Storeroom Sermons of David Chadwell
Sacrificing animals, animal blood, the first fruits of a crop, and crop products
to God was a way of showing dependence on and appreciation for God. For
generations, people who sought God and depended on God sacrificed. Abel
sacrificed. Abraham sacrificed. Sacrificial acts were a part of worship for
Isaac, Jacob, the nation of Israel, and devout Jews early in New Testament
history. The core of Passover involved sacrifice. Deuteronomy 16:16 instructed
all the men of Israel to gather in the place God chose three times a year with
gifts (sacrifices). Leviticus 1-7 states sacrifice was involved in burnt
offerings, in peace offerings, and in sin and guilt offerings.
When God solved our problems produced by alienation through sin, He sacrificed.
We have forgiveness available to us because God offered an enduring sacrifice.
We can escape the eternal consequences of our sins because God sacrificed. We
can become God's people because He sacrificed. We can enter an eternal agreement
or covenant with God because He sacrificed.
Today you can refer to yourself as a Christian because Jesus was the sacrifice.
His body assumed our sins.
For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you,
leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor
was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in
return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to
Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the
cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds
you were healed (1 Peter 2:21-24).
His blood atoned for our failures (Hebrews 9:11, 12). It is Jesus' blood that
makes possible our righteousness, justification, redemption, and propitiation.
But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being
witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through
faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction;
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a
gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God
displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to
demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over
the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His
righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of
the one who has faith in Jesus (Romans 3:21-26).
Literally, we can come into God's presence because God sacrificed Jesus for our
benefit, and every Sunday we acknowledge that sacrifice in communion. We also
acknowledge His sacrifice for us every day in the way we live our lives.
Without God's willingness to sacrifice Jesus for us and Jesus' willingness to be
God's sacrifice for us, there would be no Christianity, no church, and each of
us would be helplessly ruled by our mistakes.
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