Aaron Rawles

What do you think God intended animal sacrifice teach us about sin? Sin has a cost and a price and that price is death and sin is an offence to God. About holiness? God is so holy that sin can't be tolerated in His sight and that we are separated from Him and unable to approach and stand in His presence because of our sins. About God's nature? God is holy, righteous, just, compassionate, merciful, faithful, loving, forgiving and gracious. It's because of God's nature that He gave animal sacrifice and in the fullness of time His Son so that justice is accomplished, all of our sins are atoned so that we can be reconciled to God and be able to approach and stand in His presence once again.

In what sense is God's provision of animal sacrifice for forgiveness of sins an expression of his mercy? Were animal sacrifices actually adequate to atone for human sin? In His mercy, God allowed the animal sacrifices to purge their sins. The animal sacrifices were not able to atone for sin in of themselves these sacrifices were merely foreshadows of the ultimate sacrifice to come.

What are the basic elements involved in a sacrifice for sin? Confession of one's sin. Bringing a female lamb or a goat without blemish as a sin offering to the priest. Laying hands on it's head that symbolically places the sin on the animal and then slay it. The priest then collects the blood and puts the blood on the alter horns and pours out the rest at the base of the alter. The priest burns the fat on the alter. The meat of the sin offering is eaten by the priest. Which of these are still necessary for forgiveness of sins today? Confession of sin. A sacrificial substitute to bear our sins. The shedding of blood for the atonement and remission of our sins. Which are no longer necessary? The sacrificial offering of an animal for our sins. Why? Jesus is the supreme sacrificial sin offering for our sins. His death and the shedding of his blood far out surpasses that of animals.

Why is animal sacrifice repulsive to modern people? I think alot of people might view it as something primative, barbaric and cruel. How much of this has to do with a city vs. a farming way of life? People in cities aren't accustomed to seeing animals butchered on a daily basis as a way of life. People on animal farms look at butchering animals as a necessity and as a way of life and making a living.

Why is anger an appropriate response to sin? God is holy and righteous and when we sin we break God's laws and it is offensive to him so it causes God to be angry at our sins. It's because of God's anger at sin that The Lamb of God who is sinless came to take mankind's sin upon himself and to suffer God's penalty for mankind's sin which is death and separation from God while he hung on the cross. What is the difference between capricious or uncontrolled anger and anger that brings about justice? Capricious and uncontrolled anger tears down and is focused on the person not on the wrong that was done. The anger that brings justice builds up and is focused on the wrong that was done not on the person.

How do you know that John the Baptist's statement about the Lamb of God refers to sacrifice? Lambs were sacrificed to make atonement for one's sin. How was the comprehensiveness of "sins of the world" so radical a concept? Jesus came to take away all the sins of every human past, present and future.