Let's suppose that a group of children decided to go fishing and ended up trespassing on a lagoon considered a restricted zone: they were caught red-handed and received a very high fine, which they don't have the money to pay.
Faced with this situation, the father of one of them agrees to do it and pays off all of their debts.
From a legal standpoint, the children were supposed to have paid the fine, but in practice, that's not what happened: even though the debt was settled, it wasn't paid by the offenders—because they wouldn't even have been able to do so—but rather assumed by someone who could afford to pay it, even though they hadn't broken the law at all.
Although it is a very simple example, this story perfectly illustrates what Christ Jesus did for fallen humanity.
However, what should be emphasized in this reflection is not the repayment of the debt itself, but the absolute impossibility of human beings being able to repay it on their own.
Although certain beliefs promote the doctrine of Karma — in which human beings die and are reincarnated several times in order to pay for mistakes committed in the current life in later lives, as well as to pay for mistakes committed in previous lives in the current life — the truth is that such an idea does not apply to biblical Christianity, because Scripture leaves no room for doubt that there is only one earthly life to be lived, and judgment comes immediately after its end.
And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.
(Hebrews 9:27 – KJA)
The debt cannot be paid by the debtor himself because it is infinite, since it is committed against God, who is infinite.
Having been forbidden by God beforehand, the simple and seemingly innocent act of eating a fruit became a sin for Adam and Eve, as we can see in Genesis 3, This brought terrible consequences: earthly life became constant suffering and death, inevitable… not to mention eternal separation from God, the result of which is condemnation to eternal suffering.
This is the result of sin, and that is why the psalmist states:
No one is capable of redeeming their own brother, or repaying God for the value of their life.,
(Psalm 49:7-8 – KJA)
Because saving a life is priceless.
No amount of payment will free him.
There is no way to pay the price for sin by one's own strength, no matter how sincere and selfless we may be!
Believing in such a possibility, as adherents of Karma do, is nothing more than self-delusion that will have a terrible outcome at the time of judgment.
Reaching such an understanding of the gravity of sin, one can comprehend—albeit superficially, within the limited capacity of humankind—the magnitude of the debt that humanity owes to God… and that is why only God himself, in the person of Jesus, could pay such a debt!
And, in His omniscience, it is clear that He already knew what would happen after completing the work of creation: God was always fully aware that humankind would fall into sin, so much so that the plan of Salvation was already laid out, for the Lamb (Jesus Christ), according to Revelation 13:8, "He was slain before the foundation of the world!"
Only someone infinite could pay that infinite debt… and that is what He did.
Not because he had any obligation, but solely because he loved humanity to the point of voluntarily desiring to do it.
In this way, he suffered a punishment he never deserved, but which he could pay for, so that those who truly deserved it, who could never have paid for it, might be freed from the same fate.
At this point, something should be highlighted: the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews writes to them in a very specific situation: Judaism, at the time, was not persecuted by the Roman Empire, which had a custom of not interfering in the religions of conquered peoples, but did not allow the emergence of new religions, with the aim that everyone, in time, would end up accepting the Roman religion.
When Israel fell under Roman rule, Judaism had already been practiced for centuries, but Christianity only emerged after the conquest.
Initially, the Romans thought Christianity was just a "new version" of Judaism, but when they realized it was an entirely different faith, then—duly supported by the Jewish authorities, who even incited it—the persecution began, of which Paul was a leading figure before his conversion.
Many converted Jews—in order to avoid imprisonment, torture, and death—were returning to the practice of Judaism and, at least publicly, denying that they were Christians because of this difficult situation.
And that is why the author emphasizes both the superiority of the New Covenant over the Old (especially between chapters 7 and 10) and, right from the start, urges readers not to abandon salvation for anything, because there would be no escape for those who despised it:
Therefore, it is crucial that we pay even closer attention to the truths we have heard, so that we never stray from them.
(Hebrews 2:1-4 – KJA)
For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every transgression and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we disregard so great a salvation?
This salvation, having been proclaimed by the Lord, was later confirmed to us by those who heard it.
And God also testified to these things by means of signs, marvelous deeds, various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, distributed according to his will.
That is why salvation, although free for humankind, cost God a high price: the death of his Son, who rose again on the third day in order to proclaim the final victory over sin, death, and the devil, bringing reconciliation with the Father to all who believe in him.
Let us, therefore, live according to the grace we have received, but always bearing in mind that it was never free.
In the Bonds of Calvary
ORIGINAL TITLE: Salvation is by grace, but it is not free.
Fewer and fewer people have been able to acknowledge their sins, since calling them by their true names is politically incorrect, but this is just another... indication That the end times are rapidly unfolding, and before the Lord returns like a thief in the night, the prophesied reign of the Antichrist must be consolidated not only in Brazil, but throughout the world!
In the 2023 phase of "The Worst Gospel," I decided to use new formats in the hope of helping to increase the reach of content related to the Scriptures—stories, videos, shorter texts, guest authors…—and this publication, which I took the liberty of revising and illustrating, is part of that project.
Thank you for reading this far.
I still need all the help I can get: comments, shares, and reactions help spread this content, which was entirely produced with the intention of contributing to the edification of the Body of Christ in the world.
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