" But now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself."
Sin disposed of and put away!
This is good news to every sinner made conscious of his sin. Men are not helped by those who seek to deny human sin or make it to be of no great harm. They are not helped by those who try to make them forget it or those who give them a false peace about it. Neither are they helped by some who would teach them to do somethings about it themselves.
All these only increase the misery of the sinner. Only when sin is disposed of and put away does it bring peace to a troubled, condemning conscience. The scriptures tell us that Christ "put away" someone's sins.
Sin is a difficult thing to dispose of. All the sacrifices under the Mosaic economy could not put it away. Year after year many thousands of sacrifices were offered but none of them ever actually put sin away. They were only pictures of how God would dispose of the sins of His people.
The added ceremonies, rituals, fastings and washings of the Pharisees and others could not put away sin.
Repentance, necessary as it is, does not put away sin. Neither does suffering, for after Job had suffered much, he still confessed himself a sinner in God's sight and abhorred himself.
Self-denial nor attempts at clean, moral conduct can do it. Death itself cannot dispose of sin.
The rich man in Luke 16 died and in hell he lift up his eyes being in torment.
Why?
Because he was still a sinner bearing the guilt of his sin.
Even hell does not dispose of sin. This is why it is eternal.
God's justice against sin is never satisfied against those who have sinned against the Infinite, Eternal, Holy God and therefore they face infinite punishment and wrath.
Our sins are piled up, sins against light and knowledge. They are against God and only God can put away sin!
Christ has put away all the sins of all His people. This is the message of the Bible. To "put away" here means to disannul, abolish and annihilate.
God has said He has put the sins of His people away as far as the east is from the west. He casts them into the sea of forgetfulness never to be remembered again. They are said to be put behind God's back. None can find the sin that God Almighty has put away.
The Lord Jesus Christ has disposed of sin and put it away on behalf of His elect by a sacrifice."
God tells us that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins. All the sacrifices point to Christ, the Lamb without spot or blemish slain from the foundation of the world.
It is by the sacrifice of "Himself."
He offered Himself on the cross as a sacrificial substitute and with His own blood entered into the holy of holies on high and by Himself purged out sins. (Heb. 1:3) He was "made sin" and bore the sins of believers in His own body upon the tree.
God "appeared" in human flesh as a sinless man that He might be the sacrifice for men. He laid down His life for the sheep and in doing so He put away their sin! He accomplished the work and cried out from the cross, "It is finished." So great was His sacrifice that He did it "once" and that was sufficient.
Now if He did not put away my sin by His death, they remain. But if He did, they are gone! Put away! Disposed of! This He did for all those who believe on Him. What is it to believe on Him? It is to cease from trying to do it yourself, to trust Him alone to have done it and to give Him all the glory for doing it. Christ put away sin. Take your place as a sinner and trust His finished work. Rest assured that if Christ has paid the debt of your sin and put it away, the God of Justice will not require a double payment.
"So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." (Heb. 9:28).