Day of Atonement

I've been gone a while.  Vacation and family business have kept me away from the keyboard for a while.  But I'm back, inspired by something I read while driving down the highway.  Recently, while traveling a highway I use frequently, I passed a church's billboard just as I have hundreds of times before.  Past billboards announced youth camps, guest speakers, special services and other usual, non-nondescript events that sparked no particular interest in me.  However, this particular advertisement, for some reason, stuck out to me.  All it said was, "Day of Atonement" followed by a date that I can only assume is a date this congregation was going to observe this Jewish holy day.

Not being particular familiar with Jewish tradition, I went to the internet for some research.  What I found,  according to Wikipedia, is that "the Day of Atonement, also know as,Yom Kippur, is the holiest and most solemn day of the year for the Jews. Its central themes are atonement and repentance.  Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue services. Yom Kippur completes the annual period known in Judaism as the High Holy Days or Yamim Nora'im ("Days of Awe")."


Further reading reveals that, according to Wikipedia, "Leviticus 16:29 mandates establishment of this holy day on the 10th day of the 7th month as the day of atonement for sins. It calls it the Sabbath of Sabbaths and a day upon which one must afflict one's soul.

Leviticus 23:27 decrees that Yom Kippur is a strict day of rest.

Five additional prohibitions are traditionally observed, as detailed in the Jewish oral tradition. 

1. No eating and drinking
2. No wearing of leather shoes
3. No bathing or washing
4. No anointing oneself with perfumes or lotions
5. No marital relations"

WOW!  "...one must afflict one's soul..."?  Really?  The enemy of our souls doesn't do a good enough job afflicting us?  We have to assist him?  Really?  After researching the day a bit, I must express pity for this congregation of believers if they, as New Testament believers, feel that for some reason feel they need to "afflict their soul" to earn God's approval.  Didn't Jesus Himself teach that, "Your are not defiled by what you eat, you are defiled by what you say and do."?  Mark 7:15  I encourage you to read all of Mark 7.  Isn't this exactly the type of behavior that Jesus was teaching against?  In this chapter, Jesus was teaching that it is not outward expressions that determine a man's relationship or right standing with God, but rather his inner commitment and acceptance of what Christ did for us.  In fact, He referred to the ones who focused on the outward acts of "obedience" as hypocrites!  Mark 7:6

As New Testament believers we must realize that we are saved not by our own works, but by the work of Christ on the cross.  There is no sacrifice we can give, no work we can concoct that can give us salvation.  That GIFT was purchased for us on the cross by Christ. Self-affliction is not a God-mandated practice.  It earns an individual nothing but physical pain and false security.  God does not look at acts of self-affliction and say, "Oh, there's a person who truly loves me!" 

Romans 4:16 NLT "So the promise is received by faith.  It is given as a free gift.  And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham's.  For Abraham is the father of all who believe."

Romans 5:16 NLT "...For Adam's sin led to condemnation, but God's free gift leads to our being made right with Bod, even though we are guilt of many sins."

Romans 6:23 NLT "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord."

It's time the true church of Christ come out of the bondage of religion be set free by the knowledge that Christ paid the FULL price for our salvation.  We are FREE if we accept His gift by faith for that is how we are saved, Ephesians 2:8 KJV "For by grace are you saved through faith; and not of yourselves:  it is the gift of God."

Thank you God for salvation, your free gift.  Thank you Jesus for paying the price that I could not pay.  Thank you for life and freedom in Christ that lasts for eternity and not just until I mess up.  Thank you that your blood covers ALL of my sins!