Multitudes of Christians have a narrow view of what Jesus accomplished on the cross. They see only that payment for our sins was achieved through Christ’s crucifixion. They fail completely to see the far greater work that was achieved by the cross – that not only did our Lord pay the penalty for our sins by the cross, but that HE ALSO FREED US FROM OUR SINS by the cross! “For He (God the Father) has made Him (on the cross) to be sin for us, who knew no sin, THAT WE MIGHT BE MADE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM” (See 2 Corinthians 5:21). “(Jesus) gave Himself for our sins, THAT HE MIGHT DELIVER US FROM THIS PRESENT EVIL WORLD, according to the will of God and our Father” (See Galatians 1:4). Yes, deliver us from this PRESENT evil world, deliver us NOW from any and all sin! “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts” (See Galatians 5:24). When Christ died, I DIED, TOO!
The apostle Paul wasn’t merely being melodramatic when he wrote, “I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me, and the (victorious) life I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me” (See Galatians 2:20). Jesus Christ living in you will keep you from all sin, will give you the victory over every temptation, but this is accomplished only by faith in Jesus Christ. (See I Corinthians 10:13). If you don’t believe Christ can do this, He can’t as He only operates in the arena of faith. Without faith you cannot please Him, and without faith you will never have the victory over sin. You will continue sinning till your dying day. It will then be YOUR death that frees you from sin, not your Lord’s death, and that is a diabolical twisting of the truth and nullifying of the cross! God help you to see that.
“But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” (See Galatians 6:14). Are you dead to the world’s allurements, attractions, pulls and temptations, or are you a live wire ever giving in to temptation after temptation, sinning daily in thought, word and deed????
Your Lord died to give you the more abundant life. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, whosoever commits sin is the servant (slave) of sin…If the Son shall therefore make you free (from sin), you shall be free indeed” (See John 8:34-36). That “other” Jesus Paul warns us about is utterly unable to free you from sin. In fact, that imposter Christ cannot even forgive your sins! (See 2 Corinthians 11:1-15). Multitudes of believers are going to learn too late that they were duped into following and believing that “other” Jesus.
Christ’s Aged Servant (Galatians 1:10-12),
Donald Wiley