The harsh reality of sin

Leviticus 4 gives us a vivid picture of what it would mean to participate in a sin offering. Entering in this description may help you to understand what Christ has done for you. As you go through the passage you see different groups of people addressed (priest, people, leader, common person,....) but all of them have something in common. They have all unintentionally broke God's law. Sadly that is one thing that binds us together as humans for as Paul says "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God". In each case that sin is discovered either by the sinner or by someone else. Sin comes to light, and with it a knowledge that something must be done, for it separates one from his Creator. The presciption for atoning (a word that means "covering") the sin was for the person to take an animal (bull or a lamb), place one's hands on that animal, and then slay that animal. Once the blood was applied to the altar and the fat and meat properly disposed of, it is said in each instance that "the priest shall make atonement ..., and he shall be forgiven. But let us step back for a moment and enter in to this situation. Imagine that you are the sinner. Your sin has been discovered and now you must seek atonement. Imagine taking that animal and placing your hands on it, almost as a transfer of your sin onto that animal. Then imagine taking a knife and slaying that animal. Imagine realizing that that animal had to give up its life for your sin - in order to cover your transgressioni. One would hope that that experience would move your heart to not want to sin, to never again want to have to place your hands on an animal and slay it for what you have done. But let's go a bit deeper with this! Imagine that animal is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. Imagine that it is the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Imagine that you are placing your hands on the Lord of glory, transferrring all your sin upon Him. Imagine as well that you are giving Him the stroke that you deserve which takes His life. ... As you well know this is not imagination, this is reality. We just really haven't looked at it through this lense of Scripture. Having thought of it this way one would hope that we would desire to run from sin; that when we think of sin and what it really meant for our Lord, that we would grow to hate its hideous nature. In our reading in Colossians 2 Paul says, "And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses by cancelling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, NAILING IT TO THE CROSS." That's the same conclusion we saw in Leviticus 4 - the priest (in this case, Jesus) shall make atonement for them (this time not with an animal sacrifice, but the sacrifice of Himself), and they shall be forgiven. May we rejoice in our forgivenness but never forget what it cost our Lord for such a gift!