Long ago the people of God sacrificed the created, things that were temporal to appease Gods judgement. This wasn’t exclusive to the God of Israel. Pagan cultures used ritual sacrifice of created things to appease their gods, a lot of the times it was human and child sacrifice. The pagan sacrifice was in vain. The children of the one true Gods sacrifices could sustain them, but for only so long. Then they would need to sacrifice again. The created could never be enough to satisfy the sacrifice that was needed for true atonement. This atonement needed to be something not created. It had to be something that existed outside of time and space, something eternal. It had to be the uncreated creator, Jesus Christ. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.”
John 1:1-3. Christ was the eternal sacrifice that was needed for true atonement of sin. Sin and death were truly defeated at Calvary. Those of us who are believers know this truth. That Christ was the sacrifice needed, that no other sacrifice could do. This truth has made me ponder something as of late. Today’s culture is again, in their own way, lifting up idols of created things and worshiping the creature rather than the creator. Just as Romans 1:25 says “They traded the truth about God for a lie. So, they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.” And so today is as before, albeit without the literal sacrifice of things. But with the lifting up of those things that are created as idols of worship over the one true satisfier of all things. As Romans 12:1 says, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” And just as the angels proclaim in Revelation 5 “worthy is the Lamb!”. We recognize the necessity of both of these sacrifices. One which we must do and the other which we must accept. The world does not accept this truth. They will not accept it. Because men loved darkness rather than light. I beseech you all to stand firm in truth and love. Be the salt and light of the world. Today’s culture needs it more than ever.
By DJ