“Whosoever offereth a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD to accomplish his vow, or a freewill offering in beeves or sheep, it shall be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no blemish therein. Blind, or broken, or maimed, or having a wen, or scurvy, or scabbed, ye shall not offer these unto the LORD, nor make an offering by fire of them upon the altar unto the LORD.”
(Leviticus 22:21)

In Leviticus, chapters 21 and 22 the LORD gave instructions to Moses and Aaron about the most vital and fundamental information on how to approach and worship Him. The high priest could not have any defect, deformity or blemish (Leviticus 21:16-21). Likewise, the sacrifice could not have any blemish at all (Leviticus 22:17-24). If the priest had no defect, yet brought a sacrifice with blemishes it would not be accepted, for it “must be perfect to be accepted” (Leviticus 22:21). Likewise, if the sacrifice had no blemish, but the priest that offered it had any blemish, the sacrifice would not be accepted at all, for it “must be perfect to be accepted.”

All of this declares the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the perfect and great High Priest without blemish, spot, defect, deformity or sin (Hebrews 4:14-15; Hebrews 7:26; 8:1). Not only is that true, but He is also the perfect sacrifice for sin. He is the Lamb without blemish or spot (John 1:29; 1st Peter 1:18-20). It is only through the Lord Jesus Christ and His glorious sacrifice, that we can be justified from all sin (Acts 13:38-39; Hebrews 9:11-12; Hebrews 9:26). In the Lord Jesus Christ every believer is made a priest with no blemish, no sin (Revelation 1:5-6; 5:9-10). Likewise, in Christ’s precious blood atonement we can approach the throne of grace with boldness (Heb. 4:16), because we have a perfect sacrifice that fully, eternally satisfies the holy justice of God (Romans 3:24-26; Colossians 1:19-22; Jude 1:24-25). Through Christ, we meet God’s standard, “It must be perfect to be accepted,” all of this, “To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” (Ephesians 1:6)

T. Harding