How could Jesus say, “Your sins are forgiven,” before He died on the cross?

Answer: We know that God forgives sins on the basis of Jesus’ shed blood on the cross (Ephesians 1:7; 1 John 1:7). Yet, before He went to the cross, Jesus told two people that their sins were forgiven. This fact puzzles some people. How could Jesus forgive sin before the sacrifice was even made? After all, Hebrews 9:22 says, “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”

Let’s identify the two people to whom Jesus said, “Your sins are forgiven,” before He died on the cross. The first is the paralyzed man who was brought to Jesus by friends and lowered through a roof to be healed. “When Jesus saw their faith, he said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven’” (Luke 5:20). The second person is the sinful woman who came to Jesus while He ate at Simon the Pharisee’s house. Seeing her reverence, the Lord contrasted her love with Simon’s lack of love. “Then Jesus said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven’” (Luke 7:48). In both cases, Jesus’ words caused quite a stir among the hearers (Luke 5:21; 7:49).

When Jesus said, “Your sins are forgiven”—even before He died on the cross—He was not speaking empty words. He had the power to forgive sin, just like He had the power to heal paralysis. In fact, Jesus used the physical healing to confirm His authority to dispense spiritual healing: “‘I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.’ So he said to the paralyzed man, ‘I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.’ Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God” (Luke 5:24–25).

Turning to the Old Testament, we find other people whose sins were forgiven before Jesus died on the cross. David prayed for forgiveness (Psalm 51:2) and received it. “Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven” (Psalm 32:1). As he touched Isaiah with a coal from the altar, an angel declared the prophet’s forgiveness: “Your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for” (Isaiah 6:7). The atonement provided by the animal sacrifices resulted in forgiveness (Leviticus 4:20, 26, 31, 35).

The principle found all through the Bible is that forgiveness is God’s business. “With you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared” (Psalm 130:4, ESV). “You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive” (Psalm 86:5, NASB). “To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness” (Daniel 9:9, ESV). When Jesus displayed His power to forgive sins, He clearly showed that He was the Son of God wielding God’s authority in this world. “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Luke 5:21). No one; Jesus is God Incarnate.

Forgiveness of sin in every dispensation has always been based on Jesus’ death on the cross (see Hebrews 9:15). In the Old Testament, sins were forgiven on the basis of Jesus’ death on the cross, of which the animal sacrifices were but a foreshadowing. During the life of Christ, sins were forgiven on the basis of His yet-future death on the cross—the benefits of that sacrifice were granted to those who had faith in Jesus. Now, by faith, we look back on the death and resurrection of Christ and receive God’s forgiveness. The good news is as Paul preached, “My friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you” (Acts 13:38). When we trust Christ, the word to us is the same as that spoken to the forgiven woman in Simon’s house: “Your faith has saved you; go in peace” (Luke 7:50).

What does it mean to use vain repetitions in prayer?

Answer: Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, “When ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking” (Matthew 6:7, KJV). The word vain means “empty” or “useless”; so Jesus is warning us that repeating worthless phrases in our prayers will not help them be heard by God. Our Heavenly Father is not concerned with word count, flowery expressions, or mantras; He desires “truth in the inward being” (Psalm 51:6, ESV).

“Use not vain repetitions” is the King James translation of Matthew 6:7. Other translations say, “Do not use meaningless repetition” (NASB), “Do not heap up empty phrases” (ESV), or “Do not keep on babbling” (NIV). As Jesus points out, the use of repetitious words or formulaic phrases is a “heathen” or “pagan” practice and should not be part of Christian prayer. Our prayers should be more like the short, simple prayer of Elijah on Mt. Carmel and less like the prolonged, repetitious prayers of the prophets of Baal (see 1 Kings 18:25–39).

When we are praying, we are talking with God and worshipping Him. It is like a conversation, from the heart. Many religions—including some branches of Christianity—have rote prayers that they advise repeating over and over again. Some churches even go so far as to require their members to recite a certain prayer a specific number of times in order to be absolved of sin. This is a throwback to paganism and superstition; such formulaic prayers are “vain repetitions” that have no place in the church. Jesus has already atoned for our sins once and for all (Hebrews 10:10), and we can approach the throne of grace boldly on the merit of Christ’s sacrifice (Hebrews 4:15–16), not because of our “many words” (Matthew 6:7).

It’s easy to be caught up in vain repetitions, repeating the same words in our prayers instead of thinking about our words or letting them come from the heart. We should be focused on God in prayer and honor Him in our hearts. In Isaiah 29:13, God says, “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”

Jesus’ warning against vain repetitions means we should avoid vain or meaningless words and repetition in our prayers. Repeating things fills up time, but it does not prove our devotion or better our chances of God’s hearing us. We should teach our children at an early age to pray in a natural, conversational manner, with reverence for the One they are addressing.

Being persistent in prayer is not the same as using vain repetitions. There is nothing wrong with praying for the same thing more than once (see 2 Corinthians 12:8). After all, Jesus taught us that we should “always pray and not give up” (Luke 18:1). But it’s understood that our prayers are from the heart, spontaneous, and honoring to God, not the repeating of words written by someone else.

The Bible teaches us to pray in faith (James 1:6), in direct address to God (Matthew 6:9), and in Jesus’ name (John 14:13). We should offer our prayers with reverence and humility (Luke 18:13), with perseverance (Luke 18:1), and in submission to God’s will (Matthew 6:10). The Bible teaches us to avoid prayers that are hypocritical, designed to be heard only by men (Matthew 6:5), or rely on vain repetitions (Matthew 6:7).

I am an atheist. Why should I consider becoming a Christian?

Answer: If you consider yourself an atheist with a sincere interest in truth, there are several things about Christianity we feel are critical to understand. Also, please note that, as a Christian ministry, we have no reason to defend other religious beliefs; so this article deals solely with the biblical Christian faith.

Truth matters, regardless of beliefs.

Integrity is a most important point. You as an individual should be able to explain why you accept or reject some particular view of the world. And your explanation should reflect the actual beliefs in question. This requirement applies universally, even if you prefer to define your atheism as merely “a lack of belief.” We mention this because distortions of religious belief tend to drown out the real thing. It’s common to hear descriptions of Christianity that are profoundly divergent from what Christians actually believe.

In other words, you can’t honestly say you’ve considered the message of Christianity unless you actually know what that message is. Dismissing the existence of George Washington on the basis that stories about him throwing a silver dollar across the Potomac are myths isn’t good reasoning. We cannot allow a caricature to crowd out actual facts and then make a judgment based on the caricature.

We are not suggesting that all atheists are uninformed. On the contrary, we acknowledge that many atheists can articulate the Christian position accurately. However, in our experience, many more self-professed atheists, when asked to give an explanation of Christianity, present a cartoonish view. If we are belaboring this point, it’s only because misrepresentations of Christianity are so often a key component of atheists’ arguments.

Christianity rejects “blind faith.”

Many atheists struggle with the idea of “blind faith,” but the claim that Christians are called to “blind faith” is simply untrue. There is no place in the Bible where human beings are told, “Believe this, just because.” This misunderstanding is due to a mistaken definition of faith. The Bible’s view of faith is best described as “trust.” This is certainly different from “proof,” but faith is never presented as belief without evidence or against all evidence. In fact, the Bible consistently points to historical events as the basis for our faith (Numbers 14:11; John 14:11).

Consider that “absolute proof” is actually rare in human experience. There are virtually no circumstances where anyone has the ability to prove—mathematically, logically, infallibly—anything before he acts. Does this mean we cannot act? No, but it does mean we are constantly acting when we have good reasons but not absolute proof. That, in a nutshell, is the “faith” that the Bible calls for. Rather than calling us to place faith—trust—in the world or other people, Christianity calls on us to place faith—reasonable trust—in God and His message to us.

As an atheist, you exhibit “faith” of this kind every day. The difference is in the object of that faith, not in the substance. You exhibit faith—reasoned trust—every time you sit on a chair without first checking it for stability. You exhibit faith every time you ride in a car without performing an exhaustive inspection. You act on faith whenever you eat food cooked by other people or take medicines provided by a doctor. You cannot have absolute proof that any of these things are reliable, each and every time. But you can have good reasons to trust in them.

Ultimately, you place the same “faith” in your view of the world, atheism. We ask you to consider the fact that, no matter what you believe—or do not believe—you cannot claim to have “proof.” Not in an absolute sense. The reality of human experience is that we cannot know everything. We have no choice but to act in trust—faith—based on what we have good reason to believe, even if we can’t prove it. Christianity is not an escape from reason or a freefall into blind faith. In fact, it’s exactly the opposite: a truth that draws even unwilling converts on the strength of evidence.

Christianity is uniquely tied to reason and evidence.

The Bible is unique in its approach to reason and evidence. Even Jesus Christ appealed to evidence when He was challenged. In John 5, Jesus acknowledges that others won’t—or can’t—believe what He says on blind faith. So He offers three lines of evidence as reasons to trust Him: human testimony, observations, and written records (John 5:30–47). The earliest believers constantly referred to facts and evidence as support for their message (1 Corinthians 15:13–14; 2 Peter 1:16; Luke 1:1–4).

God doesn’t ask us to follow Him blindly (1 Thessalonians 5:21) or ignorantly (Acts 17:11) or without doubts (Jude 1:22). Rather, Christianity offers reasons to believe: evidence in nature (Psalm 19:1), in science (Genesis 1:1), in logic (Isaiah 1:18), in history (Luke 1:1–4), and in human experience (Romans 1:20–21; 1 Peter 5:1). Our website has a large amount of material on each of these areas of evidence.

Modern atheists frequently point to “Science” as a catch-all counter to religion. It should be noted that, without a Christian worldview, what we call “modern science” would be impossible. It wasn’t until a culture approached the universe from a Christian perspective that the modern scientific method was born. Science as we know it assumes that the universe is rule-bound, repeatable, knowable, and subject to human manipulation—all of which are uniquely theistic (particularly Judeo-Christian) concepts. Atheism, like modern science, can co-opt those tenets, but they all flow from a theistic worldview.

Also, it bears mentioning that interpretation is not always the same as fact. This is as true in religion as in science. Rejecting or disproving one particular facet of a belief system doesn’t necessarily mean the entire idea is wrong. It might only be that particular idea that is in error. Non-fundamental doctrines, such as the age of the earth, are ultimately secondary to the core message of Christianity. The so-called war between science and religion is truly a myth.

Christianity has the support of experience.

It’s important, at least for the sake of argument, to consider what happens when people actually apply a particular philosophy in the real world. Naturally, no two people have exactly the same understanding of how to live out a specific idea. And people often do things completely contradictory to their stated beliefs. Yet it’s possible to look at world history and see which ideas seem to work and which do not.

Beliefs have consequences. Atheism, like most worldviews, has no particular reason to consider human beings valuable, equal, or meaningful. Just as modern science owes its existence to theism, so too do the concepts of morality, democracy, and human rights. The positive impact of Christianity is clearly seen in history and in current events. The ideas of equality, self-governance, social welfare, and so forth are all rooted in Christian heritage. Even today, cultures with a Christian background are overwhelmingly ahead of non-Christian cultures in the various moral issues most atheists find meaningful.

Popular culture frequently takes the position that Christianity is a philosophy of abuse. Consider the claim that “religion causes war.” According to secular scholars such as Charles Phillips, Gordon Martel, and Alan Axelrod, religious motivations only factor into about 6 or 7 percent of all the wars in human history. Remove Islam from consideration, and that number drops by more than half. In truth, Christianity’s emphasis on compassion and peace has done far more to prevent and soften violence than it has to inspire it.

If you’re an atheist who rejects Christianity on the grounds that it’s anti-science, blind faith, or abusive, please reconsider the evidence. Those accusations are based on false narratives and caricatures. Comedians and celebrities can repeat them ad nauseam, but that doesn’t make them true.

Atheism means Christianity is worth consideration.

If the practical effects of a belief system matter in a culture, then they also matter in one’s personal life. Atheists of all stripes throughout history have pointed out a major problem with atheistic thinking: nihilism. Belief in pure naturalism or the complete lack of any deity has logical implications.

Force of logic leads atheists to reject objective morality, meaning, purpose, and so forth. This is a dominant struggle in atheistic philosophy: how to stave off nihilism or cope with its implications. This is the reason atheism, more than any other worldview, has lent itself as justification of the atrocities of dictators.

Ironically, this means that atheism itself presents good reasons to at least consider the Christian worldview. Why? If there is no meaning, purpose, or ultimate plan, then we might as well choose the worldview that leads to the best results: one that provides intellectual satisfaction, personal fulfillment, meaning, order, and morality.

The best possible option—the one that leads to the best results—is Christianity. Not that this makes Christianity true by default or that anyone can convince himself against his own will. But it’s at least a reason to take the claims of the Bible seriously. And, of course, Christianity deserves better than a shallow, meme-driven, or cartoonish approach. Atheist pundits have sometimes spoken of acting “as if” there is meaning when they “know” there is none. In that context, it’s hardly unreasonable to nominate the Bible as a reasonable option for voluntary belief.

Christianity offers hope and meaning.

As you’ve seen, our view of Christianity is in no sense driven by “wishful thinking.” We firmly believe that reason, logic, and evidence are important aspects of a vibrant faith. At the same time, we acknowledge that intellect and reason are not the complete picture of human experience.

Every person has his own reasons for his beliefs or lack thereof. Often, these reasons are more emotionally driven than we’d like to admit. The message of the gospel is not one human beings instinctively prefer. But, once a person truly understands the biblical Christian worldview, the caricatures and myths fall away, and what’s left is compelling and powerful.

To you, the atheist, we’d respectfully like to summarize that biblical message as follows:

God loves you so much that He made a way to be forgiven for every sin, so you can spend eternity with Him. The Bible says that each person needs to be saved (Romans 3:23), each person can be saved (Romans 1:16), and God wants each person to be saved (2 Peter 3:9).

What separates us from God is sin. No matter how good we think we are, we are all guilty of sin (1 John 1:10). Since God is absolutely perfect, everyone deserves to be separated from Him forever (Romans 5:16). No amount of effort, good deeds, money, talent, or achievement is enough to take away this guilt (Isaiah 64:6). Fortunately, God doesn’t want us to be separated from Him, so He made a way to fix what’s broken (John 3:16–17).

That one and only way is through faith in Jesus Christ (John 14:6). God Himself came to earth as a human, living a perfect and sinless life (Hebrews 4:15). He willingly died as a sacrifice to pay the debt for our sins (2 Corinthians 5:21). According to the Scriptures, anyone can be “saved”—forgiven by God and guaranteed heaven—through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 10:13). This isn’t a call for blind, ignorant belief (Acts 17:11; 1 John 4:1). It’s an invitation from God to submission and trust (James 4:7). It’s a choice to let go of everything else in order to rely entirely on God.

Christianity still has more to offer.

We fully understand that no single article, answer, or conversation can completely cover every possible detail. There are thousands of legitimate questions and concerns related to the Christian faith. We respect all people, including atheists, who are willing to seek truth in depth.

Even if you don’t think that Christianity is true, we sincerely hope you’ll continue to learn more about it. You have nothing to lose. At the worst, you’ll have a more accurate understanding. At best, you’ll come to realize what so many other skeptics have: that Jesus is, in fact, the truth.

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What are the oracles of God?

Answer: There are several places in the Bible that mention the oracles of God. In the New Testament, the term oracles of God refers to the Word of God; in the Old Testament, it sometimes refers to a part of the temple. Not all English translations contain the phrase oracles of God, so it depends on what version one is reading from.

The New Testament Greek phrase sometimes translated “oracles of God” is logion Theou (logion being the plural form of logos). “Words of God” is a good translation. The KJV, ESV, NASB, and some other versions put “oracles of God.” This is a fine translation, too, as long as we define oracle properly.

In modern usage the word oracle often refers to a person, specifically a priest or medium through whom gods or spirits speak. An oracle can also be the place where the priest or medium receives divine messages. But an older definition of oracle, and the one used by some Bible translators, is “a message from God.” The “oracles of God” in the New Testament are the messages or words of God. In Acts 7:38, Stephen speaks of how Moses received “living oracles to give to us” (ESV)—a reference to the life-giving nature of God’s Word.

Romans 3:2 mentions the oracles of God in the ESV: “To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God.” Paul highlights the fact that the Jews who received, copied, and preserved the Tanakh had been entrusted with the very Word of God. This was an advantage to the Jews because it meant the gospel would be preached to them first and then to the Gentiles. Of course, this advantage was only applicable to those who believed the gospel, as Paul states in the verses that follow. Truly the good news, as Paul continues, is that both Jews and Gentiles now have access to righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:21–22).

Hebrews 5:12 also speaks of the oracles of God in the NASB: “You have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God.” Again, the “oracles of God” here are the words of God. The writer of Hebrews says his readers should have moved beyond the basic principles of God’s Word and on to “meatier” subjects; instead, they are like babies who are not ready for solid food (verses 13–14).

First Peter 4:11 mentions the oracles of God in the KJV: “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God.” In this context Peter instructs us to be extremely careful with the gifts we receive from God (verse 10). Our words should be chosen wisely and spoken as if we are speaking the very words (oracles) of God. When we quote Scripture and expound on its meaning, we actually are speaking the oracles of God. Peter states the goal of our use of words: “So that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen” (verse 11).

In 2 Samuel 16:23, the “oracle of God” (KJV) that gave Ahithophel wisdom means “the Word of God” or, more specifically, “a divine utterance delivered to man.” Elsewhere in the Old Testament, the “oracle of God” refers to the place where God dwelt—the Most Holy Place in the temple that contained the Ark of the Covenant—and thus the place where inquiry could be made about God’s wisdom, will, and word (see 1 Kings 6:5 and 19 in the KJV).

How should Christians view statues of Jesus?

Answer: Large statues of Jesus, such as Cristo Redentor ("Christ the Redeemer") in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, or the Christ of the Ozarks in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, are famous worldwide. Questions about the appropriateness of such statues are related to questions about images and icons in general. Is it okay to have images of Jesus of any size?

Different people can view the same statue of Jesus and have widely divergent interpretations of its meaning. For example, some Brazilians consider the 125-foot statue of Jesus overlooking Rio to be a tribute to Catholicism. Others consider it a generic cultural icon, a symbol of welcome, a counter to the advance of secularism, or simply a piece of pop art.

Historically, Christians have espoused a variety of viewpoints about statues of Jesus Christ. In the earliest days of the church, images of Christ (or other Persons of the Trinity) were avoided, but through most of church history Christians have been fine with such depictions. A Christian can possibly have any of a number of views on statues of Jesus. We cannot give a definitive answer, just a few things to consider.

God forbade the use of images in His worship in the Old Testament (Exodus 20:4–5). Whatever one’s view on large statues of Jesus, worshiping or praying to such a statue is sinful. God is transcendent; that is, He is “other than” His Creation. This means any image we might make would be an inadequate portrayal. The divine cannot be properly represented with the human imagination.

In the particular case of Jesus, we are told that He is the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15). Instead of God being at a mysterious distance from us, as He mostly was in the Old Testament, we can now point to the man, Jesus, and say, “This is God. This is what God looks like, and how He acts, and how He meets with His people.” As Jesus told Philip, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). Through Jesus, God has entered into creation and has an objective, definite appearance (John 1:14).

Does this mean we can or should make images of Jesus? One obvious problem is that we don’t actually know what Jesus looked like. The Bible gives no physical description of the Lord. The mild, peaceful-looking man we see commonly in Western portrayals of Christ is just an invented idea of what Jesus might have looked like. Since the Bible gives no specific details about Jesus’ appearance, any image or likeness is merely a guess.

The most important consideration on the issue of large statues of Jesus is whether or not we’re using them as idols. Using an image as an object of worship—or to focus one’s worship—is wrong. The Bible does not give us permission to worship God through graven images, even under the New Covenant.

A statue might help us to remember the things Christ has done for us. A large enough statue can serve to make a statement on behalf of a whole community that Christ is preeminent or that Jesus is worthy of public honor. In the case of the Cristo Redentor standing over Rio, it’s fully possible to assume it’s meant as a work of art and not an object of worship.