This chapter will cover the sin offering, which is the fourth kind of offering. When discussing the first offering, we pointed out why the five kinds of offerings were needed. It is because, in the presence of God, we are in five kinds of situations or conditions. We were made for God, but we are not for God. Therefore, we need Christ as the One who is absolutely for God as our burnt offering. Neither are we fine or perfect or properly balanced. Hence, we need Christ as the meal offering, because He is so fine, so perfect, and so balanced in His humanity. Also, we have no peace with God or with others. In the whole universe there is no peace, and among human beings there is no peace. In the schools there is no peace; in society there is no peace; among the nations there is no peace. Though we have the United Nations, there is still no peace. There is no peace in the homes between husbands and wives and between children and parents. We do not have peace with God, and we do not have peace with one another. So we need Christ as our peace offering.
Then we are sinful. And even more than that, we are sin. We are just sin itself. So we need Christ as our sin offering. And because we are sin, we are full of mistakes and wrongdoings. There is nothing right with us. We are wrong with our parents; we are wrong with our husband; we are wrong with our wife; we are wrong with our brothers; we are wrong with our sisters; we are wrong with our children; we are wrong with everyone! Even in the way we dress and cut our hair we are wrong. We are wrong in every aspect. At one time in the past I was dealing with the Lord about certain things. I thought that about an hour would be enough time to get through. But I soon discovered that I was wrong in everything. There was nothing in which I was right. Therefore, we need Christ as our trespass offering.
This is our condition before God. We are not for God; we are not fine and perfect; we have no peace with God and man; we are just sin itself; and we are full of mistakes and wrongdoings. These are our five conditions, so we need five kinds of offerings. But, praise the Lord! This means that we can apply Christ in at least five aspects. He is just the One that we need. We are not for God, but He is. We are not perfect, but He is. We do not have peace, but He is peace. We are sinful; we are sin, but He is the sin offering to deal with our sin. And we are full of mistakes, but He is our trespass offering. Hallelujah! We have such a Christ, who takes care of all our situations before God.
We should not consider that we are such wonderful persons. Not one among us is wonderful. In fact, we are pitiful. We are not for God; we are still for ourselves. We have mentioned the matter of thanksgiving and the vow in the last chapter. We are for thanksgiving; we are not for a vow. This indicates that we are so much for ourselves. We have no concern for God. We are not perfect and fine, and we really do not have peace. Our mind is not a mind for God; it is a mind for sin. The more we consider ourselves in the light, the more we find that there is nothing but sin. But, praise the Lord, we are so much negatively, and Christ is so much positively! Whatever we are not, He is. We can enjoy Him as the burnt offering and as the meal offering. These are the two basic offerings. And based upon these offerings, we can enjoy Him as our peace offering.
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