Leviticus 4

When reading the Bible it is important to remember that Jesus is King and context is everything. When things like sacrifices are written for the Israelites, they don't mean the literal same thing today.

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Hey everyone, welcome back to the Christians on College Campuses podcast. My name is Hunter Carr, and I am a graduate of Cameron University. It's so good to be back and spend time in God's Word with you. Today we are looking at Levitic Leviticus chapter 4. This chapter talks about the sin offering. And while that might sound like an older concept, that doesn't really connect with us today. I just think it's important that to learn that it points to something incredible. Our sin has a cost, but God made a way for us to be forgiven. And in this chapter, it talks about what the Israelites were supposed to do when they sinned unintentionally. And that word unintentionally is important. Or the people around us. But even when they didn't realize what they had done, there was still a way to make things right. And in verse 20, we see he said, He will offer this bull the same way he offers the bull for the sin offering. In this way, the priests will make atonement on their behalf, and they will be forgiven. The goal was forgiveness. God wasn't simply trying to punish his people, he was making a way for them to be restored to him. And this is where Leviticus 4 connects directly to Jesus. The sacrifices in the Old Testament were pointing forward to something greater. Hebrews 10 4 says, For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. So if those sacrifices couldn't ultimately remove sin, what were they pointing toward? Jesus. Jesus became the sacrifice we can never provide for ourselves. Peter said in chapter 2, where he said, He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that having died to sins, we might live for righteousness. That's the good news of the gospel. You and I don't have to try to earn God's forgiveness. We don't have to become perfect before we come to him. Jesus already paid the price. And I think that's especially important for us college students and young adults. There's so much pressure in this season of life. Pressure to have your career figured out, pressure to be successful, pressure to look a certain way, to have the right relationships. And sometimes we bring the same pressure into our relationship with God. We think if I can just be good enough, maybe God will accept me. But Christianity isn't about becoming good enough for God, it's about realizing that Jesus was good enough for us. That doesn't mean sin doesn't matter. And this chapter it makes it very clear that sin matters, but because Jesus paid for our sin, we can come to God through repentance instead of just running away from Him. And 1 John 1 9 says if we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Notice that word faithful. When we confess our sins, God is faithful to forgive. So if you've messed up this week, don't hide from God. Run toward Him. If you made a mistake, don't let shame convince you that you're too far gone. Confess it. Turn back to Jesus and His love and receive that forgiveness He's already made available. There's another important lesson here. In this chapter, it shows us that sin isn't something we should treat casually. Our culture can sometimes tell us it's not that big of a deal. But Scripture reminds us that sin separates us from God. That's why Jesus sacrifice his sacrifice is so incredible. The cross shows us both the seriousness of sin and the incredible love of God. Romans 5 8, Paul says, but God proves his own love for us in that way that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Jesus didn't wait until we cleaned ourselves up. He came for us while we were still sinners. So here's what I want you to remember from this chapter. You don't have to hide your sin from God. He already knows it. Instead, just bring it to him. Confess it, repent, and trust in Jesus. Your mistakes don't have to define you. Jesus' sacrifice defines what God has already done for you. Let's pray. Father, we thank you for your word and for showing us how serious sin is, but also how great your forgiveness is as well. Thank you for sending your Son Jesus to be the sacrifice for our sins. Help us not to hide when we mess up, but to run towards you. Confess our sins and receive your forgiveness. For all the college students and young adults listening, I just pray that you remind them that their identity isn't found in their mistakes or their failures or their past. Our identity is found in you and in your Son Jesus. Help us live in repentance, grace, and freedom. We love you and pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.