Time, Life, Blood

TIME

All physical life begins when it becomes subject or relates to increments of time. Perhaps the best way to quantify earth life is through increments of time. So long as we are existing in this realm we are existing in time and space. The moment something begins to thrive under the auspices of time it is experiencing physical existence. The quality of this time is an entirely different matter but time itself is of what life here consists. Every second, minute, hour, day, month, year and decade are founded on increments of time that capture and frame the existence of every individual. When that individual dies, time here stops – and existence in another realm begins (or continues).

So, time, as Benjamin Franklin said, is “the stuff of which life is made.”

LIFE

Again, life in time is lived in flesh. All living things in this realm exist in material bodies of some sort or another – whether an earthworm, an amoeba, a virus or a human beings, all things which live in this realm (which is quantified by and through increments of time) are housed in material bodies or forms. When the body or forms of flesh dies (meaning the material life is unable to be sustained here any longer), the material existence (defined by increments of time) is over.

BLOOD

According to scripture, the very life of the mammals in material flesh is in its blood. Leviticus 17:11 says it well:

“For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.”

Apparently, what keeps the fleshly mammalian bodies or forms living is the blood that courses through their veins. Blood brings oxygen to the frame and form while simultaneously washing away infection and waste. Stop the blood from reaching a part of the flesh and that part of the flesh will die. Shed enough of the blood of a mammal and the physical life of the creation ends, which means the time increments of the creature end too.

In the Old Testament the Nation of Israel practiced what was called a

Sin-offering (in Hebrew, hattath). Details of this law are given

Leviticus 4:1-6:13

9:7-11

9:22-24

12:6-8

14:19 and 31

15:2 & 14 and 25-30

And Numbers 6:10-14

On the day of Atonement, a sin-offering was made with special solemnity (Leviticus 16:5,11,15).

The blood of an animal was then carried into the holy of holies and sprinkled on the mercy-seat. Sin-offerings were also presented at the five annual festivals (Numbers 28:1-31 and all of 29) and on the occasion of the consecration of the priests (Exodus 29:10-14 and 36).

Every individual, as well as the congregation at large, and the high priest, were obliged, on being convicted by his conscience of any particular sin, to come with a sin-offering.

What was being done through these sin offerings?

A loss of life! (of what life – that of an animal)

How was the life lost? (it’s blood was shed)

Did the animal die? (always – so it was not just the blood used, it was the loss of life in conjunction with the shedding of blood)

What did this represent? (the loss of something that was enjoying living, that was precious, that had value, something that had innocence, something that was treasured (by the family) for companionship, wool, milk and food.

It (it’s remaining time on earth in flesh (which was nourished by its blood) was sacrificed!

WHY?

For sin!

WHY THE SACRIFICE OF A LIVING THINGS LIFE BY SHEDDING ITS BLOOD FOR SIN?

Because sin is always the taking of time! And since life is quantified by increments of time, then life (increments of time), must be taken to redeem the time that has been lost through sin!

How is sin the stealing of time (which is the stealing of life).

The Sin	The theft of life . . .
Gossip	The time it takes from others who think on it, share it and the time it steals from the one gossiped about to try and overcome or fix the rumors
Lies	The obfuscation it creates and the time it takes others to deal with the outcome
Meanness	The time it take for people to overcome the deleterious effects of our words and/or actions
Theft	The work and time it took to earn enough to purchase the item stolen
Covetousness	The personal life lost looking upon the things that another possesses and yearning to have them
Rape	All the after-effects
Unbridled wrath	After effects
Envy	Loss of own life
Hatred	Loss of own life and the alienation others feel
Unforgiving	All lose time and life
Vengeance	Our exacting time out from another
Murder	The ultimate act of ending time for another “He was a murderer from the beginning”

All sin, in some way or another, an act of murder as all sin amounts to the taking life (which is the taking of time) in some way or another. Therefore Satan was truly a murderer from the beginning.

AN ULTIMATE SACRIFICE REQUIRED

In light of all of these factors we see the need for an ultimate taking of life through the ultimate shedding of blood to occur for the “sins of the world” to be eternally forgiven.

In this case the blood of animals would not have sufficed but the perfect blood of a being in whom there was no defilement. Animals blood may have been able to propitiate and cover the sins of people for a time but for God to justly receive sinners (life takers) there had to be a just and equal offering to wipe out the eternal stain of our sin before Him. That could and would only come in and through the death of His Only Begotten Son.

Having overcome his flesh (without sin) and having then paid for the sin of the World by freely choosing to offer his own life up for the sins of the world by and through the shedding of blood and then dying as a result all who look to Him in faith, trusting that He did this on our behalf, are justified by God’s grace through faith and our alienation and unrest is restored to a status of peace upon the conscience.

And we are restored to life having been given not only new life here but the guarantee of life eternal there!

As a result . . .

Recipients of His Shed Blood (for the redemption of their Sin) begin to willingly sacrifice the increments of their lives (time) for the benefit of others!

This is done by and through the Spirit and not the flesh.

It is done by dying to the flesh and living to the Spirit.

It’s not JUST works, its willingly, out of TRUE LOVE for God and true LOVE for MAN that we seek to redeem (buy back the time we have taken from others) by offering our life-time for the betterment of others.

Action	Activity of Sacrificing Individual Life-Time
Listening Ear	Counseling, sounding board
Service	Volunteering Life-Time for benefits of others
Money	Straight up financial help (time converted to money)
Labor	Taking increments of our lives and donating BWT to others
Products	Our life purchased products – to give them to others
Prayers	Taking our life-time to think and pray for well being of others
Inspiring	Sharing talents to uplift others
Teaching	Introducing Him or His message to others
Sharing	The Good News (missional works)
Encouraging	Taking time to die to self and help encourage others
Providing	Necessary or needed elements for life and living to others
Creating	Tools and such to support others in their lives
Hospitality	Opening up home and hearth and heart
Self-Sacrifice	Of luxuries, drunkenness, selfish focus

ALL require time on the givers part.

ALL the time given is a loss of life the giver could spend on themselves.

EVERYTHING given is given to help or lift others – sacrificially.