“For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the Lord.” – Leviticus 16:30
“Praise the Lord for full Salvation
God still reigns upon his throne
And I know the blood still reaches
Deeper than the stain has gone” –Lester Roloff
When there is a need for atonement; then by default, there must be an act of wrong doing. The scripture tells us that the law was our “schoolmaster to bring us to Christ.” What an effective teacher it is! Under the old law, if a man or women committed sin, they atoned for it by sacrificing a: lamb, goat, dove, etc. The blood that was shed was for atonement for sins committed; and it happened often. Why did it happen so often? Why did the children of Israel have to continually offer sacrifices for sin? Well, because they kept on sinning. Why did they keep on sinning? It could not make the “comers thereunto perfect.”(Heb 10:1) The blood of animals could not purge the conscience of “dead works.” There was an inclination in every man that could not be eradicated; the stain of sin was too deep for the blood of bulls and goats to cleanse. This is why we need a Lamb of God to “take away the sin of the world.”
Allow me to digress for just a moment; on this point. One might hear the following line of thinking. Some quote “behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.” They will then argue thusly. Jesus came and died and “took away” all sin; whatever you do, no matter how vile, your sin is gone because of Jesus. As long as you recognize this fact then you’re “covered by the blood.” Is there a more readily damning theology in existence? Not only does this fly in the face of virtually all of the basic principles to which the Bible counsels men to seek, including the very title itself “Holy Bible”; but and perhaps more grave, it promotes the very thing that Jesus himself died to destroy. “For this purpose the son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil.”(1 John 3:7-9) The scriptures will plainly bare out that the blood of Christ is an instrument of eradication, not a merely a blanket of toleration. “Examine yourself, whether ye be in the faith”
So, to what end did Christ die? What a question indeed. I do not believe this electronic document, despite its amazing capacity, could contain the whole of what the blood of Jesus did for mankind; even if one could tell it all (which I am certain I cannot). However, we can, by the scriptures, bring a few obvious facts into focus with hopes to “persuade men.” As previously stated above, there was atonement made available for sins committed. There was provision made for adultery, fornication, idolatry, etc. Sins manifested in action could be cleansed through blood of bulls and goats; however, the stain of sin on the soul was more stubborn that just manifestations of it (lying, cheating, stealing, etc.). The stain of sin on the soul was found on the conscience as well. It was inherited and imbedded in the very fabric of our being. For this, no atonement was available. What sorrow those under the old covenant had to endure! These men and women had an earnest heart to serve God, but found only a defeatist testimony could be obtained. They would strive with all their might to do right, but only for a while was this accomplished before they were overcome by an evil inclination within. No amount of discipline or will power could combat this monster that lived inside! By and by they would commit sin, and then, back to the priest they went with their best goat (and their guilt) in hand. Now we see our school master teaching us; showing us that atonement is needed. Not needed only for committed sin, but for the inclination to sin, for the inbred sin. But one might question: “if the blood of bulls and goats will not do the job; then what will?” “Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29)
