Leviticus 22:21 And when anyone offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to the Lord to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering from the herd or from the flock, to be accepted it must be perfect; there shall be no blemish in it.

We have been explaining the process that leads to eternal life and this is yet another requirement. Perfect peace cannot be attained without a perfect sacrifice.

2 Corinthians 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

With every turn it seems we need to explain yet one more thing. Without going into greater detail here please read righteousness as a right standing before God. This is required in order to have a personal relationship with God the Father, to be able to stand in His presence.

Deuteronomy 21:8 Accept atonement, O Lord, for your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, and do not set the guilt of innocent blood in the midst of your people Israel, so that their blood guilt be atoned for.

What if we refuse to accept blood guilt? Unless we repent of the life we have lived, we cannot accept His atoning work.

Romans 3:10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;”

Are we born again if we understand all that is required of us? Sorry, not yet.

John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

John 15:26 But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.

When will we know that He has sent the Holy Spirit?

Romans 3:25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.

Here we go again, to be received by faith.

Galatians 3:2 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith?

How does hearing by faith work?

John 3:3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Nicodemus was confused and I don’t blame Him.

John 3:8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.

Jesus told Old Nic what had to happen but did not explain how it would happen.

Jesus explains, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”

This probably confused Nicodemus more than ever. The serpent represents Satan, sin incarnate, how could the Son of Man become a serpent on a cross? Even if He could, how did that lead to eternal life? Obviously having just one or two pieces of the puzzle does not complete the picture needed to see what has to be done. At his point if Nicodemus were to believe Jesus, he would not be saved. What else is required to be saved?

Let us deal with the issue of the Son of Man becoming sin.

Deuteronomy 21:23 his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance.

Since God’s Word is true and the Son was hung on a tree He became cursed by God. He became the representative of sin, the serpent on the cross.

Galatians 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.”

The curse of the law is death and in order to redeem us from that curse He would have to demonstrate His power over death.

John 10:17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again.

Why was it important that Jesus laid down His life?

Psalm 54:6 With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you; I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good.