Skip to main content

R.I.G.H.T.


God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:25-26)
 

          Saturday afternoon, I went to a painting class at my church. Our subject was a pair of dandelions that had gone to seed, one of them with part of the seeds blown into the wind around the line “Be still and know that I am God.” This is my fourth time taking one of these classes. I learn a little about technique each time, but I can tell you with absolute assurance that I am not an artist. I enjoy the activity but it’s also frustrating because it didn’t turn out R.I.G.H.T. 
          What’s right? I’m not sure, but probably what they are calling “hyper-realism.” If not that, then at least that is not only more than I accomplished, but more than I am able to accomplish. You’ve probably been there. You want to get it right and no matter how hard you try, it’s just not good enough. That’s what we’ve been examining for the past several days. We just can’t be good enough. Even in the Old Testament, God acknowledged this. He set up a sacrificial system. While we deserved to die for what we did, God would accept the death of a substitute instead. 
          The rules about this were strict. He demanded “hyper-reality.” Since the life is in the blood, it had to be an animal. It had to be innocent of the sin for which it was being sacrificed, which might explain why carnivores weren’t sacrificed. It had to be perfect, and the truth of the matter was that it didn’t change much. Until we tried, we couldn’t know that we would fail. Now that we have failed, God as provided what we could not. He provided a perfect, innocent sacrifice that met His standards. We may not understand it all, but because we've tried, we have a better idea of what it takes, and can better appreciate the One who did what we could not.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Virgin?

           Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)           This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 1:18)           But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”            “How will this be,” Mary asked the...
Post a Comment
Read more

Higher Thoughts

  “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the  Lord . “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)           The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments,   for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord      so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. (I Corinthians 2:15-16) If you read about the ancient gods of the various peoples, you’ll find that they think just like people. In fact, they think just like the sort of people we really wouldn’t want to be around. They think like the most corrupt Hollywood producer or, like hormone overloaded teens with no upbringing.   It’s embarrassing to read. I have a friend who argues that because God is not just like us, He is so vastly dif...
2 comments
Read more

Saved?

  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” (John 10:28-30) “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ ” (Matthew 7:21-23) Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar. As it is written: “So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge.” (Romans 3:4)   What conclusion do you draw when someone who was raised in a Christian family and church, perhaps even playing a significant role in a chur...
Post a Comment
Read more