Sacrifices

[InnerPhyre]

Hey guys. I have a friend who doesn't believe that Jesus died as a sacrifice because he doesn't think that sacrifices were ever necessary for the forgiveness of sins. He says that sin is between the sinner and God and bringing an animal into it is cruel and unnecessary. I've gone blue in the face quoting him scripture about sacrifice and Jesus's sacrifice, but what I need is a way to describe the WAY in which a sacrifice atones for sin. In a specific sense, I need to know the process by which a sacrifice takes our place. I know the wages of sin are death. Someone lend a hand. Thanks!

 

[KC Catholic]

Hey guys. I have a friend who doesn't believe that Jesus died as a sacrifice because he doesn't think that sacrifices were ever necessary for the forgiveness of sins. He says that sin is between the sinner and God and bringing an animal into it is cruel and unnecessary. I've gone blue in the face quoting him scripture about sacrifice and Jesus's sacrifice, but what I need is a way to describe the WAY in which a sacrifice atones for sin. In a specific sense, I need to know the process by which a sacrifice takes our place. I know the wages of sin are death. Someone lend a hand. Thanks!

The Old Testament is a great source for this information. Sacrifice goes back to the Israelites and their convenant with God and the first Passover. Remember that God instructed the Israelites to take an unblemished lamb, slaughter it and take its blood, put it over the doors so that the Angel of Death would Passover those homes.

Additionally, the Israelites were to eat the lamb, gird themselves and leave Egypt. When they ate the lamb they ate some and left some for God to eat as well - this was to seal their covenant with God.

Christ, who is called the lamb of God, was "unblemished" meaning he was sin-free, no broken bones, etc., he was sacraficed on the cross at the same time lambs would have been slaughtered in the temples during Passover and his body and blood was the new sacrifice that seals our covenant with God.

Read Scott Hahns "The Lambs Supper" for an indepth disucssion of this topic.

I probably left something out and I definitely did not do the justice this subject requires.

Pray and let the Holy Spirit work on your friends doubts.

 

[KennySe]

If he won't "listen to" the Bible, does he believe the Bible is NOT the written word of God?

 

[thereselittleflower]

Does your friend accept the authority of the bible? If not, then I am not sure how you would convince them, as this is a belief of Jews and Christians, and it is clearly spelled out in the Old Testament:

The life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.” (Leviticus 17:11)

and concering Jesus:

“Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken and afflicted by God. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities…the lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all…He was cut off from the land of the living for the transgression of my people was He stricken…He shall make His soul an offering for sin…My righteous Servant shall justify the many, for He shall bear their iniquities…He bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53: 3-12)

You need to have a starting point . . scripture is where our understanding of this starts . .


Peace in Him!

 

[InnerPhyre]

He believes that the Bible was inspired, but written from the perspective of each particular author.....and is therefore subject to bias and incorrect doctrine. Thanks for the responses. I've shown him dozens of scriptural references that anyone could see are rock solid, but he doesn't understand the actual PROCESS by which a sacrifice atones for sin. In other words, He doesn't understand why a sacrifice would be necessary in the first place and why we couldn't just repent and be forgiven. He seems to think it's a hold over from the concept of a wrathful vengeful God who must be appeased. I've been doing alot of praying.