No Matter What...It's a Fact
I’d give anything to have a chance to redo or retract or atone for more than a few things that I have done over the years. Like, I’m sure, many of you, there are those things in our past that we pray do not reflect who we hope we are today - and with the benefit of hindsight are horrified and/or mortified to the point we hope any others who may have been involved in that moment have forgotten.
From almost the very beginning, God has made it quite clear what is expected of humanity. Although the specifics of expected implementation varied over the years, we have known that what is required of us is complete devotion and obedience to the One who has created, redeemed, and sustains us.
And, yet, we can easily slip into this idea that if we only do X, it will make up for Y. Maybe I can serve a little more. Maybe I can give a little more. Maybe I can grovel a little more. Maybe I can just…well, you get the point. This mindset has been at work amongst the people of faith for millennia.
There’s something we need to own up to, though, that puts all this in perspective. Let’s hear from the letter to the Hebrews, chapter ten, verses one through four:
Since the law has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered year after year, make perfect those who approach. Otherwise, would they not have ceased being offered, since the worshipers, cleansed once for all, would no longer have any consciousness of sin? But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sin year after year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
We could spend a great deal of time breaking down that whole passage, but I want to laser-focus us on the last verse - “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.”
Leading up to verse four, our writer recounts the history of offering sacrifices to God for the atonement of sin, and the futility thereof because there is no way for any of our offerings to take it all away. And, yet, as you and I know, way too often we - or people we know - try our best to make up for it ourselves.
I’m focusing on verse four today to say one thing to you - RELAX. I’m not saying to relax because you don’t have to worry about the impact and consequences of sinful thoughts, words, and deeds. Far from it, in fact!
No, my friends, I want you to relax because there’s no sacrifice you can make to make things right with God. So quit trying. Instead, please take all that energy and effort to fulfilling the greatest commandment of all - to love the Lord our God with everything we have and our neighbors as ourselves.