The sacrificial laws, which God gave to His people were part of the Old Covenant. The sacrifices of animals and the blood of animals were meant for the atonement and reconciliation between God and His people. All things had to be cleansed by blood. Because without the shedding of blood, there wouldn’t be remission (Hebrew 9:22). The purpose of the sin offering was to cover the (unintentional) sins and iniquities of God’s people. By the blood of animals, God’s people were temporarily cleansed and made holy. But if the blood of animals would be sufficient to cleanse God’s people from their sins and iniquities and make them holy and righteous, then why did Jesus have to come to this earth? Why did Jesus have to become the Lamb of God and be sacrificed for mankind? What exactly is the difference, between the sacrifices of animals and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ?
The sin offering
In the Old Covenant, there were many offerings. But once every year, on the Day of Atonement; Yom Kippur, a special sin offering and burnt offering took place (Lev 16). The Day of Atonement is considered the most holiest day of the year. During this yearly offering, the sins and iniquities of the people of God were forgiven and forgotten by God. The blood of animals covered the sins and iniquities and reconciled God’s people to God.
But when the Day of Atonement was over, God’s people continued with their lives. Most of them, lived as they lived before. Therefore, they made the same mistakes as they did before the Day of Atonement.
The nature of man remained the same and didn’t change. They were still carnal and continued to live in sin, making the same mistakes. Every year, they had to repent, ask forgiveness and make atonement for their sins and iniquities. They had to bring a sin offering and a burnt offering to the Lord so that their sins were covered by the blood of these sacrificial animals. But the blood of bulls and goats were not able to take away sins forever and deal with the sin problem in the nature of the carnal man (Heb 10:4)
The coming of Jesus Christ; the Messiah
Jesus came to this earth to deal with the sin problem. He came to take away the sin nature, which was present in the carnal human race. All the messianic prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Jesus was and is the Messiah. Jesus was the Seed, that would bruise the head of the devil. Just like God promised in Genesis.
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel (Genesis 3:15)
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,
and shall call his name Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14)
After Jesus preached and brought the Kingdom of God to God’s people, by signs and wonders following Him, He was crucified and became the spotless Lamb, Who was slain for the sins of this world.
The next day John saw Jesus coming unto him, and said, Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world. (John 1:29)
The sacrifice of Jesus Christ was sufficient
for once and for all
But if God’s people in the Old Covenant had to keep the sacrificial laws and sacrifice animals on a regular basis, why was one sacrifice of Jesus Christ sufficient?
Well, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ didn’t only remove the sins and iniquities of man. The sacrifice of Jesus dealt, for once and for all, with the sin problem; the sinful nature of man, which is evil.
Jesus became the Substitute for man and took the sinful nature of man, upon Himself. He carried all sins and iniquities of the world. So that, those who would believe in Christ, would be redeemed from this evil sinful nature.
Jesus took this sinful nature of man upon Himself, including the death penalty, which is the reward for sin and belongs to the sinful nature.
But now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself (Hebrew 9:26)
And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified (Hebrew 10:11-14)
The sinful nature of the old creation
As soon as a person is born on this earth, from the seed of man, the person is trapped in a sinful nature. The person has a soul and body and the spirit is still dead. The person is carnal and is a sinner. Therefore the carnal person shall automatically after his nature and walk in sin. This sinful nature is the nature of the devil and is not the nature of God.
The sinful nature will not submit to God and His Word. But the sinful nature, which is present in the flesh, will always rebel against God and His Word.
The sinful nature that dwells in the flesh is controlled by the death and carries the death and shall eventually lead to eternal death.
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? (Romans 6:16)
A person can apply all kinds of laws, rules, and regulations from the Bible; God’s Word, but the evil nature of the carnal man; the old creation, will always remain, despite the works of man.
There is only one way to be redeemed from this evil sinful nature and that is through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and His blood and through regeneration.
False teachings and doctrines
There are many false teachings and doctrines, that are preached from the pulpit, that cause people to stay carnal and prevent them from becoming the new creation. Many preachers don’t really know, what the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and His atonement is all about. Therefore, many Christians know that Jesus died on the cross, but they don’t know what His death and resurrection meant for mankind.
Many Christians don’t know the value and the power of the redemptive work of Jesus Christ and His blood. Why is that?
Because many preachers don’t actually know, what really took place on that Day of Atonement.
Many preachers have earned a degree or Ph.D. in Theology, but are still the old creation.
They know the doctrine and have a lot of head knowledge, but that’s all. They don’t discern the spiritual realm.
Because if they would really know, what the sacrifice of Jesus and His work of redemption contains, then they wouldn’t habitually keep living in sin, nor approve and accept sin in the church.
Unfortunately, many preachers are carnal. They live just like the world and teach the believers from the Bible, from their own human intellect and share their carnal insights, opinions, and wisdom.
But as mentioned before, it is impossible to understand the Bible with a carnal mind. Only the Holy Spirit, can teach and explain God’s Word. The Holy Spirit reveals the things of the Kingdom of God in the spirit of the new creation, who is born of the Spirit of God.
Most preachers are not ready to give up their own lives and therefore they stay carnal.
Do you always remain a sinner?
They slowly adjust the Word of God and preach, that they will always remain a sinner, despite the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. That’s why the sacrifice of Jesus is often compared to the sacrifices of animals in the Old Covenant.
That is the reason, why so many people stay the same, and won’t change and fall back into their old sins. They try to do the will of God, but despite their efforts, they constantly fall back into the same sin.
They cannot solve this sin problem. Because they think, that they are sinners and will always remain sinners.
Their whole life, they live in this big lie, that tells them, that they will always remain a sinner.
As long as a person believes this lie, the person will live as a sinner and persevere in sin. The person will sin, repent, and be cleansed with the blood of Jesus. But after a while, the person will commit the same sin over and over again.
If a person doesn’t deal with the problem of the sinful nature, the person will always stay carnal and will keep walking as a sinner; the old creation with the sinful nature.
The process of regeneration
If Christians don’t deal with their sinful nature, there won’t be a transformation; a regeneration in their lives, and their nature will remain the same. Their spirit isn’t raised from the dead, or their spirit is raised from the dead, through the baptism with the Holy Spirit, but they stay carnal and their flesh still rules as king in their lives.
They don’t renew their mind with the Word of God. They stay carnal and walk in ignorance after the flesh.
They’ll listen to – and rely only on sermons, that are preached by (famous) pastors and preachers. But they will live the same life, they’ve always lived.
Therefore they remain bound to sin. Just like the people of God in the Old Covenant, were bound to sin.
Put off the sinful nature
But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. (Romans 6:17-18)
As long as a person doesn’t put off the sinful nature; the old creation, a person shall not be able to walk in holiness and righteousness.
To put off your sinful nature begins with faith in Jesus Christ and true repentance of your sins.
As long as you don’t consider sins as evil, and don’t hate your sins, it will be impossible to put off the old man, with his sins and iniquities.
That’s because you don’t consider anything wrong and think you do good and live a good life.
The sacrifice of Jesus and His blood has taken care of this sin problem and the sinful nature of the whole human race.
Jesus made atonement and reconciled man back to God. This means, that the old creation is covered and buried under the blood of Jesus. That’s the power of the blood of Jesus.
God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? (Romans 6:2)
The Baptism in Christ
After the repentance, two baptisms will follow Baptism in water and Baptism with the Holy Spirit. The baptism in water is a deed of obedience and symbolizes the burial of your old man; sinful nature, in Jesus Christ.
Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life (Romans 6:3-4)
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin (Romans 6:6-7)
The baptism with the Holy Spirit
After the baptism in water, the baptism with the Holy Spirit takes place. Through the baptism with the Holy Spirit, the spirit of man, that was death (because of sin) will be resurrected from the dead.
Only when you become born again, you will be freed from your sinful nature.
Through the process of sanctification, you will become a new creation, who is created after the image of Christ.
Without the process of regeneration, it is impossible to deal with the old creation; the sinful nature. Therefore if you don’t become a new creation, you will keep walking in sin.
The old creation, who is carnal, walks after the flesh in sin and is not able to see, comprehend, or enter the Kingdom of God.
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3)
Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God (John 3:5)
The new creation has dominion over sin
When you become born again, you will be redeemed from your sinful nature. You shall be seated in Jesus Christ in the Heavenly Places. If you stay in Him; the Word, you will no longer be a slave to sin. Sin will no longer have dominion over you, but you shall have dominion over sin.
Jesus gave the authority, which God had given to Adam, but was stolen by the devil, back to the new creation.
Through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and His blood, He reconciled man back to God and restored the position of man on this earth.
Jesus has dealt with the sinful nature of the old creation and only in Christ, it is possible to become a new creation.
When you become a new creation, you will walk in this new nature, and rule over sin.
For in view of the fact that by means of the transgression of the one death reigned as king through that one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness, in life will reign as kings through the One, Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:17 KWT)
The Old Covenant vs the New Covenant
The Old Covenant was sealed with the blood of animals. In the Old Covenant, the offerings were meant to deal temporarily with the sin and iniquities of God’s people. The sin and iniquities of man caused a separation, between God and man. But the blood of animals only temporarily covered the sins and iniquities of God’s people. Through the offerings of animals, the people were reconciled with God.
The New Covenant was sealed with the blood of Jesus Christ. In the New Covenant the offering of Jesus Christ and His blood, not only dealt with and removed the sins and iniquities of fallen man, but also with the sinful nature of man. Jesus took the sinful nature of fallen man upon Himself. Jesus Christ redeemed man from their sinful nature and reconciled man back to God the Father, once and for all.
As long as the new creation in Jesus Christ lives in obedience to His words, (s)he will stay in union with God the Father.
However, the new creation still has a free will. Therefore (s)he can decide whether (s)he wants to stay obedient to God and His Word and keep walking in holiness and righteousness or to walk in disobedience to God and His Word and walk in unrighteousness. If the new creation chooses the latter one, then (s)he will be disconnected from the Father.
God has given you all authority in Jesus Christ, but you have to do it.
‘Be the salt of the earth’
