How Far Can We Go?
How many sins can I commit before I go to hell? I mean, everyone commits sins in life, but God wouldn’t send us to hell just because of a few sins. I’ve probably lead a good life compared to other people ‘“ it’s not like I’ve killed anyone!
Did you ever wonder why the priests of the Bible wore bells on their cloths and tied a rope around their ankle when they went into the inner temple on Yom Kippur? As they walked the bells on their cloths would jingle. If the bells stopped ringing, the people outside the temple would give a jerk on the rope to see if the priest was still alive. If the priest had not gone through the right purification rituals when he went into the most holy place, he would be struck dead. The people would pull him out with the rope.
God is so holy that he can’t have any sin in his presence! Sin is not an option with God. If we go into his presence with the any sin, we will be struck dead.
Isn’t that frightening? Those priests lived holy lives, they lived to the letter of the law, and then they purified themselves. It still wasn’t enough. The slightest blemish killed them. God doesn’t go half-way. He will not tolerate any sin. Every sin is the same size as the next. A liar is as bad as a murderer ‘“ a petty thief as bad as a rapist. We have to be perfect to go to heaven.
The good news is that God sent his son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. John 3:16 “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.’ By the shedding of His blood He took away our sins and gave us entry to heaven. All we need do is repent at turn from our sins to be saved.
Amen!
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Good answer.
It makes me sad how many people justify their wrong actions by comparing it to something worse. (“It’s not like I’ve killed anyone!”)
Also, interestingly, God CANNOT have sin in his presence. “But I thought your God could do anything!” “Well… he can’t!” *laughs*
~BookFreak
Amen!
That is very good!
And God said that we are ALL sinners and need Him!
Romans 3:23-24
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
Good job, Eric.
Oh, and I really like your banner!
I dunno. I think maybe terrorizing is a better word! 8-( I never cease to be amazed by how very much God loves us and how far His grace reaches out to us!
I also never cease to be amazed at my incredible inability to do His simple bidding and obey His easiest of commands. :-\
Praise the One and Only living God who can find it at all possible to forgive me through His own Son’s blood! Now that’s amazing!
Great post!
-Melanie
That was great ~ and true. Not sure what some folks are thinking. I have always been convicted for the smallest things in my life. It used to bug me, but now, I’m thankful that I am sensitive to God and let Him tell me when I’ve messed up. I guess the key here is to remember that we “will” sin, but we “can” find forgiveness if we ask. I’m so glad.
Wonderful post Eric!! Keep up the great and Biblically based blogging!
~Brooke
According to all of the other sources I have looked at the high priest did not have a rope tied around him when he entered the holy of holies. I am not saying that he wouldn’t be struck dead just that he didn’t have a rope tied around him,Exodus chapter 28-35 is very clear about what a priest can and cannot wear and it makes no mention of a rope. That being said the priest could be like Peter walking on the water if he only has faith (doesn’t use a rope because he has faith he is sinless) he will not sink (die). Other than that nice blog
Hey Someone,
The story of the rope is indeed a myth, but I believe that it is very logical. The source is supposed to arise from Josephus’ histories of the Jewish people and is said to have been by tradition rather than by Torah (Oral or Written), as much of Judaism is.
Lev 16:2 He said, “Tell your brother Aaron that only at the proper time is he to go behind the curtain into the Most Holy Place, because that is where I appear in a cloud above the lid on the Covenant Box. If he disobeys, he will be killed.
Exo 28:31 “The robe that goes under the ephod is to be made entirely of blue wool.
Exo 28:32 It is to have a hole for the head, and this hole is to be reinforced with a woven binding to keep it from tearing.
Exo 28:33 All around its lower hem put pomegranates of blue, purple, and red wool, alternating with gold bells.
Exo 28:34 (SEE 28:33)
Exo 28:35 Aaron is to wear this robe when he serves as priest. When he comes into my presence in the Holy Place or when he leaves it, the sound of the bells will be heard, and he will not be killed.
If the other priests heard no sound of bells, it meant the High Priest was dead. Because only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies, it meant no-one else could come in to remove the body or they too would die. They therefore tied a rope to the High Priests’ ankle in case he died so he could be dragged out without them also being struck dead.
Some people say that the temple curtain was three feet thick, therefore nobody could pull a body out through it – but I’ve seen four guys flip a car so I don’t have any doubt they could get a body on the end of a rope out.
Again, I’m not just saying that. Jewish history seems to be strongly in favor of the rope on the priests ankle.
God Bless,
Eric Novak