Deliverance from guilt is part of redemption. Deliverance from the power of sin itself is another part of the same redemption. One goat is slain to portray the forgiveness. The other goat was led out of the camp to portray the removal.

Voila! That ought to be clear to anyone.

Some branches of Judaism refer to the power of sin as the "evil inclination." Isn't that a useful phrase?

Now the only question is, does the Bible actually teach that deliverance from sin is an integral part of the Divine salvation?

Yes, it does. In the Old Testament by type; in the New Testament by precept.

As for the Old Testament, we already have referred to the two goats of the Day of Atonement. In addition, the entire concept of Israel driving out the inhabitants of Canaan portrays the driving of sin from the human personality.

Our enemies are not people, as in the Old Testament, but "evil inclinations."

As for the New Testament, Jesus is the Lamb of God who "takes away," not forgives, the sin of the world. Thank God for that!

Compare:

For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. (Hebrews 10:4)

And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: (Hebrews 10:11)

The clear implication in the two verses above is that the superiority of the new covenant lies in the fact that it empowers the removal of our sins, not merely the forgiveness of our sins.

Also, the entire Book of Hebrews is an extremely serious warning to Christians that if they continue in sin they are close to the burning.

Christ was not manifested to forgive the sins of the devil but to destroy the works of the devil.

Where does Christ destroy the works of the devil? In us first, and after that in the saved nations of the earth.

Christ came to destroy all the works of the devil, not to forgive or save the devil but to get him out of here! Can you say Amen to that?

"But," you respond, "I am born again so I don't have the devil in me."

Cool. Then why don't you act like it?

Paul exhorts us that if we Christians live in the passions of the flesh we will die spiritually. If we through the Holy Spirit put to death the deeds of our body we will live spiritually.

I could lay a truckload of verses on you but I know from experience it won't do any good. Once the Evangelical abstract-grace bubble encloses your thought processes you are safe from any penetration by the Scriptures.

But I thought maybe the notion that deliverance from the power of sin actually is an integral part of the Divine redemption might prove a blessing to one reader of this dissertation.

Oh well, I'll pour out the coffee with the orange juice in it and try again. I'm conscious now.

Love and blessings.

Your friend,

Pastor Bob Thompson

And please, if you love Jesus Christ, prove it by keeping His commandments.