An Inadequate Substitute (Part 2 By Allen Bowers)
Last week we began by acknowledging the inadequacies of virtual communication that we are forced to rely upon during this time of social distancing to the inadequacies of the old sacrificial system used to atone for sins. The blood of the animals was inadequate to make us right before God and required the perfect blood of Jesus Christ. This week we are going to again use the inadequacies of virtual communication as a comparison but more specifically to our relationship to God. And this relationship to God is both a result of and entirely dependent upon the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ that we already explored.
Did you know that up until the death and resurrection of Jesus, God’s people had to settle for a ‘virtual’ relationship with him? Obviously, they did not use the internet, but they did use priests. Hebrews 5:1 describes the role of the priest when it says, “For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.” The priests were to serve as the intermediary between God and the people. The priests would communicate the will of God to the people, bring the people’s concerns before God, and offer the sacrifices to atone for the sins of the people. But even the priests were restricted in their access to God. God’s presence dwelt in the inner sanctum of the temple in a place called the Holy of Holies. The high priest was only allowed to go in that room once a year. In terms of restoring our relationship with God, the priestly system was inadequate.
It wasn’t always like this. If you remember back to the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve dwelt with God Himself. But that relationship was ruined because of sin. Sin not only required atonement (as discussed last week), it separated us from God. But just as Jesus provided the atonement for our sins with his perfect blood through his death, his death and resurrection have restored our relationship to God. Matthew 27:51 records that when Jesus died on the cross, the curtain of the temple used to separate the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple was divinely torn in two. This ripping of the curtain signified that the barrier separating the people from God was no longer necessary. Why? Hebrews 10:19-22 explains:
Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
Jesus is now our high priest and because his blood has completely cleansed us from our sins, we can draw near to God with a pure heart. This is tremendous news! We can now approach the almighty, all-powerful, all-knowing, and perfectly loving Lord of the Universe directly, because of Jesus! This relationship will not be fully restored until the return of Christ and his eternal Kingdom (next week’s topic), but we now have direct access to God.
Looking at my own life, I so often fail to take full advantage of this access and settle for a virtual relationship instead. I see this in two aspects. First, I neglect it. For example, I’ll rely on my pastor for teaching from God instead of going to God himself. Nothing at all against pastors, but any who are genuine would say that their teaching on Sunday should be a supplement to our relationship with God – not the main course. I can go to God himself through his Word and prayer but I don’t for usually trivial reasons.
Second, I don’t invoke the power of Jesus. Too often I will let a sin come between me and God. I will feel guilty, unworthy, and unable to come before the presence of God almighty because of my sin and think I need to somehow atone for it or ‘prove’ how repentant I am. This, in effect, shows that I believe the blood of Jesus is not enough. That is precisely what the author of Hebrews is writing against in 10:19-22! The blood of Jesus is not only enough, it is the only thing that can make us clean, and it has already cleansed us!
In conclusion, I ask you one question: How would you describe your relationship with God? Virtual or real?