Dear steemit friends, I am starting a series that will challenge people's theology of who God is, get ready to start a new series with me here. Be there every day to see and enjoy the realities of Heaven!
Let's start today with the Western Evangelical Christianity.
They have been so infatuated with a sin-consciousness that they have lost the ability to rightly divide and understand the reality of the Spirit of the Word. This has caused much misunderstanding concerning the truth about the blood and how it cleanses from sin. Scriptures such as: I John 1:7-10, Hebrews 9:22, Ephesians 1:7 and 2:13 have been misquoted and misused to the determent of all mankind. We have not understood that in many places the words 'forgiveness' and 'remission' are words that mean freedom FROM, and liberation FROM sin, rather than forgiveness OF sin. The Greek word charizomia has to do with forgiveness OF sin, which was not earned or merited, but was that which was always a part of the Father's nature toward all mankind. When you tell people that God did not need blood to forgive mankind they will often quote Hebrews 9:22 and 99% of the time they misquote it. It states: "...without the shedding of blood there is no remission." Most of the time they quote it as: "...without the shedding of blood there is no remission OF SIN." Nowhere does it record the words: "...OF SIN." That particular verse, if kept in context, is referring to the cleansing of the tabernacle, its vessels, and the inauguration of the Mosaic covenant. This verse, and the way people have interpreted it, is why most Christians believe that if Jesus had not shed His blood we would never have been forgiven of sin.
In verse 15 of that same chapter the writer states the phrase: "redemption of the transgressions." The Greek word used for 'transgressions' there is the word 'parabaino' and means: To overstep or go beyond the boundaries. The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament records that this Greek word is closely connected with sin, but primarily in the sense of using human tradition to disobey the law of God while claiming to be the fulfillment of the law. In other words, 'parabaino' takes place when someone tries to explain and apply the law of God, but actually ends up doing the opposite of what the law says. So the writer of the book of Hebrews states that Jesus came to redeem sin, that is, to redeem the 'parabaino' type of sin. He came to redeem the sin of misusing the law.
Now, there are a number of things that the writer is wanting to convey in Hebrews 9:22. FIRST of all, the writer is CONTRASTING Jesus with Moses. He is NOT reinforcing the false pagan idea of blood needing to be shed in order for us to be forgiven OF sin, as many in the church do yet today. SECONDLY, the writer is actually recording that there is purification and forgiveness WITHOUT BLOOD. The writer states: "And ALMOST all things are BY THE LAW purged with blood; and WITHOUT shedding of blood is no remission." There were many other ways and means of purification (at least 5 of them) under the law. THIRDLY, Hebrews 9:22 is not even about sin, but about the old covenant. The writer was referring to the tabernacle and its vessels and the initiation of the Mosaic covenant. FOURTHLY, the verse records that the shedding of the blood came from the law, not from God. It specifically states that these things are 'according to the law'. FIFTHLY, the shed blood never brought forgiveness. In Hebrews 10:4 the writer makes it clear that it was 'impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins'. Even though the law promised it, it could not provide it. And we must also realize that Jesus Himself was preaching forgiveness of sins BEFORE the Cross; and He was forgiving sins before the Cross. The SIXTH reality about Hebrews 9:22 is that it is NOT about forgiveness OF SINS. The phrase 'of sins' are not even on the end of that verse as I mentioned before. And SEVENTH, it is not even about forgiveness, period. Then the EIGHTH truth about Hebrews 9:22 is that the Greek word used for 'remission' is the word aphesis, and it had to do with the 'release' of the covenant. The NINTH truth is that the word 'release' was also concerning the release of the children of Israel from their bondage and captivity in Egypt. It represented the death of the Israelite's from their former life of bondage. This occurred when the water and the blood was sprinkled on the book of the covenant and upon the people. It symbolized their death and freedom FROM bondage. The TENTH reality is that the death of Jesus was to inaugurate the revelation of the new covenant of God with the entire world, and to reveal to mankind that they no longer have to be bound by that which religion has caused them to think in their mind. Jesus did not die FOR GOD because of sin. Jesus died for sin. God's holiness did not demand that Jesus be put to death. In spite of the fact that His death was a societal death, He freely laid down His life to expose and absorb the lies of religion (the main one being that God needed blood to be appeased), and then in His resurrection to reveal the truth which was always the truth.
Now, in Hebrews 9:26-28 the word 'sin' is mentioned, but only in reference to the sacrifice of Jesus and the 'PUTTING AWAY OF SIN' not the 'FORGIVING OF SIN'. It is in reference to the freedom and liberation FROM sin, as in aphesis, aphiemi and apoulo, rather than charizomai. Mankind was always forgiven (charizonai) by the Father. Therefore, when we see words such as 'forgiven' and 'remission' let us discern the difference between being liberated FROM and made free FROM, rather than the forgiveness OF sin (charizomai), which we have always had. If we have always had forgiveness from the Father, then He certainly did not need the shed blood of Jesus in order to forgive us. It is interesting that WE do not need blood to forgive someone who has wronged us, yet we have believed and taught that God needed blood to forgive us. If someone has spent 30 years in prison and is finally released and told: "You are now forgiven" that is not forgiveness, because the dude has paid his just dues! If the Father had to be paid off by the blood of Jesus, is that forgiveness? Absolutely not. If someone owes me money and I forgive or release them of the debt, that is forgiveness; however, if someone pays their debt for them, it is not forgiveness on my part, because I have my money. Thank the Lord a people are learning to interpret the Word by the Spirit and through the lens of how Jesus revealed the love of the Father in everything that He did and said.
