Jan
5
Written by:
Pastor Jesse Nicholson
1/5/2011 9:30 AM
Most Christians today take the atonement for granted. Our sins have been covered by the blood of Jesus, but the weight of that truth does not seem to set in as it might for a Jewish convert. During our Lord’s Supper observance this past Sunday we looked at Leviticus 16 where God gave instructions to Moses regarding the Day of Atonement. This was the one day in a year that the sins of the Jewish people were forgiven (atoned). The details of the high priest’s responsibilities, the release of the scapegoat, and the repentant hearts of the people are all aspects of the atonement that most believers today don’t even think about. The Israelites, under Moses’ direction, understood the importance of God’s presence and the danger and even peril they were in when they sinned against him. The Day of Atonement was a day of pardon and forgiveness for a year. This day was a reminder to them of God’s grace and mercy. But every year the Day of Atonement came again and again. And every year they would go through the same practices in order to have their sins atoned.
For believers today we have a Savior who atoned for our sins forever! The “blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7) Hebrews 10:12 says, “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God.” We have our sins forgiven forever. Believer, you may “feel” like you cannot be forgiven for a sin you committed in the past year, month, week or even day, but when you “feel” that way you are limiting God’s Sacrifice. Don’t live your life on feelings, but live it on facts. The fact is the sacrifice of our Lord atones for our sins forever. “Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift.”