The innocence of a lamb is hard to match. God choose innocence as the sacrificial exchange for guilt--your guilt and mine. Guilt is not a favorite topic for discussion in our culture today. We are quick to shift the blame even as Adam did in the Genesis record. Some are even proposing that the guilt we feel is self-induced or taught to us by our society; in other words, guilt is not a genuine spiritual reality. But, we know guilt is a genuine reality. Paul wrote to the Romans, "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of god." (3:23) We feel guilt because we are guilty!
As far back as we can read or remember, sacrificial offerings were required by God's law because of the spiritual reality of guilt. Hebrews 9:22 tells us "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." Forgiveness is the byproduct of the great exchange which the innocence of Jesus makes with our guilt. all we have to do is receive the forgiveness offered to us.
Too often, we overlook God's over of forgiveness and seek out our own path to dealing with, hiding from, ignoring, or covering over our guilt. All God requires is that we acknowledge the sacrifice of Christ and run to His protection and forgiveness of our sin. It really is that simple! I want to encourage you this week to run to the cross and embrace Jesus as the Lamb of God.
Join us this week at New Life as we continue the series The Beauty of Jesus and look at Jesus as the Lamb of God. See you at the ARC at 10:15 AM on Sunday morning.
Blessings, Pastor Tom
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