Psalms 85:3
You have forgiven the guilt of your people; you have covered all their sins.
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In the old testament, sacrifice honored God by offering him creatures precious to man that are either bloody and unbloody. The animal was completely consumed by fire and offered twice each day, in the morning and evening. The sacrifice could either be sin offering, guilt offering or peace offering was in gratitude, in fulfillment of a vow, or simply voluntary.
The unbloody sacrifices, however, is for peace offering only. In effect, sacrifice is to expiate oneself of sins and gain the forgiveness of God.
However, in the new testament, salvation and forgiveness has already come in Jesus Christ. In effect, we do not need sacrifices for our own sake anymore, just to please God.
God is a God of mercy. Because God is a merciful God, he expects his children to be merciful. We now have to share in the very work of God – by showing mercy to others as God has shown mercy to us! We lead others to the love of God in Jesus Christ and receive Him as their Lord and Savior.
Turn to the living God for He will have mercy, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. It is not about living a perfect life of sacrifice anymore, but about people coming together and learning to love and accept each other.
Love God more than we would have; showing mercy towards others by loving those who, by human standard, do not deserve to be loved.
Let us pray +
Lord Jesus Christ, you are our merciful God become Man to redeem us from our sins. Open our eyes to the debt of love that we owe You for Your unspeakable merciful love for us. Open our hearts to give ourselves to You through those whom You place into our lives, so that by our mercy toward them we may win mercy from You and cooperate with You in the redemption of a sinful world. Amen +
Lord, show us your mercy and love.
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