Finding Significance in the Lord’s Ultimate Redemption by Relating with God through the Lord’s Atonement

TRUTH AND PURPOSE

God appointed the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) to mark a solemn day of redeeming the people from sin and defilement.

For on that day the priest shall make atonement for you, to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the Lord… you shall afflict your souls. It is a statute forever. (Leviticus 16:30-32)

So what does atonement mean? Based on the Hebrew word, kaphur, it means to cover, cancel, cleanse, pardon, purge, redeem. In essence, you make atonement by offering a substitute as a sacrifice. So the life blood of the animal was exchanged as a substitute for the life blood of the people. It is based on the principle of an innocent life sacrificed for a guilty one.

So God prescribed the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) as a day when the high priest would offer a sacrifice to atone for the sins of the people and redeem their life. In essence, souls were cleansed from the defilement of sin.

It was the one day of the year when the high priest would go into the tabernacle, behind the veil into the Holy of Holies, and sprinkle the blood of the covenant sacrifice over the Mercy Seat. From within the cloud of God’s glory over the ark, God saw the sacrificial blood as evidence of man’s atonement of sin; reversing His judgment to mercy.

RELEVANCE

In the Lord, Messiah Yeshua-Jesus, however, you have a greater redemption. As High Priest He offered up Himself as a substitute sacrifice. So He became the ultimate sacrifice. By His blood, your sins are covered and debt to God canceled. You are cleansed, pardoned, purged, and redeemed!

His sacrifice– and your redemption– is greater because His blood was poured out as a sacrificial love offering. As a result, God’s judgment of sin is reversed to mercy for everyone who calls upon His name, believes in the heart and receives His redemption.

But when the Messiah appeared as cohen gadol (high priest) of the good things that are happening already, then, through the greater and more perfect Tent which is not man-made (that is, it is not of this created world), 12 he entered the Holiest Place once and for all. And he entered not by means of the blood of goats and calves, but by means of his own blood, thus setting people free forever. 13 For if sprinkling ceremonially unclean persons with the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer restores their outward purity; 14 then how much more the blood of the Messiah, who, through the eternal Spirit, offered himself to God as a sacrifice without blemish, will purify our conscience from works that lead to death, so that we can serve the living God! 15 It is because of this death that he is mediator of a new covenant [or will]. Because a death has occurred which sets people free from the transgressions committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promised eternal inheritance.  (Hebrews 9:11-15 JNT)

So this is a time to appreciate the Lord’s redemption by receiving the pour of His love. In addition, you receive the greater grace of the Holy Spirit living inside you. As a result, you enter into a new dimension of grace. Consequently, you are offered the new life of the Spirit and taste of God’s glory!

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
(Romans 5:1-5)

So in receiving the pour of God’s love through the Holy Spirit, you gain access to God’s manifold grace gifts (v. 2). You, therefore, come into a huge dimension of grace! You can experience a variety of grace gifts of the Holy Spirit as the Holy Spirit grants such gifts (see Romans 12:4-11).  Along with those grace gifts you can expect to experience the glory of God!

REFLECT AND RELATE

How might you express greater gratefulness for the victory over sin and death that the Lord has won for you?

In what ways could some of your attitudes reveal a posture of gratefulness to the Lord?

What new safeguards or attitudes can you establish to help you resist the powers that tempt you to sin so you can keep a clear conscience and experience God’s love, redemption, and victory?

Read slowly and meditate on 1 Corinthians 12-13. Ask the Lord to reveal to you the fullness of the dimensions of the grace gifts described in the passage.

REFERENCES

Leviticus 23:26-31; Psalm 51; Matthew 4:17; Acts 2:38; 3:19;
Romans 5:1-20; Hebrews 2:14-3:6; 1 Corinthians 12-13

NEXT STEPS

Vertical movement: As you receive the Lord’s redemption, you realize how easy it is to receive conviction of sins and confess wrong attitudes, desires, thoughts, actions etc. This also makes it easier to shake off guilt and condemnation and walk in greater discipline to experience greater blessings and glory.

Horizontal movement: The more you experience the Lord’s grace of redemption, the more you will likewise experience His amazing grace of restoration.

Return to Pathways to Glory main page.