Particular

"The LORD said to Moses, 

'Tell Aaron and his sons to treat with respect

the sacred offerings the Israelites consecrate to me,

so they will not profane my holy name.

I am the LORD.'"

Leviticus 22:1-12

When online, I usually use the same password when signing on to any site that won't jeopardize my identity or sensitive information.  When it comes to banking or paying bills, however, I try to choose one with a bit more security.  One website I recently logged onto was quite fussy, requiring that I utilize a certain number of characters and include at least one upper case and one lower case letter, one number and one sign.  While I thought this to be a little picky, I knew it was for my own good and was making the sign-in process more secure.

As difficult as it may be to follow specific directions when creating a password, it is nothing compared to the attention to detail God gave to the rules for giving sacrifices.  Before Jesus came to earth as a human, God's people were required to make various sacrifices, each with a specific purpose.  He was quite particular about how, when and where His people could make these sacrifices.  Therefore, it was important to pay attention to what God expected.

When God sent Jesus to ultimately become the once-for-all permanent atonement for the sin of all those who believe in Him as Lord and Savior, He met all these requirements.  Jesus fulfilled the particular conditions expected by God, thus becoming the perfect Lamb who willingly gave His own life as a ransom for many.  As fascinating as this tidbit of information may be, what does this mean for me as I live my life for Him?

Clean

She struggled with guilt and regret for much of her life.  When she came to Jesus, she felt different as His blood covered her sin.  Still, when she thought about all the people she had hurt, or the damage she had done, or the way she had wasted her life, she grieved in agony.  It was hard for her to completely accept the forgiveness God was offering through Jesus Christ.

When I look at my own sinful heart, it is hard to believe that I am made clean by what Jesus accomplished on the cross.  When He uttered the words, "It is finished" before willingly giving up His spirit, He spoke volumes. (John 19:30) Jesus was saying the sacrifice was complete, all my sins have been covered and the way for me to come to the Father has been made clear. (John 14:6) He said everything necessary to atone for my sins had been done and there was nothing left for me to do except to receive the freedom from guilt and punishment offered in love.

God requires the shedding of blood in order for Him as a holy, righteous God to offer forgiveness to the sinful people He loves so much. (Hebrews 9:22) When Jesus gave His life, it was an exchange He willingly offered of His sinless life for my sinful one.  He died so I would be free from the penalty of death my transgressions require.  As I step into a relationship with Him, He liberates me from the heavy burden my sin places on me.

Unfortunately, all too many times I still hang onto the sin.  It could be the feelings of guilt I carry around like so much baggage, or my identity as a sinner that is so closely connected to my own opinion of myself, or the regret over past or recent failures.  Whatever it is to which I insist to cling, the burden was never meant for me to carry.  

When Jesus said those three little words, He was proclaiming to me that my sins are completely covered.  He was sending a message thousands of years into the future, reminding me that His blood was enough to make me righteous before God.  He was reminding me that it's not what I have done or will do that matters, but it is what He already has done on Calvary that makes all the difference.  (Matthew 11:28-30)

The blood Jesus shed on the cross satisfies God's particular requirements and makes me clean, holy and righteous before Him.

Authorized

When my teenage daughter took her first solo flight in order to meet my husband on his business trip in Italy, I was not allowed to accompany her to the gate. Since I was not a ticket holder, I wasn't authorized to enter into that part of the airport.  Consequently, we said our good-byes before she went through the tedious security process.

In the same way that airport security limits entry to certain parts of the airport, God allowed only members of the priests' families to eat the sacred offerings.  There were no exceptions: Unauthorized people were forbidden to consume the meat that was offered in sacrifice to the Lord.

In contrast, Jesus gave His body as a sacrifice for people of all nations, tribes and tongues.  There is no person, based on his background or family lineage, who is banned from partaking of His flesh at the communion table.  Once I am accepted as a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ, I am accepted into His family and given all the rights of an heir.  (Romans 8:17)

As a dearly loved child, I am now given the authority to boldly approach the throne of grace, a place that at one time was off-limits to all but the few who were sanctified for such an honor.  (Hebrews 4:16, Hebrews 9:7)  Due to Jesus' sacrifice, I am accepted into the sacred places no matter what my background.

Therefore, I can live my life as a child of the King of kings.  No longer do I need to look down on myself, thinking I don't belong.  Because of what Jesus did in dying on the cross, He made it so I am authorized, I am acceptable, I am allowed access into the Holy of holies where God resides.  Once I understand and grasp hold of this truth, I will begin to live as I was meant to live; in intimate relationship with my Father who loves me.

The blood Jesus shed on the cross satisfies God's particular requirements and gives me authorization to enter into His kingdom.

Acceptable

As a writer, I've learned to develop a thick skin.  Compared to the few pieces I've seen published, the rejections far outweigh the successes.  If I want to stay true to God's calling on my life, I cannot measure my success by how much of my work is in print.

The world of publishing is difficult to break into and specific rules must be followed when preparing a piece for submission.  In a similar way, God set up certain requirements for what kind of offering would be accepted and if these rules were not followed, the animal offered for sacrifice would be rejected.

When Jesus gave Himself as the perfect Lamb of God, He completely fulfilled all the requirements God set forth.  As a result, I no longer need to worry if what I do is enough to be accepted by God.  Instead, Jesus did it all, freeing me up to follow Him in humble devotion.

Therefore, I need not live a life of paranoia, constantly seeking to work hard enough, respond lovingly enough, or give generously enough that God will accept me.  Since His perfect Son gave His life as a ransom for mine, I no longer must worry about being good enough.  Instead, I can live as one who is made right with a holy God by faith in Jesus Christ and is completely accepted as belonging to Him.  (1 John 3:1)

The blood Jesus shed on the cross satisfies God's particular requirements and makes a way for me to be accepted as His beloved child.

God is picky when it comes to what He expects.  When Jesus came to give His life in exchange for mine, He met all of God's specific requirements, making it possible for me to be seen as clean before God, authorized to enter into His presence, and acceptable to belong to Him.  In these ways, Jesus satisfied the particular requirements of God so that I can enjoy Him forever!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can fully accept my identity in Christ, letting go of all that is now covered by His blood.

How do I feel like I don't belong?

When do I feel like I should be rejected despite the reassurance I read in God's Word?