Musick-al note # 89
Paul declared that Jesus’ death for the sin of every man (Hebrews 2:9) was part of the ‘Gospel of Christ’ in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4. Sin incurs a debt or penalty that is placed upon everyone that sins (Ezekiel 18:4) ‘The soul that sins shall die’. Just as Adam and Eve died when they disobeyed God – they lost oneness from God – not a physical death but a spiritual death. Paul said in Romans 6:23, ‘The wages of sin is death’ – if you sin, you must pay the wage – death. Jesus paid the price (wage) for sin – the sinless One died for all men (Hebrews 2:9). Does this mean that all sin is just wiped away and all men made clean and whole at that point in time? If so, why did Peter on the day of Pentecost tell the Jews to ‘repent and be baptized for the remission of your sins’ and receive the promise the gift of the Holy Spirit’? And why did Ananias tell Paul to be baptized to wash away his sins (Acts 22:16) calling on His name? Obviously, while the penalty for sin was paid by Jesus, man must obey the Gospel of Christ to receive His blessings and be saved (Hebrews 5:9). Paul revealed in the second Thessalonian letter that those who did not obey the Gospel of Christ would suffer the wrath of God (2 Thessalonians 1:8). Everyone must understand that after Jesus paid the debt of sin by His death, He was raised from the dead and sat at the right hand of God on His throne. Reaching that perfection, Jesus became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him (Hebrews 5:9). We must believe that God sent Him into the world; that He died for the sin all men; that He was buried and that He rose from the grave to be at God’s right hand. We obey Him by dying to sin in repentance, being buried so our sin is washed away in the water of baptism, rising again with Him, through faith in God’s work, to walk in newness of life. Baptism marks the beginning of our New Life for when one dies to sin and is buried with Him, God gives that person both forgiveness and new life in Christ (Romans 6:2-11). Everyone who obeys Him becomes His child (Galatians 3:26-27).
Gordon Musick
Musick-al Notes 