Elzee:
hurst:
Christ did become sin, but protestants don’t understand it as Catholics do; they portray it as a penal substitution.
So how are Catholics supposed to understand ‘Christ became sin’.
As that He became a sin offering. And He is also the High Priest offering it.
He became sin in order to overcome it and atone for the evil. By His voluntary performance He outweighed the injustice, and offered Himself for us that we might be delivered from slavery to sin and the dominion of the devil. And with our freedom we are called to be Christ unto justice, even as He was sin for us.
Code:
2 Cor 5:21 Him, who knew no sin, he hath made sin for us, **that we might be made the justice of God in him.**
What does that mean? It means we are to made into His likeness by our good works done in faith
Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus in good works, which
God hath prepared that we should walk in them.
Titus 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and might
cleanse to himself a people acceptable, a pursuer of good works.
That He became sin is again mentioned here in clearer terms:
Romans 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh; God sending his own Son,
in the likeness of sinful flesh and of sin, hath condemned sin in the flesh; 4 That the justification of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the spirit.
That Him becoming sin means an offering for our being made holy is shown in this passage:
Hebrews 10:10 In the which will,
we are sanctified by the oblation of the body of Jesus Christ once. 11 And every priest indeed standeth daily ministering, and often offering the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But
this man offering one sacrifice for sins, for ever sitteth on the right hand of God, 13 From henceforth expecting, until his enemies be made his footstool. 14 For
by one oblation he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. 15 And the Holy Ghost also doth testify this to us. For after that he said: 16 And this is the testament which I will make unto them after those days,
saith the Lord. I will give my laws in their hearts, and on their minds will I write them: 17 And their sins and iniquities I will remember no more.
Notice that we are to be
made holy, even such that God will write His laws in our hearts and minds. Protestants tend to think that we stay sinful and are merely shielded from retribution. Thus, they do not feel obliged to put forth any effort to depart from sin, but rather focus on believing more strongly that they are saved in spite of their sins. In fact, they condemn the notion of effort. But they err because while it is true that no effort of ours can earn our redemption, yet we must exert effort in order to take hold of the redemption Christ purchased for us! By faith we must give God our free will.
He offered Himself for us, and we are called to offer ourselves for Him
Matthew 16:25 … he that shall lose his life for my sake, shall find it.
Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercy of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing unto God, your reasonable service.
This is underscored here:
Colossians 1:24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and
fill up those things that are wanting of the sufferings of Christ, in my flesh, for his body, which is the church…
We aren’t just supposed to cheer about what Christ did for us; we are supposed to follow Him by doing the same thing!
John 14:12 … Amen, amen I say to you, he that believeth in me, the works that I do, he also shall do; and greater than these shall he do.
hurst
