For it is not possible that the blood
of bulls and of goats should take
away sins. Wherefore when He cometh
into the world, He saith, Sacrifice and
offering thou wouldest not, but a body
hast thou prepared Me: in burnt
offerings and sacrifices for sin thou
hast no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I
come (in the volume of the book
it is written of me), to do thy will
O God.
Hebrews 10:4-7
The sacrifices of bulls and goats could never take away sins, they are animals that innocently die and have no real connection to people and for salvation. Yet, they did figure or picture that salvation can only come by blood, that a life must die so that salvation can come. The only way this is possible is that the one dying must have the ability to remit sins by death and that is only possible if that one is Holy and within Himself have that power. Now, to those that shudder and object that an animal was killed and that animal was innocent their objection and shuddering is misplaced for do we not kill an animal, chicken, duck, pig, cow, etc., to feed ourselves? Yes! Well, let the Bible speak for itself: "And thou shalt take the ram of the consecration, and seethe his flesh in the holy place. And Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram, and the read that is in the basket, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation" (Exodus 29:31-32). Did they, the priests need to eat? Yes! Did they have an inheritance of land to grow crops or raise animals? No! This service to God of sacrificing may seem abhorrent to us but not to those living in those days when the need for a picture of the hope that they have could only be realized by those sacrifices. But, they were not to continue forever for when the Lamb of God came and sacrificed Himself by the pouring out of His blood, then the need for that type of sacrifice ended. We have an eternal High Priest that entered into the Most Holy Place and continually makes intercession and this by means of that sacrifice He gave on the cross. We can look at His sacrifice and see the same thing as did the ancient Hebrews and our hope can be assured by means of His sacrifice.
Jesus came to earth to do the will of God and as the Only Begotten Son of God then God was also His Father. God is not His Father due to God creating Him for that is Arianism and not taught in the Bible for Jesus existed before time began and if He had been created then time would have begun and this is not what is taught in Scripture. To have God to be His Father and to be begotten of God, to be both man and God, then He would have to be of the same substance or essence as God, therefore He is God. He did have humanity due to being born of a woman so that He could be man and meet all the requirements that man was and is to meet. Not because He could sin, or choose to sin, He did not have a corrupted soul for one thing, and the other is that He came to show the way for us to meet all the temptations that we face. Jesus showed us the way and what we are to do if we fail. We can go to Jesus for forgiveness and only God can forgive sins and this can happen because God sees you through the sacrifice of His Only Begotten Son: "in whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins" (Colossians 1:14).
All of God's children are sanctified by means of the death of Jesus Christ and if this was not true then we would not be able to enter into heaven and have that new incorruptible life, yet, we live here and now on earth and we must daily sanctify our life here on earth by obedience. Not to get into heaven, rather to live as God's children, to be a witness to God and what He has done through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Blessings come not due to our works, that is to get something from God, yet we are blessed by obedience for this is pleasing to God and blessings come in many and various ways. Example: We are to be subject to the authorities (government) when any law is not in opposition to God's law, are we not? Yes! So then, when a person drives faster than the speed law are they not lawbreakers? Yes! Can they as a lawbreaker have the force of law come against them? Yes! Is there any blessing in this? NO! To keep the law is a blessing, and you are a witness as to what it means to be a Christian, others are blessed.
Jesus died once for all time and His sacrifice is eternal: "Above when He said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; then said He, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God, He taketh away the first, that He may establish the second. By which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" (Hebrews 10:8-10).
The question is: Will I, or you, accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ? Will we who claim to be Christian live for Jesus or for ourselves? Are we willing to do that which the world sees as objectionable? Any claim that we are Christians and do not live as Christians makes our claim invalid. The world sees this invalidation and laughs at your claim and worse, they will not see themselves as in need of a Savior. We are to be the light of the world: "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid" (Matthew 5:14).
And I will raise Me up a faithful priest,
that shall do according to that which
is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will
build Him a sure house; and He shall walk before mine anointed for ever.
1Samuel 2:35
Do not fear those who can kill the body
Richard L. Crumb
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