Love God Greatly: Jesus Our EverythingExemplo

The Old Testament sacrifices were imperfect, but they were effective. Their purpose was to show the people the consequences of sin. Any offense against God, the community, or another person required the death of an animal, from a large bull to a small bird. These sacrifices cleansed the worshiper for a time, allowing them to return to the community and worship without fear or guilt. 

In the Levitical system, the death required as the payment for sin was covered by an animal. Animals were killed, not the sinner themselves. The animal took the punishment for the sins of the person. Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice, not for His own sins (because He had none) but as a substitutionary sacrifice for all humanity. Jesus was not guilty. He took on the sins of humanity once and for all. His eternal nature allowed Him to cleanse us from sin eternally, no longer requiring death of any kind as a payment for sin.

If the sacrifice of animals was considered just payment for sin, how much more has the unblemished, eternal sacrifice of Christ covered the debt we owe for our sins? Jesus purifies and clears our conscience for eternity. We can worship God with freedom knowing we will never be punished or judged for our sinfulness. 

Lord Jesus, I believe Your sacrifice is enough. You have paid the debt I owed for my sins. I believe Your work has fully cleansed me from my sin. Thank You for giving Yourself so I could live in freedom and have a relationship with You. Amen.