Yahoo Answers is shutting down on May 4th, 2021 (Eastern Time) and beginning April 20th, 2021 (Eastern Time) the Yahoo Answers website will be in read-only mode. There will be no changes to other Yahoo properties or services, or your Yahoo account. You can find more information about the Yahoo Answers shutdown and how to download your data on this help page.

What is the actual mechanism by which Jesus' death absolves our sins?

Here's one for you -- what is the actual cause/effect connection between Jesus dying and sins being absolved? If God is all-powerful and he wants to forgive our sins, then why can't he just wave his hand and do so? Why would he require a sacrifice? And why would the sacrifice of Jesus in any way have any effect on whether sins are forgiven?

Update:

@CS -- So two wrongs make a right? Besides, that still doesn't answer the real question, which is what is the actual mechanism by which one death suddenly absolves sins? What's the actual connection between the two events? I can explain why turning on a light switch makes the light go on by a series of simple cause-and-effect relationships, but how does death on a cross link up with absolving all sin?

Update 2:

@Psychosis -- Symbolism =/= mechanism. Symbolism is a fine literary device but it does nothing to explain the actual cause and effect. By the "symbolism" argument I could say that drawing a picture of a light switch in the ON position should turn my lamp on as effectively as actually flipping the switch.

Update 3:

@Lynn -- if he demands that sins are punished, then why not just punish those who commit them? That would be like convicting someone of murder and sentencing a random stranger to death for it.

15 Answers

Relevance
  • Anonymous
    8 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    You wanna read about the actual 'cause and effect of the Cross' by clicking on this link. You will be amazed just how many lies has been spoken about sins being blotted out.

    http://www.nlmbookcafe.com/blog/philgrahn/category...

  • ?
    Lv 4
    5 years ago

    it fairly is by using fact he's GOD, and he knows the impressive result. right it fairly is a actual international occasion of an result already being in many cases happening till now the time actual ran out. interior the impressive game that the Lakers performed, wherein they gained the championship, they have been already up with the help of a handful of things. all of us knew they have been going to be the subsequent Champ(s)... and people began to have a good time even regardless of the incontrovertible fact that the sport become not technically over with. Jesus knew that it become time for him to flow away, and while he reported it fairly is complete, it fairly is in connection with the entire clarification why he got here down... and that become to be crucified and die for the sins of the international, so as that the gates would desire to as quickly as returned reopen.

  • 8 years ago

    You miss the whole point in the culture of that day.

    Many religions developed the idea of sacrifice.

    They understood natural disasters as punishment.

    This ranged from animal to human sacrifice.

    Jews had several examples, temple sacrifice & scape-goating.

    They thought that life was contained in the blood.

    So when an animal was slaughtered they drained the blood.

    Priests sprinkled half over the people & poured half over the altar.

    The idea was that the animal gave its life for their sins.

    Jesus was the perfect sacrifice, since he was without sin.

    GOD was humble enough to communicate with people in their own way.

  • 8 years ago

    Man has a threefold problem.

    He has sinned and is a sinner, he has no righteousness of his own and he is unable and does not have the power to live acceptably to God

    Christ's life and death and resurrection solves that threefold problem.

    Christ lived by faith in absolute dependence upon the Father. By this He both proved it possible and accomplished a life of righteousness.

    Since sin brings death, Christ took all our sin upon Himself and died so that perfect justice was satisfied and fulfilled.

    But since Christ had no sin of His Own, death could not hold Him and He rose from the dead in resurrection power.

    So how does that help? what is the connection? you may be wondering.

    Simple. Any joined to Christ share everything about Him.

    They share His perfect righteousness won by His life of obedience. In Him they have His righteousness.

    They share His death for sin and are thereby punished in Him.Justice has been exacted, but they have escaped the penalty, the suffering.

    They are enabled to receive the power of His resurrection life by the Spirit, to enable them to live anew acceptably to God.

    Thus they are born anew by the Spirit of God.

    How can they be joined to Christ? Since they are sinners and sinful it cannot be any work of their own since that will be tainted, infected,and infested with their sin. The only means compatible is by faith which enables them to receive God's work without their own works. It also operates as consent and a desire to be changed. None can be changed against their will. Any forced remain of the same heart though superficially there may be compliance.

    You forget this vital need to be changed.

    Glorious simplicity! Magnificent love! Perfection in every respect!

    The Gospel reveals the righteousness of God.

  • How do you think about the answers? You can sign in to vote the answer.
  • sanity
    Lv 7
    8 years ago

    For the sake of argument, assuming there's a god and assuming everything was created by him, then what was created by him, he would know the consequences, outcomes, etc.

    Knowing the consequences, outcomes, then there's no need for "forgiveness" because whatever the outcomes, those specifications were inbuilt. I cannot build a car to certain specifications, and when it couldn't perform BEYOND the specifications built-in, I blame the car for it, right?

    Therefore, passing judgment on his creation would be passing judgment on himself.

    As a wise creator, the creator would rather that his sentient beings SEEK TRUTH rather than WORSHIP him. Seek truth would mean seeking knowledge about unknown and if possible, to then understand the scheme of creation or existence.

    *There was/is no necessity for Jesus' nor anyone's death to absolve sins. There was never any implied doctrine, prior to that, that others (divine or otherwise) is responsible for another person's actions and that other's could take the punishment of another. Every person is responsible for his own actions.

  • Anonymous
    8 years ago

    First off, God doesn't want to just forgive us, He wants to fix us. If you play in mud after your mom tells you not to she will forgive you, but you are still covered in mud. In the same way, merely forgiving us of sin wouldnt heal us of the corruption caused by sin. We need to be "redeemed" or restored to Gods image and likeness. This is done by the incarnation of God who by His obedience to death sets us free from the slavery of sin, it heals our disobedient human nature and by Jesus resurrection, Humans are able to once again share in Gods divine life. That is called Redemption. Specifically, when you forgive someone , you suffer the damage done to you without demanding pay back. In the same way, God in Christ suffers the pain of our rejection/sins while forgiving us. Forgiveness costs something on the part of the forgiver, it is not easy or cheap

  • ?
    Lv 7
    8 years ago

    God can forgive us our personal sins if we repent for them, but that was not the problem God couldn't forgive the disobedience we are all born under because of the sin of Adam. This is why from the time of Adam to Moses when the Law was made visible to the time of Moses to Jesus no one could enter Heaven the very disobedience which is part of human nature separated mankind from God even in death. The disobedience which we are born under is inherited through our sinful flesh, it's the cause of our inclination to commit personal sin the flesh belongs to Satan. You could say that when Adam disobeyed God when he was tempted, that temptation turned internally to disobey God. Before the fall of Adam he had no internal temptations because he was holy and his flesh was holy.

    So the Son had to be incarnated in the likeness of sinful flesh even though He was born under obedience and was without sin. In order for Jesus to be counted amongst us sinners He had to be baptized in a bath of redemption, that is why Jesus was baptized by St. John the Baptist. And if you think about it after Jesus was baptized He was tempted by Satan in the desert which is evidence that even though Jesus was without sin He was counted amongst the sinners. This was important because Jesus didn't need to enter into Heaven after He died but rather Sheol the abode of the dead where the righteous dead that lived before Him waited in Abraham's Bosom (Limbo for the Fathers). In fulfillment of the prophesy Jesus as the Messiah would preach His Gospel to them and deliver them.

    When Jesus died upon the cross He offered Himself up as a sin offering for the atonement for the sin of Adam. We are forgiven because we are sinners what died with Jesus' flesh was the sin of Adam. Through His Resurrection we are given the promise of eternal life, Heaven had became open to mankind because Jesus defeated death. So even though our flesh is sinful we have been given the spirit of eternal life so even in death we are not separated from God.

    Jesus' sacrifice was made for all past, present, and future generations and this was a feat that only God could preform because no man could carry the sin of Adam (sins of the world).

  • Anonymous
    8 years ago

    Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins. God is holy and just and demands that sin be punished. God can do anything He wants. He is God. He makes the rules.

    Pirate: We are all sinners. We all have offended a holy God. We all deserve hell. It's only because of His great mercy that any are saved. Strive to enter in by the narrow gate. The way to destruction is broad. The way to life is narrow and few there be that find it. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by Him. (See John 14:6)

    Source(s): The New Testament (recommended reading)
  • 8 years ago

    The word sin is oxymoronic in its own right and there is no supporting evidence that sin exists much like religions.

  • Anonymous
    8 years ago

    It's a spiritual miracle, something having to do with the law of God that doesn't make sense to earthly creatures. Read the book of Hebrews and it will tell you.

Still have questions? Get your answers by asking now.