Oma the Sermonizer!

She didn’t mention it often, but when Oma was a student in the St. Paul Bible Institute, one of the classes she took was Homiletics—the science and art of preaching! In fact, she was among the top students in that class. Among her mementos of those days, Oma kept at least two of the sermons she developed as assignments for that class. To my knowledge, she never preached them publicly! However, as we think of her now while she is enjoying the beginning of her forever with the Lord, this message which she handed in to the professor of Homiletics I on October 11, 1940, is a good reminder of the grace of God which has placed her there. The message is presented as she turned it in, without correction of grammar, punctuation or spelling, which would probably be a source of chagrin were she still with us! However, she did get 95 points out of 100 for this particular assignment.

The Soul, Its Need and the Atonement

Leviticus 17:11

“It is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.”

In the far distant land of Africa we read of people who worship the sun, moon and pieces of wood and stone; in China they do the same; in most of the heathen countries the like is found. In so doing the people think they will gain entrance into the “Happy Hunting Ground”, as the Indian calls it. But why should man be obliged to do something to gain entrance into the place which God had destined him to go to in the first place.

Is not God “a God of love” and therefore will He not bring His own creation to the place He has prepared for them?

Such was the plan of God when He first created “man in His own image,” but, alas, man failed to do his part. Doubtlessly, we all remember the story of how the most beautiful of creatures in the garden of Eden, the serpent, came to the helpmate of Adam to beguile her to eat of the “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.” After her attention was drawn to the fruit, she saw that it was “good to the eye.” Satan then convinced her that she should be as God if she would eat of the fruit. Once more she looked and this time her will proved too weak to stand against the temptation. She picked and ate—picked and ate of the fruit which God had strictly forbidden them to eat, with a penalty of death should they disobey Him. Eve in turn, gave her husband of the forbidden fruit, who likewise ate of it.

When God entered the garden of His delight He called for the man whom He had created to have fellowship with.

Adam had discovered that he was naked and undone; sin had entered his heart and his soul was condemned before God, Who cannot look upon sin. Man had failed before God his Maker and must forever after suffer for it.

So we find that “by one man sin entered in to the world and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men.” For “in Adam all die—all man was cursed because of him. Still man is also personally guilty before God. Every man has within himself a tendency to do evil. Before anyone has gone very far in life this impulse seems to gain the upper hand at some time or other and sin enters his heart in a personal manner. We then must conclude that, as the Bible states: “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God”.

Every man must realise his personal guilt in the sight of God before the text can mean anything to his own soul. “It is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.” To have an atonement made there must be something for which to atone, and if the person concerned does not see the sinfulness of his own soul, why should he be troubled about the welfare of his inner man?

What does the atonement really signify? In the Biblical sense this word is used for that phase of redemption by which a sacrifice is made for a soul lost in sin. Therefore we may say that the atonement bears the penalty which that soul should rightfully have borne. Since a sacrifice has been made for that soul as a substitution for it, the penalty has been taken from it and the soul has passed “from death into life”. Once more man, before accursed but now reconciled, can look into the face of a righteous God.

What is this atonement which must be made for the soul which has been cursed by sin? It is none other than a blood sacrifice; for “without shedding of blood there is no remission.” Heb. 9:22. In the Old Testament we read of the many sacrifices which Israel had to make daily. But was a single one of these offered without the shedding of blood? Yes, one; but it was not accepted in the sight of God! You remember how Cain brought the offering of fruits to God while Able brought that which was required—a lamb. The latter was accepted by the Lord while the former was absolutely rejected. There was no blood—no blood shed to atone for his sins. Later in the sacrifices of Israel we find that blood was always shed; therefore, God could accept them as “a sweet-smelling savour”.

“But,” you say, “we don’t make any sacrifices of blood today! Are we not acceptable before God then?”

Ah, friend, this is the “Good News” which men everywhere are proclaiming to the lost race! “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” He did not count His own life’s blood too precious to shed for fallen mankind! As He prayed in Gethsamane the drops of blood stood on His brow! As He hung on the cross, suffering our shame, the blood trickled from His thorne-pierced head and nail-torn hands! It flowed to the ground from His riven side! The sacrifices of the Old Testament were merely types of the great sacrifice which the Lamb of God made on that memorial day, about 1900 years ago! Till His blood had been shed the blood of cattle, sheep and goats was what God required. But, after His blood was shed the full atonement had been made! God’s set price had been paid and man could be made right with his Maker.

Again, we may ask, why is it so important that the blood be shed? “For the life of the flesh is in the blood.” Lev. 17:11. A life had to be given for the life which departed from man when he sinned, if man was ever to be restored to fellowship with God. Human life was all sinful and so none was able to atone for his fellow men. Christ knew this and, though He also knew what suffering and shame He would have to go through in order to pay the price of sin, yet He was willing to pay it.

How we should rejoice that such redemption is ours!

“We joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom we have now received the atonement.” Romans 5:11.