Trust in God?

Hebrews 10:22 (NLT) "...let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting Him.  For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ's blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water."

This was K-LOVE's "Bible verse of the day" one day last week.  It caused me to pause and ask myself, "What does it mean to 'trust Him'?"  We are all guilty at times of speaking in "churchese".  We use terms like "trust God" in our conversations, sermons and alter calls.  But what does that really mean, "trust God"?  I'll spend my time in this week's blog post on one part of the meaning of "trusting God".

I'll start by asking a question:  When were your sins forgiven?  When I ask that question, some might remember back in time to the day you asked Christ into your life.  You might remember the church service, the time, the day, the speaker, the color of the carpet, every detail and circumstance of that day, but I ask again, when were your sins forgiven?  When you gave your life to Him?  When you, as we like to say in church circles, when you "put your trust in Him"?  There's that "churchese" again.  You "put your trust in Him".

I believe scripture teaches something quite different.  One might say it is a matter of semantics, but I think the distinction is important.  Hebrews 10:11 states, "Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take a way sins.  But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time (my emphasis).  Then He sat down in the place of honor at God's right hand."  And Romans 8:34 goes on to say that "...Christ died for us...and he is sitting in the place of honor at God's right hand, pleading (interceding) for us."  The Apostle John wrote in 1 John 2:1 that Christ is our "advocate (lawyer, attorney...my emphasis) who pleads our case before the Father."


When were your sins forgiven and what does it mean to "trust God"?  I believe that all of men's sins were forgiven when Christ shed His blood on the cross and that to "trust God" means to place all of one's faith in the power of that eternal sacrifice to cover every sin.  That is what it is to be born again:  to place your faith in the blood of Christ and the work that He accomplished on the cross.  The payment for sin has been paid.  Forgiveness has been rendered.  All you have to do is accept the forgiveness.

On that day you are remembering as the day of your salvation, did you bring a blood sacrifice?  I hope not.  That might present a problem.  But Scripture is very clear that in order for sin to be forgiven, blood must be shed (Hebrews 9:22).  Under the old covenant, the Priest entered into the Temple one time per year to offer blood to cover sins of the past year and that sacrifice was good for 1 year.  The blood sacrifice for your sins occurred on the cross; Christ shed his blood, delivered it into the Holy of Holies and placed it on the altar in Heaven as a sin sacrifice.  How much more powerful is the blood of Christ than that of a lamb?  Christ's blood completely covered and forgave our sins and now He intercedes with God on our behalf to enforce the sacrifice He made.  The work is already done and placing your trust in God is believing that His sacrifice covers YOUR sin.  Not trusting in yourself or your own goodness, but in Him and the work that He did.

Is it a matter of semantics?  I don't think so.  It's what the Gospel is all about.  People desire to come to Christ;  they long to be saved.  But they can't understand how God could possibly forgive them.  They know what they did last month...last week...last night.  They know the depth of their sin.  They know the ugliest secrets about themselves no one else knows.  They ask for forgiveness, but  they don't "feel" forgiven because they don't "feel" any different.  How much more responsive and effective would altar calls in our churches be if everyone understood that their sins are not forgiven when we say, "God forgive me of my sins."  They already are forgiven and we are free to live when we TRUST CHRIST and the work that He did to save us!  Those who "put their trust in Him" are truly saved.