The Bible says that just as it is appointed for man to die once and then face judgment, so too will Christ arrive a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly awaiting His return. Christ was offered once to bore the sins of many.
You are a sinner
The Bible does not want you to ignore some aspects of who you are.
- One, you are a sinner.
- Two, you will be alone to face judgment if nothing is done to address your sin condition.
- Three, if you are prepared to trust him, Jesus has offered himself as a sacrifice for the sins of many, including your own.
It was necessary to continually make sacrifices for sin in the temple up until the moment that Jesus died on the cross. Because sin never stopped and the ideal sacrifice was never offered, it never came to an end. However, Jesus brought the ideal sacrifice—himself—when He arrived. He made it possible for true and permanent forgiveness by his atoning death (Hebrews 10:12–14).
Without Christ, individuals use a variety of actions to minimize or eliminate their guilt. They make an effort to lead decent lives, make up for their mistakes, or occupy their time with deserving things. Alternatively, they kill their conscience and give in entirely to sin. It’s all for nothing; there is no escaping guilt and self-judgment.
Forgiveness
But forgiveness has been granted to everyone who is in Christ. Therefore, according to Romans 8:1, “those who are in Christ Jesus now face no condemnation.” That eliminates the worry of being found guilty. For those who trust in him, an intense desire to see Christ is born into their hearts in its place. Christ will not return to highlight their sin problem once more. In place of the guilt, he offered his own purity (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Are you holding out for the return of Christ? Or is it sin in your life that scares you? If that’s the case, beg for forgiveness and you’ll discover that your fear is replaced with delight!
