Third once and for all phenomenon

 

1.    A perfect sacrifice for sins

The third once and for all phenomenon is that once and for all there is a perfect sacrifice for sin that can present the worshiper perfect, holy and irreproachable and blameless in the presence of the Father. For it is written, “Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these (the blood of animals), but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

 For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another ---He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself” (Hebrews 9:23-26).

With regards to the previous sacrifices we are told, “For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins” (Hebrews 10:1-4).

But now once for all, Christ offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice so now, we have been admonished saying; “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:19-23).

The implementation of this third once and for all phenomenon is the shedding of the blood of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, for without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness, but this act is being perpetuated by the cup of the New Covenant which gives us the boldness and access to the throne of grace.

This third once and for all denotes that, once and for all there is a sacrifice that can cleanse us from sin and present us holy and blameless before God.

This ordinance was instituted by Jesus Christ on the night before He was led to be crucified when He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to His disciples, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:27-28).

Therefore, without any ambiguity the process by which one’s sins are forgiven is by confession and cleansing as we have been duly admonished saying; “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Remember, the cleansing is effective only through the blood represented by the cup of the new covenant and so the admonition is, “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1John 1:7,9).

Please note carefully that the cleansing is something current and not the original cleansing that took place once and for all. This cleansing is a condition that takes place when believers have fellowship with one another and with the Father and the Son.

https://www.amazon.com/author/luciusjoseph

To be continued, stay tuned

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph