The Only Means

 

But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. (Hebrews 9:11-14 ESV).

 

Like all ancient peoples, the Israelites practiced blood sacrifice. The Old Testament provides detailed instructions for a variety of animal sacrifices. Making those sacrifices was a strict requirement of the Old Testament law, in which God said, “It is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life” (Leviticus 17:11). In short, without blood sacrifice, there could be no forgiveness of sins. Through the lens of the New Testament, we now know that Old Testament sacrifices were temporary and provisional. They pointed to the true and complete sacrifice provided by God himself. Today’s reading show that Jesus, unblemished by sin, was the perfect sacrifice. We know that the sacrifice of a lamb won’t atone for our sins. Only the blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God, can do that. His sacrifice for us is “once for all.” No other sacrifice is necessary.

 

Based on their reading of the Bible, the Reformers rediscovered the truth that Christ’s sacrifice has been credited to sinners who could never save themselves. Remember the background of the Reformation. It was a call to reexamine the teachings of the church of their time. Since the Roman Catholic Church had added so many “good” things as requirements for redemption, Martin Luther desired to call people to a return to the teaching of Scripture. In his understand (and mine as well) there could only be one answer to the means of salvation. It was clearly shown to be through the work of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross.

 

This heresy that there are other things necessary for redemption is not new, and is enjoying a resurgence of the error with the subtle messages of our culture. We cannot add anything to the simple message of the Gospel. It is Jesus, and only Jesus who is able to deliver us from our sin and death.