(part 2)
“If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he is to offer a male without defect. He must present it at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting so that it will be acceptable to the Lord.”
Leviticus 1:3
Anytime one of the children of Israel brought an offering before the Lord, they were required to bring it to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting to be inspected by one of the priests. If the offering was acceptable, then it could be sacrificed to the Lord.
Today I want to encourage those of you reading this article who are NOT living a life that is pleasing to God. You have always felt disconnected from God and have grown to believe that He would not accept you even if you did call out to Him. Can I ask you this question based upon what we have learned from God’s Word: “When the person who sinned brought in their sacrifice, did the priest scrutinize the sinner or the sacrifice?”
In all the passages I have studied, I never read where the priest ever took a sinner off to the side and interrogated him about his level of sinfulness. No, rather he took the lamb and scrutinized “it” to make certain that “it” was acceptable. By coming to the priest with a perfect lamb, the man was declaring to everyone that he was a sinner. He needed to make atonement for his sins and brought what was required to satisfy the law’s demand.
Like the man who brought his offering to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, we too are sinners! Romans 3:23 declares:
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Let me share with you what happened to me the day I called out to God. It happened at the First Baptist Church in Princeton, IN. back in December of 1991. Rev. Joe Wilson gave the invitation to those who wanted to receive Christ as the Lord and Savior of their life. I had nothing to bring to God, aside from a sinful life, but I came to the altar anyway. Little did I know, God had already provided a sacrifice for me. As I stood there, I wondered how God, after examining my heart, would ever accept me. Nevertheless, I confessed my sins to God and put my trust in Jesus Christ. At that moment, God peered down from Heaven and rather than scrutinize me, He scrutinized the Perfect Lamb of God (Jesus) and found Him to be perfect!
God found Jesus to be perfect and because “I” had identified myself with “Him“, God accepted me too. I received forgiveness and eternal life with God! I still look back in utter amazement and ponder upon just how much God loves me! God knew that there was nothing I could bring that would make me “acceptable”! In His love, God provided an acceptable sacrifice for me:
“God demonstrates His own love for us in this, “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 5:8
We all come to the altar of God as sinners, but God made a way for us through the perfect Lamb of God to be accepted…
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16
You too can put your trust in Him and be accepted into God’s family! Romans 10:9 declares:
“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Go to God! Confess your sins! Put your trust in Christ! Live an “accepted” life!
Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com
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