Christ Died In Vain

Introduction. Given the fact that everything we know and cherish is based on the fact of Christ’s death, the phrase “Christ died in vain” is a devastating statement.

Is it actually possible for Christ to have died in vain? Yes it is. We’re going to see, with the “help” of the erroneous religious groups of the day, that there are at least six ways that people can effectively make it to where Christ died in vain.

If the Law of Moses Saves

Galatians 2:21 is the only time in the New Testament “Christ died in vain” occurs. Notice that if we’re saved by the Law, it “sets aside” the grace of God.

The grace of God was manifested in the coming of Jesus (John 3:16). His death took away the Old Covenant of death (Ephesians 2:14-16) and put into place the New Covenant of life (Hebrews 9:11-15).

If the Law of Moses saves, then we’ve become “estranged from Christ” and we’ve “fallen from grace” (Galatians 5:4).

If One Can Be Saved Without His Blood

There can be no remission of sins without the shedding of blood (Hebrews 9:22). But the blood of bulls and goats can’t take away sin (10:4).

The solution to this issue was for God to send Jesus. His sacrifice allowed us to be redeemed by His precious blood (1 Peter 1:18-19).

There are two very significant world religions that don’t believe in Jesus; they don’t believe they need His blood to be saved.

In Islam, Christ was only a prophet. And He wasn’t even the greatest prophet. That distinction goes to Muhammad.

Therefore, it wasn’t necessary for Jesus Christ to die for the sins of the world. Consequently, Islam claims that Jesus’ death had no significance whatsoever. They even claim that it wasn’t Jesus who died on the cross.

This ultimately means that in Islam, a person is to live a good life, pleasing Allah in all that they do. They are to submit to Allah and follow his commands. To the Muslim, religion does not mean salvation from sin. Instead, it means following the right path, or the Sharia which is mapped out by Islamic law.

In Judaism, Jesus was a good Jewish teacher, but He wasn’t the Messiah.

More than 1,000 years after Jesus’ crucifixion, the medieval sage Maimonides laid out in his Mishneh Torah specific things Jews believe the messiah must accomplish in order to confirm his identity — among them restoring the kingdom of David to its former glory, achieving victory in battle against Israel’s enemies, rebuilding the temple (which the Romans destroyed in 70 A.D.), and ingathering the exiles to the land of Israel. “And if he’s not successful with this, or if he is killed, it’s known that he is not the one that was promised by the Torah,” Maimonides wrote.

Jews for Jesus is one branch of a wider movement called Messianic Jews. Members of this movement are not accepted as Jewish by the broader Jewish community, even though some adherents may have been born Jewish and their ritual life includes Jewish practices. The beliefs of messianic Jews are theologically incompatible with Judaism.

Everyone has to decide for themselves what they will believe about Jesus and the necessity for His blood to wash away their sins.

If He Was Not Raised From the Dead

The Corinthians had inexplicably come to the conclusion that the resurrection of the dead wouldn’t happen (1 Corinthians 15:14-17, 19-20).

What does the resurrection of Christ do for us?

Without the resurrection, Jesus’ death would go without divine interpretation and endorsement (Romans 1:4; 4:23-25).

Without the resurrection, none of Jesus’ promises would be trustworthy (cp. Matthew 12:40; 16:21; 17:9, 23, 20:19; 26:32).

Without the resurrection, there would be no apostolic foundation for the church (Matthew 16:18; 28:7, 10, 16-20).

Without the resurrection, there would be no model of sacrificial living (Matthew 10:38-39; 16:24-28; 20:26-28; 23:12; Romans 6:1-11).

Without the resurrection, there would be no basis of hope for a future glorification (1 Peter 4:13-14; 5:1, 4, 10).

Without the resurrection, there would be no future judgment to right all earthly wrongs (Matthew 16:27; Revelation 6:9-11).

If One Can Be Saved Outside His Church

We’ve previously seen that the blood of Christ redeems us from our sins (cp. 1 Peter 1:18-19).

But Acts 20:28 says that the church was “purchased with His own blood.” Because we are redeemed by blood and the church is purchased with blood, it ties salvation and the church together very closely.

The church, as such, has no power to affect salvation, i.e. elders or preachers can’t give prescriptions to forgive sins.

However, a Christian who wants to go to heaven has to serve God, and that service is accomplished through the local church (Acts 9:26-30).

While I can praise God in song, listen to the Word of God preached, and pray in secret places, I can’t fulfill my obligation to serve Him without assembling with the saints to partake the Lord’s Supper and to contribute to the congregational work.