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[This was posted April 16, 2015 on the occasion of the Christian feast called “Easter” which commemorates the death and resurrection of the Christian Savior Jesus Christ. Why are we reposting at this time? To prepare for “My” or YHWH’s feasts commanded in Leviticus 23; specifically Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, scheduled this year starting October 11 and ending October 12. This was written by Sinaite BAN who was a devout Christian active in ministry with husband VAN for over half a century of her life, so she knows what of she speaks.—Admin1]
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Easter week has just ended, a time when Christendom commemorated the life, passion and death by crucifixion of Jesus Christ. For Christians believe that by his death, he has saved humanity from eternal damnation and therefore have the assurance of eternal life. To all Christians, to believe and accept what Jesus did, is the only way to be RIGHT WITH GOD, this is the salvation theology of Christians who accept Jesus as their Saviour and Lord. This theology is validated in New Testament verses
primarily by: (John 3:16/NASB)
For God so loved the world, that He gave HIS only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.
The core of Christianity’s theology is the issue of atonement. To be right with God can be summarized in four statements:
1. As a result of Adam’s sin, man is inherently depraved and is therefore damned to eternal punishment.
2. Because of man’s sinful nature, no action on his part can be counted as righteous before God, citing, Isaiah 64:6:
But we are all like an unclean thing.
And all our righteousness are like filthy rags.
3. That the blood sacrificial system is man’s only conduit to atonement and insist that there can be no forgiveness
of sin without the shedding of blood, citing Leviticus 17:11:
This is because 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.
4. The only blood sacrifice that has the power to redeem man from the stain of Adam’s sin, is the blood of Jesus.
Let us examine the Old Testament, the foundational scripture, to see what our God, Yahweh say about these ideas.
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1. The first statement about the bad effects of Adam’s sin upon the nature of his descendants, is partially supported by scripture. Take a closer look at what scripture teaches about the depraved state of man.
Scripture teaches that all created beings are imperfect before God. Angels, the heavens, sun, moon and stars are all impure in God’s eyes., as attested in Job 4;17-18; 15:14-16; 25:4-6. Man, as a created being, is also inherently imperfect.
There are many verses in scripture that remind us of this concept.
For there is no righteous one on earth who does good, and does not sin. (Ecclesiastes 7:20)
How can one born of a woman be righteous? (Job 15:14)
Scripture fully teaches the imperfection of man.
Christianity rejects this basic concept by claiming the “sinlessness” of Jesus, ignoring the word of God that tells us that one born of a woman can never be utterly righteous. When Adam sinned, sinfulness was imputed to the very fabric of man’s nature. Scripture records that God pronounced three curses upon Adam and his descendants. Since these 3 curses are still in effect, we assume that redemption from Adam’s sin is yet to occur.
l. Death
2. Pain of childbirth
3. Man has to work to obtain food
Christianity’s claim that as a result of the sin of Adam, all men are doomed to hell has no scriptural basis, there is no need to refute this. Those who have faith in Yahweh’s Word are never threatened by Christianity’s claim.
And the kindness of the Lord (Yahweh) is from everlasting to everlasting upon those who fear HIM, and HIS righteousness to children’s children. To those who keep HIS covenant, and to those remember HIS command– to do them.
(Psalm 103:17-18)
The statements mentioned above that summarizes the Christian belief about atonement are not compatible with scripture and are not accepted by believers who have faith in the Lord, Yahweh’s revelation in Sinai. The concept that no human action can be counted as righteous before God is as non-scriptural as it is evil. It is difficult to think of an idea that would be more contradictory to scripture. The most prevalent theme in the Old Testament is that God relates to people according to their deeds., both good and evil. The sinful nature of man does not cancel out any good that we do.
In the days of Noah, Yahweh chose to save life on this earth through Noah. The ark was built through Noah’s obedient action, and the earth was renewed. The message is clear:
And the righteous one is the foundation of the world.
(Proverbs 10:25)
The narratives about the OT (Torah) patriarchs affirm that though man is under the curse of death, still the actions of men, find favor in God’s eyes. (Genesis 26:4)
The lesson of the tabernacle is the same. The fact that the people’s dedication of their possessions, skills, and power, merited the manifestation of God’s presence, tells us how the Lord, Yahweh, values these expressions of love and obedience.
Blood sacrifice, which Christianity claims as its foundation, tells us how Yahweh looks favorably at human action. A blood sacrifice is essentially a human action that expresses submission and humility towards God. The Christian doctrine says Yahweh rejects every human action; if so, then, they should reject the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ, as well.
Yahweh points to David as an example of righteousness that others should follow .
Then it should be, if you heed all that I command you , walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as My servant, David did, then I will be with you and build for you an enduring house, as I built for David, and will give Israel to you.
(I Kings 11:38)
This does not mean that David was sinless, he was not. But it does mean that his sins did not nullify the good that he did.
Christianity rejects the teaching that God allows the righteous to reap the fruit of their deed.
Say to the righteous, that it shall be well with them,
For they shall reap the fruit of their doings.
(Isaiah 3:10)
Scripture leaves no room for doubt that inspite of man’s impurity, his righteous deeds done with sincerity will find favor in God’s eyes. Why is this so? It is simply because God willed it so. If a man were to live a totally righteous life, a life of total dedication to the service of God. And this man would voluntarily die a martyr’s death, for the honor of God’s name, God would still owe this man nothing. This man did not give God anything that did not already belong to God. To think otherwise is to deny the absolute sovereignty of God. So if God were to act according to the strictest sense of justice, no living being is deserving of reward. But it is God’s attribute of mercy which rewards men for obeying HIM.
And (Abraham) believed in the LORD, and HE accounted it him for righteousness.
(Genesis 15:16)
Christianity claims through this verse, that God counted Abraham’s faith as righteousness, that it earned Abraham the blessing of God’s favor, that it is only faith and not good works which can bring upon man the grace of God. This is not true. The verse does not say that anything else Abraham did was not counted as righteous before God. God tells us in Genesis 18:19:
For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what HE has spoken to him.
(Genesis 26:5)
. . . because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.
The fact that Abraham obediently did God’s will was essential in securing God’s favor. It is clear that human action (obedience) can be counted by God as righteousness as well as faith. The simple point is , the OT belief system is the belief system which advocates faith in the same one on whom Abraham placed his trust. It is faith in the words of the God of Abraham which leads us to believe all that God has taught us. To have faith in one whom Abraham never heard of is rejecting the faith of Abraham.
Even if scripture is clear on this matter, Christianity tries to bring scriptural support for its belief. Two verses quoted, to support its contention that it is faithful to scripture are:
First: (Isaiah 64:5)
. . . and all our righteousness are as filthy rags.
This verse is one phrase of a long prayer of confession. In the same prayer, Isaiah beseeches God —
(Isaiah 63:17)
. . . return for the sake of your servants the tribes of your inheritance.
Isaiah was asking God to have mercy in the merit of the righteous sons of Jacob. Obviously, Isaiah believed that these men were righteous before God. It is only in reference to a sinful generation and as part of a humble confession, that Isaiah compares the righteousness of men to filthy rags.
Second verse quoted by Christians to support the doctrine of the worthlessness of man’s action is —
(Psalm 14:2-3)
The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men,
To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.
They have all turned aside.
They have together become corrupt;
There is none who does good,
No, not one.
This seems to be telling us that God can see no good in man. But the Psalm does not end there. It continues—
Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge,
Who eat up my people as they eat bread.
And do not call on the LORD?
It is clear that although the psalmist uses the general term “children of men” or the word “all”, he is only talking about the “workers” of iniquity, and is clearly excluding “my people.” So we see, that not only are these quotations being taken out of the general context of scripture, but also being taken out of their immediate context.
BLOOD SACRIFICE:
Christianity’s claim that there is no scriptural means for the remission of sin other blood sacrifice. The one verse cited in support of this position is —
(Leviticus l7:11)
For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar for atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.
Christianity teaches that it is only the blood that has the power to atone for the soul. The phrase “for it is the blood that atones” seems to be excluding any other means of atonement. The passage in which we find this verse is speaking about the prohibition to eat blood. God is saying that although He allowed the eating of the flesh of animal, blood is not for us to eat. The only usage we may obtain from the blood of the animal is the expiation of sin.
By putting the blood on God’s altar as a visible expression of submission to God, the blood is used correctly. It is used directly in the service of God. The verse teaches that of all parts of the animal, the one that can effect atonement, is the blood. But it does not mean that outside of the realm of animal sacrifice, there is no atonement of sin. This verse does tell us that the blood that effects atonement, is given upon the altar. To place blood anywhere else is excluded from the atonement of which this verse speaks.
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Since the blood of Jesus, was never placed upon the altar, it cannot be included in the blood atonement of Leviticus 17:11. The claim that the cross in a figurative sense, can be considered an altar is very original. The consequences of speaking in a figurative sense are that nothing has to mean anything, and anything can mean everything (We are trying to stick to the plain meaning of the text). The “sacrifice” of Jesus is disqualified by the very words of the verse upon which it claims its foundation.
The biblically qualified blood offering is in a sense meaningless to Christianity. The animal offerings of scripture have no use to the Christian other than serving as a crude symbol to the demise of their god. For Torah observant Jews, animal sacrifice is as real as it is in scripture. They pray everyday that God re-establish this means of expressing devotion to HIM. God promised that this will be restored as it says, in Isaiah 56:7. 60:7; Jeremiah 33:15; Ezekiel20:41, 44:15, Zechariah14:21, and Malachi 3:4; all predicted that God will restore the sacrificial system to its former place.
This makes no sense for Christian. If the entire system of animal sacrifice was only put there as a portent to the death of Jesus, then what need is there for animal sacrifice in the messianic era? Christians are shocked to learn that the sacrificial system is coming back. Some try to avoid the implications of these prophecies by making the unfounded claim that these prophecies refer to a temple of the anti-Christ. This is not validated by scripture text.
Who then, has the faith in God’s word concerning the blood sacrifice? Is it the Christian believers of Paul when he says that the temple sacrifices never atoned for sin? Or it is the Old Testament believer who faithfully awaits the day when offering will be pleasing to God as in the days of old?
Let us return to Christianity’s claim that there is no scriptural means for effecting atonement other than blood sacrifice. Even within the sacrificial system, there are methods of achieving atonement without the use of blood. The verses in —
(Leviticus 5:11-13)
But if he is not able to bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons, then he who sinned shall bring for his offering one tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a sin offering. He shall put no oil on it nor shall he put frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering.
The priest shall make atonement for him, for his sin that he has committed in any of these matters and it shall be forgiven him. The rest shall be the priest’s as a grain offering.
The verses tell us that in some instances a flour offering can take the place of an animal offering and bring about remission from sin. In Numbers 17:12 we see Aaron using an offering of incense to gain forgiveness for the sins of the Jewish people.
Atonement is not limited to the sacrificial system at all. Repentance, turning back to God is what God desires from us. Repentance is what wipes the slate clean. God’s promise to the sinner who turns back to HIM with a sincere heart, is that none of his sins will be remembered.
(Ezekiel 33:16)
None of his sins which he has committed shall be remembered against him; he has done what is lawful and right, he shall surely live.
All the other scriptural methods of atonement (blood sacrifice, prayer, and charity) are only part of the general framework of repentance. The prophets remind us that the path to God is repentance. Some of the scriptural references are:
(Isaiah 55:7)
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts.
Let him return to the LORD
And HE will have mercy on him;
And to our God
For HE will abundantly pardon.
(Ezekiel 18:21-23)
But if a wicked man turns from all his sins, which he has committed, keeps all MY statues, and does what is lawful and right, he shall he surely live; he shall not die.
None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him, because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live.
“Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?” says the LORD God “and not that he should turn from his ways and live?”
And the book of Jonah. All of these passages tell us how God does not spurn a broken and a contrite heart.
(Psalm 51:17)
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart
These, O God, You will not despise.
None of these passages say a word about the necessity of blood sacrifice in order for God to grant forgiveness. The story of Nineveh as recorded in the book of Jonah, tells us how the sinful people of that city repented and God accepted their repentance even though it was not accompanied by a blood sacrifice.
Chapter 33 in the book of Ezekiel is placed among other prophecies which were spoken after the destruction of the Temple – when the Jewish people were no longer able to bring animal offerings, yet God assures the people that their repentance will be accepted.
An expression of a repentant heart prayer, can bring about forgiveness for sin. Psalm 107, Proverbs 15:8, I Kings 8:46-50, II Chronicles 7:14 are some repentant heart prayers. Truth, justice, and charity also work atonement for sin.
(Micah 6:6-8)
With what shall I come before the LORD
And bow myself before the High God?
Shall I bring before Him with burnt offerings?
With calves a year old?
Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams
Ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgressions?
The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
He has shown you O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you
But to do justly
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God.
These verses in Micah are specially significant because they tell us that all that God requires from us is justice, lovingkindness and walking humbly with God. Nothing else is necessary. The word of God stands forever. All the energy Christians exert in their effort to nullify the clear message of scripture is in vain.
As we have seen, the “shedding of blood” is not a requirement for the forgiveness of sins; specifically the blood that Jesus shed on the cross. Furthermore, John 3:16 is a false statement. The New Testament writers created the idea that Jesus had to die, in order to remove the sins of mankind. I end with these words from Psalms.
Psalm 51:16-17
For YOU do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it
YOU do not delight in burnt offerings.
The sacrifices of GOD are a broken spirit,
A broken spirit and a contrite heart
These O GOD, YOU will not despise.
This is the way to be RIGHT WITH GOD.
BAN@S6K
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