The Relational & Transactional Models of Our Interaction with God – Part 3
January 26, 2009
Dear Friends,
When we think of grace in the Transactional Model, grace becomes a transaction synonymous with forgiveness. A person sins, repents, asks for forgiveness and grace is extended on the basis of those two required prerequisites – repentance and asking for forgiveness. In the same way, the children of Israel under the Law acted in a transactional manner. A person sinned, they repented, they offered the required sacrifice and they were forgiven. We can quote a series of verses to prove each of the foregoing comments. In fact, let’s show at least one to prove the merit of the Transactional Model using the last example of the sacrifice under the Law.
And if any soul sin (step #1) through ignorance, then he shall bring a she goat of the first year for a sin offering (step #2). And the priest shall make an atonement for the soul that sinneth ignorantly, when he sinneth by ignorance before the LORD, to make an atonement for him; and it shall be forgiven him (Step #3).(Num. 15:27-28)
We might make this a four step process including the intercession of the priest, but regardless; it is a series of transactions. This verse didn’t mention repentance, but it seems to be implied by the person making the effort to sacrifice.
In a bit of a digression, we often misquote Hebrews 10 to shoot down this model, but we do so in error. Hebrews 10:4 says “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.” We often divest this verse of its context and say that people were not forgiven by animal sacrifice. This is not correct. People were forgiven by animal sacrifice because that is the vehicle – the act of faith – that God required. He could have told men to stand on their heads and whistle a tune, but He did not for obvious reasons. The point of the writer to the Hebrews is not that sins were not forgiven, but that it was not a permanent forgiveness. Once the penitent person sinned again, the cycle repeated over again. Since the Law of Moses’ purpose was to highlight our need for grace and a savior, what a perfect transactional system to make this apparent. A person could very quickly think their herds with a libertine lifestyle. This is the contrast to the ministry of Christ in which permanent and lasting forgiveness is attainable through Christ’s sacrifice.
Now, we might conclude, as did many Israelites, that it is the transaction that God wanted. Somehow God was mollified by the slaughter of an animal. This is the fundamental flaw of the Transactional Model. The typical human response to such a system misses the point and puts a misplaced emphasis on the transaction itself rather than the greater principle behind the transaction.
Again, using the sacrifice example above, let’s see if there are flaws in the transactional view of sacrifice as a means to achieve grace.
- To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? (Is. 1:11-12)
- Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. (Ps. 40:6)
- For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. (Ps. 51:16)
Isn’t it interesting that in many places in the Old Testament that God tells the children of Israel that they can attain forgiveness through sacrifices and then, in other places in the Old Testament, He tells them that He is not pleased with sacrifices and that they can become an abomination to Him? Is God talking out of both sides of His mouth? No. What, then, are we missing? The problem is easily solved if we see that the true model of God’s interaction with man is relational and not, as it admittedly appears to be, transactional.
We’ll pick up here, Lord willing, next week.
Have a great week,
