Sin Costs

As I read my way through the book of Leviticus, I realize that every sin requires a payment for that particular penalty. And long before Moses brought down the Ten Commandments from the mountain, and broke all of them at once, there was a cost for disobedience.

But thanks to his mercy, God helps us with that cost. In the beginning, he could have killed Adam and Eve for their huge mistake. Instead, an animal's life was taken. Genesis 3:21 (Bible in Basic English) records, "And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife coats of skins for their clothing."

This substitution foretold Christ's atoning death on the cross. As we read in Exodus 12:5-7 (BBE), an unblemished lam was kept in the house until Passover. "Let your lamb be without a mark, a male in its first year: you may take it from among the sheep or the goats: Keep it till the fourteenth day of the same month, when everyone who is of the children of Israel is to put it to death between sundown and dark. Then take some of the blood and put it on the two sides of the door and over the door of the house where the meal is to be taken."

One thing I noticed about those verses is the three places where blood was placed. It forms the same positions of Christ's hands and head when he was crucified.

Additionally, Exodus 29:33 (BBE) points out that only sanctified priests could eat of the offerings to God. "All those things which were used as offerings to take away sin, and to make them holy to be priests, they may have for food: but no one who is not a priest may have them, for they are holy food."

But because Christ has made the ultimate atonement through his death on the cross, we are privileged partakers of his holiness. Romans 5:10 (BBE) explains, "For if, when we were haters of God, the death of his Son made us at peace with him, much more, now that we are his friends, will we have salvation through his life; And not only so, but we have joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we are now at peace with God."

And if Christ doesn't come by Saturday, I hope to post about a super hero and our own way of becoming super beings.

Why Weren't Adam and Eve Killed Immediately?

We know that God specifically told the first two people that if they ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they'd die that day. So why didn't they fall dead? If Eve had died instantly, Adam might not have eaten of the fruit as well.

This might come as a surprise to some folks but our Lord is ever merciful. Certain people have the errant view that God is harsh, killing people who offended him. After all, he vaporized whole cities and drowned almost all humanity.

As I pointed out before, God is merciful as well as just. We read in Genesis 3:21 (BBE) how an animal died in their place. "And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife coats of skins for their clothing." This also covered their shame.

Better still, the Lord prevented the first couple from living eternally in their fallen sinful state. Genesis 3:22 BBE) explains why Adam and Eve were driven out of Eden. "And the Lord God said, 'Now the man has become like one of us, having knowledge of good and evil; and now if he puts out his hand and takes of the fruit of the tree of life, he will go on living for ever.'"

As I've also pointed out before, God prophesied to the first two people that the snake, emblematic of Satan, would be defeated. And so it happened when Christ went to the cross to pay for the sins of whosoever surrendered themselves to his rulership.

When the disciple, Thomas, said he didn't know where Jesus was going, he gave him this answer in John 14:6 (BBE). "Jesus said to him, 'I am the true and living way: no one comes to the Father but by me.'"

This is a most important statement as Christ was that perfect sacrifice, the only one God would accept. This is why we must tell people that the only way they can go to be with God is through Jesus. John 10:9 (BBE) states, "I am the door: if any man goes in through me he will have salvation, and will go in and go out, and will get food."

Likewise, Revelation 3:20 (BBE) quotes Christ, "See, I am waiting at the door and giving the sign; if my voice comes to any man's ears and he makes the door open, I will come in to him, and will take food with him and he with me."

On Thursday, God willing, I'll post details on God's grand plan to save his faithful saints.

Why Were Animals Sacrificed?

 Remembering that sin brought death on all of humanity through Adam, why then were animals sacrificed. After all, they did nothing wrong. In fact, animals can't sin because they aren't moral beings like us. Only humans know better and yet we disobey God.

The heavenly Father often uses imagery to graphically teach us truths. One of those is the sinfulness of sin. The sacrifice of animals can't pay the penalty for our rebellion against god but they were a sort of spiritual IOU. The entire eleventh chapter of Hebrews describes how those Old Testament saints looked forward to the coming messiah who would save humanity. Animal sacrifices indicated to the Old Testament believers that an innocent person, namely Jesus, would take our punishment.

We also see in the Bible that the first animal to be killed for humanity provided covering for Adam and Eve's shame. Genesis 3:21 (KJV) says, "Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them."

Furthermore, the requirements of perfect sacrificial animals was a picture of how the Lord wants his church to be. Hebrews 9:14 (KJV) states, "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?"

So the offering of animals wasn't some sort of cruel rule imposed upon the Israelites by a mean deity but the Father's graphic warning of sin's dire consequences. Christ became the spiritual perfect lamb of God and died in the place of whoever surrendered themselves to his rulership. What an awesome gift salvation is.

I'm currently writing a book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? It warns people to be absolutely sure of their hope in heaven. Watch this space for updates as well as posts on the topic of heaven.