The Killing Of Jesus

28so Christ was offered once to bear the sins tof many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.
Hebrews 9: 28 NKJV

I heard a radio preacher the other day who I actually agreed with.  For instead of spouting the usual institutional rhetoric, he let it be said that as christians we are slowly killing Jesus.  That's right, we are unknowingly hammering more nails into that cross of Christ Jesus each day.  Now, I know what you're thinking, Jesus died for the forgiveness of my sins, I had no part in that mess that was His crucifiction.  Wanna bet?  I used to be among those who nailed Jesus to His cross, until I realized my mistake.  The mistake I made, and the mistake many christians continue to make is adding sin after sin to the cross of Jesus.  How is it that we are doing this to our Savior?  Well, each time we come before our heavenly Father seeking forgiveness for one sin or another, we are killing Jesus all over again, in a sense.  I have a few friend who seem to find comfort in confessing their daily iniquities before the Lord.  I say, if it makes them feel better then have at it, but their confessions will in now way change what has already been completed.  What's done is done...IT IS FINISHED!  How am I so very confident that we no longer need to kill Jesus?  Because it is Christ who suffered ONCE for the sins of many {Hebrews 9:28}.  That's right, having suffered once for all of our sins, is it right that Jesus suffer longer because a few of us don't seem to realize the reality of His work at the cross?  The result of the work of Christ Jesus on the cross, we are now DEAD to that sin nature that once defined us.  We are no longer sinners, sinners saved by grace or any other form of soiled garments we can think of.  What's done is done...IT IS FINISHED!  It is for this very reason that we refer to the cross of Jesus as the FINISHED work of Christ.  That means all, not most or a portion of our sins.

36“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
Acts 2: 36 NKJV

So, why is it that we continue to heap up sins upon the shoulders of Christ?  Why is it that we keep seeking forgiveness for things long since forgotten?  Well, this is how we have been conditioned for some time.  We have been told continually that whenever we pray we should also seek our Lords forgiveness for anything which He might not approve of.  Yes, there might yet be some unforgiven sins which might get in the way of our Lord blessings.  If this is true, why are we told that Christ died once and only once?  For some time I didn't recognize this either.  I was stuck in the centuries old  church narrative that tells us we need to confess our sins.  Think catholic church and one of the first images you think of is the confesional.  Rehashing our bad behaviors over and over until we feel good enough to realize that Jesus already paid that price in full.  The only thing I gained from seeking forgiveness for sins long forgotten was much pain and heartache.  No, it wasn't worth it.  Were I to seek an audience with my heavenly Father I'm sure He would simply smile and proclaim..."What sin?"  So, if we are indeed dead to sin as the apostle Paul tells us in Romans, what of those bad behaviors I continue to do?  Don't I need to confess these "sins" to the Lord?  Before you go thinking that again, hit the brakes and remember that Christ died ONCE for all.  Are those bad behaviors really sin, or something else entirely?  Well, since the sin issue has already been dealt with by Christ at the cross, those behaviors we conveniently call sin must be something different.  So, what are we dealing with here?  What we're dealing with is the same lie told to Adam and Eve by the very same accuser who told it.  That's right, the same accuser who convinced Eve is the same accuser who still spews his lies of unforgiven sins today.  Of course, when we're told by the church that we need to continue to confess our sins it doesn't help in our own realization of the truth.  Knowing that Christ died once for the sins of many we have but one choice...stop killing Jesus.

6For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5: 6 - 8 NKJV

~Scott~