Today, the word offer often means a proposal—something that may be accepted or rejected and does not necessarily involve cost or completion. In Scripture, however, the offering of Christ was not a proposal but a sacrifice. It was a completed, decisive act.
The Lord Jesus did not merely present the possibility of salvation; He accomplished it. He went all the way and died on the cross of Calvary to save sinners. Thus, Christ offered—indeed, gave—Himself for us as a sacrificial offering (Hebrews 9:14). At the same time, He was offered by the Father, who gave His only begotten Son (John 3:16).
This was the will of the Father, and yet the Lord Jesus endured the cross willingly. The Father and the Son were in full agreement and perfect harmony in their plan and act of love to redeem us. Christ was offered to bear our sins, yet He never became a sinner Himself. Even on the cross, He remained the Holy Son of God.
The death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ were fully sufficient to pay for sins once and for all. This sacrifice is final and never to be repeated. Some believe that in communion (the Mass), the priest has authority to transform the bread into the physical body of Christ and the wine into His physical blood, thereby treating communion as a repeated sacrifice. Scripture clearly teaches otherwise: the sacrifice of Christ was offered once and is forever complete. There is no need for any additional sacrifice.
Therefore, the bread and the wine in communion are emblems—symbols of the body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. The purpose of communion is remembrance, not re-sacrifice. Christ bore our sins once for all, and all who believe in Him and in His finished redemptive work are forgiven and justified.
The Lord also promised that He will come again. No one knows when, but believers eagerly await that day. His second coming will be without reference to sin, for sin has already been fully dealt with and conquered. He is now, and forever will be, glorified.
What, then, does unto salvation mean? Were we not saved when Christ first died? Yes—salvation was fully accomplished at the cross. When the Lord Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice, He paid the penalty for sin once and for all. Those who believe are saved on the basis of that finished work.
Yet Scripture also speaks of salvation in its future fullness. While we are already saved by Christ’s death, we will experience the complete enjoyment of salvation when He comes again and receives us unto Himself. At that time, we will be forever with the Lord in glory, free from the presence of sin and all its effects.
Thus, Christ’s sacrifice secured salvation at His first coming, and His return will bring that salvation to its final and glorious completion.