Sanctification

After we are saved, our walk with God begins, away from a sinful lifestyle, 
see time 0:12–1:37 and 1:43–5:59 in Bible Q&A • Episode 39. 

Sin is lawlessness from God's law (1 John 3:4). Jesus, who was without sin, came to take away our sin (1 John 3:5). It means that Jesus has taken away the judgement of our sin, he has taken away the punishment that we deserve. But Jesus also removes the sin that is going on in our lives already in this life (Eph 4:22–24,
2 Cor 5:17). The Holy Spirit who lives in us believers is sinless and perfect, but we as humans sometimes sin (1 John 1:8, 10, Rom 7:15–20). The old sin nature is still there, see the last part of The Book of Galatians. However, we must remember that sin is incompatible with the new nature that we received when we became believers in Jesus Christ (1 John 3:6–10, 5:18). The new nature is the new normal, and it's sinlessness, righteousness, purity, and holiness. But because of the old nature, we sometimes mess it up and make mistakes. Then we must repent (change course)
and ask God for forgiveness. See 1 John 3:4–10 (ESV), 5:18a (ESV) explained at time 20:56–41:48 in 1 John 3 • Beloved, we are God’s children.

1) Some of those who come to faith leave God for various reasons.

It may be because they are moving away from the Christian environment they participated in. It may be because they are losing their Christian faith, perhaps 
as a result of lack of guidance and instruction in God's Word. Regardless of the time in life when one makes the decision to accept Christ, there is always a need for discipleship and instruction in God's Word. Another reason may be because they want to live in the world rather than with God. The Bible says the following about it:

"For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them." (2 Pet 2:20–21). 

Here it's about a person who was a believer, but who deliberately turned away
from God to live in the world (2 Cor 6:1). A warning example is Judas
who even betrayed Jesus, see Why Judas betrayed Jesus.
But see also time 36:25–39:26 in 2 Peter 2 • A Warning about False Teachers.

See also Serious Warnings from God and the video:
Why These Popular "Christian" Worship Artists Left Christianity.

2) Others want to belong to God but think they can live a life of sin.

They live by the phrase "once saved, always saved", and think it's OK to live
a life of sin as a Christian. From these Bible words, it is clear that it isn't OK
to live a life of willful sin over and over again and still be counted as a Christian:

• "For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence
  of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think,
  will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of Grace?" (Heb 10:26–29). 
  This is about a firm decision to continue sinning without repenting,
  done by a saved person, even though he knows it's against God's will.
  
• "Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called 'today', that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. As it is said, 'Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.' 
  For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?
  And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief." (Heb 3:12–19, 1 Cor 15:1–2).
• "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord', will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in Heaven.
  On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'" (Mat 7:21–23). 
  See Prophecy in Spiritual Gifts.

If a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and begins to sin, he will die (Ezekiel 18:24), see The Book of Ezekiel. This can be compared to a person who is righteous through his faith in Jesus, but then begins to sin deliberately without repenting. On the other hand, it's important that we don't fall under the Law
(Gal 5:4). But then the question is what is meant by sin? Not being circumcised is
no sin in the New Covenant explained in the New Testament, see Jesus and the Law.

The following are examples of sins in the New Covenant that lead to being lost forever, unless repenting (1 Cor 6:11). People who do this must repent and pray to God to strengthen them so that they can say no to such temptations in the future:

• "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom
  of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters,
  nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves,
  nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." (1 Cor 6:9–10).
• "Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.
  I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." (Gal 5:19–23).
• "Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood." (Rev 22:15).
• "Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From
  his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them.
  And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne,
  and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is
  the Book of Life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." (Rev 20:11–15).
• "Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner,
  and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts." (Mal 3:5).
• "For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root
  nor branch." (Mal 4:1).

There are examples of famous pastors who have been revealed to be living in sin.

It can be their salvation that they are revealed, if it causes them to truly repent, confess their sin to God, and begin to live a sanctified life (Psalm 32:5, 1 John 1:9). These people have been given a second chance. Unless they are exposed while they are still alive and they continue to live in sin without repenting, they may be lost forever. When you make a mistake, realize that you made a mistake, repent, rectify the situation, and get back to what you are supposed to do. Don't waste a lot of time trying to make up for your mistake if God has already forgiven you. Then it's important to also forgive yourself. See Psalm 51: Coming to God when we fail. Note however, that even if you are forgiven, you may still suffer negative consequences for bad actions and behaviors, see time 13:23–15:57 in Bible Q&A • Episode 19.

See the importance of forgiveness in Forgive and You will Be Forgiven.

The way to destruction is broad, while the way to life in God's Heaven is narrow
(Mat 7:13–14), see The Narrow Gate.

1. A life of sin is incompatible with the life of the Holy Spirit who now dwells in us (Gal 5:17). Believers who succumb to a life of sin will be in constant conflict with the Holy Spirit who dwells in them and will be miserable (Psalm 32:3–4).
2. We have "died to sin" (Rom 6:1–2). We are now dead to the control of the old sin nature that once dominated our behavior. We are now free to follow Christ and make him Lord of our lives. To live in sin would be a complete denial of the freedom Christ won for us on the cross. Living in sin means going back to a life of slavery and bondage to the flesh. See also Typology.
3. Victory over sin is a sign, that we have come to know Jesus and belong to him.
   We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands
   (1 John 2:3, 2:29, 3:6, 5:18), see Jesus and the Law.
4. Living to please God enables us to test and approve God's will.
   We should no longer conform to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Then we will be able to test and approve
   what God's will is; his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Rom 12:2).
5. We owe Jesus our obedience, gratitude and worship. "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as
   a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship."
   (Rom 12:1). See How should we worship God?
   in The Woman's Place in the Congregation.
6. Sin always leads to death. Sin can cause death in our lives, even as Christians, when we are careless about allowing sin into our lives.
   Everything from the death of a marriage, family, and career can easily
   develop from a life of reckless ignorance. See also The Book of Jude.
1. "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God
   is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Rom 6:23). 
2. "Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin,
   and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death." (James 1:15). 
3. See Ananias and Sapphira.
7. Because of sin, the wrath of God is coming. "Put to death therefore
   what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire,
   and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God
   is coming." (Col 3:5–6). See God has wrath in God's Attributes.

"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness" (Col 2:6–7 (NIV), Rom 1:17 (NIV)).

If you struggle with this to live a holy life, see as encouragement 
time 6:01–13:53 in Titus 3 • Careful to devote ourselves to good works.

See also The Book of Corinthians.

3) Others want to belong to God, and want to live a sanctified life.

When we came to faith in Jesus, by grace trough faith, without works (Eph 2:8–9,
1 Cor 15:1–2) and repented from our sin, we became holy and justified in the sight of God (Heb 10:10), see salvation. That is, we received positional righteousness, the righteous standing we have before God through Jesus Christ (2 Cor 5:21).
This is how God sees us when we become a follower of Jesus. 

Practical righteousness is something else. It's how we live our lives and requires progressive sanctification. We need to be gradually sanctified in our walk with God 
(Heb 10:14). Progressive sanctification is a continuous process after receiving Jesus into our lives, that is, after we received our positional righteousness, see the article:
If I'm saved and my sins are forgiven why then is it important . . ..
See this explained in these videos at the following times: 

• Time 33:55–36:01 in 1 Peter 1 (Part 1) :1-2.
• Time 8:55–10:29 in Bible Q&A • Episode 35.
• Time 22:50–25:12 in May 2024 Bible Q&A.
• Time 19:53–22:17 in Bible Q&A • Episode 34.

Note also that a true faith in Jesus results in good works (James 2:18, Eph 2:10), see The Parables of the Talents and the Ten Minas. A natural result of faith is work because my life has changed, but work isn't required to be saved.

If you struggle with this to live a holy life, see as encouragement
time 6:01–13:53 in Titus 3 • Careful to devote ourselves to good works.

God wants us to work out our salvation (Phil 2:12–13). It speaks of making
my salvation functional in all areas of my life, inviting Jesus to be Lord 
in more and more areas of everyday life. When we came to Christ, we began our walk with God. From there, the Holy Spirit encourages us to go deeper and deeper into the life of Christ, as far as we are willing to go (Rom 8:4). To do this,
he speaks to us about new and different areas where we can surrender control
to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Our marriage, our work, our daily speech,
and even our thoughts are affected. And as we concede more and more
of these areas of the self-life and surrender them to Jesus, we are said to work out our salvation. We should do it in the same way as we received Jesus as Lord,
that's by faith (Col 2:6–8 (NIV), Rom 1:17 (NIV), Gal 3:11, Hab 2:4b),
see time 9:59–10:50 in Bible Q & A With Pastor Paul - June 2023.
See the article: What does it mean when it says to work out your own salvation?

It's then important to distinguish between Sanctification and Legalism. There is always a risk that a desire to live a sanctified life will tip over into a life of legalism.
See Legalism in The Book of Colossians and Disputable Matters in
The Book of Romans. Legalism ends up in man-made rules and regulations.

Our hearts can't be changed by trying to follow rules and regulations.
Our hearts can only be changed by grace through faith in God and through
the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We must trust God to transform our lives,
to believe that he can do in us what we can't do in our own strength. God
can take his Word, put it into our lives, and change us through the Holy Spirit 
(John 16:13–15). He can mold us into a closer image of Christ (Rom 8:29). 
See it explained at time 17:43–25:11 in Prepared to Serve - John 13:1-17.
We shouldn't compare ourselves to other people. To achieve this we need to spend time in the Word, in prayer, and in an environment of Christian fellowship. See also: 
Seven elements for growing as a Christian in The Sermon on the Mount.

As Christians, we have the following help to live our lives:

1. We are all born with a conscience that acts as a gauge of right and wrong. 
   It's a remnant for us being created as the image of God. However, our conscience can be corrupted (1 Tim 4:1–2). It can be influenced by prejudice, superstition, or downright bad teaching. We can be taught to ignore
   our conscience. We can also have a "weak" conscience,
   see Disputable Matters in The Book of Romans. 
2. God's Word, the Bible, to help us to understand morality.
3. The Holy Spirit who lives in us who are born again believers,
   see Jesus the Light of the World. The process of conviction that
   the Holy Spirit will place upon us when we get off course. 
   The Holy Spirit doesn't change as the conscience can.
   He is so far superior to the conscience. He can do the following: 
• Remind us of things we used to know and maybe forgot. 
• Comfort us in difficult times. 
• Counsel us with wisdom and insight in our walk in this life. 
• Remind us of Scripture. 
• He doesn't go against the Scripture (Gal 5:16–17, 19–21a, 26).

However, we can withstand them all. This is called grieving the Holy Spirit. The danger in not responding to the Holy Spirit is that it will be more difficult to respond to him the next time. And pretty soon it's almost impossible to hear his voice.

When Jesus paid the price for our sin on the cross, and we received Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and we began to trust him, God took the work of Jesus on the cross and applied it to us. We then became righteous before God. God sees us in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Justification happens in an instant. Righteousness
isn't a process. Sanctification is a process after we are justified, because we still
live in a sinful body. Sanctification is about how we live our Christian life.
We should become more and more controlled by the Holy Spirit (John 15:5)
to live our lives more for God doing good works and not live in sin. 

It's God's will that we allow ourselves to be sanctified (1 Thess 4:3–8). We can't
do it in our own strength, we need the power of the Holy Spirit to achieve it 
(1 Thess 5:23a). Salvation is by grace trough faith, and should be followed by
being sanctified by the Holy Spirit (2 Thess 2:13). Circumcision in the Old Covenant 
(not applicable in the New Covenant) is a picture of sanctification, see Typology. We should be led by the Holy Spirit and not satisfy the desires of the flesh (Gal 5:16).

After we have been saved, there is a great risk that we still sin in various ways, unintentionally but also intentionally. This isn't God's will. When we sin,
we need to ask God for forgiveness, see time 2:55–4:12 in Bible Q&A • Episode 43. God wants us to live a sanctified life. Sanctification means that we live more
and more in obedience to God's Word. We need to grow in spiritual maturity.
(Psalm 119:11, 2 Pet 3:18). We gain knowledge about Jesus by reading and studying what is written in the Bible. Sanctification is an ongoing work of God in our lives.
This is something believers must honestly strive for (1 Pet 1:15–16, Phil 2:12–13). Our actions, but also our thoughts and feelings are part of our sanctification
(2 Cor 7:1, Eph 1:3–4).

God the Father has sanctified Jesus and sent him into the world (John 10:36).
The holiness of Jesus is an example for us to follow. If God is to use us, we need
to be sanctified. We will gradually be transformed step by step by the Lord 
to become more like Jesus (Rom 8:29, Gal 4:19, 2 Cor 3:18).

Without sanctification, we may even miss the goal of getting to God's Heaven,
see A New Heaven and a New Earth. Here we are talking about spiritual death
and eternal loss compared to eternal life with God.

• "Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord." (Heb 12:14).
• "But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves
  of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.
  For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life
  in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Rom 6:22–23). 
• "For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live." (Rom 8:13)

See To Fear the Lord in Fear of Man. It's also necessary to forgive anyone
who treats us badly, see Forgive and You will Be Forgiven.

What must I do if I know that I have inadvertently or even intentionally done
what is wrong before God? Then I must repent. I must humble myself and in prayer admit my shortcomings and ask God for forgiveness (Psalm 32:5, 1 John 1:9).
I must not explain away or blame someone else. A good example is king David,
who didn't wash away his sin when he deliberately wronged God 
(2 Sam 11:2–12:25, Psalm 51:1–2, 10 (1–4, 12 in some translations)), 
see Psalm 51: Coming to God when we fail. 

A good way to not fall for temptations is to read and also study the Bible
and learn from God's people mentioned in the Bible. See The Book of John 
and The Book of Hebrews. One can also imagine what the reward will be
one day by following God (Gal 6:9–10). It's a short time we live on Earth
compared to the eternity that awaits us after death.

Sanctification is a gradual work by God in us (2 Cor 3:18), based on daily decisions by faith to work it out (Eph 4:22–24). It's not done automatically. See the following guidelines given by king David in Psalm 101: How to live a holy life.

Dangers to avoid as Christians in doing this are as follows:

1. To show no mercy:
   God wants us to be a people of mercy and forgiveness. 
   Mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2:13). 
   See examples of showing mercy at the end part of The Book of Ruth.
2. Decisions or lack of decisions based on fear:
   We must be aware of the many times we make decisions or lack of decisions
   based on fear, see Fear of Man. We may not even be aware of it.
   God didn't give us a spirit of fear but of power, love, and self-control
   (2 Tim 1:7). Fear is the opposite of faith, it's the absence of faith.
   Fear of people is a sin that we can confess to God for forgiveness,
   help, and strength against.
3. Assume the worst about others:
   Gossip has done much harm in the body of Christ. When we hear something
   about a Christian brother or sister, we can believe the worst without
   having the facts. Gossip can destroy people's faith. There are examples
   of people not attending Christian meetings or fellowships because
   they have been wounded in the body of Christ, and that because of careless assumptions. (1 Cor 13:4–7). In the same way as we judge others,
   we will be judged, see Do not judge others in The Sermon on the Mount.

The principles to follow are the following:

1. Obedience:
   We need to walk with God in an attitude of obedience, see Jesus and the Law.
   We need to live it out in the power of the Holy Spirit. Once we are forgiven
   and saved (see Salvation), then is time to walk in obedience to the Lord,
   see The Narrow Gate. 
2. Separation:
   We are called to a separation from a lifestyle in the world. We must live in the world but not according to the world's lifestyle and values. We shouldn't have idols in our lives, see the 1st commandment in The Ten Commandments.
   We must pray to God to deliver us from these things. 
   We can't take anything with us when we die, see
   Laying up treasures in Heaven in The Sermon on the Mount.
3. Humility:
   To not live in pride, see 3) Blessed are the meek in The Sermon on the Mount. Humility is a key. The humility to realize that we are imperfect. That we
   need God's forgiveness every day. Not just with words but with our hearts.
   The humility of not considering myself superior to everyone, and not judging others, but loving them with Jesus as example. Living with the constant awareness of not being worthy of God's forgiveness, because no one is. No man, however devoted, can save himself. We must not brag about our deeds. We must open our hearts, admit our mistakes and humbly ask for forgiveness.
4. Love of God:
   This is the most important principle, see The Golden Rule in
   The Sermon on the Mount. Lack of love for God results in lack of obedience, lack of separation to the world, and lack of humility. We need to be constantly reminded of what Jesus has done for us, see The Crucifixion of Jesus.
   We forget that God is there to help us to love him, to restore our relationship.

We need the power of the Holy Spirit to do this and to live a sanctified life,
see time 0:36–3:10 and 4:26–6:38 in Bible Q&A with Pastor Paul │ October 2023. See also time 17:39–22:17 in Bible Q&A • Episode 42.

See also Some stories close related to the gospels 
at the end of The Four Gospels.

The Atonement

Content:

• General
• The Old Covenant in the Bible
• The New Covenant in the Bible
• Salvation
  
  

General

Atone or Atonement means:

• To cover up.
• Pacify.
• Make propitiation. It means: to turn aside the wrath of God, see time
  30:16–32:32 in 1 Thessalonians 5 (Part 1) :1-11 • The Day of the Lord.

Adam and Eve disobeyed God and instead believed in Satan, see 

The Biblical Creation and the Fall of Man. Through Adam, sin entered the world. 
This sin is passed on to every child through their fathers. We all need atonement, for we have all sinned. (Rom 5:12). Sin completely separates us from God
and his love for us. God's plan to save us from our sin involved 
God the Father sending his only Son to die on a wooden cross. 

God established a system to remind his people of the seriousness of their sin by incorporating animal sacrifices. He did this because every time an animal was killed they would be reminded that the wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23).
Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins (Heb 9:22). However, the blood of goats and bulls could never pay the price for our sins (Heb 10:11). Animal sacrifices were used to foreshadow a very special sacrifice that was yet 
to come, when God the Father sacrificed his only Son, Jesus Christ. Until it was time for Jesus to come, God reminded his people every day that sin causes death,
and it's only through death that we can have eternal life. Although animal sacrifice shows how terrible our sin really is, it also shows how deep and wonderful God's love is for us. It shows how far God was willing to go for us to be saved.

God is the creator of the universe and everything in it, he is the sovereign judge
of his creation. God is absolutely holy and righteous, without fault or sin. When
we sin, we sin against God, he is the offended part. There is a relationship problem between us and God because of our sin. God can’t have fellowship with sin. 
As the righteous judge of all, he must condemn sin. Because he is absolutely pure, righteous, and holy, he condemns all sin to death. All sin is worth death. Someone must die because of our sin. God is never soft on sin. Mercy isn't a contradiction
of judgement. When God shows mercy, kindness, or love, he is no less just.

God is good, all good things come from God, but God is also holy. God loves
the sinner because of his goodness but hates our sin because of his holiness,
see God is holy and God has wrath in God's Attributes. The natural response to sin for God is therefore wrath, see the wrath of God in Balaam and Balak. 

Forgiveness is a big problem for God. The problem of forgiveness is the inevitable collision between divine perfection and human rebellion, between God as he is
and us as we are. Forgiveness is for man the simplest of duties, for God it's the deepest of problems. To us forgiveness may not be a big deal, but to God it's a big deal. The reason for this is that God is so perfectly holy. But he is also perfectly love. Both his holiness and his love must be satisfied. God must find a way to forgive us as sinners without compromising his attributes, see God's Attributes. (Isaiah 45:21b).

God therefore introduced the concept of sacrifice. The purpose was to turn away God's wrath because of our sin. God accepted the death of animals as an entry for humans into the Old Covenant. God also understood that the people wouldn't be able to follow the Mosaic Laws of the Old Covenant and therefore needed forgiveness when they failed to do so. It was a sin to disobey these Laws.

God forgave these individuals their sin when they sacrificed the animals because they exercised faith. But it was only a temporary provision. These sacrifices couldn't wipe out sin. It 's impossible for blood of bulls and goats to take away sin
(Heb 10:4). These animal sacrifices pointed to a greater sacrificial death to come, the death of Jesus Christ. This means that all sins before Christ went unpunished
(Rom 3:25), even though the people had been temporarily forgiven, see:

• Time 7:42–11:17 in Bible Q&A • Episode 26. (See The Day of Atonement).
• Time 51:06–53:56 in Bible Q&A With Pastor Paul │March 2024.
• Time 6:50–9:45 in Bible Q&A • Episode 1.

Jesus therefore had to die for our sins, to make it possible for us to be saved.

The sin of individuals in the Old Covenant was temporarily covered by sacrifice 
of animals. But the sins remained unpunished. All sins committed up to the time
of Christ went unpunished, only temporarily covered by the animal sacrifices.
The sins were forgiven by the animal sacrifices, but unpunished. Animals can't
be punished as stand-ins for humans. God took care of it, once and for all, when Jesus Christ died on the cross. Jesus then bore every sin from the time of Adam 
(see The Biblical Creation and the Fall of Man) until that day, and for every sin committed thereafter. This was God's righteous judgment (John 12:31, Heb 2:14,
Col 2:15). Satan has been defeated but has not yet been eliminated (1 Pet 5:8).
See this explained at time 14:34–17:32 in Bible Q&A • Episode 42.

Death has lost its power but has not yet been eliminated. But we need to remember that Jesus began this process on the cross whereby death and Satan one day
would be completely eliminated, see Hope in Faith, Hope, and Agape Love. 

The solution is therefore: In Christ, God reconciled the world to himself 
(2 Cor 5:19, 21). One more action is required of us to activate this reconciliation
(2 Cor 5:18, 20b), see Salvation.

The Old Covenant in the Bible
(described in the Old Testament):

Animal sacrifice was practiced in the Old Testament long before the Old Covenant with the sacrificial system was introduced:

"In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell." (Gen (1 Mos) 4:3–5). 

Abel sacrificed his firstborn in his flock. It was a foreshadowing of the coming Christ.

One explanation for why God looked at Abel's sacrifice and not Cain's is that Abel's sacrifice was an animal sacrifice with blood (Heb 12:24). This wasn't the reason. Another more reasonable explanation is that Abel offered a better sacrifice than
Cain, because he offered it by faith (Heb 11:4, 6). Cain did it
as a religious exercise but his heart wasn't in it. See this explained at these times:

• 10:00–13:23 in Hebrews 11 (Part 2) :2-7 • Without Faith . . .. 
• 11:05–13:55 in Jesus' People of Faith, Part 1 - Hebrews 11:1-17.
• 8:57–18:38 in Cain, Abel, and the Continuing Fall - Genesis 4.

(See also the article: Where did Cain get his wife?)

"Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and took some of every clean animal
and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in his heart:
'I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention
of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down
every living creature as I have done. While the Earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.'" (Gen (1 Mos) 8:20–22). After the Flood, Noah sacrificed some of the clean animals.

"And Isaac said to his father Abraham, 'My father!' And he said: 'Here I am, my son.' He said: 'Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb
for a burnt offering?' Abraham said: 'God will provide for himself the lamb
for a burnt offering, my son.' So they went both of them together. When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the Angel of the Lord called to him from Heaven and said: 'Abraham, Abraham!' And he said: 'Here I am.' He said: 'Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.'" (Gen (1 Mos) 22:7–12).
This event describes Abraham's test to see if he loved God so much that he was willing to sacrifice his chosen son Isaac for him. Verse 8a (in bold above)
can also be seen prophetically when God the Father later sent Jesus to Earth,
the only begotten Son of God, as a sacrificial Lamb of God for our sins, 
see The Order between Jesus and the Father in the Trinity

In the Old Covenant, it was a question of animal sacrifices
where the animals died in the place of man, see Moses; Part 14: Sacrificial System:

"Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it
from the sheep or from the goats, and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight. Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it." (Exo (2 Mos) 12:5–7).

"The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when
I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt." (Exo (2 Mos) 12:13).
Every firstborn died in Egypt, even all the firstborn among the cattle died. The blood rescued the people of Israel from suffering because they obeyed God's directives.

Lev (3 Mos) 4 describes the Sin Offering in the Tabernacle of the congregation:

• If the anointed priest unintentionally sins in any of the Lord's commandments and thus brings guilt upon the people, he shall offer for sin that he has committed a bull from the herd without fault to the Lord
  as a Sin Offering. He shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some
  of the blood seven times before the Lord before the veil of the sanctuary, and put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense, and all the rest of the blood of the bull he shall pour out at the foot of
  the altar of burnt offering which is at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
  (Verse 2–3, 5–7). 
• If all the congregation of Israel sin unintentionally, then the anointed priest shall dip his finger in some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it
  seven times before the veil, and put some of the blood on the horns
  of the altar that is in the Tent of Meeting and the rest of the blood he shall pour out at the foot of the altar of burnt offering which is at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. (Verse 13, 16–18).
• When a leader sins unintentionally, the priest shall take some of the blood of the Sin Offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar
  of burnt offering and pour out the rest of the blood at the foot of the altar of burnt offering. (Verse 22, 25).
• If any of the common people sins unintentionally, the priest shall take some of the blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and pour out all the other blood at the foot of the altar.
  (Verse 27, 30).
• If anyone wants to offer a lamb as a Sin Offering, he must bring
  an unblemished female animal. Then the priest shall take some
  of the blood of the Sin Offering with his finger and put it on the horns
  of the altar of burnt offering and pour out all the other blood at the foot
  of the altar. (Verse 32, 34).

See also Sin Offering in Moses; Part 14: Sacrificial System.

It's the sinner who brings the sacrificial animal, but it's the priest
who brings atonement through the blood. Two are involved. 

When the priest brings reconciliation in this way, the sinner is forgiven. It's obtained through the blood sacrifice of certain animals. The life of a creature is in the blood (Lev (3 Mos) 17:11). Without blood, there is no forgiveness, that is,
no reconciliation (Heb 9:22). It's not enough to just ask God for forgiveness without blood sacrifice. The blood satisfies God's wrath against sin.

Lev (3 Mos) 16 describes how the rules for entering the Most Holy Place 
of the Tabernacle were changed. This change was introduced after two
of Aaron's sons had died because they had brought unauthorized fire before
the Lord, something he hadn't commanded them to do (Lev (3 Mos) 10:1–2),
see The Death of Nadab and Abihu in Moses; Part 12: The Aaronic Priesthood.
No part of the regular Sin Offering should be made in the Most Holy Place of the Tabernacle. God would appear in the cloud on the atonement cover (mercy seat),
which formed the cover of the ark (the Ark of the Covenant), placed in the 
Most Holy Place (verse 2). It should only be the High Priest (Aaron as the first)
who performed the Sin Offering in the Most Holy Place of the Tabernacle 
and only once a year. The High Priest would then make atonement twice.
The first time for himself, and the second time for the people of Israel.
(Verse 11, 14–16, 18–19, 27, 32–34). See also Heb 13:11–12). 

This means that only the High Priest makes atonement in the sanctuary once a year, on the Day of Atonement; Yom Kippur, the holiest day in Judaism.

For information about the High Priest, see The High Priest in the Bible.

These sacrifices can no longer be made by the Jewish population around the world after the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD. For them is the Day of Atonement 
a day of prayer. There are certain ritual prayers that are said on this day,
and this is the time when a person can go before God and confess his sin.
They then think they are forgiven because they ask for forgiveness. No blood
is then involved. There is no sacrificial system going on in Israel in our day to remind them that the forgiveness of sins is based on the shedding of blood (Heb 9:22).

The New Covenant in the Bible
(described in the New Testament):

The priesthood that was under the Mosaic Laws in the Old Covenant,
is replaced by a new High Priest in a New Covenant (Heb 7:11–12, 18–19). 
Jesus fulfilled the Laws that were under the Old Covenant (Mat 5:17). 
He is the new High Priest forever (Heb 5:5–6, 6:20, 7:20–21, Psalm 110:4).
Animal sacrifices under the Old Covenant Laws can't save us. 
The sin was treated at the Day of Atonement but only temporarily for a year,
and after that the animal sacrifices must be repeated again.
The penalty must still be paid. The old sacrificial system wasn't meant to forgive
sins completely, but to point to someone who must die on our behalf,
who must come in the future. That someone is Jesus Christ, who had to die physically for our sins, see The Crucifixion of Jesus. He is the High Priest who is holy, innocent, blameless, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens
(Heb 7:26). He only needed to give his life once for our sins (Heb 7:27). 

 

"The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news
of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it."
(Luk 16:16). See also Listen to Jesus and Jesus and the Law.

The Day of Atonement in the Old Covenant had to be completed in accordance
with the Torah (Pentateuch or Five Books of Moses), that's the books: 
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. It was part of the 
Mosaic Laws and had its time until Jesus officially created the New Covenant, when he distributed bread and wine to the disciples as a reminder to him (Luk 22:20, 
Jer 31:31–33). This New Covenant was activated when Jesus died on the cross.

• "For the Law was given through Moses;
  grace and truth came through Jesus Christ" (John 1:17). 
• "The next day John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him, and he said: 'Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!'"
  (John 1:29). 
• "John the Baptist looked at Jesus as he walked by and said: 
  'Behold, the Lamb of God!'" (John 1:36).

The only way Jesus could take away sin was by shedding his blood as a sacrifice
for our sins. Jesus would give his life and be slaughtered like a lamb. 
John the Baptist therefore calls Jesus the Lamb of God.

In the Old Covenant of the Jews, the High Priest goes once a year and offers blood for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people. When Christ appeared as High Priest, he entered once for all into the holy places, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with the help of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. (Heb 9:6–12). Jesus is therefore the mediator of a New Covenant, so that those
who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, because a death
has occurred which redeems them from the transgressions committed under
the Old Covenant. (Heb 9:15). According to the Law, almost everything is cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness
of sins. Thus it was necessary that the copies of the heavenly things were purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands which are copies of the true, but into Heaven itself, to now appear in the presence of God on our behalf. (Heb 9:22–24). This isn't just a picture of what Jesus did on the cross for us, when he shed his blood when he died physically on the cross so that our sins
could be forgiven. There is also a tabernacle in God's Heaven
(Heb 8:1–2, 5, 9:24, Rev 7:15, 11:19, 15:5–8 (NIV), Isaiah 6:1).
Jesus entered there the Most Holy Place once and for all with his own blood and thereby obtained eternal redemption (Heb 6:19–20, 9:11–12).
Jesus did that, probably after his death on the cross, see The Resurrection of Jesus.
Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness (Heb 9:22b).
To pay the price for our sins, Jesus had to die physically on the cross.
See this explained at the following times in these videos:

• 8:41–9:31 in Jesus' New Covenant - Hebrews 8:1-13.
• 21:31–23:28 in Jesus' House - Hebrews 9:1-15.

Jesus didn't descend into Hell to suffer, see Did Jesus really descend into Hell?

But he proclaimed himself to be Messiah in both departments of Hades,
see time 31:31–42:58 in Always Prepared to Make a Defense 1 Peter 3 (Part 2).

See more of this explained at the following times in these videos: 

• 16:27–20:07 in Bible Q&A • Episode 46.
• 8:41–13:50 in Bible Q&A with Pastor Paul.
• 5:16–6:13 in Bible Q&A ∙ Episode 13.

The basis of what Jesus did for us on the cross is found in Genesis, see it explained in time 4:17–20:02 in Understanding Genesis || Guest Speaker Dr. Jason Lisle.

Jesus fulfilled the Mosaic Laws. Animal sacrifice is no longer needed.
(Heb 10:1, 3–7, 10–12, 14).

We are redeemed by the blood of Jesus and have been forgiven for our sins:

• "In Jesus we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness
  of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace." (Eph 1:7).
• "Now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near
  by the blood of Christ." (Eph 2:13). 
• "Knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited
  from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold,
  but with the precious blood of Christ,
  like that of a lamb without blemish or spot." (1 Pet 1:18–19).

Boaz was a kinsman redeemer to Naomi and Ruth, as he was a close relative
of theirs, see The Book of Ruth. A kinsman redeemer in the Old Covenant
is a picture of Jesus, who is our kinsman redeemer (Isaiah 59:20),
see Typology. A kinsman redeemer must meet the following requirements:

1. He must be a relative by blood (DNA) (Lev (3 Mos) 25:25, 47–49). 
   God must become a man in order to redeem us from sin. Only a man
   can die for the sin of mankind. The Redeemer must be one of us (Gal 4:4–5).
2. He himself must be free, in order to free someone else from slavery. 
   Jesus had to be a sinless redeemer (John 8:46, Heb 4:15, 1 Pet 2:22,
   2 Cor 5:21). If he had sinned, he would have had to pay for his own sin
   and be disqualified from paying for anyone else's sin. Hence The Virgin Birth
   is so important, see time 10:53–14:16 in 1 John 4:1–6 • Test the spirits.
3. He had to have means of redemption. He must be able to do it. 
   We have been redeemed through the blood of Jesus Christ (1 Pet 1:18–21).
4. He had to perform redemption willingly.
   Jesus willingly paid the price for our sins on the cross (John 10:17–18).

"We rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have
now received reconciliation." (Rom 5:11). The atonement is received
by believing in Jesus and what he has done for us:

• It’s about God's grace (Rom 3:23–24).
• Faith without works (Rom 3:28).
• Through the blood of Jesus who redeemed us from our sins (Rom 5:9).

See also What Happens to Those Who Have Never Heard About Jesus?

Salvation

This salvation from God's wrath over our sins, through reconciliation with God, 
is based on the following:

• God's grace:
  God the Father loved man so much that he gave his only Son to take away man's sin (John 3:16), see The Order between Jesus and the Father in the Trinity. Jesus, the Son of God, voluntarily took upon himself the sin of man in his physical death (Eph 2:5b, 8).
• Blood of Jesus:
  The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7, Rev 1:5b).
• Our belief:
  That we believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, that we trust in him.
  That we believe that he has shed his blood and died on the cross for us, bearing our sins on the cross (John 14:6) and that God (The Trinity) 
  has  raised him from the dead. Faith isn't work (Rom 3:27–28, 
  Eph 2:8–9, Titus 3:4–7). We can’t be justified and saved by our own works or by being good enough. Believing is a decision we make. We must receive Jesus into our heart (John 1:12). Righteousness is imputed to us by doing so. It means getting a right standing with God. We haven't
  earned it, it has been given to us as a free gift when we come to Christ
  (Isaiah 61:10). It's the righteousness of Christ that we literally put on almost like clothing. When we approach God, he receives us in the 
  righteousness of Jesus Christ, see The Parable of the Wedding Feast.
• Repentance:
  We also need to repent (Acts 17:30–31, Luk 13:2–3)
  because we are all sinners (Rom 5:8, 1 John 1:8–10).

For detailed information on how to be saved, see Salvation.

See also Some stories close related to the gospels 
at the end of The Four Gospels.

Unity

Jesus said: "Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, 
that they may be one, even as we are one." (John 17:11b).

The Father and the Son are one. Jesus thinks like God the Father in everything.
If we have seen Jesus, we have seen the Father (John 14:9–11),
see The Order between Jesus and the Father in the Trinity.

Jesus said: "I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me,
and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe
that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them,
that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, 
that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know
that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me." (John 17:20–23). 

See also Jesus Farewell Prayer in Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life.

That we as Christians are one is important for several reasons (Eph 4:3):

• So the people in the world understand that God the Father has sent Jesus to Earth to give his life for the people, which Jesus did of his free will.
• That God the Father loves believers in the same selfless way
  that he loves Jesus. We know that God the Father loves Jesus very much,
  but he also loves believers in the same way (John 17:23).

It's a good and blessing thing when there is unity (Psalm 133). One of the ways to receive blessings in the home and marriage is to stay united. Jesus said: "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand." (Mat 12:25). One reason we don't have unity is because of pride.

Division and disunity cause serious problems. The Christians in Corinth 
struggled with disunity (1 Cor 1:10–13), see The Book of Corinthians.

Jesus said: "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those
in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you. Rather,
let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader
as one who serves. For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one
who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves." (Luke 22:24-27). See Who is the Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?

We must not exercise lordship over each other. This goes against hierarchical systems with a strong charismatic leader who decides what everyone can think,
see the last part of The Book of John. We should instead serve each other.
See also the last paragraph in Dealing With Sin in the Church.

If someone is further down in a hierarchical system and expresses a dissenting or different opinion, it may be that someone who feels higher up in that hierarchical system, offends that person and publicly reprimands that person, regardless of whether that person is right or wrong. If the person then adapts to what the leader thinks, unity can be maintained. If the person doesn't do so, the person may be asked to apply to another group that better aligns with the person's view.
But this handling of a person isn't biblical. It's pride. "For though the Lord is high,
he regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar." (Psalm 138:6).
See examples of good and bad leadership at the end of The Book of John.

The apostle Paul wrote: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Gal 3:26–29).
See time 30:51–34:00 in Acts 11 • A Growing and Flourishing Church.

The slave isn't less worthy of God just because he is a slave. The ranking that people do in a group isn't from God. Showing partiality is a sin (James 2:9), see 
The Book of Malachi. See it explained at time 6:17–13:28 in James 2 (Part 1) :1-13.

The apostle Paul wrote: 

• "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves."
  (Rom 12:9–10), see The Golden Rule in The Sermon on the Mount.
• "To speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people." (James 4:11–12, 5:9, Titus 3:2),
  see Do not judge others in The Sermon on the Mount.
• "So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, 
  any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 
  complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant 
  than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." (Phil 2:1–4). 

We need to humble ourselves before each other and put others higher than ourselves, see 3) Blessed are the meek in The Sermon on the Mount. We
shouldn't seek conflict or take positions at the expense of other individuals
(James 4:1, Rom 7:21–23). Jesus rejoices when we live according to this. 
This can be difficult to do with a person considered lower in the social ranking. 

Paul wrote:

• "For as in one body we have many members, and the members 
  do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are 
  one body in Christ, and individually members one of another." 
  (Rom 12:4–5).
• "The parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable 
  we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, 
  but that the members may have the same care for one another."
  (1 Cor 12:22–25).
• "For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 
  God chose what is low and despised in the world, 
  even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 
  so that no human being might boast in the presence of God." 
  (1 Cor 1:26–29).
  
• "In that same hour he (Jesus) rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said: 
  'I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and Earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.'" 
  (Luke 10:21).

See time 17:37–23:57 in Luke 10 (Part 2) :17-24 • Joy, Rejoicing and Blessing.

We as Christians are all members of the same body. For the body to function optimally, the various members need to work together and not fight with each other. The limbs which seem to be the weakest are the more necessary. 

To insult these members when they express an opinion just because they are perceived as the weakest or lowest in the social hierarchy is completely wrong according to the Bible and hurts the body of Christ (Proverbs 18:19).

How a group should work to fulfill this:

• There should be no social ranking in the group. 
  This doesn't prevent different functions in the group, and if necessary 
  to have a biblical leadership, see The Book of Timothy.
• We should submit to one another and not rule over one another.
• We must respect each other and not automatically dismiss the arguments of others, just because we perceive them as lower in the social hierarchy.
• We must treat everyone equally. We should treat other people 
  as we want to be treated ourselves and as we treat our closest friends.
• We must show each other empathy and love (1 Cor 16:14, 2 Thess 1:3),
  see Agape Love at the end of Spiritual Gifts.

Many people follow strong charismatic leaders, which can work effectively
as long as everyone thinks like these leaders and they follow God. However,
I think it's important to let people think for themselves in order to become 
mature Christians, combined with giving Bible-based teaching that can be tested against God's Word in the Bible, see the last part of The Book of John.

Differences of opinion can arise between Christians that aren't related to differences in theology. The reasons for this type of disagreements may be due to different personalities or personal experiences. Paul and Barnabas couldn't agree on whether to take John Mark with them for their second missionary journey. Mark had left them and returned to Jerusalem during their first Missionary Journey. Barnabas wanted to bring him because he wanted to give him a second chance. Paul didn't because he saw this journey as too important to be compromised by bringing Mark with them.
They had a sharp disagreement on this which resulted in them not being able 
to resolve this issue and hence they split up. Barnabas took Mark with him 
and sailed away to Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas for his second missionary journey.
(Acts 15:36–40). Paul later wrote about John Mark and everything he had to say about him was very good (2 Tim 4:11, Col 4:10). Their problem was solved.

What to do when believers disagree:

• We must understand that there will be disagreements. 
  But we shouldn't accept people who cause division and create obstacles contrary to central biblical doctrines (Rom 16:17–18). 
• Check our attitudes.
  We should do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit (Phil 2:3–4).
  We should forgive as the Lord forgave us (Col 3:13),
  see Forgive and You will Be Forgiven.
• Understand the dynamics.
  The situation between Paul and Barnabas was a matter of opinion and  became a matter of separation. If it's not a scriptural, legal, or moral issue, it's probably a matter of opinion. In this case, neither was subordinate 
  to the other. If it's a matter of opinion and we have leaders, we should obey and submit to them (Heb 13:17). This doesn't apply if they do something unscriptural, illegal or immoral. We obey Christ first.
• Respond appropriately.
  In this case, Paul and Barnabas didn't respond appropriately to each other because there was a sharp disagreement. We must always show respect 
  of each other even when when we have different opinions.
• Seek forgiveness where needed. 
  If we say things or do things that hurt people, 
  we should ask them for forgiveness.
• Separation should be a last resort (1 Cor 1:10). 
  But if two persons have different callings, 
  it can be good to not work together, see time 18:42–24:38 
  in Acts 15 (Part 2) 36-41 • The Collision of Opposing Ideas.

Much teaching is needed in the congregations about how we should act towards each other and how we should treat each other, in order to achieve unity in a biblical way
(Rom 12:16a, 18, 15:5–6), see these videos:

• Time 6:46–9:13 in 1 Peter 3 (Part 2) :8-22.
• Time 6:01–8:32 in Bible Q&A • Episode 39.

In the political world, I believe that democratic governance is the best way to govern a country, at least in countries with a high Christian population. It's no coincidence that democracy has emerged in countries with high Christian values. I believe that the judgment system in the Old Testament was a good way to rule Israel, although
it wasn't perfect (Judges 2:18–19), see The Book of Judges.

See also Some stories in the gospels at the end of The Four Gospels.