I have never been one to push my faith and opinions on anyone. God doesn’t need salesmen and I would never judge anyone else for their understanding of their faith, or lack thereof. I will however, without reservations, stand by my understanding for myself, and lovingly share my reasons why. It is my faith that has sustained me, my whole life.
I once had someone close to me ask me “Why is Christianity any different from other religions?” and I gave him the explanation below. He told me that it was the first time that anyone had ever explained it to him in a way that made any sense. He had been raised Jewish, so he had a basic understanding of “blood sacrifice” so I’m adding that explanation to this teaching. I wrote this after that encounter.
In all other religions, man is striving to be good enough to gain access to Heaven, Paradise or another spiritual plain of existence. Christians recognize that no one can ever be “good enough” and because of that, we need a way to gain access to our Heavenly Father, and Jesus is that way.
The Old Testament showed us that in order for us to maintain our “goodness” or “Holiness”, we had to follow 613 laws. Knowing that we could never do that, there had to be a “blood sacrifice” to atone for our sins and that system was maintained by the Royal Priesthood.
These laws reveal to us that we can never be good enough, so our Heavenly Father provided the perfect “Lamb” to be slain, in His Son Jesus. The whole point of His existence is a Love Relationship. Love from the Father to create the relationship and the family that He desperately wants again.
It isn’t about sin, in the way so many in Churches use the death of Christ. The message of “Hell fire and brimstone” or trying to scare people into Heaven has been used to justify horrors around the World in the name of Jesus and to a lesser extent, to shame others and make “holy” men feel superior to them. This is not the truth of Jesus! No, His Good News was about relationships and love.
Jesus made it very simple, yet so difficult for so many. He said Love God, Love Others. Those were the two most important commands. When we do those Two Things, all doctrines will fall in line. Many in the Church have lost love though. The Bible says that “though I speak with the tongues of men and of Angels, if I have not love I am but a resounding gong and a clanging cymbal!”
The concept of a Blood Sacrifice was set forth from the very beginning, in the Garden of Eden, and has always been used for “relationships”. This concept is practiced in all Judeo-Christian teachings and Islam, as well as other off shoots of those main religions.
The first blood sacrifice was not even about sin. It was done for companionship (a love relationship). God created man from dust but “it was not good for man to be alone”, so God made Adam “sleep” and he took from him a rib, to form a companion for him. This was the first blood shed for relationship and love. This sacrifice was not for atonement but for love. Adam’s sacrifice was shared with his wife, for them to become one.
After our Father created Adam and Eve there was a perfect love relationship between the three of them. God provided for all of their needs with only one command. To not eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Until this time Adam and Eve were completely innocent and because of this there were no “sins”. They were naked, like all other animals, and could participate in everything that God had created. They could see God and walk together with Him throughout His creation.
God didn’t want robots though. He wanted relationships with others who chose to be with Him, not who were forced to be with Him. We all can understand that desire. So He gave them ONE LAW. He told them that if they ate of that one tree, they would surely die.
After Adam and Eve ate of the “forbidden fruit” their spiritual eyes were opened and they were ashamed. There was now a thing called “sin”. They tried to hide from their Father but He saw them. Because of His great love for them though, He still provided the first “sin sacrifice” by killing an animal to “cover their shame and sin”, and to clothe them.
From that point on Adam and Eve were commanded to leave The Garden and work for their sustenance. They could no longer just walk with God and have relationships with The Father. They would have to work to survive and eventually they would physically die. What followed was a system of “Blood Sacrifice” for their sins.
Other notable Blood Sacrifices in the Scriptures are when Abraham is told to sacrifice his son, Isaac to God. At the last moment, God provided the sacrifice but Abraham had to be willing in his heart to follow God’s command.
Another was when the plagues fell upon Egypt and each Jewish family was commanded to put the blood of a lamb on their doorpost, to spare the life of the first born son in their families.
Individuals and families would have to go to the temple yearly to offer sacrifices for the sins that they committed as well. Blood Sacrifice was a running theme throughout scriptures.
Finally, after showing Man that he could never get back to the type of love relationship that he had experienced in The Beginning, our Father provided the final, perfect sacrifice in Jesus, His only Begotten Son. It was a free gift and all anyone has to do is accept it, to be in a personal, one on one relationship with our Father again.
Many think of God the Father as a stern drill Sargent that we need to cower before. That’s utter nonsense. When I became a parent I began to understand my Heavenly Father in a whole New Way!
My children will always be my children. There is nothing that they can do that will separate them from my love! There are different stages of maturity and each child has different character traits but I love each of them fully and equally. When my children were growing up and would enter new challenging stages, I would get frustrated or saddened at their choices but I also knew that they just didn’t understand yet.
When they were in pain, I often wanted to take their suffering away but I also knew that suffering was one way that they would learn and mature. There were even times when pain was necessary to protect them. For example, when they would have to have a medical procedure that was painful but necessary, like getting their tonsils removed. I would have taken the pain for them but they had to experience the pain in order to improve their health.
I could try to explain why they had to go through it, but because of their age and immaturity, all they knew was that their parents, who say they love them, had allowed them to suffer. It didn’t matter why.
Each child’s reaction could be different too. One child may have crawled in my lap and let me comfort them, while another child might be angry and throw a temper tantrum. The point is that, no matter what the child’s reaction was, they were still my baby. I didn’t kick them out of the family. I knew that one day, when they were older, the pain would subside and they would finally understand why.
There were so many truths and teachings about my Father, just by learning from my own heart as a parent.
When they became “adults”, sometimes they thought they knew it all, and would often drift away from my attempts at guiding them or showing them my love but it never caused me to stop trying or to stop loving them. I want them to chose to be with me though, not force them to be with me. There is freedom in that perspective and also another way to understand how our Father must feel when we drift away and chose to not have a relationship with Him.
My love for my children is a pale reflection of my Heavenly Father’s love for me AND for them though. I’ve never worried about my children’s relationships with God themselves because I have FAITH that He loves us all more than even I do. He will reach my children in His time and in His ways, whether it’s through me or not.
My own children have grown to have their own relationships with Jesus, thankfully, but even if they drift away or have questions, that’s between them and our Father. It’s not my business anymore but I do have faith that He’s got them.
Having THAT kind of love relationship with my Father is what has sustained me through a life that was full of suffering but also full of the miraculous.
Having THAT kind of love relationship with my Father is the whole point of the Good News about Jesus! His sacrifice is a once and for all, free, real deal admission into The Father’s Family. That’s what being “Born Again” has always meant! We are reborn, in the Spirit, into the Family of God! Again, it is not about scaring people into Heaven. It’s all about love and life more abundant, in this life and the next!
With this gift comes all of the “Fruits of the Spirit”. Love, joy, peace, gentleness, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, long suffering, and self control.” We all fail and sin but we’re all growing and maturing.
We aren’t instantly mature, adult children. We are all in varying stages of maturity. Even adult children stumble too. Just because we make wrong decisions doesn’t make our Father kick us out of the family though. His love is everlasting.
If you are a Child of the Father then seek your heart and ask Him to give you a true revelation of authentic love relationships with both Him and with the Others around you.
If you have not accepted Jesus and would like to, it’s as simple as just saying “Yes, I believe that you, Jesus, are the Son of God, sent to cover my sins once and for all. I want that relationship with my Father, and so I ask you to forgive me and cleanse me.” Then it’s done! Then tell someone and seek a relationship with your Heavenly Father.
Try to find mature Christ Followers who demonstrate the Love of God to the people around them. The Bible says that you will know them by their fruit. Try to stay away from religious people that teach judgement and condemnation of others. Try to avoid Churches that don’t demonstrate the Fruits of the Spirit.
If there’s not Love, Peace, Joy, etc. then ask your Father, in Jesus name, to give you wisdom in the teachings that you follow and the people that you find fellowship with. It may be a large Church but it also may just be one person that you know lives a life that demonstrates those Fruits.
Our Father will guide you, even if it’s just one on one, if you’re truly seeking His truth. The Bible does tell us to have “fellowship” with believers but that fellowship can come in many forms. Especially in the days that we live in.
I’m the perfect example of a person that physically couldn’t be in the building anymore because of health problems, but my relationship with my Father actually grew more during that time. My fellowship was often online but my Father always gave me relationships that sustained me during those Seasons.
The Bible says that “Even the very elect will be deceived” so look at the Fruits of the people that you follow and fellowship with. It doesn’t matter how big a Church is or how great their stage productions are. If they aren’t loving everyone and welcoming anyone, just keep looking.
Lastly, if you still aren’t sure what you believe then ask Jesus to prove Himself to you. He’s more than capable of showing Himself to anyone. I’ve seen it be as simple as a golfer going out and playing the best round of golf in His life, and feeling the presence of God, alone on a golf course. It sounds silly but God revealed Himself in the way that that one man needed.
He will reveal Himself to anyone who is truly seeking Him. It doesn’t have to be through an organized Church program or a structured teaching. He will meet you in the way that YOU need.
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