The Apostle Paul tells us in Galatians that the Law was a “schoolmaster” to bring us to Christ; like a kindergarten teacher, the books of the law were designed to show us our need of Christ and bring us to Christ. We see that this is what the ancient book of Leviticus is doing through the five sacrifices, the High Priest, the laws on uncleanness regarding food, leprosy, bodily discharges, and the Day of Atonement. The first 16 chapters all pointed to the great need for Christ’s atonement. Great New Testament truths were taught in simple, visible signs. The first part of the book of Leviticus is full of beautiful shadows of what Christ has done for us on the cross—the glory, life, riches, and power we have by Christ’s redemption. Then, after this, the latter half of the book, starting from Leviticus 17, talks about how we, as a people redeemed by such a great price, should behave and live. Chapters 17 through 26 are what biblical scholars call the Holiness Code, all speaking about the holiness of God’s people, again in old ritual symbols.
Even in this ancient book, God connects faith and practice: salvation blessings first, and then a life based on that salvation—provision first, then behavior. That is always the order. God never talks about how we should live without first telling us what He has done and what He has given us in Christ. Only when we grasp what we have in Christ can we properly live the Christian life.
Today’s Christianity is filled with Galatian legalism, with a heavy emphasis on moral behavior alone. People have advised me, “Pastor, you should spend more time telling people what they should do, instead of explaining Bible truths about what God has done in His salvation. Just take five minutes to explain the Bible, and then move to practical application; it will also be very interesting.” That is the latest trend: everywhere you see it, leaders touch on verses superficially and then jump straight into practical stories and moral advice. It is foolishness—just giving nice practical advice without the foundational truths of why we should live that way.
Galatian legalism is a deadly thing! It is widespread today, which is why Christians either do not understand the power available to them in Christ or try to live their Christian life by relying on their own self-effort and willpower. That is phony Christianity! It never works. It has created much of the weakness in the church today. That is why today’s church is blamed as a place where high morality is taught and a high standard of life is preached, but where nobody practices it. That is why many say Christians are basically hypocrites who do not practice what they preach.
That is why I keep teaching every day that unless you meditate on and grasp what you have in Christ, you will not find the motivation to live the Christian life. Even for me, I cannot live one day as a proper witness without meditating on what God has done for me in Christ. That is why God has revealed so much truth about His salvation. Otherwise, He could have just given us the Ten Commandments and told us to live by them. Instead, He has given us such rich truths with the expectation that we will draw upon His treasury of truth and learn to live as He commands us to live. This is the order you have here in Leviticus: first the power and light of the truth of what Christ has done, and then our behavior based on that. In the first 16 chapters, we see public ritual regulations, all pointing to Christ’s great redemption. Then, in chapters 18 through 27, we see personal lifestyle regulations.
Chapter 17 talks about blood, and chapter 18 talks about sex. This covers two vital areas in the life of the ancient people of God. You see, our mindset toward blood and toward sex impacts our whole life and behavior. These two play a very dominant part in human life. Blood and sex—blood relating to death and sex relating to life—are always two great underlying themes of literature, drama, art, song, and dance—of all that is offered to the public as entertainment. You can’t pick up a movie or a storybook without finding it related to blood or sex in every conceivable way, because they hold such a continual enchantment and fascination for human beings everywhere.
Today, we will begin to see God’s lesson about blood—what God expects from redeemed people regarding blood. Chapter 17 is a concise chapter of 16 verses. When you read it, to keep from getting lost in the forest of the text, it can be divided into four sections. It gives four prohibitions: verses 1 through 7 contain the prohibition against private slaughtering or killing of animals; verses 8 and 9 contain the prohibition against private sacrificing; thirdly, verses 10 through 12 contain the prohibition against eating blood; and fourthly, verses 13 through 16 contain the prohibition against presumptuous hunting. All of these relate to the careless handling of blood.
I recognize that on a Sunday evening you may be tired and unable to concentrate deeply, so to keep my sermon focused, I have split chapter 17 into two messages. Today we will cover verses 1 through 9 under two headings.
First: Verses 1 through 7—the prohibition against private slaughtering of animals.
Let us understand what is prohibited, the reason for it, and the punishment for it.
What is prohibited? Verses 3 and 4 state: “Whatever man of the house of Israel who kills an ox or lamb or goat in the camp, or who kills it outside the camp, and does not bring it to the door of the tabernacle of meeting to offer an offering to the Lord before the tabernacle of the Lord, the guilt of bloodshed shall be imputed to that man.”
Clearly, what is being prohibited is the killing or butchering of domestic livestock outside the camp, out in the open field, or in the wilderness. A man was not to take a goat, a lamb, or an ox behind his own tent in the camp, or lead it by a rope outside the camp to a secluded place to slaughter and butcher it, and then bring the meat back to his tent either for a meal or for the market. That is what was being forbidden. In fact, verse 5 tells us that the only location allowed for the slaughtering and butchering of animals was at the doorway of the tent of meeting. So, if you were going to slaughter and butcher an animal, it had to be at the tabernacle, in the presence of the priest, before Jehovah as a peace offering—to bring them to the priest at the door of the tabernacle of meeting and offer them as peace offerings to the Lord.
If the Lord were to say this to some of us today, we might faint, because many people desire to prepare meat daily and feel they cannot eat without it. Every time we feel like having mutton biryani, chicken gravy, or kebabs, how could we take a sheep to the temple daily? Imagine a population of close to 30 lakh people; what a queue there would be at the temple! The priest would have to perform certain rituals with it, and only then could the meat of the animal be eaten by the man’s family. It would be impossible to simply slaughter an animal and eat biryani for dinner tonight! How could this be practically possible?
We have to understand that as a wandering wilderness people, eating meat was a rare event for them. Animals like sheep and goats were very valuable to them for milk, wool, and other resources. They were not primarily meat eaters in the wilderness; they primarily ate manna, and meat was a very rare delicacy. That is why some complained, remembering the fish and meat they ate in Egypt, asking in Numbers 11:4, “Who will give us meat to eat?” In other words, they rarely had meat at all. So this regulation was entirely practical in the wilderness: every time an animal was killed for meat, it was to take place only at the doorway of the tent of meeting, because they ate meat primarily when they went to the tabernacle to offer sacrifices. That was one of the joys of going to the tabernacle—it was a feast day!
Now, it is interesting to note how in Deuteronomy 12:15 this was modified when they were about to enter the land. As they stood on the banks of the Jordan River, about to enter the Promised Land, Moses declared from God that they could slay and eat clean meat within their gates and borders, from Dan to Beersheba, but not out in the open wilderness as before. In the wilderness, they could only do it before the tabernacle at the doorway.
Why such a restriction? The reason is given in verse 7: “They shall no more offer their sacrifices to demons, after whom they have played the harlot. This shall be a statute forever for them throughout their generations.”
They were not to offer sacrifices to goat demons. Simply put, this was to prevent idolatrous practices; it was a safeguard against that sin. One of the very tempting idolatrous practices of Egypt was the worship of goat demons—the Hebrew word is se’irim. They believed demons roamed the desert in the form of goats. In fact, this goat-demon worship was a cult that flourished in the region of the Nile Delta. The Nile flowed through all sides of that land, making it very fertile and rich in nutrients, ideal for agriculture. Goshen was very close to the Nile Delta. They worshiped these demons with all kinds of terrible uncleanness, even involving improper practices with animals before sacrificing them. The Israelites had learned and observed this worship, which involved sacrifices and various fertility rites, even degrading down to bestiality, as archaeology confirms.
We can hardly comprehend how addicting this practice was to the people of that time. No matter what was said to them, this was an addiction they had practiced for many years, becoming deeply ingrained as a habit. Notice the verse says they had played the harlot sacrificing to these demons—using the past tense. It was very difficult for them to stop. That is why, when Moses was away for 40 days, they quickly set up their own calf worship accompanied by all kinds of uncleanness. It was a temptation much like materialism, alcohol, drugs, or pornographic addiction is in the 21st century. It was very difficult to overcome, which may be one reason why God led them through the wilderness—to purify them, discipline them, and help them overcome this addiction. They faced great temptation because, as the verse notes, they had played the harlot in the past. That is why verse 7 commands that they shall no more offer their sacrifices to demons, after whom they have played the harlot.
They used to do it earlier as spiritual harlotry, but they were to do so no more. Because God had redeemed them, taught them His ways, and allowed them to come near Him through a great atonement and a High Priest, they were to stop their old practices. Even though they had committed them several times in the past until it became a habit, they were now to do it no longer. So God graciously gave this prohibition to ensure animals were not sacrificed to idols out in the wilderness.
There would have been a strong temptation for a people recently delivered out of Egypt to think, “I can go alone out into the wilderness and gratify my superstitious lusts with this beast; no one will know what I have done out there with the blood.” So that was the reason: the avoidance of idolatry.
Now, what if someone said, “I will not yield; this is my addiction, so I will continue to do this secretly”? Look at the punishment in verse 4b. We find it says there that if an individual makes such a slaughter out in the open field, “he has shed blood and that man shall be cut off from among his people”—cut off from his people! Now, what does that mean? Whatever it entails, we know it is a very severe penalty. Anyone even suspected of participating in idolatry was cut off. It sounds severe.
It was a solemn punishment: it could mean social excommunication from the nation, like a leper, or even capital punishment by stoning to death, as we see in Numbers 15:31 with the man who gathered wood on the Sabbath and was stoned to death. Being “cut off” also indicates a spiritual element involving a divine curse. Sometimes a sacrifice out in the wilderness might be covered up and done in secret, making it difficult for human judges to prosecute. Yet the spiritual punishment would still take effect. When there was wrong worship of the true God in the temple, fire came down and killed Nadab and Abihu. Living among the people of God while engaging in the wrong worship of a false god might not bring immediate visible fire, but there would be a providential bolt of judgment from heaven that would cut them off and destroy them through divine, invisible judgments. You cannot imagine the mind-shattering psychological effects upon an individual who went out, sacrificed to a goat demon, and washed his hands thinking no one would ever prosecute him before Moses or the judges, believing he got away with it.
The curse says such an individual will be cut off. The person knows that the omnipotent and omniscient God has seen it and is angry. You may escape human punishment, but by some unforeseeable force, the promise remains that your secret sins will find you out, and a bolt of judgment will somehow cut you off. If you want emotional paralysis and dread fear, go off and sacrifice to a goat demon! You will be cut off, not only with physical implications, but with eternal implications involving the world to come. So that is the prohibition against private slaughtering.
As an application—Rejecting Modern Idols: This principle is directly applicable today as a warning against spiritual idolatry and harlotry. While modern Christians aren’t sacrificing animals to demons, we can be tempted to place other things—such as money, career success, possessions, or our own desires—in a place of ultimate importance that belongs only to God.
Spiritual Purity: The call to worship at the Tabernacle was a call to purity and faithfulness to God. For Christians, this translates into a commitment to spiritual purity, meaning we should seek to live lives that are set apart for God, free from the entanglements of sin and the deeds of the flesh.
Also, we need to understand that there is a close connection between demon worship and sins of the flesh. One can lead to the other, and they often reinforce each other. The devil uses the desires of the flesh as a primary tool to tempt people. Demonic influence acts as a catalyst: demons often exploit and amplify the natural weaknesses and desires of the flesh. While a person’s sinful desires originate from their own fallen nature, demonic influence can intensify these desires, making them more difficult to resist.
Sins of the flesh serve as an entry point: engaging in sins of the flesh, such as sexual immorality or substance abuse, can open a person up to demonic influence. Repeated or unrepentant sin weakens spiritual defenses, making it easier for demonic forces to gain a foothold or oppress a person. The Bible often connects the worship of false gods with immoral sexual acts.
For example, a struggle with lust can be exacerbated by a demonic spirit of lust. If we give it room, demonic forces can begin to take control until it becomes an addiction. Even though we do not see it with our physical eyes, unless we are protected by God’s truth, you would not believe how demons can wage a fierce dance in the human brain! The book of Revelation shows that they can twist the mind, causing people to live in false illusions and tormenting them like scorpions, making their lives a living hell of fear and trembling. When you look at psychological torment, or drug and pornography addictions, you see how terribly these forces work.
In essence, while the sinful nature of the flesh provides the fertile ground for temptation, demons are the spiritual forces that actively sow and cultivate those temptations. Demon worship, as the ultimate act of turning away from God, is a manifestation of the flesh’s deepest rebellion.
We, as God’s people, should realize that God forbids these sins. Not only are they against His law, but when we indulge them, we open our minds and hearts to demonic activity—something He will not tolerate in His people.
1 Corinthians 10:20–21 says: “No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.”
This passage directly links pagan sacrifices to the worship of demons, presenting it in direct opposition to worshiping God. The imagery of sharing a table or cup with either the Lord or with demons emphasizes that there is no middle ground.
So, although this passage speaks about an idolatrous practice among the ancient people of God, in the New Testament we are warned that while we may not directly worship idols, we can be influenced by demonic forces through sins of the flesh when we do what God forbids. We have similar warnings in the New Testament. 1 Corinthians 6:9–10 says: “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.”
Does it mean that whoever has done these things can never inherit the kingdom? No, verse 11 adds: “And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”
So, if you have overcome those things, do not give them room again. You must grow and avoid them. You might say, “But Pastor, those are things I have done for many years, and sometimes I fall.” You must take care not to fall, and when you do fall, repent immediately and take every effort not to fall again. If you persist, you risk being cut off. I am reminded of what we studied in the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith regarding the four primary causes why believers fall into grievous sins:
- Through the temptation of Satan,
- and of the world,
- the prevalency of corruption remaining in them, and
- the neglect of the means of their preservation, they may fall into grievous sins, and for a time continue therein.
And the seven consequences of falling into grievous sins and continuing in them:
- They incur God’s displeasure,
- grieve His Holy Spirit,
- have their graces and comforts impaired,
- have their hearts hardened,
- have their consciences wounded,
- hurt and scandalize others, and
- bring temporal judgments upon themselves.
Yet genuine believers repent and turn back—like David and Peter:
- They shall renew their repentance and be preserved through faith in Christ Jesus to the end.
That covers the first point regarding the killing of domestic animals. We must learn to kill sin, or sin will kill us.
Secondly, come with me to the prohibition against private sacrificing in verses 8 and 9: “Also you shall say to them: ‘Whatever man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell among you, who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice, and does not bring it to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, to offer it to the Lord, that man shall be cut off from among his people.'”
Earlier was the prohibition to avoid sacrifice to demons and false gods; but this is to avoid a wrong way of sacrifice to the true God. If any man offers a burnt offering to Jehovah, where is he going to offer it? Can he make that offering in the backyard of his tent or behind a rock in an isolated place in the desert? No. There were to be no private sacrificial services for the people of God. In ancient times, Abraham could do it, and Job could do it. But in this era, when God gathered them as an assembly and ordained the tabernacle, the temple, and the priesthood, the only authorized place of sacrifice was the tabernacle. No private sacrifices were allowed; it was strictly forbidden.
All sacrifices had to go to one place: the tabernacle.
The purpose of this law was twofold:
- To Prevent Idolatry: By centralizing all legitimate sacrifices at one location, God aimed to prevent the Israelites from offering sacrifices to other gods on “high places” or in open fields, which would again lead to idolatrous practices—whether to Baal or to goat demons—under the guise of worshiping the true God. This was a common practice among the surrounding pagan nations, so centralizing sacrifice was a way of ensuring their worship was solely directed toward Yahweh.
- To Maintain Proper Worship: It ensured that sacrifices were performed by authorized priests and according to proper rituals, exactly as God commanded. It prevented individuals from establishing their own unauthorized forms of worship and guarded against improper approaches to God. The only way to approach the living God was through His appointed temple, through sacrifice, and through the mediation of the priest He ordained.
This also served to keep the nation united. Different tribes might have had a hundred and one ideas about worshiping God according to their own preferences. But this law reminded them that they were part of one body—a corporate nation operating as a single organism.
So we have seen both the prohibition against private slaughtering and the prohibition against private sacrificing.
This may seem like a simple regulation, yet the Bible shows that the failure to follow this principle eventually led to the captivity, dispersion, and final destruction of the ten northern tribes of Israel. Scripture repeatedly highlights “the sin of Jeroboam” as a primary factor in the eventual exile of Israel. His actions established a pattern of idolatry that all subsequent kings of the northern kingdom followed, ultimately bringing about God’s judgment and the Assyrian exile.
After Solomon’s reign, Israel split into two nations: two tribes remained under Solomon’s son Rehoboam, while Jeroboam ruled the ten northern tribes. The temple, however, was in Judah. When Jeroboam became king of the northern tribes, he feared that if his people continued going up to Jerusalem to worship, their loyalty would return to the king of Judah. To prevent this, he made several major changes:
- He set up golden calves in the northern cities of Bethel and Dan, telling the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt” (1 Kings 12:28). This was a direct violation of the commandments against idolatry.
- He established his own priesthood from non-Levitical tribes, ignoring God’s command regarding a consecrated priesthood.
- He altered the dates of religious festivals, creating his own religious calendar.
The books of 1 and 2 Kings repeatedly attribute the downfall of the northern kingdom to this initial sin. The phrase “the sins of Jeroboam, son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin” is a recurring refrain used to condemn every wicked king who came after him. This shows that Jeroboam’s sin was not merely a personal transgression, but a foundational corruption that poisoned the entire nation’s spiritual life. The prophets, in turn, constantly warned Israel that their continued idolatry would lead to exile.
The people of God were commanded to sacrifice only in Jerusalem. Yet, whether because of the inconvenience of traveling to the temple or a general lack of respect for God’s laws, they sacrificed elsewhere. In Canaan, sacrifices had been made everywhere—on any high place or under any green tree—and the Israelites adopted these habits. The prophets constantly fought to keep Israel faithful to the spirit and the letter of sacrificial law, but weaning Israel from pagan patterns of sacrifice was as difficult as weaning modern Christians from materialism.
Had Israel heeded the warning of verses 8 and 9, they would not have been destroyed. A single sanctuary preserved reverence for the presence of the living God among them.
They made this tragic mistake and suffered destruction, but these events were written for our instruction so that we might not follow their example. Will we learn this lesson and avoid judgment?
Lesson 1: Notice the high premium God puts on the central location of corporate worship. Sacrifices were to take place at the tabernacle. In the New Covenant, by way of connection and continuity, corporate worship and spiritual sacrifices center in the gathering of the church.
Now you might ask, “Wait a minute, isn’t there further development in the New Covenant? Sacrifices are no longer restricted to a single physical building.” That is true. Jesus said to the woman at the well in John 4:21, “The hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father… but true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth.” True worshipers worship everywhere, not only in Jerusalem at a physical temple. Malachi 1:11 also prophesied about this New Covenant reality.
Furthermore, every believer’s body is a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6). Wherever you go, you are able to offer up sacrifices pleasing to God. As Romans 12 teaches, out in the world, you are to offer your life as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. In your daily life, morning and evening, you offer up the incense of prayer to the living God.
And do you need a pastor to act as your mediator, as though you must bring your private devotion only to a building so an elder can offer it for you? Not at all. You belong to a royal priesthood; you can come directly to God in praise. All of this is true.
Yet, as Matthew Henry observed regarding the relevance of this passage, we are to hold public worship in high regard and not forsake the assembly of God’s people (Hebrews 10:25). As he noted, the Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob, and so should we.
We must not neglect Christ’s special presence in His appointed gathering, on the Lord’s Day, where His Word is faithfully proclaimed by appointed teachers, where the corporate body of Christ manifests His presence, and where the Lord’s Table is observed. Christ promises a unique presence when two or three are gathered together in His name—a corporate manifestation of the Spirit that cannot be replaced by simply watching a service online from home. Physical gathering matters. God promises, “I will walk among them and bless them.”
We are the city of God, and together we form the temple of God (1 Corinthians 3). While God graciously accepts our family worship and personal devotions at home, we must never treat the gathering of the local church as optional.
There are some who say, “We don’t need to join a local church; we can just meet as a few families at home, take communion on our own, and run our own independent church however we like.” But consider how strongly Scripture guards against self-appointed worship. While a congregation may be independent of external denominational hierarchies, no church is independent of God’s Word. The Lord’s Supper is meant to be observed when the corporate church gathers—as one bread shared among many members—not merely as a private family meal. Christ dines with us in a distinct way when the church meets. When we invent our own forms of worship, we must tread carefully.
Consider the primary spiritual lessons here:
- The Danger of Syncretism and Pragmatism: Jeroboam’s primary sin was not an explicit rejection of God, but a blending of true worship with pagan practices—a compromise known as syncretism. He did not tell the people to abandon Yahweh completely; rather, he presented the golden calves saying, “Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt” (1 Kings 12:28).The Lesson for the Church: The church today faces constant pressure toward syncretism. This can manifest as blending biblical truth with secular philosophies, or replacing faithful worship with worldly entertainment to attract crowds. Worship must be regulated by God’s commands, not by convenience, popularity, or pragmatic strategy. The moment a church compromises doctrine for the sake of marketability, it steps onto the path of Jeroboam.
- The Influence of Leadership: Jeroboam’s actions carried massive weight because he was the king. He not only sinned personally, but “caused Israel to sin.” His example set a pattern of unfaithfulness that every subsequent king of the northern kingdom followed, leading to widespread spiritual decay.The Lesson for the Church: The spiritual health of a congregation is deeply tied to the integrity of its leaders. Pastors and elders carry a solemn responsibility to guide people according to God’s Word. When leadership compromises on doctrine, morality, or worship, it sets a dangerous precedent that can lead an entire community astray.
- The Deception of Good Intentions: On the surface, Jeroboam’s motivations appeared practical—he wanted to preserve the political stability of his kingdom and keep his people from defecting back to Judah. However, his actions were driven by fear and a lack of faith in God’s promises.The Lesson for the Church: An initiative is not inherently right in God’s eyes simply because it produces visible results or higher attendance. The church must continually examine its motives to ensure its practices stem from obedience to God rather than human wisdom, political expediency, or a desire for popularity.
- The Consequences of Unfaithfulness: Jeroboam’s compromise was not an isolated misstep, but a foundational error that resulted in the northern kingdom’s eventual downfall and captivity. The repeated refrain in Kings—”they did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam”—underscores how one leader’s compromise can impact generations.The Lesson for the Church: Compromise carries real consequences. While New Covenant believers live under grace, the principle of sowing and reaping remains true. A church that consistently compromises on biblical truth and holy worship will lose its spiritual vitality, its witness, and its power. As Christ warned the seven churches in the book of Revelation, He calls His people to steadfast faithfulness.
Never forget God’s intense zeal for the purity of His worship. He reminds us of this repeatedly because human nature is prone to drift into carelessness. He established sacrificial laws, instituted the tabernacle priesthood, and judged Nadab and Abihu when they offered unauthorized fire—all to teach that worship must remain pure and orderly.
God requires His way, not our own. He does not seek human additions or self-devised methods of worship. Why was He so precise about these Old Testament shadows? Because the reality to which they pointed—the person, sacrifice, and priesthood of Jesus Christ—is the exclusive way of salvation. Jesus declared, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). He is the ultimate, final sacrifice: the Lamb of God.
Just as the Tabernacle was the single authorized place of sacrifice, Christ is the sole way to God. The phrase “a statute forever” points toward that final, perfect sacrifice that would fulfill and bring an end to the Old Testament sacrificial system. Jesus’ death was once-for-all, establishing the New Covenant and fulfilling the Law. Believers can rest in the absolute assurance that no further sacrifice is needed for salvation.
Many of our spiritual struggles arise when we attempt to rely on our own self-devised sacrifices—our personal efforts, feelings, or resolutions—rather than resting in Christ’s completed work. When we stumble, our natural tendency may be to try to make amends through self-effort, yet we fail to experience the peace of God’s reconciled face until we turn our gaze back to the sacrifice of Christ. When we meditate on His blood, His substitutionary atonement, and His finished work as our scapegoat, the assurance of God’s favor is restored to our conscience.
May we learn this vital lesson: the only way to enjoy continual communion with God is through our Lord Jesus Christ and by abiding in Him.