People who live inside of sin
Adam came to know good and evil after eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that God had prohibited. Because of that, people started to like good and hate evil, and they try to do good instead of evil if they could. Also, people try to not commit sin because they believe that there has to be a cost for committing sin. Regardless, people live committing sins different from their wants.
Even though some people see others who suffer from gambling or drug, they still fall into it and are not able to escape throughout their lives. There are also people who cannot control covetousness and commit theft, and end up in jail. Some other people are dragged by alcohol and end their lives after living miserable lives. It is a reality that people live their lives within the swamp of sin that they do not want.
After committing sin, people try to not commit sin again, but they actually do not know why they commit sin. Just like how you need to know the cause of illness before you treat it, it is more important to know why people commit sin rather than having the will not to commit sin.
Why people commit sin
If people commit sin although they hate it, then we know that it is not ourselves that is the main agent to commit sin. Just as how a child, holding hands with his mom, has to follow wherever the mom wants to go, weaker force is always ruled over by a stronger force. If people commit sin even though they do not want to, then we have to know that it is not us who commit sins, but an existence stronger than us is making us to commit sins.
“For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.” (Romans 7:15)
Apostle Paul paid attention to himself not doing good that he wants, but committing evil that he hates. As he saw how he was not able to do something that he wanted to do, he realized that he has no power to do good.
“For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.” (Romans 7:18)
Furthermore, he saw himself committing evil that he did not want to do, and realized an amazing fact that he has sin inside of him, which is the main agent to make him commit evil.
“Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.” (Romans 7:20)
Different from people who try hard to not commit sin, Apostle Paul examined closely at himself, like a mechanic who examines a broken car closely. As a result, he was able to realize that sin that dwells inside of him makes him to commit evil, and that he can never overcome it.
“I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.” (Romans 7:21-23)
When did sin enter inside of men?
When God created first man, Adam, He made him without sin. But if sin dwells inside of men, then it is clear that sin entered from outside. Then when did sin enter inside of men?
“And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” (Genesis 2:16-17)
God told Adam to not eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. However, Eve, whom God gave to Adam as an help meet, fell into serpent’s temptation. The serpent deceived her saying, ‘if you eat the fruit, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be like gods, knowing good and evil,” and she ate the forbidden fruit and gave it to her husband as well. The Bible writes, when Adam disobeyed God and ate the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil given by Eve, that’s when sin entered the world.
“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world…” (Romans 5:12)
The world that this verse talks about is not simply the world where people live in. It is because the devil, the main agent of sin, was already present in the world even before Adam committed sin. Then, from the verse, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son” (John 3:16), we can know that the ‘world’ represents men. Eventually, it means that sin entered inside of people because of one man, Adam. When Adam committed sin, all men were inside of Adam, so all people committed sin before God. As a result, sin entered into all people.
“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” (Romans 5:12)
What it means by ‘sin entered into men’
Adam eating the fruit of knowledge of good and evil means he disobeyed God who said to not eat it. In another words, it means Adam obeyed Satan. Before committing sin, Adam and Eve belonged to God and they obeyed Him. At that time, only the Word of God was dwelling in their hearts, so they lived peaceful and happy lives, away from suffering and fear given by Satan. As they disobeyed God and left Him, they belonged to the devil. This is the original sin that the Bible talks about.
People who belonged to devil closed their hearts towards God and opened their hearts to Satan. People closed their ears to the voice of God and started to receive Satan’s voice. From then, devil started to put all his evil things inside of people’s hearts. Eventually, people were filled with all evil things put in by devil, and this is what the Bible means when it says ‘sin entered into men’.
That’s why Jesus, who sees the core of people’s heart, said, “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.” (Mark 21~23).
Devil who works through people’s flesh
“the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him;” (John 13:2)
Through this word, we can clearly know that the devil puts evil thoughts inside of people’s hearts. Judas Iscariot also had the heart wanting to do good, just like other people. He did not have any heart to sell Jesus in the beginning, but the devil put in the heart to betray Jesus. First, the devil put in the heart to love money inside of Judas Iscariot, and through that, he made him to sell Jesus over thirty pieces of silver. Likewise, the devil arouses fleshly desires inside of people’s hearts, and makes them to follow it to commit sins.
“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” (1 John 2:16)
Devil uses people’s flesh to make them commit sins. After Adam and Eve committed sin, God cursed the serpent who made them to commit sin, and made him to go on his belly and eat dust all the days of his life. That’s why the devil always tempts people through their flesh made out of dust. As long as the devil is present, fleshly desires arouses unceasingly, regardless of people’s will.
“And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:” (Genesis 3:14)
Devil who blocks people from going out to God
Just as how there was the serpent who was behind in Adam and Eve committing sin before God, there also was the devil behind Judas Iscariot in selling Jesus. But the devil always hides himself so that people will not recognize his true colors. People who cannot sense the devil, condemn themselves every time they commit evil, thinking it was themselves who committed evil.
We can know this fact through the death of Judas Iscariot. Judas Iscariot committed suicide, and that means that he condemned himself. This is how devil always works. Devil puts evil hearts into people and makes them to commit sin. When people commit sin, the devil condemns them and makes them to take responsibility for that sin. Then, he gives fear into people to think God will punish them, and makes them unable to go out to God.
Not only that, the devil makes people’s heart to fall into what flesh likes, such as drugs, gambling, alcohol, sex, sports, etc., so that they will not think about God or their souls. Devil always deceives people likewise, and ties people to himself so that they will not go out to God.
The end thereof are the ways of death
While people follow the fleshly desires, they taste pleasure for a moment, and the Bible calls it ‘pleasures of sin’ (Hebrews 11:25). The Bible compares those people who only live following after the fleshly desires to a young man who gets deceived by a strange woman and gets dragged to go sleep with her.
“He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks; Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.” (Proverbs 7:22~23)
Many people are deceived by the devil and are walking the path leading to eternal destruction, but they do not realize it. Those who are walking that path will eventually fall to the eternal lake of fire at the end of the path. God calls that path, ‘the end thereof are the ways of death.’ (Proverbs 14:12). That’s why Jesus said, “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17). Repentance is when people who were in the ways of death turn around to the ways of life that leads them to Kingdom of God.
Devil who will be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone
Devil gathers all his wisdom to tie people to himself, so that they will not return to God. When we know the devil’s identity, then we will know why he is tempting people.
“And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” (Revelation 12:9)
The great dragon that the Bible talks about represents the old serpent who deceived Eve at the Garden of Eden, and he is also called Satan or the devil. The devil which is also called Satan was cast out into the earth from Heaven together with his angels because of his arrogance. When God made Satan, He gave him great power, dignity, and beauty.
“Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.” (Ezekiel 28:12)
However, the devil became arrogant due to his beauty, and corrupted his wisdom by reason of his brightness [Ezekiel 28:17]. Ultimately, Satan bears arrogant heart that he should not even think about.
“For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.” (Isaiah 14:13~14)
God saw the arrogance within Satan, whose name is Lucifer, and casted him out into the earth.
“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!
how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!” (Isaiah 14:12)
Eventually, it was decided for Satan to be brought down to hell[Isaiah 14:15], and his end is written in Revelation chapter 20 verse 10.
“And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”
This is the identity of the devil and his end. The devil had an angry heart towards God who made him to enter the eternal lake of fire. He tries to tempt people that God loves to take them to hell with him so that he can revenge God. Since he is so arrogant that he cannot return himself to God, his cruel will toward people will never change.
Devil who made people to leave God
In order to make people go to eternal destruction together with him, the devil had to first make people who belonged to God to leave God to belong to him. In order to do that, he needed to make people know about the law. If people know the law, then they realize what sin is. If people realize what sin is, then the devil can deceive people by saying, “God will punish that sin.” He also knew that when people become afraid of God’s punishment, they will leave God by themselves. That’s why the devil wanted Adam and Eve to eat the fruit of knowledge of good and evil to know what’s good and evil.
When Adam and Eve ate the fruit of knowledge of good and evil and became aware of it, they started to look at themselves with judgment of good and evil. As the result, they considered their nakedness as problem, which never was before, and hid away with fear of God.
“And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” (Genesis 3:10)
All what devil did was to have Adam and Eve aware of good and evil. But they feared God because of it and left God from their hearts. Since God already knew that they will become like that when they know the law, He told them to not eat the fruit of knowledge of good and evil. God did not want people to be aware of the law. That’s why God met with people without law from the beginning.
Satan was a murderer from the beginning
Adam disobeyed the Word of God and ate the fruit of knowledge of good and evil. As a result, he feared God and departed Him. This is the death which the Bible talks about. We say a person is dead when one’s flesh and spirit are separated. Adam departed from God because of sin and was separated from God. This is the death which God told Adam.
In the word ‘death’, there is a meaning of “separation.” Adam and Eve’s departing from God is the spiritual death. Therefore, the Bible calls Satan who caused Adam to depart from God, “a murderer from the beginning” (John 8:44). Eventually, people who were deceived by Satan departed from God and belonged to Satan.
This is why Jesus said to Nicodemus, the Pharisees, who came to see Him, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). This Word means people who departed from God have to return to God. After Adam committed sin, people belong to devil and was born as sons of devil (John 8:44). People have to return to God and be born again as the sons of God, and Jesus called this “being born again.”
God who prepared Jesus Christ before the creation of the world
God had to bring men, who suffer from departing God, back to Him. To do this, God already prepared Jesus Christ before the creation of the world.
“According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will” (Ephesians 1:4-5)..
God prepared Jesus before the creation of the world. This means, He already knew that men, who God will create, will corrupt, and men, who departed from God, cannot return to God by themselves. Even though God prepared Jesus, it’s not easy to accept Jesus for the people who are trained by Satan. People try to go in front of God by living as a good person, who tries to not to commit sin rather than to believe in Jesus. Therefore, God first had to let people know that they cannot do well. People cannot go in front of God because they are locked into their thoughts that they have to do well.
For by the law is the knowledge of sin
The Bible writes that people want to do good, but they cannot do good. But people believe that even though they have evil inside of them, they also have good inside as well. That’s why they think they are capable of doing good if they try. Because of these wrong thoughts, people do not realize their evil selves, even if they see themselves constantly committing sins.
“The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” (Psalms 14:2,3)
God said there is none that does good, no, not one. However, people do not realize this word. Some even think that God said this without knowing people correctly. That’s why God needed to give the law to people. Since God’s law is good, evil people can never keep the law. Through that, God wanted people to realize that they have no power to do good. Also, He wanted them to realize that sin, which is the main agent to make them commit evil, dwells inside of them.
“Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” (Romans 3:20)
How to read the law
People often describe the law as the mirror to reflect people’s heart. And that is true. It’s not possible to know how dirty and evil people’s hearts are unless you go through the law. Just as how you can see a faraway object through a telescope, and you can see very small objects with microscope, you can see people’s hearts through the law.
“What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.” (Romans 7:7)
Through the law, ‘Thou shalt not covet,’ we realize that we have covetousness inside of us, and that it is sin. As we see how we have the heart to commit adultery through the law, ‘Thou shalt not commit adultery,’ we can see that we have the heart to want to commit theft through the law, ‘Thou shalt not steal.’ Then, we can realize how much evil our heart is filled with. If people can see their heart, which is, ‘deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked,’ through the law, then they are reading and understanding the law correctly.
People’s hearts are exactly the same. You cannot say someone’s heart is better than others. The evil things inside of other people are also inside of me, and my evil things are also inside of others as well. That’s why we also have the heart of the woman who was caught committing adultery. Just as how your face looks exactly the same when it’s reflected through a mirror, our hearts also reflect each other.
“As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man.” (Proverbs 27:19)
Hypocrite
Even though there is no good inside of people, to those who think and act as if they have something good, the law calls them hypocrites. The law closes those people’s mouths, and shows them that they can never escape from the judgment of God. The Bible says, even if you go against one law, you are ‘under the curse’ (Galatians 3:10). The law lets everyone know that all men are under the curse.
There are people who teaches other people to keep the law, which they cannot even keep themselves. Not only that they are deceiving themselves, but they are blocking people who are seeking God to not be able to go out to God. Jesus called those Pharisees who taught other people to keep the law, ‘generation of vipers.’ (Matthew 12:34)
“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.” (Matthew 23:25~27)
The law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ
The law adds even more sin to people instead of making them to not commit sin. When the law comes to people’s heart, then even those sins that seemed dead come back alive. That makes people to see how their hearts are filled with sinful things.
It was because of the law that the woman who was caught committing adultery was condemned and was treated as a sinner. Regardless of how that woman came to Jesus, it was the law who brought her to him. Eventually, the woman was able to meet with Jesus according to the law, and she received grace of escaping death through Jesus. Likewise, the law works to lead people to Jesus, and Jesus works to save people who come out to Him.
People who need savior
When you read John chapter 4, there is a woman of Samaria who shares conversation with Jesus by the well. We can know that this woman had been waiting for the Messiah, when you look into her conversation with Jesus.
“The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.” (John 4:25)
At the time when this woman met with Jesus, she was living with the sixth man, who was not her husband. It is clear that she had some kind of reason to draw water at noon, which is the time when no one comes due to the torching sun. People in town probably gossiped about her because she lived with many different men, and they probably gave her dirty looks. She also probably tried hard to not live a sinful life, until she met her sixth man. However, she could not overcome her desire. She deeply realized how dirty and evil her heart was, when she saw herself doing any kinds of evil for her desire. Since she could not have any expectation on herself, she could only search for the savior who can save her from sin and suffering.
Apostle Paul also could only search for the savior, when he saw himself not being able to overcome sin through the law.
“O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:24)
And I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach unto me
God saw people suffering from sin. That’s why He needed to solve the problem of sin that people were afraid of. God knew that no one could boldly come out to him, if otherwise.
“And their nobles shall be of themselves, and their governor shall proceed from the midst of them; and I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach unto me: for who is this that engaged his heart to approach unto me? saith the LORD.” (Jeremiah 30:21)
God prepared Jesus to solve the problem of people’s sin, and the Bible is the book written about Jesus. Even before Jesus came, the Old Testament wrote about Jesus to come. The New Testament wrote about how Jesus fulfilled the prophesies written in the Old Testament about Him on this earth.
“And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.” (Luke 24:44)
People who were present before Jesus came to this earth, believed in Him through prophesies of Jesus to come in the Old Testament. That’s why there are many parts in the Old Testament that writes about Jesus. Especially, the law Moses received from God on Mount Sinai is the shadow of Jesus to come. It explains in detail about how Jesus will wash our sins.
Sin Offering Within The Law
In the law of God, there are laws that tells you to do and not to do. However, there are also laws that tells you how you can wash away the sins you committed, which is the sin offering. If God did not include the sin offering within the law, then those who did not keep the commandments, would have no way of washing their sins and they would not have been able to go before the Holy God.
When an Israelite has a blemish because he committed sin and he realizes his sins, then in order to wash his sin, he would take a female goat without blemish and go to the tabernacle, just as it is recorded in the law. At the tabernacle, the Israelite would then lay his hands on the head of the goat and passed over his sin to the goat. The Israelite that passed over his sin would be free from sin and the goat that received the sin had to be killed to wash away the sin. Then the priest would get the blood of the goat in a bowl and dip his finger in the blood to cover the horns of the alter. The remaining blood, he poured it on the bottom of the alter. Afterwards, the priest took the skin and the fat of the goat and burns it in the alter and like this the Israelite receives the forgiveness of his sin.
In Hebrews Chapter 9 Verse 22, it says “…and without shedding of blood is no remission.” Therefore, there had to be the death of a clean animal to pay for the price of the sin.
To “Atone” means to pay the price of sin for another. Therefore, the goat that payed the price of the person’s sin with death is called “Offering for sin” and to make the atonement for the sin is called “The Sin Offering.” Whenever the Israelites committed sins, they made their sins clean by giving The Sin Offering.
Day of Atonement
God also allowed an offering that would wash away a year of sins of the whole congregation of Israel in a day. This offering was different from people washing their own sins. This offering was done in the tenth day of the seventh month. The high priest would be the representative of the whole congregation of Israel and washed his and the Israelites’ sins, which were committed for a year and became clean.
On this day, the high priest laid his hands on the young bull and passover his sins first. Then he killed the young bull and took the blood of it to the holy of holies. With his fingers, he sprinkled the blood seven times on the mercy seat on the east side and before the mercy seat. Like this he first cleansed himself from the year worth of sins.
The high priest, that has been made clean, passed over the sins of the whole congregation of Israel for a year, unto one of the two goats that was prepared for the sins of the Israelites. Afterwards, the high priest killed the goat and took the blood and did the same as before. He went into the holy of holies and sprinkled the blood on the east side and before the mercy seat.
The high priest came back out and took some of the blood of the young bull and some of the blood of the goat and put it on the horns of the alter all around. Then he sprinkled some of the blood with his finger seven times, cleansed it, and consecrated it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.
Afterwards, the high priest took the other live goat, which is for the Azazael (send away), and laid both his hands on the head of the live goat and passed over all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions unto the goat. Then the goat carried the sins of a year of the congregation of Israel and was sent away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man.
Then the high priest took the skin, meat and waste of the young bull and the goat, which were killed for the sins of the congregation of Israel, and burned it outside of the tabernacle. Like this, the high priest and the whole congregation of the Israel were cleansed from the sins they committed for a year.
However, even though on this day, the whole congregation of Israel became cleansed before God, humans who are always evil could only sin again. Therefore, the Israelites had to give this offering every year for them to be cleansed of their sins.
Jesus Christ that came as the Offering for Sin
The law was only the shadow of Jesus Christ. That’s why, the sin offering of the law was not able to make people eternally perfect.
“For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.” (Hebrews 10:1)
Therefore, we needed an offering that could make us eternally perfect once for all and that is Jesus Christ. Jesus was born through the Spirit, so different from us, he doesn’t have sins. That’s why, he did not have any blemish to be the offering of sin for us. Jesus came as the lamb of God to carry all of our sins. In the Offering for Sin in the law, the sheep or the goat carried the sins of the congregation of Israel. Likewise, God laid on Jesus the sin of the world.
“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.” (Isaiah 53:6)
Even John the Baptist that was sent to bear witness of the light witnessed Jesus, who is the light and said “…the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29) John the Baptist expressed the sins that were laid upon Jesus as “The Sin of the World.” The world is the time which men live in it. In other words, if there are no men in this world, then there will be no world. Therefore, the world started with Adam and the world will end when the last man on earth dies. If so, “The Sin of the World” is the sins of all the people in this world from Adam till the last man on earth. So God laid on Jesus the sins of all the people in this world.
Jesus did not only carry the sins of the Israelites, but all the people in the world. In other words, for those who believe or don’t believe God and even for the most dirty and evil person in the world, Jesus carried their sins. So if there is anyone who says they still have sin in their hearts, the person either don’t know that all their sins were laid upon Jesus or do not believe.
It is finished
Jesus took away the sin of the world and carried the cross to pay for the wage of sin, which is death, and He was taken to Mount Calvary, being whipped. Prophet Isaiah saw this in advance and recorded in the Bible.
“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:4,5)
Jesus was eventually crucified on the cross as it was written in the Bible, and He died shedding His blood for our sins. Ultimately, He shouted out loud and passed away.
“It is finished” (John 19:30)
It is God’s will for us to become holy, and Jesus came to this earth for that will. The will was not fulfilled before Jesus died on the cross. That’s why it was taught to pray like this before it was fulfilled: “Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10) But as Jesus died on the cross, God’s will has been fulfilled.
Not only did Jesus fulfill God’s will on the cross, He also fulfilled all the Words written about Him. He also fulfilled the demands of the law.
Demands of the Law
Law is the law of God. That’s why you can say that the demands of the law are also the demands of God. The law demands people to be holy.
“ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.” (Leviticus 11:45)
‘Holy’ that it talks about here is the state of not having any sin like God, and people become holy when they keep all the law. Then, just like the word that says, “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10), it is clear that sinful men cannot become holy by themselves. If men even go against one single law, then they cannot be holy. Then, the law demands curse from men, which is another demand of the law.
“Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them.” (Deuteronomy 27:26)
Then, since all the people in the world are not holy, they are under the curse of the law. Therefore, this is what it says in Galatians chapter 3 verse 10.
“For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.” (Galatians 3:10)
‘Holiness and Curse’. These are the demands of the law.
Jesus Christ, who fulfilled the demands of the law
Jesus washed all of our sins on the cross, and by making us holy, He fulfilled the demand of the law, ‘holiness’. He also received the curse of the law instead of us, and fulfilled all the demands of the law.
“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” (Galatians 3:13)
Although God gave us the law for us to realize sin and come back to Him, He needed to judge us according to the law since He gave it to us. But men cannot fulfill the demands of the law, so God fulfilled the demands of the law through His Son. Now, through Jesus, the law has nothing to demand on men anymore. That’s why Jesus abolished the law of commandments on the cross.
“Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances” (Ephesians 2:15)
Jesus abolished the law on the cross with His flesh and washed our sins of going against the law. He also freed us from law, sin, and punishment of sin, by receiving the punishment for us instead. Through Jesus, the devil lost all grounds to deceive people.
Torn Veil
When Jesus passed away on the cross, the veil that was covering the most holy place was torn from top to bottom. This veil was always covering the most holy place where holy God was present, because if people with sin enter, then they will be killed. Even the high priest who went inside once a year on the Day of Atonement, washed his sins before entering so that he would not be killed. However, since Jesus washed the sin of the world on the cross, there was no need for the veil to cover the most holy place any more. Since all men became clean from their sins, there was no reason for God to cover Himself with veil any longer.
“And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.” (Mark 15:37,38)
Finally, Jesus demolished the wall of sin that was blocking the relationship between us and God with his flesh, and He has opened up a new and living way for anyone to go out to God.
“Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh” (Hebrews 10:19,20)
New Covenant
Jesus fulfilled all works according to prophesies, washed all our sins on the cross, and God gave us a new promise. This promise is different from the first one that God made with the Israelites, when they came out of Egypt. The first promise is commonly called the ‘Old Testament’. This promise is indicating that if the Israelites give sin offering every time they go against the law, then they can receive forgiveness of sin. But there was a flaw to this first promise. The sin offering they gave with the blood of a lamb or a goat could only wash away sins they committed in the past, and not the sin they will commit from then. That’s why the Israelites had to give same offering every year to cleanse their sins.
“But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.” (Hebrews 10:3,4)
However, the blood of Jesus has the power to wash the sin of the world once for all, eternally. Jesus shed His blood for our sins on the cross as the sacrificial lamb. He also became our high priest and sprinkled His blood at the tabernacle in heaven, not the one on earth. Different from the realm of time of this earth which has past, present, and future, the kingdom of heaven is the realm of eternity. Therefore, the redemption that Jesus fulfilled at the tabernacle in heaven was ‘eternal redemption’ (Hebrews 9:12). After all this work, God gave us the new promise.
“And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.”
(Hebrews 10:17).
This is the ‘New Testament,’ which is a different promise from the first one. The reason why God made us to see ourselves who are always evil through the law was to give this new promise to people. By believing in this promise, God made men to boldly come out to Him.
“But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.” (Galatians 3:22)
Power to become the sons of God
“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:” (John 1:12).
People who were born as children of devil need to be born again as children of God. It is because only children of God can inherit the kingdom of God. God made it so that people can become God’s children as long as they receive Jesus Christ. Receiving Jesus means believing in His name, and His name is ‘Jesus.’ The name ‘Jesus’ has the meaning, ‘He shall save his people from their sins.’
“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)
As long as you believe that Jesus washed all your sins, you can become the child of God, regardless of who you are. There is no condition whatsoever. You just need the faith to believe in Jesus.
For there is no difference
Whosoever receives Jesus can become the children of God, so there is no difference. That’s how it was with the thief on the cross in Luke chapter 23. He was an evil man who needed to be executed on the cross. But he dramatically received Jesus on the verge of death and became God’s child. You can tell that he did not receive Jesus before then, because he cursed Jesus together with another thief dying on the cross, saying Jesus cannot save himself when He saves other people.
“The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.” (Matthew 27:44)
However, there was a change to him at one moment.
“And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.” (Luke 23:39-42)
This thief was able to realize the fact that even though it is fitting for them to die because of their sins, there is nothing Jesus did wrong. When he realized that the one without any sin is dying because of their sins, he pleaded Jesus, the savior, “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom,” and Jesus promised him of the paradise.
“Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.”
Eternal Life
“And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.” (John 10:28,29)
The children of God returned to God and received new life. Now God protects His children forever, and there is no more death to separate us from God. The life we received from God is eternal, so we call it, the ‘eternal life.’
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” (John 5:24)
Faith not of works
It is not that we have less evil thoughts or even no evil thoughts because we became the children of God. We have to remember that, as long as Satan exists, the evil hearts will endlessly arise. The children of God do not live as they look at their own evil image, but live by faith in believing that Jesus has made them holy. Even Abraham did not have anything to boast before God with his works.
“What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.” (Romans 4:1,2)
If we look at Abraham’s actions, he was the kind of person to lie that his wife was his sister, every time he thought that his life was at risk because of his wife. When he lied to Abimelech that his wife was his sister, he was 99 years old. God was happy of this kind of Abraham, because God saw Abraham’s faith.
“For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” (Romans 4:3)
Abraham was a person from around 2000 years before Jesus came, but the gospel about Jesus Christ was preached unto him. Abraham believed in the gospel that was preached unto him and God was happy as he saw Abraham’s faith. The bible says, that those who have the faith to believe in the gospel like Abraham, will be blessed.
“And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.” (Galatians 3:8,9)
Blessings on top of faith
Just like the word, “But without faith it is impossible to please him…” (Hebrews 11:6), God is please with those who have faith and blesses them. If we look at Genesis chapter 27, there is a story about Jacob, who denied himself and went out before his father to receive blessings in faith.
When Isaac became old, he called his eldest son Esau and told Esau to go and make him a venison, so that he can bless Esau. While Esau went to go hunt, Rebecca, the mother, told Jacob that she will make a venison for his father, so he should take it to his father and receive the blessings. Jacob felt burdened to go before his father by lying that he was Esau.
“And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man: My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing.” (Genesis 27:11,12)
At this time, Rebecca said unto Jacob, “Upon me be thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me them.” (Genesis 27:13) When Esau and Jacob was fighting in Rebecca’s womb, she heard God saying that he will give the blessings to Jacob. That is why, Rebecca knew that if Jacob only follows her words and go to his father, then he would receive the blessings. Ultimately, even though he wasn’t Esau, Jacob followed his mother’s words and went before his father. When his father asked him, “Who art thou?”, Jacob answered, “I am Esau thy first born” in faith and received the blessings from his father.
Here, Rebecca is the shadow of Jesus Christ. Just like Rebecca decorated Jacob into Esau, Jesus made us holy who were dirty before. Therefore, those who deny themselves and go out before God in the faith to believe Jesus and say, “I am Holy,” are those who receive the blessings of God, just like Jacob.
Go against the Devil with the word of God.
Because we became the children God, it doesn’t mean that there are no temptations of the Devil. We have to remember that the Devil even tested Jesus. Just like the Devil brought up “the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16) in Eve and tempted her, He tempts the people in the same method. That was how the Devil approached Jesus.
“If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.”
“It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”
Then the devil took Jesus up into the holy city and set him on a pinnacle of the temple.
“If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.”
“It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.”
Again, the devil took him up into an exceeding high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them.
“All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.”
“Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”
Every time Jesus was tempted by the devil, Jesus went against the devil with the word of God. Jesus showed us an example in how we can cast away the devil, when he tempts us. When the devil takes our evil works as a problem and approaches us, we have to go against him with the word of the gospel, just like Jesus.
“By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”(Hebrews 10:10)
God’s love is eternal
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
God delivered His son to death for us, knowing our weakness, even when we did not believe in God. This means that none of our actions would block God’s love toward us. Rather, the Bible retorts, “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32) It is clear that God does not grudge giving everything to us, regardless of how we are. Even when we doubt about God’s love with our wrong thoughts from time to time, God does not pay attention to that and loves us invariably.
“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38,39)
If so, the relationship between God and us is perfect and secure. If there is nothing that can disconnect our relationship with God, then it means that God’s love toward us is eternal. The reason why we believe in God’s words is that we know that God cannot lie [Hebrews 6:18] and His words are the unchanging truth.