A DEBT I COULD NOT PAY

I was driving eastbound from Chicago on State Route 22 in western Pennsylvania. I remember that morning so well. The fog was so thick I could barely see in front of me. What first appeared to be a deer was actually an automobile crossing the highway. I ran a red light and caught the tail-end of a Ford pickup truck. Fortunately no one was hurt but the accident was truly my fault. Guilty I was before the law. I was sued in Court and owed a debt I couldn't pay. The figures totaled in the thousands. I later found out that my lawyer had settled the case by reducing the cost and paying my fine. Not a penny came from my pocket because his payment satisfied the plaintiff. My lawyer wrote to me saying he paid my debt in full: "...it was a pleasure representing you... I wish you the best this holiday season!" It makes no sense, uh? I'm the guilty party, and my lawyer pays the debt.

Jesus Paid My Sin Debt

Like all human beings, I entered this world conceived in sin, born a sinner and under the judgment of God. The penalty for sin is death (Rom. 6:23), and the second death is the eternal lake of fire (Rev. 20: 14). From the very beginning, I deserved hell, not heaven. My helplessness to wipe out my own guilt left me with no choice but to trust in my divine Advocate – Jesus Christ. Jesus nailed all my sins to the cross (Col. 2: 13) when He died at Calvary. I'm the sinner, I was the one who deserved to be nailed to a cross, but instead Jesus was nailed there for me. He became my substitute at Calvary. He represented me there – all my sins were laid on Him (Isaiah 53:6). The price Jesus paid to cancel my sin debt wasn't cheap though. It cost Him his blood ...without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness (Heb. 9:22). No blood, no forgiveness! God's approval of Christ's sacrifice was the empty tomb. In other words, in God's justice, Christ's sacrifice was sufficient to pay the penalty for my sin and reconcile me to Him. Just as my lawyer paid my earthly debt, my divine Lawyer did much better – He paid my eternal sin debt, a debt I could never pay by any good works (Eph. 2:8-9). Because of Christ's sacrificial death for me, I am debt free! My account for all eternity is paid in full, I have no sin balance to be carried forward.

Was Christ's Sacrificial Death Sufficient?

Roman Catholic teaching denies that Christ's sacrificial death was complete and sufficient. How does Rome do this? In the New catechism of the Catholic Church the purpose of The Sacrifice of the Mass is cited:

· Each Sacrifice of the Mass appeases God's wrath against sin [1371, 1414].

· The Mass is an unbloody sacrifice which atones for the sins of the living and the dead [1367, 1371,1414].

· The sacrificial work of redemption is continually carried out through the Sacrifice of the Mass [1364, 1405, 1846].

· The [Catholic] Church is to continue the sacrifice of Christ for the salvation of the world [1323, 1382, 1405, 1407].

The Bible, on the other hand, tells us clearly "there is no further sacrifice for sin" (Heb. 10:18,26). That means none! Zero! That means not even the unbiblical Catholic Mass. Moments before the Lord Jesus gave up His spirit upon the cross, He cried out, "It is finished" (John 19:30). Jesus meant what He said, that His once-for-all sacrificial work of redemption was done. His sacrifice at Calvary was completely finished (Hebrews 10: 10-18). Hence those who continue to place their trust in the continual sacrifice of the Mass to expiate their sins deny Jesus and His finished work of redemption on the cross.

Why Is This So Important?

Christ has paid the death penalty for sins. The Catholic Mass cannot do what Christ has already done. The apostle Paul tells us: "Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed" (1 Cor. 5:7). Notice the past tense. His onetime sacrifice does not continue on Catholic altars. If anyone [by their beliefs and practices] continues to deny the work of Jesus Christ, the Bible says He will deny them on the last Day (John 12 :48). How terrifying for anyone to hear Jesus say, "depart from Me [into everlasting punishment], for I never knew you" (Matt. 7;21-23; 2 Thes. 1:8-9).

My heart aches for those who will die in their sins and experience the second death – an eternity separated from God. Too many people are trusting in the Sacrifice of the Mass instead of Christ's finished sacrifice. They are trusting in a false sacrifice [the unbloody Mass] instead of the only true sacrifice [Christ's blood at the cross]. No one can trust two opposing views simultaneously. The Mass opposes the perfect, complete, sufficient and once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Anyone who believes in the sacrifice of the Mass denies the very words and work of Jesus Christ. His sacrifice happened some 2000 years ago on a wooden cross outside of Jerusalem. It's an event that can never be repeated, and it can never be continued on Catholic altars (Heb. 10:11; 7:27). Anyone who reads and understands Hebrews, chapters 7 through 10, will not be able to remain in the Roman Catholic Church.

To believe in Jesus is to trust in what Jesus has already DONE for our right standing before God. We must know the truth about His death before we can trust in the sufficiency of His death. Catholics must transfer their trust from Rome's false sacrifice to Christ's true sacrifice. May God give them the grace to repent and believe the Gospel. ¢

Rich Kris, a former Roman Catholic, was saved by God’s amazing grace in 1991. He now serves the Saviour through the ministry of Proclaiming the Gospel in the Washington D.C. area (www.pro-gospel.org). He can be contacted at: e-mail rich_kris@juno.com or (202) 462-9478.