God's Riches at Christ's Expense

Leviticus 16:15-22

            Scripture tells us that daily sacrifices and offerings were not enough to satisfy the wrath of God. Atonement for a year’s worth of sin needed a scapegoat to carry the wrongdoing far into the wilderness.  

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

John 3:16

            For much of my life, I had a basic understanding of religion and had little trouble believing there was a God.  I just didn’t get the Jesus part.  It was obvious that a divine power was at work and there was, of course, a system of right and wrong.  Christians appeared to be people who shared something, but since my family had stopped attending church, I felt excluded and uninvited.

            As a parent, I resumed church attendance because there needed to be baptisms and confirmations.  I worshiped and served.  I joined bible studies and it wasn’t until I studied scripture that I had my epiphany.  God solved our problem with sin!  That is the importance of Jesus!  But I wondered, "Why did God do that?"  He mustn't realize that the biggest motivator for good behavior is to please Him and avoid damnation. Little did I know that the significance of Jesus and God's grace could make people WANT to behave well.

written by Nancy Gleeson

            Fast forward to Sunday mornings at UALC.  With music and worship, I am uplifted in awestruck emotion filled with God’s love.  Jesus has taken the punishment and God has set me free!  No longer am I burdened by guilt or shame from past or present sin, done or left undone.  I am His to serve this world in ways that only true freedom from sin can inspire.   My spirit has been made new like a butterfly leaving its cocoon.  I now understand what God has done.

Christ is the atonement for all sin

 and our scapegoat.  Amen.