Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: SHIFT (05/27/21)
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TITLE: The Perfect Blood Sacrifice. | Previous Challenge Entry
By Gloria Pierre Dean
06/02/21 -
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Paul describes it comprehensively.
"Among these unbelievers we all once lived in the passions of our flesh our behavior governed by the sinful self, indulging the desires of human nature without the Holy Spirit and the impulses of the sinful mind. We were, by nature, children under the sentence of God’s wrath, just like the rest of mankind. But God, being so very rich in mercy, because of His great and wonderful love with which He loved us, even when we were spiritually dead and separated from Him because of our sins, He made us spiritually alive together with Christ; for by His grace—His undeserved favor and mercy—you have been saved from God’s judgment. And He raised us up together with Him when we believed, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, because we are in Christ Jesus, [Ephesians 3:2-6}.
In the Old Mosaic Covenant, spiritually dead humans lived according to laws and were separated from Him. To be righteous there had to be blood sacrifices. Lambs and goats were killed and their blood spread over 'sacred' and ordinary objects in the temple and on doorposts. God instructed his Levitical priests and Moses. The blood-shedding had power.
Indeed, under the law, almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins. {Hebrews 9:22}. However, with the coming of Jesus, God's plan was for mankind to cease animal sacrifice. He had the perfect once and for all substitute, which was His Son, evidence of His love and mercy.
Many things changed. There was a shift in what was available to the world. The perfect blood sacrifice made us spiritually alive. A free gift that did not cost us anything but faith; Jesus took the place of all the killed animals. His blood was shed. He was tortured and crucified on a cross. Therefore, we were saved from God's judgment.
This shift or change was revolutionary. It did not just relate to Jews, now the Gentiles were in!
As we know, millions persist in worshipping objects in man-made temples managed by fallible men, but they do not have access to God. The enemy misguides them, and some have such punitive laws and murder unbelievers. Their laws are loveless.
So, through faith in what Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross, we can receive forgiveness, redemption, restoration, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and a promise of life eternal with God in heaven.
Considering these, we are told to go and do! Shift your way of life. Jesus' promise and instruction to us; "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” {Matthew 28:19-20}
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