sin
            you don't hear that word much any more
            it sounds so old-fashioned
                            out-of-date
                             judgmental
                             irrelevant
           
            to many it has the significance
            of dust in the attic

            a character flaw at worst
            a part of human nature
                            that will be outgrown over time
                            and overlooked in the meantime

sin
            some have tried to deal with it by
            changing the name
                           sanitizing it
                           neutralizing it
                           anesthetizing it

sin           
           our Lord takes it very seriously
           says we must be cleansed
                                         forgiven
                                         restored

           and wants to so fill our lives with his spirit
           that no sin can ever take root and grow there

                                                                          ---rus

                               ANNUAL ATONEMENT
 The scapegoat symbolized sins forgiven and removed.
                                        Leviticus 16

     2"Tell Aaron your brother not to come at just any
time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy
seat which is on the ark.  3Thus Aaron shall come into
the Holy Place:  with the blood of a young bull as a sin
offering, and of a ram as a burnt offering.  4He shall put
the holy linen tunic and the linen trousers on his body; he
shall be girded with a linen sash, and with the linen turban
he shall be attired.  He shall wash his body in water, and
put them on.  5And he shall take from the congregation
of the children of Israel two kids of the goats as a sin
offering and one ram as a burnt offering.
    6"Aaron shall offer the bull as a sin offering which is
for himself, and make atonement for himself and for his
house.  7He shall take the two goats and present them
before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.
8Then Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats: one lot for
the Lord and the other lot for the scapegoat.  9Aaron shall
bring the goat on which the Lord's lot fell, and offer it as
a sin offering.  10But the goat on which the lot fell to be
the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord.
    15"Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering,
which is for the people, bring its blood inside the veil,
sprinkle it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat.
16So he shall make atonement for all their sins.
    21"Then Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of
the live goat, confess over it the iniquities of the children
of Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their
sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send
it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man.
22The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities; and he
shall release the goat in the wilderness.
    29"This shall be a statute forever for you:  In the
seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall
afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether a native
of your own country or a stranger who dwells among you.
30For on that day the priest shall make atonement for you,
to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins
before the Lord.  34This shall be an everlasting statue
for you, to make atonement for the children of Israel,
for all their sins, once a year."
         _{This Bible passage was condensed from the NKJV}

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