Grace

In my journey through the bible again I have been pondering some of the passages I have been studying in the books of the law. Many of the old testament laws had a penalty of death or being put out from the people or excommunicated in a manner of speaking. For instance, in at least two passages, I have read about Hebrews that worked on the Sabbath and were put to death in accordance to God's law. Adulterers were put to death in accordance to God's law. People who deviated from God's plan for worship, and tried to worship in a slightly different way were put to death. Hebrews who questioned God's selection of Aaron and the Levites as priests were swallowed up by the earth. All of this seemed harsh to me until I realized that the relationship of old testament believers with God was different than it is now with us. The short answer is we are under grace now but what exactly does that mean?

To answer this question we have to understand a couple of things. First God the Father cannot be in the presence of sin. This is why we see the Holy of Holies shielded by an extremely thick veil. It is why the high priest had to be cleansed and holy before he entered the presence of God behind the veil. This is why the sin of all people had to have a blood sacrifice as a payment of sin. The penalty of sin is death and must be paid. The Hebrews had to bring sacrifices to the high priest to pay for their sins, and the High priest presented this to God in the Holy of Holies. This is the reason that the penalty of death was on so much of the law given to Moses.

Today, the Christian does not have to offer a sacrifice to God for our sin...why? Because Jesus Christ was our perfect sacrifice that paid for all of our sin, past, present and future. This is possible because a calf, lamb, bird, goat or whatever the sacrifice is was not perfect. Jesus Christ was perfect in every way and is the only sacrifice that is able to pay for all sin. Therefore, when we sin as Christians today, that sin has already had a sacrifice given for it. We need to confess that sin to Jesus Christ so we can remain in a right relationship with Him. We do not however, need to worry about the penalty of death, meaning death and eternal separation from God in hell, if we have accepted the gift of salvation, which Jesus offers us freely.

Jesus Christ, born of a virgin, lived among us and endured every temptation, never sinned, died for all humanity on the cross, rose again on the third day, and lives today in Heaven. Jesus is God and Man. Jesus is creator of all things. Jesus knows everything about you, both hidden and revealed. Jesus loves you and wants all to come to Him, and believe in Him that they may have everlasting life. Jesus is the only way to heaven, and our only way to have a relationship with God the father. We pray in the name of Jesus and enter the throne room of God to present our prayers. Only the High priest after he was made holy could do this before Christ, but now Christ makes this possible.

We still have the law as a guide even though we cannot while here on earth ever hope to obey every letter of the law. Trust in Jesus today. He is the only way that we can be saved. Time is short, and the world is changing. Don't let the end come and you still without Christ. Remember the wages of sin is death, but through Christ we can have eternal life.