So finally I finished writing the end to the blog "Excruciating." I am not including the first part here which means it takes more work for you to go back to the old blog, then come back and read this one if you don't remember it. Sorry!
God never required sacrifices, He required obedience which in the time of the old testament meant performing sacrifices and giving offerings. In the time of Christ obedience meant crucifixion. Since Christ, obedience means listening to God and the Holy Spirit then obediently following Him. Luke 11:28 says, "Jesus replied, 'But even more blessed are those who hear the word of God and put it into practice.'" In the book of 1 John it talks about living in the light of God. Read 1 John 1:5-2:6. God asks for our obedience.
We are not perfect, period. Christ is the perfect sacrifice and yet is still a sacrifice for sin to God. Therefore according to the law described in Leviticus 27, our sacrifice can be redeemed. All we have to do is pay the full price of Christ plus 20%. The only problem is the price of Christ is the salvation of all man kind. No one can afford the price of Christ much less 20% more. Oh but wait, there is the little after thought which makes this even more impossible. Sacrifices set apart as righteous and holy cannot not be redeemed under any circumstance. Therefore you cannot redeem Christ from God; he is a once for all time sacrifice. You can not buy Christ back from God and take him home to sacrifice later. We cannot put Christ on the cross again and cause his flesh to experience excruciating pain again. Our sin causes Jesus' heart to feel the pain his flesh felt on the cross; the pain so bad they had to make a word to describe it. But our sin doesn't bring Christ back to earth.
Each one of us was on the cross with Christ and have been redeemed by God through the crucifixion. Which means we have already been sacrificed as a part of the crucifixion. The devil does a really good job at trying to buy us back from God but this is a feeble act because it is impossible by the laws God set in place to make you His own. God set you and me apart as holy and righteous when He paid for you with the crucifixion. You cannot be redeemed by the devil or a shinny car, big house or anything else used to pull you away from God. You are His forever! Enjoy it!
As He leads me,
Jason
