Christianity Cures Guilt

In all religions, people attempt to rid themselves of guilt through rituals of some sort. We even see in the Old Testament how God authorized many different kinds offerings to atone for the guilt of the people.

But what use were these sacrifices? Hebrews 10:4 (BBE) argues against salvation through sacrifices, "Because it is not possible for the blood of oxen and goats to take away sins."

But in the very next verse, the writer of Hebrews explains how Christ was the only sacrifice that could pay for sin. "So that when he comes into the world, he says, 'You had no desire for offerings, but you made a body ready for me;'"

As I've written before, Christ was that "lamb of God" who takes away the sin of the world. All those verses in the Old Testament about sacrificing a pure and unblemished male lamb were metaphorical images of the ultimate lamb who died on the cross for us.

Then the writer of Hebrews said in verse six, "And without faith it is not possible to be well-pleasing to him, for it is necessary for anyone who comes to God to have the belief that God is, and that he is a rewarder of all those who make a serious search for him."

The Apostle Paul also wrote about how Christ paid our debt and ended the sacrificial system. As Colossians 2:16 and 17 (BBE) says, "For this reason let no man be your judge in any question of food or drink or feast days or new moons or Sabbaths: For these are an image of the things which are to come; but the body is Christ's."

We know that God no longer holds us accountable for past sins. Psalms 103:12 (BBE) assures us that, "As far as the east is from the west, so far has he put our sins from us."

But some will ask how the Old Testament believers were saved. Hebrews 11:10 (BBE) gives us the answer. "For he (Abraham) was looking for the strong town, whose builder and maker is God." A few verses earlier, his faith was accounted as righteousness by God.

What a joy it is that the sins in our past are forgiven and covered by Christ's sacrifice. I'll mention that in my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? So many people try all sorts of things to salve their consciences but without success. Only Jesus' blood clears us from our misdeeds.

On Thursday, I'll deal with the question of what makes humanityspecial. Atheists would have us believe that we're just another species, eking out a living on this planet. That is so wrong and I'll show why it is.