Issue link: https://cp.revolio.com/i/1241844
In Leviticus, the third book of the Bible, God gave the Israelites the sacrificial system. Every time a Jew sinned , he or she was to sacrifice a goat without any blemishes (Leviticus 4:27 - 31). Think about that. If you were a Jew in the Old Testament and had to make a sacrifice every time you lied, lusted, gossiped, complained or argued you would soon run out of goats. Other offerings included offerings of bulls and sheep. The sacrificial system was meant to point inward, upward and forward. It pointed inward to convince you of your sinfulness. If you were honest before God then you would soon realize that you could nev er make enough sacrifices for your sin. It pointed upward to make you trust in God for your salvation instead of sacrifices that you could make (Psalm 51:16,17). It pointed forward to the ultimate sacrifice of the lamb of God, Jesus Christ, who would somed ay come to take away the sin of the world (John 1:29). The rest of the Old Testament tells the story of the Jewish people, some of whom realized they were sinners and needed God to save them (Psalm 51:1,2) and most of whom trusted in their own goodness in stead of the mercy and grace of God (Isaiah 64:6). P aying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again. (Matthew – Luke) When Jesus came to the earth he came as the fulfillment of the law (Matthew 5:17) and the ultimate sacrifice (Luke 24:46). He lived th e perfect life that we could not live and died in our place, for our sin. When he died upon the cross he screamed the words "It is finished" (John 19:30). What he meant by these three words was that the price for our sins was paid completely. He was fully God and entirely man. As a perfect human he could die for other humans. As the true and living God his payment for sin was infinite. Jesus rose from the dead three days after he was murdered on the cross (Mark 16:6). He was seen by over 500 witnesses (I Co rinthians 15:6) on at least 12 separate occasions over the course of forty days (Acts 1:3). Because he died , our sins are paid for entirely. Because he rose from the dead we know that Jesus was who he claimed to be, God in the flesh. Everyone who trust s in Him alone has eternal life. The amazing thing about eternal life is that it is a free gift given to us by God through faith alone and not by any of our good deeds (Ephesians 2:8,9). Jesus paid the price for our sins when he died on the cross and all we must do is receive the gift of forgiveness through faith. When we believe that Jesus died for our sins and trust in Him alone we receive eternal life, are passed out of death into life and are guaranteed a home in heaven (John 5:24). E ternal life is no t achieved by good deeds but received through faith. It's not a matter of trying but trusting. When we believe , we receive the forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life. Almost the entire New Testament is dedicated to talking about this eternal life and the implications of it in our everyday lives. From John through Jude the disciples of Jesus show us how to live like Jesus intended, serving each other in love. This is the heart of eternal life! L ife with Jesus starts now and lasts forever. (Acts – Revelation) Because Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead we will be with Jesus forever in heaven. Whe n we trust in Jesus , we enter into a personal, permanent relationship with God called "eternal life." Part of the reality of eternal life is that it doesn't start after you die but as soon as you believe (John 10:10). This life is the joy of a real, exciting relationship with Jesus every single day through prayer, worship and living in the strength that God provides through his Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). The other part of the reality of eternal life is that all who have it will be with Jesus forev er and ever in heaven someday. Once we receive , it is ours forever and we are his forever! The last chapter of the last book of the Bible makes it clear that we will "rule and reign forever" with Jesus (Revelation 22:5). In essence , the last chapter in th e story of the Bible concludes by saying, "and they lived happily ever after." Wanttoknowmore? ClickOnTheLinkBelow https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GleXAzTZpjo &feature=emb_rel_pause