Leviticus 16:20–22Mastricht laid out 4 misuses of the doctrine of justification of the believer. The fourth misuse is to "act as unjust accuser against ourselves (Rev. 12:10)." Here is Mastricht's encouragement.
“And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall present the live goat. And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins. And he shall put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness. The goat shall bear all their iniquities on itself to a remote area, and he shall let the goat go free in the wilderness. (ESV)
Therefore instead, what the priest once did with the living goat, we should do with Christ. "And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel" (Lev. 16:21), in which rite the Jews observe these three things, that: (1) he had upon it both hands, and in addition with all his strength stirred up: (2) nothing at all came between the hands of the priest and the head of the sacrifice; (3) he confessed over it his sins and the sins of all Israel, saying, "Lord, I have sinned and I have committed this or that iniquity, but I turn back to you and bring the sacrifice of expiation, and I beg you, Oh good God, to accept it." So also we ourselves should lean with both hands upon Christ, and cast all our sins upon him, at least to the point that after faith we fear no actual condemnation for ourselves.(italics mine)
(Theoretical-Practical Theology: The
Application of Redemption and the Church, Volume 5, p. 216)
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