THE PRIORITY OF LOVE (PT 1)
God's priority towards man is the heart of man. God is not concern about putting the penalty of death on a living creation to satisfy His Self. So once a person turns from his own ways and accept God ways from their heart God forebears, and forgoes putting penalty on the person. This is a natural occurrence when there is mercy.
God's priority towards man is seen in Ps.51:16-17. I quote:
16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
Note the sacrifices mentioned in the text were not to please God in the context of justice. It was not as to say the wages of sin is death so there must be the death of some living thing that the person be forgiven. No! . The sacrifices were teaching-aids to address the heart of man. The Spiritual meaning of the sacrificing of the lamb; which pointed to Christ, was brought out by Isaiah in Chapter 52:13-15 & Isaiah 53:1 -11 which culminates with the words "By his KNOWLEDGE shall my righteous servant justify many". Knowledge to deal with the heart in justifying the heart of man.
This understanding of the intent of God towards man is also seen in Mark 2:29 -33 where Jesus was asked which is the first commandment of all. I quote:
"29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
32 And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:
33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." God is concerned in heart having God alone as God and in that way having a heart that Love Him in the truest sense. The burnt offerings and sacrifices of themselves did not bring satisfaction to God hence the statement in verse 33.
Because Jesus issue is the heart of man and not a penal substitute sacrifice he said His flesh profiteth nothing but the words that he spoke were Spirit and life, see John 6:53-54 & 63 quoted below. As such he exhorted His disciples in a symbolic way to drink His blood and eat His flesh that they may have life in them. And remember Rom.8:6 tells us to be Spiritually minded is LIFE.
John 6:53-54 & 63
53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Note: In verse 54 the person having the spiritual life in them allows them to fulfill the conditions of receiving physical life in the last day. So the life obtained symbolically by eating Christ is not physical life, see also John 17:3 & 1John 5:20 for further evidence.
So my dear Facebook book friends and brethren take heed to the intent of God's love towards us and be made holy, pure and sinfree by true forgiveness in justification when you repent and believe.
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