or their conscience period.
1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also hath
once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
1 Peter 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
Romans 5:6-8 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
Galatians 1:4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:
Galatians 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
Titus 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
--He gave himself for us; He redeemed us; God made him to be sin for us; the Lord laid on Christ the
iniquity of us all.
That last phrase is the most powerful of them all.
God literally laid upon Christ the sins of all the people of all the ages. All sins: past, present, and future were put on Christ. He bore them all on the cross. That means that Christ bore all my sins on the cross: past, present and future. He paid the penalty for them all. Every one of these verses teach this fact. When I trust him as my Saviour; put faith in the sacrifice that he provided for me, then I accept his offer for forgiveness. My sins are paid for in full.
And like the justice system which has so many faults, you may criticize this one also. For I am a sinner--a terrible horrible sinner which has commintted many crimes against God in my life. I have done nothing worthy of going to heaven. Yet God in his mercy has already granted me eternal life. I know I will go to heaven when I die just as surely as if I had already been there. I have no reason to doubt the promises of God, and no reaosn to call Him a liar.
Often times a governor has no good reason to give a pardon to a criminal except out of his own mercy and grace.
God offers me forgiveness of sin only out of his mercy and grace. I, like a criminal before God have done nothing to deserve it. I don't deserve to go to heaven. What have I done to merit Heaven. Absolutely nothing, and in this lifetime could never ever do anything to merit eternal life. I don't deserve anything but the wrath of God.
As a criminal in prison can accept the merciful pardon of a governor,
So I a criminial against God, have already accepted God's forgiveness. I have admitted to him that I am a sinner; that if I got what I deserved I would spend all eternity in Hell; that He is the only way to Heaven; and cried out to Him for the forgiveness of my sin. And he granted me eternal life on the basis of his shed blood. He literally paid the penalty of my sin with his blood. That is what the atonement is all about. God the Father was satisfied with the payment of God the Son when he sacrificed His blood on the cross for our sins.
1 John 2:2 And
he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
--He has satisfied the demands of God.
DHK