September
2007
Reconciled By The Blood
Leviticus 8:14-15
Chapter 8 of Leviticus is an historical narrative about the ordination of Aaron and his sons to the priesthood. The ordination service follows the guidelines given in Exodus 29. One of the primary parts of the ordination service is the sacrifice that brings Aaron and his sons into a proper relationship with God. Notice verse 15 in our text: “…and Moses took the blood, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about with his finger, and purified the altar, and poured the blood at the bottom of the altar, and sanctified it, to make reconciliation upon it.” This act of smearing the blood and pouring it upon the altar made reconciliation.
First of all we have to ask, “What does reconciliation mean?” That is a good question. To reconcile means to reestablish a close relationship between two people or objects. It means to settle or resolve a matter of difference. If the arm of my chair broke off and I reattached it, I would be said to have reconciled the arm to the chair. The picture is carried here of mending something broken. If two people fall out with each other over a matter, but talk it over, forgive each other, and make up, they are said to be reconciled.
The root of this word, from which we hear the word conciliatory, means to overcome anger. This is key to understanding what biblical reconciliation means. At the heart of the Old Testament Hebrew word for reconciliation is the idea of covering. Whatever issue has caused the broken relationship is covered. It means that the problem has been taken care of, resolved, forgiven. If that does not happen, two people may find themselves in a situation where they must talk to each other, like on a job where they may have no choice; but since the issue has not been resolved, they are not reconciled. Thus the relationship is still broken.
The most beautiful picture to me of reconciliation is the idea of harmony. In music, different voices may sing in different parts – like tenor, bass, and baritone, but the voices blend together and sound good. Harmony implies the getting along together with someone, although you may be different. If the notes are not sung in harmony, it will sound terrible and we will cover our ears. The thought given here is that the parts are compatible. They go together and get along together. It is like matching clothes or colors in decorating your house. If the colors clash, you know it. It will look bad and feel bad.
This brings me to the final picture of reconciliation – peace. If some- thing is not in harmony, there is no peace. When people fall out with each other, there is no peace. Nothing is in harmony. The relationship is broken.
So, what is the answer? We have to understand that there is a difference between reconciliation of two people and reconciliation of God and people. Two people may learn to forgive and overcome their differences and mend their broken relationships. These people admit they were wrong and are sorry. We are actually commanded to do this is the Bible.
It is a different story altogether being reconciled to God. In this relationship, only we have done something wrong. God has done nothing to hurt the relationship. But, sin has a two-fold effect. It affects us and God.
How does sin affect our relationship with God? Without the pardon from sin made possible by the blood of Jesus Christ, here is our pitiful plight:
1. We are brought under the power of sin and are unable to lift that burden. We refer to this as the old sinful nature. No matter how hard we try to be good, we can never be perfect. Sin has us in its grasp and will destroy us through its destructive power. We are spiritually dead. We are unable to overcome its weight that crushes us.
2. We become guilty before God without possibility of parole. A million years from now we will still be guilty. There is no such concept in the Bible as Purgatory where you work off your sins. Guilt is so deeply rooted in our souls, it will never be lifted.
3. We fall in such a great debt to sin that we can never repay it. If I could work my way into Heaven, I would. If I could only make it up to God for the way I disobey Him and fail Him, I would. No matter how hard I tried to save up all my good efforts, they could never pay the price of sin.
4. We are stained within by sin deeply and permanently. You might picture pouring grape juice or oil on a white shag carpet. You can scrub it and pour bleach on it. All you do is make the mess worse. A forensic scientist can take that carpet and tell you exactly what you spilled on it. It is ruined. Likewise sin stains so deeply, you can never remove its ugly and damaging affects. Your soul is ruined.
5. We are separated from God forever. Since God hates sin and it goes against His character, you can not enter into His presence. You are like the lepers who had to stay outside the city at a great distance. A great wall rises up between you and God. The difference however, is that your separation is eternal in a place called Hell.
6. We are made enemies to God without any negotiation for peace. Sin is rebellion against God. Rebels often describe a group of people who rise up against their government and seek to take control of it. By sin, you seek to remove God from His throne. God cannot and will not negotiate with sin. There is no opportunity to call a truce and make peace.
Sin also affects God’s relationship to us. What is God’s relationship to us without the pardon from sin made possible by the blood of Jesus?
1. Because God is holy, He is compelled to turn His face away from sin. He can have no relationship to us. We cannot even enter into His presence. We are separated from Him. Our sin is so staining that he will not even look upon us.
2. Because God is lawful and true to His character, He is compelled to judge sin. Therefore, He must bring upon us sorrow and death. Romans 3:23 tells us that “the wages of sin is death”. His wrath is directed at all of us.
3. Because God is the One, Supreme God, our sin is viewed by Him as an attack on His authority. He sees us as rebels and enemies.
4. Because God is sinless and His character is changeless, our guilt piles up like a wall before His eyes. Even if we do not feel guilty of sin, the flawless Judge has already determined us to be guilty.
You see why we are hopelessly lost in sin. We cannot live good enough to overcome sin and God, because of His character, cannot just overlook our sin. A price must be paid. The root of reconciliation is the idea of covering. Something must cover my sin. Someone must take my punishment. When Jesus’ innocent blood was shed, it had the power to cover my guilt. When He hung on the cross, he took my debt and died in my place. Only when covered by the blood of Jesus can sin be forgiven. Only then can I be reconciled to God.
Look what happens when the blood is applied to our lives by faith in Jesus Christ.
1. Reconciliation through the blood lifts the burden of the power of sin.
Look with me to Colossians 2:10-15, “And you are complete in him, who is the head of all principality and power…Buried with him in baptism, wherein also you are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who has raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins…he has quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”
2. Reconciliation through the blood provides pardon for our guilt.
Romans 5:8-10, “But God commended his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”
3. Reconciliation through the blood pays off our debt.
2 Corinthians 5:17-20, “…that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and has committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.”
4. Reconciliation through the blood removes the stain of sin.
Isaiah 1:18, “Come now, and let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
5. Reconciliation through the blood brings us into the presence of God.
Ephesians 2:12-22, “That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances…
6. Reconciliation through the blood makes peace with God.
Ephesians 2 continues“…for to make in himself of two one new man, so making peace; and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together grows into an holy temple in the Lord: In whom you also are built together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”