Hebrews 1:3
Hebrews 1:3 (see also Hebrews 10:14)
And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
Similarly, John 1:29 states: “The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’”
Romans 3:24-25: “Being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed.”
1st John 2:1-2: “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.”
Calvinist, Erwin Lutzer, comments: “Notice that purification was made at the cross; God already has received the payment for the elect.” (The Doctrine That Divide, p.187, emphasis mine)
God received payment, but man must believe in order to receive the eternal life promised at John 3:16.
Lutzer writes: “If it is true that Christ died to redeem a specific number of people, namely those whom the Father had given him, it follows that all believers were redeemed at the cross two thousand years ago. They were cleared of all charges then, for God accepted the ransom payment.” (The Doctrine That Divide, p.185, emphasis mine)
Question: If someone was cleared of all charges, secretly, two thousand years ago at Calvary, then how could it be said that while they lived as disbelievers, they were “judged already,” as Jesus taught? (John 3:18)
Answer: The death of Christ sanctifies believers, who, through faith in Him, have access to His cleansing blood. 1st John 1:7-9 states: “The blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” The conditional nature of the benefits of the blood of Christ requires that you believe in Him. (John 3:16) When you repent, the blood of Christ is then applied to you. Only when you believe in Him, do you pass out of judgement. John 5:24 states: “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.”
This speaks of the blood of Christ and the provision that was made at Calvary for the forgiveness of sins. The best analogy of the Cross is the analogy that Jesus Himself had used (John 3:14) at Numbers 21:6-9 where the healing of those who were bitten was contingent upon looking to God’s provision. Similarly, anyone today who has been bitten by sin, and looks upon Christ, has met God’s condition to receive spiritual healing.
