On what basis can God forgive our sin? According to the New Testament, God can do this only on the basis of the shed blood of his Son. We saw this earlier in our study of The Apostles' Creed when we talked about Jesus' crucifixion under Pontius Pilate. Hebrews 9:22 makes this crystal clear: "Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." Forgiveness is free to you and me, but it cost Jesus everything.
It is said that during the Middle Ages, sometimes a very wealthy man would hire someone to go into battle for him. Once the military obligation was made to the king by some commoner in behalf of a nobleman, that obligation was believed to be fulfilled.
However, on one occasion, a nobleman was taken to court after the man he hired to fight for him was killed in battle during the first day of his service. The prosecution stated that the nobleman had not really gone into battle. He had not in reality taken the death arrow. Therefore, according to the prosecution, the nobleman should be required to enter battle.
But the court ruled that the nobleman was not required to go into battle because the man he hired had done it for him and been killed in his stead. When the substitute died, the nobleman, legally, died.
Now, I certainly believe there is much more to Christ's atonement for sins than the mere idea of substitution. But the idea of substitution is certainly part of it. Jesus went into cosmic battle for us on the cross.
Even someone like C. S. Lewis, who struggled with the idea of substitutionary atonement presented just such a picture in his Narnia stories where the Christ figure, the great lion Aslan, dies in a traitor's stead. Lewis had this to say about the matter, in his book, The Problem of Pain....
We have a strange illusion that mere time cancels sin. I have heard others, and I have heard myself, recounting cruelties and falsehoods committed in boyhood as if they were no concern of the present speaker's, and even with laughter. But mere time does nothing either to the fact or to the guilt of a sin. The guilt is washed out not by time but by repentance and the blood of Christ: if we have repented these early sins we should remember the price of our forgiveness and be humble.Then Lewis goes on to say, later in the book...
But forgiveness needs to be accepted as well as offered if it is to be complete: and a man who admits no guilt can accept no forgiveness.How much more then should we come humbly to the cross, confessing our sin, so that we can receive God's abundant forgiveness and love? One way to do that is by using the time-tested words of the General Confession in The Book of Common Prayer....
ALMIGHTY and most merciful Father; We have erred, and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against thy holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; And we have done those things which we ought not to have done; And there is no health in us. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders. Spare thou those, O God, who confess their faults. Restore thou those who are penitent; According to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake; That we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, To the glory of thy holy Name. Amen.This wonderful promise belongs to all those who confess their sins....
If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
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