This is written as an exposition on questions I recieved from a acquaintance, who need not be mentioned for personal reasons. For me this less about just correcting the wrong notion he has adopted about the real message of the scripture but in essence, my discussions with him as birth up the need to, atleast to the extent of the ability God's grant to answer his misaligned doctrines. This article is quite long and in truth not for the faint of heart, but I believe that anyone with a desire to know more about God, or in need of reaffirmation of what they truly believe and what the bible says, or anyone interested in a clear facts of the Bible, by the Bible will find this worthwhile.
Paul warned us to watch and help each other, stumping out wrong doctrines that would lead others astray. He spoke not just as an apostle but through inspiration of the spirit. I do hope my acquaintance, comes to the proper understanding of the message of God's gospel and that others can gain from this as well.
Declaimer: I do not claim absolutely knowledge and understanding but the bible is clear in it's message which leaves us with no excuse of mixing up its words and declerations with personal assumptions. Indeed, the scriptures are breadth by God and good for doctrine, correction, edification, that the man of God maybe thorougly furnished for all good works. Amen.
Wonderful presentation but in all you have said, you have only indicated your desire to be justified by your works and mind rather than what is written within his word, since you deem it ill-fit for Jesus to bare your sin. But that aside, let me take to atleast the ability the Holy Spirit allows to answer you points each.
"When I am speaking of Jesus being guilty of the things that brought him into the courtroom I am talking about the courtroom that was governed over by Pilate. When Jesus became angry and flipped the money changers tables in the temple square he had committed an offences that could not be ignored. They brought him in because he did that. Most of the men who sat in the courtroom as judges were already looking for way to get rid of him but since he had broken no laws prior to that day in the temple courtyard the Judges and priests could do nothing. The flipping of the tables allowed them to bring him in and use words to trap him into committing a blasphemy against the God they worshipped at that time. Blasphemy against God was the highest sin in their eyes and punishable by death."
"What I am saying is that he accepted his responsibility for the actions that caused the court to demand his crucifixion. It was an unjust trial and the laws that he broke in their eyes were unjust laws but that is not the point. The point is he had done what they accused him of and was guilty of claiming himself to be God in the sense that he is the son and father and son are one so that means he is in fact saying that he is God by their interpretation as well as most Christian believers interpretation so he was guilty of the charges against him and he faced those charges as well as the punishment for them in a perfect way."
First and foremost, Jesus was never guilty of anything, he was never guilty of doing wrong because the instance you sighted lacks credit. Let me explain:
The part of the bible you sighted is recorded among the four gospels in
John 2:12-18:
"And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, And found in
the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of
money sitting:
And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the
temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and
overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence;
make not my Father's house an house of merchandise. And his disciples remembered
that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up."
The temple in all glory was built for sacrifice and worship, not just for the Jews but also for the gentiles, who came to Jerusalem having believed in the God of the Jews. The presence of sellers and money changers there was against the very reason the temple of God was set up. The money changers nor sheep sellers where never there, for even during the construction of the temple, no place was ever set for them. They gathered there to do business at a time when people should have been there for both to sacrifice and to make prayers and worship. These was allowed by the priests and High Priest illegally for the gain they received by those who did sell there, but this was wrong and was never meant to have been set up. Even Isaiah details below what the temple meant to God and what his reason to have it built by Solomon, when his father, David desire to set up a place of rest for the Lord, his God.
Isaiah 56:1-7: Thus says the Lord: “Keep justice, and do righteousness, for soon my salvation will come, and my righteousness be revealed. Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath, not profaning it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil.”
Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say, “The Lord will
surely separate me from his people”; and let not the eunuch say, “Behold, I am a
dry tree.”
For thus says the Lord: “To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose the
things that please me and hold fast my covenant, I will give in my house and
within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give
them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off.
“And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to minister to him, to love
the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath and
does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant— these I will bring to my holy
mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and
their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a
house of prayer for all peoples.”
This is not an assumption but fact, God had no intention that any business should be done, in fact the outer court of the temple was reserved for the Gentiles and the people to gather and bring their offerings to the priest. This outer court was section to the people and gentiles where they gathered, as time went on, it became designated majorly for the gentiles but was meant that both Jew and Gentile should stand and worship there together, even the High Priest met the people here, for the people were not allowed to enter the santuaries because of its Holiness, and later these outercourts became known has the "Court of the gentiles", consult your history books of the Jewish nation, I need not expand on this.
Ezekiel 40:5 (Chapter 40 provides construction details of the temple)
The East Gate to the Outer Court
And behold, there was a wall all around the outside of the temple area, and the
length of the measuring reed in the man's hand was six long cubits, each being a
cubit and a handbreadth in length. So he measured the thickness of the wall, one
reed; and the height, one reed.
Ezekiel 44:19
And when they go out into the outer court to the people, they shall put off the
garments in which they have been ministering and lay them in the holy chambers.
And they shall put on other garments, lest they transmit holiness to the people
with their garments.
Ezekiel 46:20-21
And he said unto me, This is the place where the priests shall boil the
trespass-offering and the sin-offering, and where they shall bake the
meal-offering; that they bring them not forth into the outer court, to sanctify
the people. Then he brought me forth into the outer court, and caused me to pass
by the four corners of the court; and, behold, in every corner of the court there
was a court.
Revelation 11:2a
But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is
given unto the Gentiles:
Which is why the priest and High Priest could not in anyway hold him guilty because he was right in doing so, since they negleted to do their dutie of managing the temple properly. Hence when they confronted him,yet they did not ask him "What was he doing?", or "Why did he do this?" but "What authority did he have to do what he did?", that is, from whom did he gain the authority to clean the temple of those who had made a business of its outer courts.
John 2: 20 - 31:
Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing
that thou doest these things? Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this
temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six
years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he
spake of the temple of his body. When therefore he was risen from the dead, his
disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the
scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.
Secondly, Jesus was never brought in for judgement because he removed the money changers from making a business in the temple, get your story right and proper, this is one of the reason I told you you lack proper biblical facts:
Here was the actions of the leaders and the priests and High Priest:
Mathew 26:3-5(KJV):
Then assembled together the chief priests, and
the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who
was called Caiaphas, And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and
kill him. But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the
people.
John 11: 45-51:
So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we
to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone
will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our
nation.” But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them,
“You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one
man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” He did
not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that
Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather
into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. So from that day on they
made plans to put him to death.
Here was Pilate own testimony of the charade of a case the Jews leaders brought:
Mathew 27: 18
Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye
that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ? For he knew
that for envy they had delivered him.
When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have
thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in
a dream because of him.
From these verses, which you seem to have clearly missed by your wild assumptions, they clearly show why Jesus was on trial. Did you ever bother to ask yourself why did the Leaders and Priest use such a roundabout approach, why did they need to bribe a man to first betray him and take him by night instead of in the full quarters where the people could equally see a just arrest, or why his trial was done at night when it was by Law to be done in the audience of the people ?
But give me liberty to bring them to light for you.
John 6:70-71
Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? He
spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him,
being one of the twelve.
Math 26:15-16, 17-19
15-16: Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests,
And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And
they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he sought
opportunity to betray him.
17-19: Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom
will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ? For he
knew that for envy they had delivered him.
When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have
thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in
a dream because of him.
Lastly, you said Jesus kept silent because he knew he was guilty and he got trapped through blasphemy, this is utterly wrong and a misconception you have eagerly allowed to trap you, let me expand through the scriptures for you. The events you highlighted are as in the scripture.
Matt 27:10-18 And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest. And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.
Why did Jesus keep quiet, because he resigned his case to his father in heaven, knowing he was Just and without sin but so more importantly, because that which was prophesied of him must be fulfilled.
Isa 53:6-9 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
Secondly, even the trial held by the chief priests was a sham, because by Jewish law it was supposed to be held in the day and not night. Hence we receive the testimony of the things that occured:
Matt 26: 3-6
Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the
high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and plotted together in order to arrest
Jesus by stealth and kill him. But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be
an uproar among the people.”
John 11: 47-49
Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we?
for this man doeth many miracles. If we let him thus alone, all men will believe
on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.
John 11:53
Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.
Matt 26: 55-56
At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out as against a robber,
with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching,
and you did not seize me. But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the
prophets might be fulfilled.”
Even after arresting Jesus still no facts could be proven on him being guilty which utterly makes your argument about the trial being right and just,a blatant misconception of the highest order, without regard to even the truth within the bible.
But lets continue: For even at the sham trial during the night, they still could not find a means to accuse him of sin:
Matt 26: 59-63
Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking false testimony against
Jesus that they might put him to death, but they found none, though many false
witnesses came forward. At last two came forward and said, “This man said, I am
able to destroy the temple of God, and to rebuild it in three days.’” And the high
priest stood up and said, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men
testify against you?” But Jesus remained silent.
Isaiah 53:9
And they made his grave with the wicked
and with a rich man in his death,
although he had done no violence,
and there was no deceit in his mouth.
Finally on whether Jesus actually blasphemed, here I lay no other thoughts and facts that this, Jesus himself claimed often times to be the son of God, you can not blaspheme if what you claim his true, because in the book of the prophets, he is called Wonderfull councillor, everlasting father, the mighty God.
Isa 9:6-7
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:
and the government shall be upon his shoulder:
and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God,
The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end,
upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom,
to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice
from henceforth even for ever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
Jesus Christ is referred to both as "The mighty God", "The Prince of Peace", "Everlasting Father", honestly you need no other scripture to know that this clearly equates him to God.
But lets continue on our exposition and break it down, so you can see your error if indeed you seek the truth.
Matt 26:63-68
But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the
living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus said to him,
“You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated
at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Then the high
priest tore his robes and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses
do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy. What is your judgment?” They
answered, “He deserves death.” Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some
slapped him, saying, “Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck you?”
By this account, we see the priest claims of blasphemy but yet what were the evidences of Jesus to indeed be the son of God has he claimed, lets go through them.
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For 3 times did Jesus receive a vocal confirmation from God The Father, that he was indeed his begotten son.
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At the baptism: Matt 3:13-17 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was baptised, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
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At the mount of transfiguration: Matt 17: 4-13 Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only. And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead. And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.
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When he asked God the father to glorify his name John 12:27-33 Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him. Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes. Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die.
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For everytime he was asked who he was or asked who they thought he was, he always said and affirmed he was the son of God:
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With the disciples: Matt 16: 13-20 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.
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With the Jews when they asked who he was Jn 10:30-38 "I and the Father are one.” The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.” Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, I said, you are gods’? If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be broken— do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”
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At the trail: Matt 26:63b-64 “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
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All the deamons and devils he casted out affirmed who he was and feared
Mark 3:11-12 And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” And he strictly ordered them not to make him known.
So if indeed he was the Son of God and had proven and stated this fact then he never blasphemed because he was who he claimed to be.
Why still was this used to condemn him to death?
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As said before, the leaders and chief priest were envious and wanted him dead because he had shown them that their so called righteouness was a farce.
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He had done miracles and proven God was with him
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They fared to loose their position, status and wealth.
Even more do this scriptures detail to us, what happened behind the scenes:
Matt 27:3-10
Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented
himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and
elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they
said, What is that to us? see thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver
in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. And the chief priests
took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the
treasury, because it is the price of blood.
Matt 27: 20-23
But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask
Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of
the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. Pilate saith unto
them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto
him, Let him be crucified. And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But
they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.
Matt 27:24-26
So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was
beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am
innocent of this man's blood; see to it yourselves.” And all the people answered,
“His blood be on us and on our children!” Then he released for them Barabbas, and
having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.
With all these facts:
Do you still claim he was guilty, or do you now claim all the testimony giving within the bible is false and can not be trusted hence, Jesus must be guilty and you are right?
But No, these scriptures are true and they do witness to us the facts, else you nor I would not even know Jesus, because it is through them do we even know Jesus Christ and his payment for our sins, hence to even declare them fraught with false doctrines is to claim that all the bible is FALSE.
"Jesus demonstrated the he blamed no one and he demonstrated that being accountable or your actions is necessary even if that means you will be put to death. These things are very important for our salvation. I believe they are crucial to our salvation and that is why the cup could not be passed. If the cup had been passed and Jesus was allowed to remain here longer to teach us perhaps we would not have the confusion that exists today so why did it not happen? I believe it was because accountability was the most important of all messages for us there. Passing the cup would have been avoiding accountability which is what Adam and Eve when God cast them out of the Garden. My fear is that our willingness to accept his suffering for our sins is exactly the reason we still suffer in this condition because we are still unwilling to accept the responsibility of our sins."
"If the message that Jesus taught while he was here was different I would not feel this was but when I read his words they always seems to saying do as I do, have faith in God because it is possible for you accomplish anything if you have enough faith. Everything he did while he was here he said he could also do if we had enough faith. He didn't really lay down a bunch of rules the specially labeled what was a sin and what wasn't like the prophets before him. His message was a much simpler one. It doesn't make sense that on the last day without any explanation from him that he would just throw all of that out the window and do something that we could not do or set an example that we could not follow or achieve a task that we were incapable of achieving. If I could find the recorded words from Jesus that said "I am going remove your sins then I would end this in a heartbeat. Doing what is necessary for us to be redeemed from sin and actually redeeming each individual from their sins may not be the same thing. If he was redeeming us by proving us that we can and must take our sins upon ourselves then he did a great Job because was resurrected after suffering the judgement of God for every sin of every man. What a relief it is that I only have to suffer for the sins one man<--Me!!! I am not comfortable with anyone one else suffering for what I have done. Especially someone as innocent as Jesus was."
You claim that Jesus was innocent here but previously was guilty in his trial, you can not claim innocency after you have accused and judged him to have truly sinned by getting angry in the temple with the sellers and money changers, and then claim he was still innocent.
This in and of itself is self contradiction, which shows how unstable your believes are, that they equally contradict each other from one statement to the next. But allow me to bring up your key points here.
- Jesus main mission was to show us to be responsible for our sins even if we must be put to death.
Absolutely Wrong. Jesus at the beginning of his mission read the bible verse from Isaiah that best describe what he came to do
Luk 4:16-23:
And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he
went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll
of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place
where it was written,
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”
And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And
the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them,
“Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
This verse he read in Isaiah was taking from Isaiah 61:1-3 and he ended it with this declarative statement.
"Today this Scripture has been fulfilled".
He came to both proclaim the "Good news" of Salvation, but what is this good news, what exactly is this news he proclaimed?
Well here is that message, that "Good News", he so eloquently proclaimed that he has come to give us:
John 3:10-13:
Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not
these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and
testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you
earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of
heavenly things? And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from
heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
The most important part that declares to us, the depth of that good news of salvation:
Jn 10:14-17
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man
be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal
life.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not
his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might
be saved.
Oh my, did Jesus just break your heart?
He himself declares, that he his the SON of GOD and that he HIS the PATHWAY and SOURCE of salvation. Your salvation, does not come from you just accepting you are a sinner, but in your surrender to him and acceptance with belief that he his payment for your sin and only pathway to salvation Through faith then you are SAVED.
Romans 3:21-24
But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Romans 3:25-26
Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
- Have faith in God alone then you can be forgiven and never did Jesus lay down rules for his disciples or any who wish to follow.
But here is a problem, he said "when I am lifted up, who so ever looks to me will be saved", that is when I am crucified, and have become the full payment of man sins, anyone who looks to me will be saved.
This awfully smells like a RULE to me, but let me add one more, to clear you misconceived notion of scriptures:
Jn 10:18-21: He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
Woooah! Another rule:
If you choose to not believe he died for you, and that he his resurrected and that he his the way of
salvation then guess what, "No Salvation for you"
Interesting enough this just kills the new gospel being preached by the "Eastern rising" or "Church of Almighty God" who claim Jesus work on the cross does not save you and assure you of heaven but that you need a new gospel to really be saved and reach heaven.
Jesus declares simply:
I am the way of salvation, there is no other, believe in me else NO SALVATION.
Wait! I have even a better way to put it, let Jesus say it himself, once again:
John 14: 6-7
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto
the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also:
and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
Oh my Lord! Jesus just declares again, HE IS THE WAY, not "HE SHOWS US THE WAY", he his the WAY, the TRUTH, the LIGHT. That sounds like he his telling you and me, if its not through me, by me and in me, then salvation will never come. Need I say more?
- He never said he was going to remove, or that is here to pay for the sins of the world
Wait! Didn't we just answer this, lets go back to those verses up abit and see if indeed he says he his here to show us and not pay for mans sins:
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not
his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might
be saved.
So wait, he declares to us first that God the father has we have previously stated, sent him, THE SON, to the world to save sinners, and not just by any made way, effort or capabilities but only through HIM.
That awfully sounds like he said, "I came to save sinners". But lets not rest on one piece, lets look for more, God is a evidence type of God, he gives us plenty to run with.
Luk 23: 5-9
And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto
them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen:
remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man
must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third
day rise again. And they remembered his words, And returned from the sepulchre,
and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest.
Damn, was that just Angels telling his disciples that Jesus had to die and not just die but die by the hands of sinners, not that he died for doing wrong, but that God had set forth the plan that he should die and rise again. Not only that, Jesus told them many times like in: Jn 3:14, 8:28, 12:32, 12:34, and so much more within the Bible.
- He actually told us that we must redeem our selves from our sin
Jesus made no such affirmations, not then and not now.
He clearly stated from the above verse that HE his the way, not some "humans must with effort take responsibility", which now awfully sounds like telling God they want to earn salvation by their efforts, which the Bible has clearly words for
[Paste Romans words on efforts are rags before God]
Romans 3:27-28
Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
Isaiah 64:6-7
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags;
and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee:
for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.
No but rather that you should accept you are a sinner and be saved through HIM and him alone. But wait, let me use his words:
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not
his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might
be saved.
John 14: 6-7
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto
the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also:
and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
- You only have to pay for your own sin by having faith and following Jesus.
Absolutely and beyond wrong, you can not pay for your own sin because death is the just payment for Sin, and not just mortal/natural death but spiritual death, utter separation from God, we can never have the capacity to save ourselves because we ourselves are dead already spiritually, every effort, every capabilities with show is stained with sin. The Law and the sacrificial system giving to Jews and to all men was incapable to save, this was well proven by Israel and even the prophets and David knew this.
The Law was put in place to show us that we can never ever meet its requirements, it showed us sin and our state in sin, for if you break one rule then You broken all the rules of the Law, so no one could satisfy the righteous requirement pc the Law which requires you to be utterly sinless from start to finish.
Let me step back with you for a moment and let God explain:
Heb 9: 27-28
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So
Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him
shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
1 Cor 15:55-56
“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
Jn 10:18-21:
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned
already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved
darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that
doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be
reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made
manifest, that they are wrought in God.
Rom 3:19-23
Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under
the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty
before God. 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.
But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by
the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus
Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For
all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Romans 3:21-31
But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although
the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through
faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all
have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as
a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a
propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's
righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.
It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and
the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law
of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith
apart from works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of
Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one—who will justify the
circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. Do we then overthrow the
law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.
Even Jesus said this about the Law and the Prophets, that you so quickly disregard with disqualify as having missed the point:
Luk 24:25-27
Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the
prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter
into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto
them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
John 5:39-47
Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are
they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. I
receive not honour from men. But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in
you. I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come
in his own name, him ye will receive. How can ye believe, which receive honour one
of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only? Do not think that I
will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom
ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of
me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?
Matt 5:17-19
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to
destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one
jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach
men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall
do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
- What was the meaning of the cup, that Jesus dreaded and prayed over and would wish it would pass over him if possible?
Indeed, we have come to your choke point, the hinge you seem to so bravely use to hang your misguided doctrine and unproven assumptions. Then shall we first pull the scriptures you so have mutilated to fit your mind and ideals once again?
Mat 26: 39
And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my
Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will,
but as thou wilt.
Mat 26: 42
He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup
may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.
Mark 14:36
And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup
from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.
Luk 22:42
Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my
will, but thine, be done.
The first question is what "Cup" does Jesus refer to? The cup Jesus spoke of was no other than the Judgement of God on man for sin, for the bible clearly states this,
Psalms 75:8
For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup
with foaming wine, well mixed,
and he pours out from it,
and all the wicked of the earth
shall drain it down to the dregs.
Isaiah 51:17
Wake yourself, wake yourself,
stand up, O Jerusalem,
you who have drunk from the hand of the Lord
the cup of his wrath,
who have drunk to the dregs
the bowl, the cup of staggering.
See also: Psalms 11:6, Isaiag 51:22, Jeremiah 25:17, 25:28, 49:12, 51:17,
Lamentations 4:21, Ezekiel 23:31-33, Habakkukk 2:16, Zechariah 12:2
Why do humans deserve this cup? We deserve this cup as the righteous judgement of God for our sins, regardless of the sins of Adam and Eve, since the beginning we ourselves have sinned and commited worse and still do today.
Romans 3:9
What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both
Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;
Romans 3:23
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
What was about the Cup that made Jesus fear so much?
Mat 26: 39
And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my
Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will,
but as thou wilt.
Mark 14:36
And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup
from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.
Jesus was to receive the cup of judgement but not just of judgement of sin but of utter separation from his heavenly father, he would for the moment be utterly cast out before God, because the penalty for sin is absolute judgement for sin which meant physical and spiritual death that is to die a human death and to be separated utterly from God's presence forever, he because anyone with sin can not and will not stand before God. Paul understood this and said this with great fear:
2 Corinthians 5:11
Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made
manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.
Even Job says:
Job 31:23
For destruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his highness I could
not endure.
Adding, Paul tells us:
2 Heb 10:31
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Jude 1:22
And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear,
pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh
Even Moses exclaims when he saw the might of God on the mountain of Sinai:
Deuutronomy 9: 19-21
For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure, wherewith the Lord was wroth
against you to destroy you. But the Lord hearkened unto me at that time also. And
the Lord was very angry with Aaron to have destroyed him: and I prayed for Aaron
also the same time. And I took your sin, the calf which ye had made, and burnt it
with fire, and stamped it, and ground it very small, even until it was as small as
dust: and I cast the dust thereof into the brook that descended out of the mount.
Hebrews 12:20-21
For they could not endure the order that was given, “If even a beast touches the
mountain, it shall be stoned.” Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses
said, “I tremble with fear.”
Do you honestly think, it was easy to go to the cross, to face the beatings, the crowns of thorns that tore through your head and skull, to be tortured and beating till your back bleeds, to be utterly dejected and left into the hands of evil men to do as they will, because you were utterly forsaken by God because on you lay all the sins of humanity, even so that Isaiah with great passion describes his situation with deep pain:
Isaiah 53:3-9
He is despised and rejected of men;
a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief:
and we hid as it were our faces from him;
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
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.
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.
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth:
he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb,
so he openeth not his mouth.
He was taken from prison and from judgment:
and who shall declare his generation?
for he was cut off out of the land of the living:
for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
And he made his grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death;
because he had done no violence,
Isaiah 53:10 (KJV)
Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt
make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his
days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
Isaiah 53:10 (ESV)
Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;
he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt,
he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
It is because you do not know what it means for even your own father to CRUSH you, to put on you penalty for even that which you should not bare. Yet Jesus willingly received the crushing, the grief and the raging anger of a righteous God who must punish sin for he his righteous, do tell me will you not fear even if you know the outcome, would you if you could, take another way that does not require you to go through such a judgement? Am very sure you would.
You speak so easily as if within a passing moment, the cross was over and death was so simple. The cross was the terror object of the roman empire, it was the most excruciating way to die, yet you make so easily light of it as some fanciful experience.
Yes, Jesus faired the cross, the terror of it, the terror of a righteous God who now must use him to receive the just punishment we should have received, like a Lamb he received it all, How would you feel if your father sat in the sit of judgement and put on you the utter fullness of his wrath and anger for sin?
Regardless of how it will come out, you will FEAR, as he did.
Even so Paul said this:
Hebrews 5:8
Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
For even he cried, when he had reached the climax of his sorrow and pain, to receive utter judgement and having utterly being forsaken by God his father, because before God, he had upon him the sin of mankind which must be justly judged.
Mark 15:33-34
And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the
ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi,
Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou
forsaken me?
Yet being sinless and the spotless Lamb of God, having used his very life and blood, for indeed the life of man is desperately wicked within the blood, for even the things of the temple were never satisfied without a sacrifice and the sprinkling of the blood of the animal.
He to pay for our sins and become the payment or propitiation for us, he being made perfect by his suffering on the cross and by his sacrifice which long ago, God showed in the old testement convenant of sacrificial system as he says here in Psalsm:
Psalms 40:6-8
Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire;
mine ears hast thou opened:
burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.
Then said I, Lo, I come:
in the volume of the book it is written of me,
I delight to do thy will, O my God:
Hebrews 10:5-16
Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou
wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices
for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the
book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. Above when he said, Sacrifice
and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither
hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Then said he, Lo, I come to
do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By
the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ
once for all.
And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same
sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one
sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth
expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath
perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,
This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord,
I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And
their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these
is, there is no more offering for sin.
- The idea that only a perfect being can bare sins before God does not sit well with me because once Adam and Eve ate the fruit they were no longer perfect yet they were still not removed from the Garden. God sought them out and spoke with them after they had sinned. He asked them to confess what they had done. We even allowed them to remain while he dealt with the serpent that Eve blamed previously a man with sins can be in his presence. Perhaps it is only a man who denies his responsibility to accept his sins is the man who is incapable of repentance and that is the man who cannot be in God's presence.
These are your key points of which I shall take on one by one:
- Impossible for a perfect being to bear all the sins for all humanity
Then you simply tell God regardless of his plans from of old that you can't believe him.
For if indeed Jesus is the son of God and the heavenly father agreed over and over with him with signs and wonders and with his voice, Then You simply will never be saved because Jesus requires you to believe this very thing.
It was not impossible, because Jesus was and is righteous, that is without sin, hence why he can be called the spotless Lamb of God
Isaiah 53:10-12
Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his
soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his
days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his
soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my
servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.
Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil
with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the
transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the
transgressors.
- God asked Adam and Eve to confess what they had done
The bible never said this, not once, for after Adam and Eve sin in Genesi and did neither confess their sins by blaming each other, but regardless of what they did they indeed had sinned, Judgement was required from a righteous God who must correct the wrong done.
Below is the account you so bravely quote wrongly:
Gen 3:8-24
And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the
day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God
amongst the trees of the garden. And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto
him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was
afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. And he said, Who told thee that
thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou
shouldest not eat? And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she
gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is
this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did
eat. 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: And I will put enmity
between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy
head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Unto the woman he said, I will greatly
multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children;
and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. And unto Adam
he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of
the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is
the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb
of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto
the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt
thou return. And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of
all living. Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins,
and clothed them.
And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and
evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and
eat, and live for ever: Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of
Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he
placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which
turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
No where in that account does such happen in the Bible, if you have studied the word of God properly rather than mid your own thoughts or other books you would surely have seen what was said. Please be careful for that is wrong and misleads others.
- A man with sin can be in his presence
Trying to use the account of God judging them as thus a stand that sinful man can be in the presence of a righteous God is foolish and just plain wrong. Adam and Eve had hidden themselves behind trees and as of the point, God stood to judge both the serpent, Eve and Adam and not to join them in fellowship has he originally intended before account in Genesis, Read the above scripture pasted above.
God is described as a thrice holy God who can not stand sin but will utterly, justly judge sin to greatest extent needed.
Isaiah 6:3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
Ezekiel 39:7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel.
Revelation 4:8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
Habbakkuk 1:12-13 Art thou not from everlasting, O Lord my God, mine Holy One? we shall not die. O Lord, thou hast ordained them for judgment; and, O mighty God, thou hast established them for correction.
Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?
Numbers 14:18 The Lord is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.
Exodus 32:33-35 And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book. Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, mine Angel shall go before thee: nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them. And the Lord plagued the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made.
Need I give you more, does these display enough of God's character to correct your mistaken assumptions?
- Hey man who cant accept his sin can not be in his presence only but others who accept can be
The first step is to accept your sin but you must also accept that Jesus is has made the due payment for you and by accepting and believing in him your salvation and freedom from sin is achieved. Because when you stand before God, you do not stand on your own accord or efforts but on the completed work of Jesus on the cross of Calvary.
May be you were not told or did not read:
Even the a High Priest of Israel could only appear before God's presence once every year, that is into the Holies of Holies, the innermost court of the temple, were the mercy seat and ark of God was kept.
He could only enter after making sacrifices for both his own sins and the sins of the nation. Even more terrifying was that he must ensure to utterly confess any of his sins with sacrifices else if he entered that flirt with sin, he would be killed and judged by God, that is why the High Priest tied a rope to his leg connected to a bell, so those outside can hear the bell ringing to know he was still alive. For only when he had come out of the inner most court was the sacrifices for Sin accepted and for another year Israel can relax that God has shifted their sins forward for another year. This was done yearly till Jesus came and offered a perfect sacrifice once forever because he his immortal and 1st and bring tore God has the total payment for Sin needing no other.
This is why we are told this convenant was not perfect, it was temporary put in place by God uuntil the time of the end and that man will have hope else they would have justly be destroyed by God, God forbesrnace and love made him out that in place until it was the right time for Jesus to offer the perfect, truly spotless sacrifice for Sin forever.
[Paste scriptures here]
But rather, lets allow Peter to do the talking:
Acts 4: 8-12
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and
elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled
man, by what means this man has been healed,
Let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of
Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him
this man is standing before you well.
This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has
become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no
other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Here through the Holy Spirit and not just by random act of boldness, Peter explained well to the leaders and chief priest who had indeed condemned Jesus.
For only through believing in Jesus can we be saved. Even more Paul expands and tells us plainly, by the way salvation comes:
Romans 5:6-11
For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man
some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while
we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by
his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies,
we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we
shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our
Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
Even more so,
Romans 5: 12-20
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:
(For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no
law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not
sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that
was to come. But not as the offence, so also is the free gift.
For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and
the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And
not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to
condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by
one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of
grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation;
even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto
justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so
by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded,
grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might
grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
I feel I need to speak on this most important, because you seem to take the disciples with great disdain as if you could be better than they, because of their imperfections.
Yes,the disciples where not perfect men, they had faults but yet this men, Jesus knowingly chose, which speaks volume, even more this were his words to them:
John 20: 19-23
Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were
shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood
in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he
shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they
saw the Lord. Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath
sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and
saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose soever sins ye remit, they are
remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.
Even to Thomas, who declared to not believe unless he sees Jesus with his own eyes and feel him with his own hands, still was referred with love and correction.
John 20:26-29
Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them.
Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace
be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and
put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”
Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed
because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have
believed.”
These men who were fraught with weakness yet were used by God to do mighty deeds, learn to not look outwardly but to the mighty power which God can bring fort even from the weakest of us all, of which I am one, for I who wrote this, am fraught with weakness even more than they, but God's grace shines yet more abundantly to cover it all and build me daily till I bare the image of his son, for that is indeed his purpose, that we through Jesus receive salvation and the new birth, and then be daily transformed by the renewal of our hearts and mind with his word till we indeed become like Jesus Christ.
[Find scriptures for the last part]
Acts: 2:14-47
But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto
them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto
you, and hearken to my words: For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing
it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the
prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will
pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall
prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream
dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days
of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven
above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that
great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that
whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Ye men of Israel,
hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by
miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as
ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and
foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and
slain: Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it
was not possible that he should be holden of it.
For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face,
for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: Therefore did my heart
rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:
Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine
Holy One to see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou
shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. Men and brethren, let me
freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried,
and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and
knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his
loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;
He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was
not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God
raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of
God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost,
he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. For David is not ascended
into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou
on my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool. Therefore let all the
house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye
have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto
Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the
name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift
of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to
all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves
from this untoward generation.
Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there
were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly
in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in
prayers. And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done
by the apostles. And all that believed were together, and had all things
common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as
every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple,
and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and
singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And
the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
Even God tells Paul this:
2 Co 12:7-10
And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the
revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to
buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the
Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is
sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly
therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest
upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities,
in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I
strong.
Hence forth, I stand guiltless before God these day, that I have not kept silent while you revel in your own assumptions of scriptures. And to your request and challenge that I defend my faith in Jesus Christ.
For I have delivered to you has have been delivered to me and to those before me his truths, if you continue in your own misconceptions, then I am free from guilt to have not defended the gospel and truth.
For those who will see and hear and yet will not perceive the truth, even Jude and Paul equally tells of them.
2 Timothy 2:1-9
But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.
For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive,
disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable,
slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless,
swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the
appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them
are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and
led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a
knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men
also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith.
But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that
of those two men.
Jude 1:12-20
Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I
found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was
once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed
who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert
the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus
Christ.
Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a
people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.
And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left
their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until
the judgment of the great day— just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding
cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire,
serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.
Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh,
reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones. But when the archangel Michael,
contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not
presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.” But
these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by
all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively. Woe to them!
For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain
to Balaam's error and perished in Korah's rebellion. These are hidden reefs at
your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding
themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late
autumn, twice dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their
own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved
forever.
It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying,
“Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment
on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they
have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly
sinners have spoken against him.” These are grumblers, malcontents, following
their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to
gain advantage.
And to those who will read, listen and receive the word of life engrafted into their souls, he writes:
But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus
Christ. They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following
their own ungodly passions.” It is these who cause divisions, worldly people,
devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy
faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting
for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy
on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show
mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.