The concept of a human mediator between God and man was never meant to be a permanent solution. The same can be said for the concept of “sin and repent” salvation. The permanent solution for sin was ushered in by Jesus Christ.
“For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” Hebrews: 13-14
If one was to study of the book of Hebrews and the Old Testament, one will find that the process of atonement under the old law include the following: 1st The blood sacrifice (this could be a lamb, ox, dove, etc.) 2nd A priest that was a descendant of Aaron. 3rd The temple and all that were therein, such as the: alter, pots, basins, etc. Those who had committed a transgression against God would take their best farm animal to the priest who was in the temple. He would then kill the animal and offer the sacrifice on the alter. This process of atonement could only account for sins committed; however it could not atone for what caused them to commit the sin. Mankind stood in need of a savior who would save us from, not only sins committed, but from the “want to” sin. Jesus Christ was this very savior; he was the consolidation of all things, he was the mediator of a new covenant. I don’t know how you feel about it, but I don’t believe we will ever fully understand the depth of what Christ did for us. However, this much I am certain of: he did not bleed, suffer, and die, so things could continue on as they had been for centuries before he came. There was already an institution in place to atone for sins committed before Jesus came, as described above. What cause would there be to send the Son of God to die for our sins committed; when a calf or bullock would already do the job? The Son of God bled for a greater purpose than simply the justification of sins committed. He is so much more than just the “great sugar daddy in the sky.” This theology of sin and repent is painting Jesus to be just that. As if to say “sure go ahead and live it up! Sin, sin, sin, it’s on my tab, bought and paid for by my own blood.” Christ suffered, bled, died, and rose; so that we might have life; a life in perfect fellowship with the father. Christ came on this earth, so that we might be one with God, and live this life “holy and without blame before him in love.” (Ephesians 1:4) Jesus died so that we might have a life apart from all willful sin, not stuck in the drudgery of sin and repent; the constant feeling of failure and neglect, he sanctified himself so that we might also be sanctified.
A preacher once said, “The book of Hebrews is the book of better things.” Jesus was the consolidation of the old law, and the institution of the new. He was the better high priest, better sacrifice, better tabernacle, and better mediator of a better and more perfect covenant. He was all these things so that we might have a better life in him; so that we might have a salvation that justified the sin and the sinner, a salvation that brings about perfect fellowship with the Father; a salvation through “sanctification of the Spirit and a belief of the truth.” (2 Thessalonians 2:13)
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