You are listening to Search the Scriptures Daily, a radio ministry of The Berean Call. Still to come, Dave and Tom continue their weekly in-depth study of the Doctrine of Salvation, please stay tuned.
CONENDING FOR THE FAITH
In this regular feature, Dave and Tom respond to questions from listeners and readers of The Berean Call. Here’s this week’s question: Dear Dave and TA: I have both of you state that Jesus did not pay the full penalty for our sins through His physical death on the cross. Given all the references in the Scriptures to the shedding of blood from the Old Testament Passover when the blood was applied to the door post to Hebrews 9:22, where we are told almost all things are by the law purged with blood, and without shedding of blood is no remission. How can you say the penalty for our sins involves more than physical death?
Tom:
Dave, there are numerous verses that refer to the blood, under the blood of Christ, and so on, but my understanding has always been that blood was a metaphor for death. Without blood we cease to function physically, obviously.
Dave:
Well, I don’t know if I would say it’s just a metaphor for death. The blood being shed brings death, there is no doubt about that.
Tom:
Physical death.
Dave:
Right, but I don’t think we have ever said—How did that person word it?
Tom:
Well, he said, You state that Jesus did not pay the full penalty for our sins through His physical death on the cross.
Dave:
Right. Well, it pleased Yahweh to bruise Him, Isaiah 53. That is not physical—
Tom:
Well, Dave, can I back you up just a little bit?
Dave:
Yeah.
Tom:
We go to Genesis 2:17 and 18. The penalty for sin was death. But it was not just physical death, it was separation from God forever.
Dave:
Absolutely, good point. The Lake of Fire, now of course this is controversial, some people disagree, I don’t believe there will be physical bodies there. Certainly, the rich man in hell did not have his physical body there. His body was in the grave, and yet it says, In hell he lift up his eyes being in torment, and he talked about this flame that, is tormenting me, okay. So, it says, The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all— all we like sheep have gone astray—we have turned everyone to his own way—Yahweh has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Well, how did He do that? Was there some physical iniquity? No, there was spiritual, moral suffering. I don’t think Jesus—sweat as it were drops of blood in the garden because He was afraid to have nails driven in His hands and feet and fearful of physical death. He was going to suffer the judgment that everyone who ever lived or ever would live would suffer in the Lake of Fire for eternity unless they believed in Him, unless they accepted His payment for their sins.
Tom:
And it’s God, this is why we know He had to be, not just man to die physically, but He had to be God because only God could, in that time of three hours, experience the experience for everyone who has sinned, they are separated from God forever.
Dave:
Tom, it’s beyond our comprehension, but He had to die. His blood had to be shed. Physical death, of course was part of it, but physical death does not end man’s punishment. Revelation 20, tells us very clearly, I saw the dead, small and great stand before God. The Books were opened and they were judged out of those things that were in the Book according to their works. And everyone who was not found in the book of life was cast into the Lake of Fire. This is the second death. So, it’s not just a physical death that separates soul and spirit from the body and separates us from our loved ones and the doomed and damned go to a place called hell, where they are kept for judgment before the Great White Throne Judgment, but there is a second death, and that is the Lake of Fire. And this is torment for eternity, and Tom, I don’t think it’s just some physical torment, I think there will be a remorse and a regret and a horror as the truth of the rebellion that they lived against God and the horror of what that could be that they have defied their Creator, the living God.
Tom:
No more seared conscience, everything will be—
Dave:
There is torment, Tom. So, Jesus must have endured that, because in Hebrews chapter Two, it says, He tasted death for every man. Okay? So, physical death, yes, blood shed? absolutely, it had to be shed, because the life of the flesh is in the blood, and Christ now, He does not have blood in His veins, I don’t think we will either, I don’t think any resurrected person will have blood in their veins, because this is a new life. We don’t understand that, but there’s a physical man and there is a spiritual man, and we are raised spiritual beings. Physical, because Jesus could eat something, He could pick up things, and yet He can walk right through the wall where the disciples were gathered behind locked doors for fear of the Jews. So, it’s beyond our comprehension, Tom, but we know Jesus said: Tetelestai, Paid in Full, it’s finished, and we know that He tasted death for everyone and salvation is available, forgiveness from God. The only way we will have it is if we accept the punishment that Christ endured in our place. Those who refuse to accept that punishment, okay, then they will bear that punishment forever and ever and ever, separated from God. And Tom, I can’t even imagine what the horror of that is. You’ve got nothing but yourself, you don’t have your friends there, there’s not going to be any laughing.
Tom:
And no misery loves company kind of thing.
Dave:
There’s not going to be any company, you’ll be all alone with yourself and with your sin and with your conscience, and with a torment. Probably maybe the most tormenting thing would be, I didn’t have to be here! But I rejected the salvation God offered me, Christ offered me, and I don’t think there could be any complaint against God in that day. Everyone will know that God is righteous and they are rebels.
