信心的重要性
出埃及记二十章19至26节
19对摩西说：“求你和我们说话，我们必听，不要神和我们说话，恐怕我们死亡。”
20摩西对百姓说：不要惧怕；因为神降临是要试验你们，叫你们时常敬畏他，不致犯罪。
21于是百姓远远地站立；摩西就挨近神所在的幽暗之中。
22耶和华对摩西说：你要向以色列人这样说：你们自己看见我从天上和你们说话了。
23你们不可做甚么神像与我相配，不可为自己做金银的神像。
24你要为我筑土坛，在上面以牛羊献为燔祭和平安祭。凡记下我名的地方，我必到那里赐福给你。
25你若为我筑一座石坛，不可用凿成的石头，因你在上头一动家具，就把坛污秽了。
26你上我的坛，不可用台阶，免得露出你的下体来。
信息分享
神将十诫颁布给摩西之后，便随即指示百姓建造献祭的祭坛。神仿佛是要向百姓明言：「我虽然将律法赐给你们，但律法却不能救你们，还必须用祭牲所流的血，来为你们赎罪。而且，当你们按照我的吩咐献上祭物的时候，你们还必须对我有信心，相信我会因着那血而赦免你们的罪。」
此外还要留意的是，神指示以色列民建造的祭坛，款式十分简单。祭坛不设台阶，方便任何人走到祭坛前面献祭；而且，在神面前，人人都是平等的，不再分任何等级。
耶稣基督在各各他山上为我们流血牺牲的那个祭坛也是一样。任何人都可以毫无阻隔地直接来到
祂的面前。只要我们相信耶稣基督是为我们的罪受死，且相信祂的血必能洗净我们的罪，我们就得着神的赦免。
神其后再指示百姓，在会幕中设置祭坛。会幕是神与人相会的地方。会幕的设立是要提醒百姓紧记，所有前来献祭的人，都必须凭着信心将祭牲献上，且借着所流的血来到神的面前。
今天信徒不用再到祭坛面前献祭，因为神已经接纳耶稣基督在各各他的山上，为我们全人类献上最后的祭；祂所流出的宝血，已洗清我们的罪。如今，人只要凭着信心来到各各他这个祭坛面前，就可得着神的赦罪。你是否已经凭着信心来到基督的祭坛前，接受祂作为你的救主呢？
「被杀的祭牲在犹太祭坛上所流的血，
不足以全面洗净我们的罪污；
只有神的羔羊所倾流的血，
才能彻底洗清我们的罪。」
THE NECESSITY OF FAITH
Exodus 20:19-26
19 Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.”
20 And Moses said to the people, “Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.”
21 So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was.
22 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘You have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.
23 You shall not make anything to be with Me—gods of silver or gods of gold you shall not make for yourselves.
24 An altar of earth you shall make for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen.In every place where I record My name I will come to you, and I will bless you.
25 And if you make Me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stone; for if you use your tool on it, you have profaned it.
26 Nor shall you go up by steps to My altar, that your nakedness may not be exposed on it.’
Message
God had just finished giving the Ten Commandments to Moses. Now suddenly he mentions an altar for their sacrifices. It was as if he said straight after giving the law, 'it is not the law that will save you. There must be the shedding of blood too. And with that blood there must be faith to believe that I will forgive your sin, when you offer your sacrifices in the way I command you.'
Notice also the simple way the altar was to be built. There were to be no steps up to it. It must be within easy reach of everyone. Everyone would be on the same level.
So it is with Calvary. There are no barriers in the way of anyone who wants to come to Jesus Christ. The way is always open and everyone must come with the same faith in Christ who died there for sin.
God later gave instruction concerning the altar in the tabernacle. It was the one place where God said he would meet with his people. It was the place that reminded everyone that only way to come to God was by the blood of the sacrifice, offered with faith in the heart of the one who came to the altar.
There is no altar for us to bring our sacrifices to today. The last blood-stained altar which God recognised was the cross on Calvary's low hill. It is the only place where God can receive a sinner. Have you ever been there by faith? God will meet you and welcome you if you come in the name of Christ and in faith that he can be your Saviour. Why not come today?
Not all the blood of beasts on Jewish altars slain,
Could give the guilty conscience peace or wash away the stain,
But Christ the heavenly Lamb, takes all my sin away,
A sacrifice of nobler ram, and richer blood than they.