"For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." Hebrews 9:24-28

"By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." Hebrews 10:10-14

"Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin." Hebrews 10:18

The texts above out of the book of Hebrews shows the single offering and sacrificial death, and final completion of it made to God the Father by the Lord Jesus Christ. These verses clearly show He only has done this once. He did it in a successful and effectual manner with complete acceptance of it by the Father, which was signified in Christ's resurrection.

Some religions today seek to bring Christ down from His seat of exaltation on the right hand of the Father and have Him sacrificed again and again. This is done by the priesthood of superstitious religion, which is clearly against all that the word of God stands for, especially going counter to what the book of Hebrews was written for. Was not the sacrifice once and for all? Not once and for all people, but once and for all time! This would include past, present, and future.

Some, even in sovereign grace, Calvinistic, or Reformed circles say that Christ was offered and slain from the foundation of the world. They take their proof text from Revelation 13:8, which says "And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." Does this text refer to what had already actually taken place or does it refer to the purpose of God? Acts 2:23 sheds some light on this when it says, "Him (Christ), being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:" Also, in Acts 4:27-28 it reads, "For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done." These verses show the sovereignty and power of God in the providence and predestination of all things, especially the most important event in history, the glorious sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In the decree of Almighty God, Christ was set forth in the purpose of God to be slain and offered as a one time only sacrifice. Galatians 4:4-5 says it this way, "But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." It was in the fullness of time, in God's own time, most importantly the one and only time. The Bible in the book of Hebrews describes what it would do to offer Christ on the cross more than once: "seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame" Hebrews 6:6b. It was cast actual shame on Him. Why? Because He accomplished an effectual redemption that cannot be improved upon or added to. This also is why the evil doctrine of Universal Atonement is so blasphemous. It shows that Christ did not or could complete the work of salvation and needs some additional condition fulfilled on our part to make it work.

Praise God for His wisdom! He can justify the elect throughout history at various points of time, some before Christ even established and brought in an everlasting righteousness and others after it was actually established, based on the one and final sacrifice of Christ for His people. The Father gives each one individually this perfect righteousness by imputing it to their account, which results in their justification before God.

I leave an encouraging few verses in closing to God's people who know they belong to the Lamb slain, who only needed to be slain and offered once. "But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"