Christ is Redeemer, Saviour and Advocate

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Christ the Redeemer and Saviour died for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3). By His blood we can be forgiven; because of His resurrection we can have justification; and through His death we can have life. The love of God was demonstrated in that Christ died for the ungodly in order to make them righteous before a holy God. He placed us 'in Christ Jesus,' who is our righteousness before God (1 Corinthians 1:30). He made us 'accepted in the Beloved' (Ephesians 1:6). His rejection at the cross made our acceptance by God possible. His death gave us life. His blood makes the sinner clean and justified before God. Why did Christ need to die? Because there is no forgiveness without the shedding of blood (Hebrews 9:22). This is so because life is in the blood and part of its purpose is atonement for sin (Leviticus 17:11). The wages of sin is death, yet God offers us the free gift of salvation and eternal life in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:23). The blood has the power to cleanse us and make us righteous before God despite our sin (1 John 1:9). Its purpose is to cleanse. It is because He died for us and carried our sin on Himself, that He can forgive sins. He is the Saviour. Interestingly, John wrote how Jesus is 'faithful and just' to forgive sins. Yet justice demands punishment for sin. But God forgives sins although we deserve the condemnation, because Christ carried all our sins on the cross. His death was a sacrifice for the atonement for sin. Christ is Redeemer.

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Jesus is rightfully the Advocate, the righteous One (1 John 2:1), speaking on our behalf by His blood, which was the price for our redemption (v 2). Sin condemns us, His blood forgives us, and faith in Him justifies us. John made clear that believers should 'not sin,' yet if they do, there is forgiveness through atonement (v 1). He wrote to the believers in order to reassure them that for His name's sake their sins were forgiven (2:12). And that those who believe in His name have eternal life (5:13), because of what Christ has done for them. Peter proclaimed that 'through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins' (Acts 10:43). There is forgiveness from God through Christ, our hope of eternal life. Just as the psalmist thousands of years earlier wrote:

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'For Your name's sake, O LORD [Yahweh], pardon my iniquity, for it is great.' Psalm 25:11

 

No matter how great one's sin is, God wants to forgive, and Jesus' blood has the power to cleanse us from all our sin and unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). There is forgiveness with God in Christ. God is a God of forgiveness, mercy and redemption (Psalm 130:4, 7). David proclaimed that the one whose transgression is forgiven is blessed, the one against whom God, the righteous Judge, won't impute iniquity (Psalms 32:1). The apostle Paul quoted these words when he explained the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the forgiveness of sin God offers to those who repent and believe (Romans 4:7-8). By faith we can be made righteous before God who justifies the ungodly because of what Christ has done for them (vv 5-6). Christ died for the ungodly (5:6); Christ died for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3). His death is the just basis by which God can righteously forgive the guilty ones. God's justice would've been violated if there was forgiveness without atonement. By Christ's atoning sacrifice both God's love for the sinner and God's justice to deal with sin are upheld.

 

This divine forgiveness goes deep; it is not a superficial confession or ritual. It is a matter of the heart. It is not about a feeling of shame because we were caught or an embarrassment of what others might think of us because of our sin. Forgiveness requires a genuine realisation that we are sinful and in need of forgiveness. Repentance doesn't mean we simply feel bad about our sins; but rather, it is a conviction of sin and the 'turning away' from it to a live a life of  godliness and holiness (1 Thessalonians 3:11—4:8). We all struggle from guilt when we do wrong. We hide from God like Adam and Eve. Our conscience dictates the wrong we committed internally. Some cover it up, pretending all is well, yet the biblical way is to repent and receive forgiveness from the One who died for our sin. Claiming the forgiveness of Christ while irresponsibly living in sin, is an abuse of grace. Confessing sin without repenting is what Dietrich Bonhoeffer has called 'cheap grace.' Forgiveness is a great gift that came at a great price—we must, therefore, value it greatly. The price Jesus paid for the forgiveness of sin—the most brutal death by crucifixion—should show us just how ugly sin is and how serious God is about redeeming us from sin and its consequences. Jesus died as the sacrificial Lamb to pay the price necessary for our total forgiveness. We were bought with a price—the death of Jesus—and this we are to live to glorify God (1 Corinthians 6:20). The nature of God is to save what is lost and not condemn what is sinful. However, His righteousness demands justice, and therefore punishment for sin, yet His love offers us grace based on what He has done for us in Christ by His substitute atoning death.

 

We cannot take sin lightly, yet can trust a faithful Saviour even when we fail. His grace should encourage us to live pleasing to God. Taking God's forgiveness in Christ lightly is an abuse of His goodness. A genuine heart becomes visible by corresponding action. The blessedness of having one's sin forgiven and one's guilt pardoned, comes with the vital importance of having 'no deceit' in us (Psalm 32:1-2). The quality of our walk with God depends on the depth of repentance before God.  We must be honest and real. God forgives an honest sinner. Some people, however, rather try to cover up (pride), rather than admit (humility). The parable of the two men going to the Temple to pray, one arrogant, the other humble, illustrated how important that heart attitude is, and how God sees straight to the heart beyond any religious performance: the humble, honest one was justified, the proud, arrogant one wasn't (Luke 18:9-14). Jesus had already explained how taking the lowly place and then being exalted is much better than the humiliation that comes from arrogance and pride by exalting ourselves (14:7-11). Doing great things for those who cannot do anything in return for you, is a way to show humility and love in action (vv 12-14). The true motives of one's heart are revealed in action. Jesus forgave those who were serious about getting right with God, no matter how sinful they were. He was even called 'a friend of sinners' (Matthew 11:19; cf., 9:9-13). Christ died for the ungodly (Romans 5:6); Christ died for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3). This is the Gospel. 

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Peter portrayed Jesus as the unblemished Lamb of God, by whose blood we are redeemed (1 Peter 1:18-19). When people sin, punishment is required—unless there is an atonement. Christ is the atonement. The sacrifice of blood atones for sin and forgiveness is granted. The punishment the sinner deserves was placed on Christ, the Lamb of God. His blood was shed so we can have forgiveness. He suffered so we can have peace. His wounds bring us healing. This is the divine exchange at the cross. This is the essence of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the love of God (Romans 5:6-8). The Saviour wouldn't leave us lost in our sin and its destructive power—He came to redeem us and give us eternal life. There is forgiveness through Christ. His Name is Yeshua—'Yahweh saves'—because He came to save us from our sins (Matthew 1:21) as a sign that God did not abandon humanity in sin and sickness. He is Immanuel—'God with us'—ever faithful to save and redeem.

 

Jesus, figuratively speaking, drunk the cup of God's wrath on sin. He had prayed for this 'cup' (symbolic of the dreaded crucifixion) to pass Him by, but surrendered to the will of God who sent Jesus to save humanity, not to condemn it (Matthew 26:39, 42; John 3:16-17). The cup is symbolic for the punishment for sin. Jesus saves us from the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 1:10). The parallel to the sacrificial system in the Old Covenant with the atonement of Christ in the New Covenant are striking: the innocent died for the guilty. The contrast is in that the Old was human and imperfect, yet the New is divine and perfect. Jesus, the perfect High Priest and spotless sacrifice took all of sin onto Himself to give us healing and freedom through the forgiveness of sin.​​ This is God's love for humanity and love never fails.