How do we pay for sin if we can't afford the payment?
Read / Listen
Read Hebrews 2:14-18
Listen to passage & devotional:
Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 14
Q. Can another creature
—any at all—
pay this debt for us?
A. No.
To begin with,
God will not punish
another creature
for what a human is guilty of.
Besides,
no mere creature
can bear the weight of God’s
eternal anger against sin
and release others from it.
Summary
The book of Leviticus starts off with various offerings the people of Israel must make. There is the burnt offering, grain offering, fellowship offering, sin offering, and guilt offering.
These offerings were made by the people of Israel as an act of worship and submission, as an acknowledgment of guilt, and repentance. But none of them could actually atone (make payment) for their sin. While these offerings acknowledged their sin, and may have been an act of repentance, none of them could remove sin from the people.
Which makes me wonder how they would have viewed these offerings and sacrifices; These offerings and sacrifices didn't actually remove sin, and they had to be repeated regularly.
Did they wonder if there was a way to remove sin? Could the guilt of their sin actually be completely removed? Is grace possible? Or would they still be held accountable to God’s wrath? After all, no mere creature can bear the weight of God’s eternal wrath against sin and deliver others from it.
Is there a way to remove sin? Is there someone who could possibly bear the weight of God’s eternal wrath against sin?
Dig Deeper
Today, we do not make burnt offerings, grain offerings, fellowship offerings, sin offerings, nor guilt offerings. There are no stone altars in our sanctuaries. We do not bring bulls, or goats, or doves to worship. There are no priests who stand ready to sacrifice these offerings on the altar for the people of God.
Yet, God still requires that his justice be satisfied. If we do not offer sacrifices, how is God’s justice satisfied? Someone must pay the price.
The author of Hebrews tells us who that person is: Jesus. Jesus is no mere creature. He is no mere human. Jesus is God made flesh.
14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
Jesus is the one who paid the price for your sin, so you no longer need to offer sacrifices or make burnt offerings because of Him. Your sin must be accounted for, and Jesus is the one who does that. He did it by taking on flesh and blood, by becoming a human being. No mere creature can bear the weight of your sin;
Praise God that Jesus isn't a creature, he is God.
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Jesus Christ, you are God.
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank you Jesus for paying the price for my sins. May I live my life as your servant, acknowledging your great sacrifice.
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Acts 7
