Atonement

Chapter 6

THE ATONEMENT

(For Forgiveness of Sins)

Let us begin this chapter with prayer,

Holy Father,

I come before You in the Name of Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. I ask You to please grant me the spiritual wisdom and understanding to see the tremendous Grace and Mercy that You have extended to me through Your Son Jesus Christ. Lord, please open my heart to receive Your Grace, Mercy and Your Love.

Amen

In the previous study we came to understand that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ set aside His preeminence to physically enter this world as a man. Why? Why did Jesus do this? What was His primary motivation?

We find our answer by reading what the angel of the Lord said to Joseph after Joseph discovered that his wife to be, Mary, was with child. We find this conversation recorded in,

Matthew 1:18-21

"[18] This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. [19] Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. [20] But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. [21] She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.""

Let us notice the following verse,

21(b) … The reason Jesus came was to save His people from their sins.

How did Jesus Christ do this? How did He save us from our sins? As we study the Bible we find that to save us from our sins, Jesus:

1. Made atonement, meaning amends has been made, to God the Father on our behalf for the forgiveness of our sins.

2. Redeemed us, that is bought you and I back, to God the Father from our bondage to sin and Satan.

These two doctrines are foundational for our Christian faith. Because of the importance of these two subjects, a separate study is devoted to each one. This study will cover the atonement, whereas the next study will address our redemption.

For our study about the atonement we will,

1. Quickly refresh our memories about the necessity for you and me to receive God's forgiveness.

2. Explore the Old Testament to see why it is only through the shedding of innocent blood that atonement can be made for the forgiveness of our sins.

3. See how the blood that Jesus shed during His crucifixion provided the perfect atonement for you and me, once and for all.

With this introduction, let us begin our study to see that,

WE ALL NEED GOD'S FORGIVENESS

To more fully understand the importance and significance of why Jesus Christ shed His blood on the cross for us, we must first clearly understand that in our natural state we have inherited the sinful nature of Adam. The Bible clearly teaches this to us in,

Romans 5:19(a)

"[19] For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, ..."

Being sinners we find that we sin. If we honestly examine ourselves and compare our thoughts and actions to God's commands and statutes, we find this statement to be very true in our lives. In fact, this is exactly what the Bible says in,

Romans 3:23

"[23] for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,"

In addition, the Bible teaches us that the natural man, that is before he is born again, is not only spiritually dead, that is without the Holy Spirit, but is also under God’s wrath. To understand this, let us prayerfully read the following Scriptures that describes the condition of the Christian prior to their new birth,

Ephesians 2:1-3

"[1] As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, [2] in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. [3] All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath."

Let us notice the following verses,

1 … We were spiritually dead in our transgressions and sins.

2 … In this state we followed the ways of this world. Note that those who do this are in reality following the ways of the evil one, who is Satan. Also note that God views those who behave in this way as being disobedient.

3(a) … In this state we were following or yielding to our sinful nature’s desires and thoughts.

3(b) … As a consequence, prior to becoming a true Christian, we were under God’s wrath. In other words, all who are not yet born again find themselves in the above condition and consequently are under God’s wrath.

As one reflects upon the above state, we come to the realization that we need to be completely forgiven for all the sins we committed against God and man (which is the subject of this study) and be delivered from the power of sin (which is the subject of the next study).

OLD TESTAMENT SURVEY

As we read the Old Testament we find that the only way we can receive God's forgiveness for our sins is through the shedding of innocent blood. To see this we will,

1. Review the sacrifices of Cain, Able and Noah to see that God was only pleased with the sacrifice that spilled blood.

2. Read about the three types of sacrifices that God, through Moses, imposed upon the children of Israel. The purpose of doing this is to see that they all required the blood sacrifice of an animal.

3. Find that the reason blood is so important for atonement is because it represents the life of the offering.

With all this in mind, let us begin by reviewing the,

Sacrifices of Cain, Able and Noah

The Bible’s first recorded offering or sacrifice unto God was given by Cain and Able. We find it recorded in,

Genesis 4:3-5

"[3] In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. [4] But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, [5] but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast."

Let us notice the following verses,

3 … Cain brought some fruits of the soil.

4 … Abel offered an animal from the flock and God was pleased with Abel’s offering.

5 … God was not happy with Cain’s.

Why was God pleased with Abel’s offering and not with Cain’s? It goes back to the retribution resulting from the sin of Adam and Eve. In Genesis we read that one of the consequences of Adam and Eve's sin was that the ground was cursed. To see this, let us read from,

Genesis 3:17

"[17] To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,' "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life."

Let us notice the following,

17(a) … The ground was cursed because of Adam's sin.

17(b) … Only by hard work and toil will Adam and his descendents be able to grow eatable food.

By rejecting Cain's sacrifice, which was the product of his hard work and toil, God was teaching Cain and us two very important points. First, Cain's offering was from a cursed foundation and hence not acceptable to God. Second, we are not saved or accepted as a reward for our good works or labors. We are saved or acceptable to God by faith, that is by our trusting in Him and His Grace and Mercy (see Galatians 2:16).

Abel on the other hand by faith (see Hebrews 11:4) offered a life. A life in exchange for a life and this found favor with God.

The second recorded offering in the Old Testament occurred after the waters of the big flood subsided. Here Noah offered to God some of the animals that were with him in the ark. To read about it let us go to the time when the waters dried up and it was time for all the living to leave the ark and repopulate the earth. We find it in,

Genesis 8:13-20

"[13] By the first day of the first month of Noah's six hundred and first year, the water had dried up from the earth. Noah then removed the covering from the ark and saw that the surface of the ground was dry. [14] By the twenty-seventh day of the second month the earth was completely dry. [15] Then God said to Noah, [16] "Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives. [17] Bring out every kind of living creature that is with you--the birds, the animals, and all the creatures that move along the ground--so they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number upon it." [18] So Noah came out, together with his sons and his wife and his sons' wives. [19] All the animals and all the creatures that move along the ground and all the birds--everything that moves on the earth--came out of the ark, one kind after another. [20] Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it."

Let us notice the following verse,

20 … Noah sacrificed burnt offerings. The burnt offering was not offered for a particular sin. The whole animal was offered to profess and provide a vivid demonstration of the offer's total dedication and commitment to God. Again we see the theme of a life as a substitute for the person offering the sacrifice.

As a side note, because God instructed Noah to take seven pairs of the clean animals, these animal sacrifices did not deplete the species. To see this let us read from,

Genesis 7:2

"[2] Take with you seven of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and two of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate,"

Let us now read how God reacted to Noah’s offering in,

Genesis 8:21-22

"[21] The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done. [22] "As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.""

In other words, God was pleased with what Noah did.

The Sacrifices Instituted Through Moses

Let us continue our brief survey of the Old Testament and read about the three types of sacrifices that God instituted through the hand of Moses, that is the blood covering, the blood covenant and the Ceremonial Law.

The Blood Covering

The first sacrifice that we read about was called the blood covering. Here we find that blood was used as a covering to protect those under it from God's wrath. To see this let us read how God used the blood of lambs to protect Israel from His wrath against the Egyptians. To move Pharaoh to release Israel from their bondage to the Egyptians, God inflicted various plagues, which were judgments, upon the nation of Egypt. The intensity of each judgment increased with time. Unfortunately, as each judgment came, Pharaoh's heart hardened more and more and he would not free the people of Israel. After a period of time, the time for the last judgment, the death of the first born, had come. To protect the first born of His people, the Israelites, God told Moses to instruct each household to cover the door frame of their dwelling with blood. To see this and its purpose, let us read from,

Exodus 12:21-23

"[21] Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, "Go at once and select the animals for your families and slaughter the Passover lamb. [22] Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood on the top and on both sides of the doorframe. Not one of you shall go out the door of his house until morning. [23] When the LORD goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down."

Let us notice the following verse,

23 … When the Lord would see the blood, He would pass over, that is God would cover that household and protect it from the hand of the destroyer. In other words, those inside would be spared or granted immunity from His judgment or wrath.

This incident was also a foreshadowing to teach us how the born again believer is spared from God's wrath against sin. Namely, the blood that Jesus shed on the cross covers him, in a spiritual sense, and death, that is eternal punishment, passes over him. Specifically, he now has eternal life and fellowship with God and is no longer under God’s wrath.

The Blood Covenant

The second type of sacrifice that God instituted through Moses was that of the blood covenant. In this case, we find that at the time when God gave the people the Ten Commandments, blood was used to seal the covenant or promise. To see this let us read from,

Exodus 24:3-8

"[3] When Moses went and told the people all the Lord's words and laws, they responded with one voice, "Everything the LORD has said we will do." [4] Moses then wrote down everything the LORD had said. He got up early the next morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stone pillars representing the twelve tribes of Israel. [5] Then he sent young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as fellowship offerings to the LORD. [6] Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and the other half he sprinkled on the altar. [7] Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded, "We will do everything the LORD has said; we will obey." [8] Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, "This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.""

Let us notice the following verses,

3 … The people agreed to do what the Lord commanded.

4 & 5 … Moses then built an altar and offered sacrifices to God.

8 … Moses sprinkled some blood on the people and identified it as, “the blood of the covenant/promise that the Lord has made with you.”

This sprinkling of blood was to teach Israel and us about the nature of God’s promise. He did this by using the example of a last will or testament. For a testament or will to be in force, meaning ready for the beneficiaries to receive the promised inheritance, it is necessary for the person from whom the inheritance is received to die. In this case the life of an animal, that is the blood, was used to illustrate the point. This too is a foreshadowing to teach us about the promise of our inheritance, which is eternal life and the forgiveness of our sins we now have through the shed Blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In other words, it cost the physical life or blood of Jesus for us to inherit God’s promise of forgiveness and eternal life with Him. To see this let us read from,

Hebrews 9:16-20

"[16] In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, [17] because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. [18] This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood. [19] When Moses had proclaimed every commandment of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. [20] He said, "This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.""

This now brings us to,

The Ceremonial Law

When God gave Moses the Moral Law, which is the Ten Commandments, He also instituted a whole sacrificial system, which is part of the Ceremonial Law, to be used for peace or fellowship offerings, burnt offerings, etc. However, since the subject of this chapter is the atonement, the offering of interest is the sin offering.

In reading the various laws concerning the sin offering one finds that various types of animals were prescribed. The type of animal to be offered depended upon who committed the sin. As one reflects upon these various laws two observations come to light. The first is that no matter what animal was to be offered, the method or ceremony was basically the same.

To see this and better understand what the sin offering was all about, let us read what was to occur when an average Israelite realized that he committed a sin. To do this let us read from,

Leviticus 4:27-31

""'[27] If a member of the community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord's commands, he is guilty. [28] When he is made aware of the sin he committed, he must bring as his offering for the sin he committed a female goat without defect. [29] He is to lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter it at the place of the burnt offering. [30] Then the priest is to take some of the blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. [31] He shall remove all the fat, just as the fat is removed from the fellowship offering, and the priest shall burn it on the altar as an aroma pleasing to the LORD. In this way the priest will make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven."

Let us notice the following verses,

27-28 … These actions were to be taken whenever he was found guilty or recognized that he sinned. Stop and consider for a moment about how often that could be, the cost and the difficulty involved. Not only did the individual have to go to his flock and select a perfect female goat but also had to journey on foot to where ever the Temple was.

29(a) … He was to lay his hand on the head of the animal, which was to symbolically transfer his sin to the animal.

29(b) … He, the person who sinned, was to slaughter the animal. Thus, he knew exactly why the animal was to die…namely for the sin that he committed.

30 … The priest took blood and presented it to God.

31(a) … The fat of the animal, which was considered the best part, was also to be offered to God.

31(b) … Once completed, atonement was now made.

Why was the blood to be offered to God? What is so special about the blood? As we read the Scripture what we find is that,

The Life of the Creature Is In Its Blood

To see this, let us read what God has to say about the blood in,

Leviticus 17:11

"[11] For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life."

And again in,

Leviticus 17:14

"[14] because the life of every creature is its blood. That is why I have said to the Israelites, "You must not eat the blood of any creature, because the life of every creature is its blood; anyone who eats it must be cut off.""

In other words, the life of every creature is in the blood. Consequently, the value of the life is represented by the blood. Thus, by offering the blood of the animal one was really offering its life as a substitute for their own life.

This brings us to the second observation about the laws of the sin offering. Namely, the value of the animal to be offered was correlated to the position of the individual who committed the sin For example, if the sin was committed by an anointed priest the offering was to be a young bull without defect (Leviticus 4:3). However, if the sin was committed by a leader of the community, his offering was to be a male goat without defect (Leviticus 4:23). As we saw above, if an ordinary person committed the sin, then the offering was to be a female goat without defect.

Old Testament Summary

Given the above Old Testament survey the question arises as to, “What is it all about? What is God teaching the people then and now us with all these sacrifices?” Basically, there are at least three truths that are being taught.

The first truth is that the penalty for sin is death. In addition to all the above illustrations, we also find it very clearly stated in,

Romans 6:23(a)

"[23] For the wages of sin is death, ..."

The second truth is that atonement or reconciliation for us with God can only be accomplished through a substitute death. Perhaps another way to see this is to note that we can not make atonement for ourselves, it must be accomplished through the life of another. To see this let us prayerfully reread,

Leviticus 17:11

"[11] For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life."

Finally, and most importantly, all these sacrifices were to teach us about what Jesus, the Messiah, would do for us once and for all. To see this let us read what the Holy Spirit said in,

Hebrews 10:1-10

Let us reflect upon the following verses,

1(a) … These sacrifices were only shadows of what was coming. In other words they were instituted to teach us about what was to come through Jesus Christ. They were not the reality in themselves.

1(b) … These sacrifices could never make a person perfect, which is to be completely pardoned and forgiven for their sins.

2 … Note that if these sacrifices were able to make one perfect then they would not have to be constantly performed. In other words, if an animal sacrifice could make the person offering it perfect; then, once a sacrifice was performed there would be no need to do it again.

4 … It is impossible for the blood of animals to take away sins.

5-7 … We are now reading what our Lord Jesus Christ is saying to God the Father. Namely, You Father have given Me, Jesus, a body to be offered unto You, the Father.

10(a) … We have been made holy, that is sanctified or set apart, through the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ! Just stop for a moment or two and reflect upon what we have just read. Namely, we have been made holy and set apart for Him!!!!

10(b) … Once and for all! In other words there is no longer a reason for any other sacrifice. Jesus did it all. He was the fulfillment of all what the Old Testament was pointing us to. He was the perfect sacrifice. In other words,

JESUS' BLOOD PROVIDED THE PERFECT ATONEMENT FOR YOU AND ME

To see how through the offering of His earthly life our Lord Jesus Christ provided for us the perfect atonement, the perfect reconciliation, let us first examine the lineage of our Lord Jesus Christ. To do this let us refresh our memories concerning how He physically entered into this world. To do this, let us recall His miraculous birth by reading from,

Luke 1:26-35

"In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, [27] to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. [28] The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." [29] Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. [30] But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. [31] You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. [32] He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, [33] and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." [34] "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" [35] The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God."

Since Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that is God come in human flesh and since we previously learned that the value of the life is in the blood, “What do you think the Blood of Jesus is worth? What is the value?” Right, the value is as God Himself!

Earlier we read that the value of the animal to be sacrificed was correlated to the position or value of the person in the Israelite community. Given this and what we just read about Jesus, can you now begin to understand how much value God places on you and how much He loves you to do what He did?

Let us not stop our study here, but let us move on and move back into time and read about that epoch event when Jesus Christ shed His Blood for the forgiveness of our sins. Before we do we must remember that no one took Jesus’ earthly life from Him. He freely gave it up for our sake. To see this, let us prayerfully consider what Jesus told His disciples in,

John 10:11-18

""[11] I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. [12] The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. [13] The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. [14] "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me-- [15] just as the Father knows me and I know the Father--and I lay down my life for the sheep. [16] I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. [17] The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life--only to take it up again. [18] No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.""

Let us notice the following verses,

11 … The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep, which is you and I.

12-13 … Since the sheep do not belong to a hired hand; he really does not care for them as the owner of the sheep does.

14 … Jesus knows who are His. In addition, those who belong to Jesus know Him.

15(b) … He, Jesus Christ, laid down His life for the sheep.

16 … The other sheep not of this fold was referring to those who are His and yet are not Jewish. In other words, these are the Gentiles, such as you and I, who also belong to Jesus.

18 … No one took His life from Him, but He laid it down of His own accord. Also notice that Jesus had the authority to take His life back up again. This was His bodily resurrection.

So as to further grasp the reality of this fact, let us now consider what He told His disciples in the garden of Gethsemane. This conversation takes place when Jesus’ disciples tried to stop the multitude from arresting Him.

Matthew 26:52-54

""[52] Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. [53] Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? [54] But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?""

Let us notice the following verses,

53 … Jesus could have called it off at any time.

54 … However, if He did call it off; the Scriptures would not be fulfilled. Thus we would still be spiritually dead in our transgressions and sins.

With all this background, let us now proceed and read about the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made on our behalf,

John 19:17-35

"[17] Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). [18] Here they crucified him, and with him two others--one on each side and Jesus in the middle. [19] Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. [20] Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. [21] The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, "Do not write 'The King of the Jews,' but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews." [22] Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written." [23] When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. [24] "Let's not tear it," they said to one another. "Let's decide by lot who will get it." This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said, "They divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing." So this is what the soldiers did. [25] Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. [26] When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," [27] and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. [28] Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." [29] A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. [30] When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. [31] Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. [32] The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. [33] But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. [34] Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. [35] The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe."

So that there be no doubt in our mind with respect to the purpose of the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for us, let us now go back and reread what we read from the book of Hebrews with respect to the mission of Jesus Christ. However, this time we will read the entire chapter.

Hebrews 10:1-18

"[1] The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming--not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. [2] If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. [3] But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, [4] because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. [5] Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; [6] with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. [7] Then I said, 'Here I am--it is written about me in the scroll-- I have come to do your will, O God.'" [8] First he said, "Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them" (although the law required them to be made). [9] Then he said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second. [10] And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. [11] Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. [12] But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. [13] Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, [14] because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. [15] The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: [16] "This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds." [17] Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more." [18] And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin."

This time let us notice the following verses,

9(b) … In other words by making the perfect sacrifice for our sins, Jesus fulfilled and hence abolished, that is set aside, the whole sacrificial system and established a new covenant between God and man. Namely, it is by our faith in Jesus Christ and what He did on the cross that our sins are forgiven.

12 … Let us also notice that with the change of covenant, Jesus Christ is now our priest. Hence, as Moses put into effect the Old Covenant with blood, Jesus Christ, with His own blood, put into effect the New Covenant in Him.

13 … After His crucifixion and death, Jesus rose from the dead and is now back in Heaven waiting for the time of His second coming.

14 … By one offering, that is Himself, He (Jesus) did what all the animal sacrifices could not do; namely, Jesus has perfected us, which is to be completely forgiven for our sins and placed in right standing with God the Father. In addition, we are now being set apart for Him.

16 … God will put His laws into our hearts and write them in our minds. More specifically, when we truly repent and believe and place our faith in Jesus Christ, God the Holy Spirit comes to live and dwell within us. This is the new birth.

17 … All our sins and lawless deeds He will no longer remember! WE ARE COMPLETELY FORGIVEN!! Thank You Jesus!

18 … Since our sins are completely forgiven or atoned for, there is no longer a need for an offering or sacrifice for sin! Just as we read what Jesus said on the cross in John 19:30, “It is finished!”

SUMMARY

With all the above in mind, let us now summarize and close by reading an excerpt from the letter that Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome,

Romans 5:6-11

"[6] You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. [7] Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. [8] But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. [9] Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! [10] For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! [11] Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."

Blessed be the Lord forever!

AMEN and AMEN