Bible Studies

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Once. Just once. That was all it took for Christ. To die once and for all for our sins.

Today's bible reading is from Hebrews 9:28

“So Christ was offered as a sacrifice one time to take away the sins of many people. And he will come a second time, but not to offer himself for sin. He will come the second time to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”

Let me give you an interesting analogy.
Suppose a filthy rich dude like Richard Branson (because he is one of my favourite rich people) came to Ghana and decided to buy our entire Gold reserve for as much as our leaders would decide to sell it for at that time. And an agreement was made. Contracts were signed and handshakes exchanged. That is all Richard needs to claim ownership of Ghana’s gold. (congrats Rich, you did it again ^_^). Now suppose Rich has a prodigy who is to go for all the gold he has paid for. Yet this somewhat stubborn dude keeps screwing up. He can’t seem to take all the gold from Ghana at once to Richard’s crib (because really, is that even possible?). No matter how many trips this prodigy has to make to get all the gold, the country’s leaders have no right to prevent him from doing so. Because Rich signed a contract and paid once and for all for all the gold. (Damn Rich! You rich!).

And that is what Christ did. He died once and for all to save us from our sins. No matter how many times we mess up and have to go back for forgiveness, as long as we genuinely want the gold, we genuinely want God’s forgiveness, we have a legal entitlement to it. A legal entitlement secured by the death and the blood of Jesus Christ.
Whose blood is the sweetest aroma to God. Without blemish and without fault. Perfect, flawless.
Does this mean we can sin as much as we want because we have a platinum card in Christ’s sacrifice?
No guys! Read the bible.

“What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?” - Romans 6:1-3 NIV

Suppose Richard Branson prodigy decides to keep leaving the gold behind just because he can. After while, it will not be the gold he is trying to carry to Rich’s crib, but the gold he is intentionally leaving behind he will be focused on. His mindset will change to leaving gold instead of taking gold! Can you believe this dude? Smh!

If this dude really claims to be Rich’s prodigy, shouldn’t he be focused on making Rich richer? Isn’t he supposed to have Richard Branson’s best interest at heart and do all he can to make Rich look good. He becomes selfish if he thinks of what he is getting from leaving gold behind (which to me makes no sense).

“We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God[a] is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.”
- 1 John 2:3-6 NIV

Mr prodigy has to get his shit together if he wants to stay a prodigy to one of the world’s charismatic billionaires. Else a heavier price will have to be paid to get all of Richard’s gold back.
But we are not prodigies to a billionaire. We are co-heirs with Christ to the God of the entire universe who owns every mineral resource known to man whether on planet earth or krypton (yahs! I did it! ^_^).
We have to start thinking straight people. We have some serious riches to cash in Christ and it is for free.

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” - Romans 12:1-2 NIV

Aight, let’s get out there and “be #AWESOME christians with hashtags” ^_^

Cheers!
Ammishaddai Ofori
The Non-Cliched Christian

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