{"id":1544,"date":"2015-05-18T13:36:43","date_gmt":"2015-05-18T12:36:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.manual4life.org\/en\/?p=1544"},"modified":"2015-07-20T15:58:59","modified_gmt":"2015-07-20T14:58:59","slug":"significance-cross-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/delevensschool.org\/en\/significance-cross-1\/","title":{"rendered":"The significance of the cross (1)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Jesus\u2019 death on the cross is of life-changing importance for mankind.The significance of the cross is not completely elaborated in this study, but a few facets are mentioned as an appendix to the study <a title=\"Conversion\" href=\"http:\/\/www.manual4life.org\/en\/conversion\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u2018Conversion\u2019<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Jesus said:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except <strong>through<\/strong> me. (John 14:6)<\/em><br \/>\n(<strong>through = \u2018dia\u2019<\/strong> in Greek: literally <strong>by passing through Me<\/strong>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Paul wrote:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world <strong>to save sinners<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0 (1 Timothy 1:15)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>As a consequence of Jesus having died for mankind on the cross:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>He (God) has <strong>rescued<\/strong> us from the dominion of darkness and <strong>brought<\/strong> us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the <strong>forgiveness of sins<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0 (Colossians 1:13-14)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>When Jesus died, after a life in complete obedience to His Father, He brought about in the spiritual world:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Deliverance from the power of Satan.<\/li>\n<li>Justification by faith.<\/li>\n<li>Forgiveness of sins.<\/li>\n<li>Release from the curse of the law.<\/li>\n<li>Deliverance from the law.<\/li>\n<li>The blessing of God.<\/li>\n<li><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Delivered from the dominion of Satan.<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The devil tried to lure Jesus into disobeying the Father\u2019s commission in many ways. Jesus remained obedient to His commission however, even to the horrible death on the cross.<br \/>\nJesus never allowed Himself to be seduced by Satan and succeeded\u00a0&#8211; as a human too\u00a0&#8211; in standing above Satan in authority.<\/p>\n<p>Jesus died thus, after a sinless life, \u2026<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u2026 so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death.\u00a0\u00a0 (Hebrews 2:14)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>And just before His ascension, when He returned to the Father, He was able to say:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em><strong>All authority<\/strong> in heaven and on earth has been given to me.\u00a0\u00a0 (Matthew 28:18)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The devil is intent upon the destruction of mankind and wants to keep man away from God for ever.<br \/>\nJesus promises eternal life in the presence of God to everyone who believes in Him however.<br \/>\nHe said:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him (God) who sent me <strong>has eternal life<\/strong> and will not be judged but has crossed over from <strong>death to life<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0 (John 5:24)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Justified by faith.<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>God is holy and can have no relationship with people who are disobedient to Him.<br \/>\nThat is why no-one can earn the right to be allowed to enter into God\u2019s presence by himself.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins.\u00a0\u00a0 (Ecclesiastes 7:20)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Everyone is dependent upon the love of God, who is gracious towards those who believe in His Son Jesus-Christ.<br \/>\nPaul writes:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified <strong>freely<\/strong> by his grace <strong>through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0 (Romans 3:23-24)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p><em>For we maintain that a person is <strong>justified by faith<\/strong> apart from the works of the law.\u00a0\u00a0 (Romans 3:28)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p><em>For it is by grace you have been saved (literally: For grace is saving), <strong>through faith<\/strong> &#8211; and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift (present) of God.\u00a0\u00a0 (Ephesians 2:8)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Forgiveness of sins.<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>When Jesus appeared to the apostle Paul He gave him the commission:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>I am sending you to them (the nations) to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive <strong>forgiveness of sins \u2026 by faith in me<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0 (Acts 26:18)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>This forgiveness of sins became possible because Jesus took the punishment for the sins upon Himself, substitutionally, by His death on the cross, as it is written:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>But when Christ came as high priest \u2026 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by <strong>his own blood<\/strong>, thus <strong>obtaining eternal redemption<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0 (Hebrews 9:11-12)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The reconciliation between God and mankind, which Jesus brought about in this way, was depicted symbolically every year for many centuries, in the sacrifices brought during the feast of the Great Day of Atonement.<br \/>\nTwo sacrifices were made on that day, i.e. a <strong>sacrifice for sin<\/strong> and a <strong>burnt offering<\/strong>.<br \/>\nThe symbolism of <a title=\"Studies in preparation\" href=\"http:\/\/www.manual4life.org\/en\/studies-preparation\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u2018The Great Day of Atonement\u2019<\/span><\/a> is explained fully in a separate study.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>The first sacrifice, a sacrifice for sin.<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\nDuring the course of the year the sacrifice for sin consisted of one animal and the person bringing the offering laid his hand on the sacrificial animal\u2019s head, thus transferring his sins to the animal.<br \/>\nOn the Great Day of Atonement the sacrifice for sin consisted of <strong>two male goats<\/strong> however.<\/p>\n<p>No hands, thus <strong>no<\/strong> sins, were laid on the <strong>first male goat<\/strong> during the Great Day of Atonement.<br \/>\nThis male goat was <strong>sinless<\/strong> therefore &#8211; a <strong>symbol of Jesus<\/strong>, who lived without sinning.<br \/>\nThis male goat was <strong>slaughtered<\/strong> &#8211; <strong>an image of Jesus<\/strong> who died substitutionally on the cross.<br \/>\nThe high priest then brought the blood of this male goat, the sinless blood, before God in the Holy of Holies. This is the image of a person who is allowed by faith to enter into the presence of God, because the blood He shows is sinless.<br \/>\nThis blood symbolises <a title=\"Where is the soul to be found\" href=\"http:\/\/www.manual4life.org\/en\/soul-found\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">the soul<\/span><\/a> <strong>that is cleansed by the blood of Jesus<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Hands <strong>were<\/strong> laid on the head of the <strong>second male goat<\/strong>, whereby all the sins of the people were transferred to the head of the animal.<br \/>\nThe sins that were thus laid on the animal were \u2026<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u2026 the sins the people had committed in ignorance.\u00a0\u00a0 (Hebrews 9:7)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>After that, this male goat was brought away to the desert to die.<br \/>\nThese sins were not made public before God\u2019s throne therefore, but \u2018died\u2019 in the desert, in oblivion.<\/p>\n<p>This second male goat is the <strong>image of Jesus<\/strong>, \u2026<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u2026 He himself bore <strong>our sins<\/strong> in his <strong>body<\/strong> on the cross, so that we might <strong>die to sins<\/strong> and live for righteousness.\u00a0\u00a0 (1 Peter 2:24)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Everyone who believes in Jesus and turns his back on his old life, and is converted, may know that God sponges his past clean.<br \/>\nGod passes over the sins of the past, when we did not yet know Him.<br \/>\nThese have been brought to the desert, to oblivion, because God does not even want to know about these sins.<br \/>\nBelievers may make a new start in life, by faith in Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n<p>If, when doing so, certain sins from the past rise up in their heart or thoughts, it is good to confess them before God, or to admit possible faults to others, to confess to them, thus restoring relationships.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>The second sacrifice, a burnt offering.<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\nWhereas the sacrifice for sin made atonement for the past, from the time of \u2018ignorance\u2019, the burnt offering is necessary to make atonement for the sins committed in the time when one knows better, or should do.<br \/>\nThis is why a ram was sacrificed as a <strong>burnt offering<\/strong> &#8211;\u00a0 also an <strong>image of Jesus<\/strong>, \u2026<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u2026 He offered himself.\u00a0\u00a0 (Hebrews 7:27)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>God regards a person as sinless through his conversion.<br \/>\nOnce released from the faults of the past, God expects the person converted to concentrate on the \u2018Handbook for Life\u2019, the Bible.<br \/>\nIt is only from His Word that we can learn how God intended life to be and what is good or not good, according to His norms, and \u2026<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives (the time one still has to live on earth) for evil human desires, <strong>but rather for the will of<\/strong> God.\u00a0\u00a0 (1 Peter 4:2)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>However, even for those who believe in Jesus, it does not always appear possible to live according to His will.<br \/>\nEvery believer \u2018stumbles\u2019 in spite of his good intentions and the fact that he really does know better.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em><strong>If anyone, then, knows<\/strong> the good they ought to do and doesn\u2019t do it, it is sin for them.\u00a0\u00a0 (James 4:17)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Thanks to Jesus there is also forgiveness for his \u2018stumbling\u2019, these sins, for:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>If anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father &#8211; Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. <strong>He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0 (1 John 2:1-2)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p><em><strong>If we walk in the light, as he is in the light<\/strong>, we have fellowship with one another, and <strong>the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0 (1 John 1:7)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p><em>If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.\u00a0\u00a0 (1 John 1:8)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p><em><strong>If we confess our sins<\/strong>, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.\u00a0\u00a0 (1 John 1:9)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Free from the curse of the law.<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>When Moses read the law of God to the people of Israel he proclaimed a series of blessings, on Gods behalf, over those who would live according to the law, but a series of curses too, over whoever would not live according to the law.<br \/>\nAs it is written:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>Cursed is anyone who does not uphold the words of this law by carrying them out.\u00a0 \u00a0(Deuteronomy 27:26 )<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Anyone who believes in Jesus Christ will discover that the \u2018Handbook for Life\u2019, the Bible, gives correct advice concerning life.<br \/>\nHowever, since no-one is capable of living completely according to this \u2018Handbook\u2019, believers should also lie under the curse.<\/p>\n<p>However:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em><strong>Christ redeemed us from the curse<\/strong> of the law by becoming a curse for us, <a title=\"Deuteronomy 21:22-23\" href=\"http:\/\/www.manual4life.org\/en\/deuteronomy-2122-23\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">for it is written<\/span><\/a>: \u201cCursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 (Galatians 3:13)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Believers are reconciled to God, not because they fulfil the law, but because they put their trust in Jesus Christ, who is the sacrifice of atonement.<br \/>\nMoreover, God forgives those who \u2018stumble\u2019 as they go through life and He helps everyone get up again who desires to live according to His will.<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Free from the law.<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Jesus did not only take the curse of the law upon Himself and bring about forgiveness of sin on the cross of Golgotha. He put the law out of action as well.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>For he himself (Jesus) is our peace, who \u2026 has destroyed \u2026 the dividing wall of hostility (between God and mankind), by <strong>setting aside in his flesh<\/strong> the <strong>law<\/strong> \u2026\u00a0\u00a0 (Ephesians 2:14-15)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u2026 He (God) forgave us all our sins, <strong>having cancelled the charge<\/strong> of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he (God) has taken it away, <strong>nailing it to the cross<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0 (Colossians 2:13-14)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Believers are free from the law through faith in Jesus Christ, for:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>&#8230; sin is not charged against anyone\u2019s account where there is no law.\u00a0\u00a0 (Romans 5:13)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u2026 And <strong>where there is no law there is no transgression<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0 (Romans 4:15)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>If God, through faith in Jesus Christ, forgives every transgression of the law, the law can no longer be quoted as evidence to condemn someone.<br \/>\nEvery person will be judged on the basis of his or her belief in Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em><strong>Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0 (Romans 10:4)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>The significance of the law.<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\nThe statements made above might be construed as suggesting that Jesus Christ abolished the law.<br \/>\nHowever, the whole of the law and the teaching of the Old Testament, \u2018<strong>The<\/strong> Handbook for Life\u2019, remains &#8211; not only for Christians.<br \/>\nThis is explained further in the studies:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a title=\"Matthew 5:17 \u2013 Jesus has fulfilled the law\" href=\"http:\/\/www.manual4life.org\/en\/matthew-517-jesus-fulfilled-law\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Matthew 5:17\u00a0&#8211; Jesus has fulfilled the law.<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a title=\"Romans: 13:10 \u2013 Love is the fulfilment of the law\" href=\"http:\/\/www.manual4life.org\/en\/romans-1310-love-fulfilment-law\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Romans 13:10\u00a0&#8211; Love is the fulfilment of the law.<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a title=\"Studies in preparation\" href=\"http:\/\/www.manual4life.org\/en\/studies-preparation\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Proverbs 14:12\u00a0&#8211; There is a way that appears to be right.<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">The blessing of God.<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>David wrote in Psalm 103:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.\u00a0 \u00a0(Psalm 103:13)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>God, as the perfect Father, wants to do much more than simply forgive sins.<br \/>\nPaul writes:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with <strong>every spiritual blessing<\/strong> in Christ.\u00a0\u00a0 (Ephesians 1:3)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>God blesses every disciple of Jesus Christ with <strong>EVERY<\/strong> spiritual blessing.<br \/>\n<strong>EVERY<\/strong> spiritual blessing from the heavenly realms can now also be received, in this earthly life, <strong>by trusting Jesus, in faith<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Print this study as a PDF document:<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.manual4life.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/The-significance-of-the-cross-1.pdf\">The significance of the cross (1).<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Jesus\u2019 death on the cross is of life-changing importance for mankind.The significance of the cross is not completely elaborated in this study, but a few facets are mentioned as an appendix to the study \u2018Conversion\u2019. Jesus said: I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/delevensschool.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1544"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/delevensschool.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/delevensschool.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/delevensschool.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/delevensschool.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1544"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/delevensschool.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1544\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1727,"href":"https:\/\/delevensschool.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1544\/revisions\/1727"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/delevensschool.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1544"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/delevensschool.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1544"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/delevensschool.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1544"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}