THE LAW OF DOUBLE JEOPARDY
This is a legal clause which bars or prohibits the prosecution of a person for an offence for which he or she has already been prosecuted.
It states that a person cannot be prosecuted or punished the second time after either acquittal or conviction, and prohibits multiple punishments for the same offence.
For example, if a person is convicted of robbery, that individual cannot (legally) be prosecuted twice for the same offence.
This law also prohibits the voluntary dismissal of a case after the trial had begun in order to start all over again.
In other words, once a trial has commenced, according to this law, the court cannot dismiss the case in order to start all over again.
"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit" (1 Peter 3:18).
We are told in the scripture above that "Christ also hath once suffered for sins..."
According to the law of DOUBLE JEOPARDY, He (Jesus) can only suffer once. He can only be judged once. He will NEVER suffer or be judged again for sins. He did it once and for all.
Note also that He suffered once for 'SINS' (plural), not 'sin' (singular).
Every sin of the world, both past, present and future (including the ones you may never commit), has been laid on Jesus, and He was duly prosecuted for them all.
There is no sin in the world (past, present and future) that Jesus did not pay for in His perfect, complete and finished redemptive work.
He covered and paid for every sin -PERFECTLY.
Look closely again at that scripture. It says, "... the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God..."
This reminds me of the classic submission of Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:21NIV, "God made Him [Jesus] who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God."
Jesus did absolutely nothing worthy of punishment, but for our sakes God punished Him.
He satisfied and met the full demands of the law on our behalf. He took the stripes and punishments consequent of our wrongs on the cross.
He remained alive on the cross, taking the pain and humiliation until every sin had been duly punished.
So, if Jesus paid fully for sins, then, according to the LAW OF DOUBLE JEOPARDY, it is both morally and legally wrong for the one who believes in Jesus to suffer again for what Jesus has already been punished for.
When He suffered, we suffered. When He died, we died.
He was put to death in the flesh and quickened (made alive, vitalised) by the Holy Spirit. He did all that "... that he might bring us to God..."
Hallelujah! Glory to God!! But that's not all. Look at this:
"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith" (Galatians 3:13-14).
This is the good news my friend, and it all belongs to you. Jesus did it all for us.
No more condemnation No more judgement for sin. No more punishment. No more death. Hallelujah!
Glory to God!
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