“Where there is no Law, there is no sin” (Rom. 4:15).  The Scriptures assure us that the Law not only exists bit must be obeyed in order to inherit eternal life.  God divides mankind into two groups–Israelites (His chosen people) and Gentiles (all non-Israelites).  Both Israelites and Gentiles have sinned: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).  What is the result of sinning (breaking God’s Law–1 Jn. 3:4)?  The answer is found in Romans 5:12: “Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world, and DEATH (resulted) because of sin.  And so the DEATH SENTENCE was pronounced upon all men, because ALL HAVE SINNED (have broken the Law).”  “For the WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH” (Rom. 6:23).  Note that all HAVE (past tense) sinned.  Contrary to universal opinion, God does not say that all MUST sin.  This lie is one of Satan’s major “truths” he uses keep church people in the sin mode and under his control.

Eternal death is the penalty for sin.  Recall that Jesus told the rich man that he could not be saved (would die eternally) because of ONE SIN.  God is man’s judge.  He is also the Author of the Law by which He judges.  Satan serves as the prosecuting attorney who brings charges against sinning (Law-breaking) man.  Satan hands God a written INDICTMENT against the sinner which reveals which commandments he has broken, thereby earning the indictment.  The Judge declares the sinner guilty.  The death penalty automatic (Rom. 6:23).  God pronounces the death sentence.  But the sinner does not have to die for his sins.  Man’s death sentence can be reversed IF he fully understands his guilt, confesses his sins, truly repents of them, accepts the substitutionary death of Christ for his sins and vows to obey Him for the rest of his life.  Jesus appears as a Witness for the defendant.  He tells the Judge to destroy the death-producing INDICTMENT against the sinner, that HE WILL DIE IN HIS STEAD.  The indictment is then cancelled.  The former sinner is now free to live.  The ultimate question involves HOW MAN, HAVING BEEN JUSTIFIED (MADE RIGHTEOUS) WILL LIVE THE REST OF HIS LIFE.  Incredibly, the Lord and the church have two pole-opposite answers to that question.  A true convert will vow to live in strict accordance to God’s Law until Christ’s return when he will receive eternal life (Mat. 10:22).  The false convert claims that his “salvation experience” has given him the right to sin and get away with it.  In fact, he claims to be unable to refrain from sinning due to Adam’s miracle.  Someone is dead wrong.

It was OUR BREAKING OF THE LAW that brought about the death of Jesus Christ.  DO WE NOW DARE TO BELIEVE THAT WE ARE FREE TO BREAK THE LAW AGAIN, AND AGAIN, AND AGAIN …. ? ARE WE NOW FREE TO “DO DISPITE TO THE GRACE WHEREIN WE STAND” BY BREAKING GOD’S GOOD LAW–AGAIN?  Paul asks this question in Romans 6:1: “What shall we say then?  Shall we continue to sin (break the Law) so that grace (undeserved pardon) may awarded us again, and again, and again?  GOD FORBID.”  Did Christ die to remove our PAST SINS so that we can SIN AGAIN, AND AGAIN, AND AGAIN, AD INFINITUM?  Catholics and Protestants shout a resounding “YES!” then use Collossians 2:14 as “proof” that once-forbidden sin has not only been declared acceptable, but is viewed by God as Christ’s righteousness on display.  Let us read the focal passage in order to see exactly what God said about the effect of Christ’s death.  Let us set aside what our false prophets have told us and allow the Lord speak to us.  Let us carefully STUDY the Lord’s fine print in order to hear His Words as revealed to us through His Holy Spirit.

“Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was contrary to us, and (He–God) took it out of the way (by) nailing it to His (Christ’s) cross.”  We know from the Scriptures quoted in the previous postings that the Law was not destroyed, and that it must be obeyed.  So what was nailed to the cross? OUR SINS IN THE BODY OF JESUS CHRIST.  Jesus “bore our sins in His body on the tree” (1 Pet. 2:24).  In 2 Corinthians 5:21 Paul states that Jesus actually BECAME SIN as He absorbed the sins of mankind.  In that God cannot look upon sin, HE TURNED HIS BACK ON HIS SON as He hung in the air suspended by nails.  For this reason Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Mat. 27:46).   God had forsaken Him because HE WAS SIN, having been made sin by the sins of mankind.  AND PROFESSING CHRISTENDOM BELIEVES THAT BECAUSE OF CHRIST’S SUFFERING HE (MAN) IS NOW FREE TO DO THE VERY THING (SIN) THAT CAUSED THAT SUFFERING!!   What lunacy.  What Satanic gibberish.  Is there no limit to the depth the reprobate church will descend?  Her answer is, “NO, THERE IS NO LIMIT TO WHICH WE WILL GO IN ORDER TO SATISFY OUR CRAVING FOR AND ADDICTION TO SIN.  TO SIN IS OUR GOD-AWARDED RIGHT MADE AVAILABLE TO US BY THE DEATH OF JESUS CHRIST.

Exactly what was nailed to that cross when Jesus absorbed our sins?  THE INDICTMENT WE HAVE EARNED BY SINNING.  Our indictment dictated our death.  It was the indictment that was taken out of the way.  It was not the Law that was contrary to us, but rather the indictment that was leveled against us because of our breaking of the Law.  The Law, Paul tells us, is “holy, just and good.”  We prove our love for Christ by obeying that Law.  Jesus fulfilled that Law by obeying it, thereby earning Him the right to abide in the Father as a man and throughout eternity. We abide in Him ONLY by obeying His sin-defining Law.  To break it brings on the death penalty.

Anciently, when a prisoner was put to death his crime was written and placed above his head, as was the “crime” of which Jesus was guilty.  The written statement of crime was his INDICTMENT which could be removed only by death.  Death was the DEBT the criminal owed to the state.  Our failure to obey the Ten Commandments (headlines) and their explanatory instructions (fine print) brought about our indictment.  No indictment=no crime=no punishment.  Christ’s death cancelled the indictment, not the Law.  THE “HANDWRITING OF ORDINANCES” IS THE INDICTMENT LEVELED AGAINST US BECAUSE OF OUR PAST SINS.  THAT INDICTMENT AGAINST US WAS DONE AWAY WITH BY CHRIST’S DEATH–IF WE OBEY GOD’S LAW.  IF WE CONTINUE TO SIN WE ARE VIEWED FROM ON HIGH AS WORSE THAN THOSE WHO HAVE NEVER ACKNOWLEDGED GOD BECAUSE WE KNOW THE TRUTH.    

True conversion brings about God’s forgiveness of our PAST sins (Rom. 3:25).  Afterwards, each new sin brings on a new indictment, for which CHRIST MUST BE SPIRITUALLY CRUCIFIED–AGAIN.  This is brought out in Hebrews 6:6 where Paul is writing about church people who continue to sin, stating that they “CRUCIFY CHRIST AGAIN” by sinning again.  Note that he is writing to the church about church members who have “fallen away” from God.  They could not have fallen away from God if they had never been with Him.  Those who continue to sin after conversion have fallen away from Him.  His grace no longer applies to them in that they have rejected God’s way and chosen Satan’s way.  Satan has convinced them that, though they obey him, they are in reality God’s people.  Recall again that the rich man was denied any chance for salvation because of ONE SIN (Mk. 10:21).  How plain are the Scriptures that tell us that in order to inherit eternal life we must remove all sin from our lives.  Recall that Jesus told the forgiven prostitute to “SIN NO MORE.”  To join Him in the kingdom we must “walk as He walked,” “purify ourselves as He is pure” and “overcome as He overcame” in this life in order to live with Him in the next life (1 Jn. 2:6; 3:3/ Rev. 3:21).  THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, WHOSE WORD IS TRUTH (JN. 7:13,14).  IN ORDER TO ENTER PARADISE WE MUST “COME TO THE MEASURE OF THE STATURE OF THE FULNESS OF CHRIST (Eph. 4:13).  L.J.