Therefore He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive. Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood. For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, “This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.” And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship. Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. (Hebrews 9:15-22 ESV)
When the Living God entered into the Covenant of the Law with His people, Israel, He commanded Moses to institute a system of animal sacrifices to seal the covenant and to provide for the penalty of disobedience to His law, which is death. A life is given for the life of the sinner so the sinner does not have to die for their sin. Obey my law, and you will be my people, and I will be your God. This covenant exhibits both the just, holy nature of God and His mercy. Sin deserves to be punished. Injustice must be righted. Sin must be atoned for by either the blood of the sinner or the blood of a substitute. Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
John the baptizer pointed to Jesus as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29 ESV)
Jesus laid down His life as a substitute for the penalty of death due to all humanity when He shed His blood on the cross. He died so we don't have to die for our sins. His life was given so my life (and yours) could be justly given mercy. In the cross, the holiness of God and the grace of God intersect to provide redemption for fallen humanity. We may not like the idea, but Scripture is clear that we cannot save ourselves by cleaning up our act and being good people.
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:1-9 ESV)
The apostle Paul says we were all dead in our sin. We all have lived in the passions of our flesh, our fallen sin nature, and are by nature "children of wrath." We deserve the wrath of holy God against sin and its consequences. But God is rich in mercy. God made us who were dead in sin alive in Christ by grace. This is not our own doing. It is not a result of our works. The result of our works is condemnation. But the result of the work of Jesus on the Cross is forgiveness and new life. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
Jesus, who never sinned, paid the price for sin for all of us, and conquered sin's great consequence, which is death. The death sentence is commuted because it is already paid for. God maintains His holy, just nature while showing mercy by making the sacrifice we could never make -- the giving up of a sinless life for a sinner's life to pay the price and set the sinner free from condemnation.
And so by faith in Jesus Christ we are delivered from sin to forgiveness. By trusting Him we are set free from death and given life. In following Jesus we are redeemed from both the penalty of sin and its power. By His Spirit, living in our hearts, we can not only be declared righteous, but we can also be transformed by holy love to live righteous lives. Instead of living for ourselves, we live for the God who redeemed us and our lives become more and more about loving God with all we are and all we have, and loving others with His great love.
Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. Trust what Jesus has already done for you -- the giving of His life for your life. Entrust your living today and your eternal destiny to Him by living to honor Him in all things, and redemption will become reality in your life. All to the glory of our holy, just God who is also full of mercy and grace.