I would like to take just a minute to share with you something that has greatly bothered me for the past few years. It is, in my opinion, one of the saddest and most perverted teachings being passed off as Christianity today. This teaching is that of giving God an “Atonement (or Passover, or Pentecost)” offering in order to ward-off cursing and ensure for yourself some sort of blessing. People of God, please listen to what the Bible says about this, and prayerfully reconsider such an “offering” if you are planning to give one.
The Bible gives many curses and blessings under the law (the part of the Bible that these preachers quote to entice our giving) that pertain to works of righteousness, and works of sin. However, the the New Testament tells us that, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us–for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE”– (Galatians 3:13 NASB)
Christ became a curse for us, and redeemed us from the curses in the law, and freed us from works-based righteousness into freedom through His blood to experience blessings and grace in Him. Why else, if not to redeem us from our sins, did Jesus die? Or are we saved by both Christ and money? God forbidd!
Paul warned us against such practices as legalistic offerings when He said boldly,
“You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain–if indeed it was in vain? So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?” (Galatians 3:1-5 NASB)
Were we just saved by faith, and now, having been saved, are we to continue in this kind of legalism? Or is this kind of legalism negating Christ’s work? Surely, the verse above make the answer clear that Christ has saved us by faith, and now, having been saved, we should continue to have fellowship with God and receive both forgiveness and blessings by faith.
Are some blessings not included in “all?” Or does the Bible mean “all” when it says, “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.” (2 Corinthians 1:20 NASB)
Surely, in Christ we are partakers of all blessings, “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2 Peter 1:3-4 KJV)
We are, because of (an only because of) Jesus Christ, partakers of all things pertaining to life and godliness through the knowledge of him that has called us to glory and virtue” – not through endless offerings that have no ability to remove sin, but through knowledge of Jesus Christ.
The Bible says of the Atonement Offerings,
“Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.” (Hebrews 10:11 NASB)
And, to make all of this even clearer, let us consider what the writer of Hebrews says about the offering given on Atonement Day (Yom Kippur): “but into the second, only the high priest enters once a year, not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance.” (Hebrews 9:7 NASB)
Therefore, we must conclude that only through the blood of Jesus Christ, not through money or pledges, are blessings and real atonement offered… and these are appropriated by faith.
If you have bought into these lies, you are not condemned. In faith, repent of those things and start to receive blessings and forgiveness through faith and through the knowledge of the truth (which is, knowing and practicing the Word of God in your life).
4 Responses
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... Says:
The priest sacrificed them as atonement for her, so that she would be ceremonially clean.
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Jared Says:
These ceremonial cleansing provided in the law (Torah) could not remove sin because it was only a type and shadow of what Jesus would do, which did remove sin. Money was never accepted to atone for sin, and since Jesus did everything necessary to atone for sin, nothing more is needed. The work, to quote Jesus, “is finished.”
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denDED Says:
чтобы добавлять свои статьи, обязательно ли регистрироватся?
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Point2One Says:
I am very glad to hear from one of our Russian guests, unfortunately, my ability to translate this is limited. I am very glad to hear from you, and want you to know that God loves you.