There is one sacrifice for sins that God was pleased with. It was, of course, the sacrifice of Christ, through which our sins were not only "covered," but completely taken away. There's sadly a teaching that's been going around for some time that says that God didn't want any sacrifices. He didn't even want the sacrifice of Jesus. The sacrifice of Jesus was all man's doing, and God had nothing to do with it, nor did He desire it. The passage that is quoted to make the point of God not wanting a sacrifice is Hebrews 10:5-6 (which is a quote from Psalm 40), which says:
"Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body you have prepared for Me.
In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure."
Now, if you take those two verses alone like that, it could be made to appear as if God indeed didn't want any sacrifices - not even the sacrifice of Christ. But if you keep on reading (and read the previous passages as well), you'll see that the entire point is about how Jesus came to do God's will, and that God's will was the sacrifice of Jesus. Notice the little saying at the end of verse 8 below. It's the sacrifices and offerings that were offered according to the law that God did not desire, nor had pleasure in:
Heb 10:7-10
7 Then I said, 'Behold, I have come - In the volume of the book it is written of Me - To do Your will, O God."
7 Then I said, 'Behold, I have come - In the volume of the book it is written of Me - To do Your will, O God."
8 Previously saying, "Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them" (which are offered according to the law), 9 then He said, "Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God." He takes away the first that He may establish the second. 10 By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Jesus came to do God's will, and God's will was for Jesus to offer Himself as the one sacrifice for all sins. Backing up to Heb 8:3, it says that the high priests (under the law) offered both gifts and sacrifices, and therefore "it is necessary that this One also have something to offer." Heb 9:23 tells us what this offering is: "He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself." A little further down, in Heb 10:10-14, we see more about this: "But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, 13 from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. 14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified."
So much for this sacrifice being all of man, and God wanting nothing to do with it!
Heb 7:26-27
For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; 27 who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people's, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.
How much clearer can it be? Jesus came to do God's will. He offered Himself as the sacrifice for sins, and God was pleased with it. All of this was done for our sanctification. Why would we want to deny it!
Thanks Bother Joel!
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ReplyDeleteHello Joel.Nice to hear from you. I must say I have never heard the teaching you mentioned above re: God didn't want any sacrifices. That is sad. Key words for me are: Once. For All!
ReplyDeleteThank you.
Hi Carol,
DeleteIt is good that you've never heard this kind of teaching. :) Fortunately it's not running rampant in the church, but among some grace-minded people it is catching on. Over the last 3 or 4 years I've seen posts about it on Facebook, and I've seen more lately so I thought I'd write about it. Indeed, as you say once for all! That comes from Hebrews 10:10, where it's talking about Jesus having done God's will... which was the offering of Himself as the sacrifice for sins!
Hi Joel
DeleteDo you have any teachings on how best to communicate with gentle believers, who are insistent on keeping the Jewish Sabbath/Jewish Feasts and encourage other gentiles to do so?
Thank you
At this time I don't have any teachings that specifically address how to communicate with those who are insistent on keeping the Jewish laws/Sabbath/Feasts/etc. But at various times I've written and have done podcasts that talk about how the law was only for Jews, and Gentiles were never under the law, and now that we're in Christ we're neither Jew nor Gentile and we don't have any relationship with those old laws and feasts. It may be helpful to point out to others that those laws and feasts were only a shadow of what was to come, and Jesus Himself is the substance. The Old Covenant, along with all the laws and feasts and sabbaths, etc, came to an end and was made obsolete, because Jesus' blood was the only thing ever sufficient as a covenant ("this is My blood of the new covenant...").
DeleteIt would be good to read up on Hebrews 7 through 10 and become grounded in how the Old Covenant was done away with (and not carried on), because Jesus is "surety of a better covenant" (Heb 7:22) "which was established on better promises" (Heb 8:8). The Old Covenant was "made obsolete" (Heb 8:13). And so on.
In Galatians 2, Paul writes about his strong words that he had for Peter, because Peter, being a Jew, was living like a Gentile (which Paul was OK with), but was compelling Gentiles to live like Jews! How's that for a word to Gentiles who think we should keep the things from the Old? I wrote about this briefly here: The hypocrisy of making others keep God's laws
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Many believers just don't seem to understand that we're not under two covenants, but only one. The things from the Old Covenant ended, and they don't enter into the New Covenant. Now, sharing this with people who are convinced that we need to keep Jewish laws and feasts, will not necessarily cause them to turn and see the light right away. But the truth is the truth, and if they are seeking the truth then hopefully they will begin to understand.
Lala I am convinced that you can't convince people to change their minds about what they believe even after you show them the truth in scripture. All you can do is love them. It's not our job to change their minds, but Holy Spirit's job, which lifts a burden off of you.
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