Thoughts From Hebrews 9

 ... the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper. They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings—external regulations applying until the time of the new order. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.  Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. (Portions of Hebrews 9)

          The Old Covenant was flawed because it couldn't take away sins nor work internally to give us a clean conscience. It had to be repeated daily yet never took away the problem.

         I was just listening to a lecture on syphilis because there is a drastic up-tick in cases lately. The presenter discussed the history of this disease which couldn't be cured until Penicillin was discovered. The disease, like sin, found it's way into the core of the person and lived there causing multiple symptoms but some of these included skin rashes and sores. Prior to Penicillin they applied Mercury and Iodine to the sores which would help them heal on the outside until more came up. Meanwhile the organism was causing permanent damage to the heart and spine eventually killing them. This is like sin in the Old Covenant. It was daily treated on the outside but the inside problem could not be cured until Christ's blood became our Penicillin. By His shedding His blood and dying, He cured us of the disease of sin from the inside out. Not only do we look different on the outside but inside we have His blood running through our core creating a new person on the inside, a healthy one with a clean conscience who is going to live forever because we have immortal blood inside of us.

       That reminds me of a 16-episode 1970 TV show called The Immortal. The plot was a billionaire chases after the blood of a race car driver who never ages. If he could just get infused with the immortal's blood, he could live forever. Many shows have had a common plot of someone seeking immortality through some means and it always ends badly for them. The gospel offers what the whole world is seeking - immortality, yet Satan has blinded the eyes of people who don't realize they are sinners to the core, yet God has offered them the remedy through faith in Jesus Christ. I don't need to wait till Heaven to live forever, I already am! Are you?