The Thorn Street Chronicles

"I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints." Jude 1:3b

George Otis Jr on Sacrifice

Although some fifty million people have viewed George Otis Jr's Transformations videos, probably only a few hundred know what he believes when it come to systematic theology. The system he learned in his early '70s YWAM experience and began to teach, eventually writing his own kind of systematic theology, is known as Moral Government Theology (MGT). Other documents found at this website expound upon the beliefs of his theological system. 

Because I was at one time a firm believer in what Otis and others of the MGT system taught me, and then became a firm believer in "Justification by grace through faith," I could perhaps be considered one of the most vigorous opponents against the system now. It's like my dad used to say, "There's nothing worse than a reformed alcoholic" (My dad was an alcoholic until his death bed).

The only way the system was ever able to get a hold in my life was because when I joined YWAM I did not know anything about the history of doctrine and could not discern where a person's teaching was coming from.

I sat under Otis's teaching in the mid seventies at a DTS that was organized by John Dawson in Sunland, California. At the time I worked in the YWAM print shop at the international office, so I was the one who printed his papers to hand-out in class and the tests he gave. I still have copies of them on file. Then  I went to the YWAM base in Hurlach, Germany, and attended the MGT lectures of Gordon Olson who taught in the SOE at that location, I used the YWAM copyrighted edition of his theology to follow the lectures. Suffice it to say, I am familiar with the material.

When it comes to the sacrifice on the cross, the MGT God did not need to dispense with his anger over sin because he did not have any. His main objective was to change man. If He could get man to change, then He could wisely forgive him and accept him into heaven. But He would have to get man to completely change his motivation in life and stop trying to be the moral governor of the universe, submitting humbly to the government of a holy God. Incidentally, since in the MGT system something can only be moral if it is chosen, God is believed to be holy by choice. God is holy because He chooses to conduct Himself in a holy way. By the same token, man does not sin because he is a sinner, in the MGT view, but he is a sinner because he sins.  

Since I have been living in a culture which practices the real thing when it comes to sacrifice, I thought I could bring forth a more true picture of what it is like. The following is an excerpt about sacrifice, invented in the imagination of George Otis Jr, to support his theological viewpoint. It is from his book The God They Never Knew:

"The Son of man came. . . to give his life a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45)

"We have redemption through his blood. . ." (Ephesians 1:7)

"The one means exactly the same as the other. God intended to put a premium on the concept of life through the blood. This was one of the reasons the Israelites were forbidden to eat blood.

"Life is a commodity of ultimate value and when it was taken, it escorted the sinner to a sobering realization of the significance God placed on sin. The combination of the sacrificial lamb’s perfection, innocence and its cessation of life was to make a profound impression upon both the individual and the nation.

"To illustrate the effects of the sacrifice upon the sinner, we will return by way of imagination to ancient Israel.

"It was typical of many families in those days, in lieu of dogs and cats, to keep other animals, particularly lambs, as pets. As in our society the young children would grow very attached to these lambs.

"One evening as you and your brothers and sisters are running around outside your house, your father arrives to put a halt to the horseplay. After hustling you in for dinner, he snatches your favorite lamb up into his arms and ties it inside the door. On most days Dad’s arrival is a highlight, but today something must have gone wrong. He’s too serious tonight, not like usual when he throws you up on his shoulders and carries you through the door. Tomorrow, you discover, the family is going to the Temple; but what’s really great is that lamb gets to go, too!

"Early the next morning your mother wakes you up, ordering you to clean up and put on your best clothes. The fact breakfast was skipped this morning for the Lord wasn’t new, but Dad has never looked so serious . . . so sober. Anyway, your guess is that he’s tying the lamb’s feet together so he won’t get loose in the Temple.

"The family is finally on the way; Dad’s in front, with the lamb on his shoulders with Mom and all the siblings in tow. Nearing the Temple you notice some of your friends arriving but Dad won’t let you talk to anybody. Once inside the Temple, all you can see are the backs and legs of a forest of grownups. Nobody’s talking; they’re all just kind of crying and moaning real loud. Every so often a family or group of people press their way through the crowd heading for the door of the Temple. They’re always crying the hardest even the kids. It’s hard to figure out what’s happening. You had never really noticed the people’s faces the other times. This was the first time, too, that Dad had ever let lamb come, even though lot’s of other people brought theirs.

"After a very long two hours you have crept near the front. Occasionally you can see the priests’ legs and bare feet around the altar through a crack in the crowd. The wailing and moaning near the front is almost deafening.

"Finally, your family is standing in front of the altar. There is blood all over the ground and splattered on the priests’ clothes. While your attention is fixed on all the blood, Dad has handed the lamb over to a priest. After saying something to Dad he lifts his head and speaks again probably praying. His hands are both resting on the lamb when you notice for the first time the menacing, long knife on the side of the altar.

"The lamb anticipates its future with a meek struggle but the leather cords hold firm. After the priest finishes praying he picks up the knife and puts his hand under the lamb’s jaw pulling its head back. Horror-struck, you watch the priest plunge the knife into its throat; the blood spills out onto the breast of the lamb, the priest and the altar. After one last spasmodic convulsion the life of your lamb is over.

"As the priest spreads the blood around, the reality of the whole gruesome spectacle begins to melt your frozen stupor. Leaving the temple tears flow uncontrollably as you press through other Jewish families awaiting their turn. Nothing was said on the way home but no one noticed anyway.

"That evening Father lifted your little frame off your tear-stained pillow and gently explained as he had to your older brothers and sisters in prior years. Explaining how a lamb could die instead of you. Explaining how sin has evoked a million whys like yours.

"Do you think that little boy began to understand something about how sin is a revolting offense to God’s sense of values? Do you think he understood when he went to play with a missing lamb how terrible his sin really was? There may not have been a thorough theological understanding but it can doubtless be said that, at least for a while, sin would not be taken lightly by this young man.

"The blood is signified as a cleansing agent C not as a peace offering to an angry God. The blood, when sprinkled on the altar and mercy seat, was a sign to God that men had seen a life taken. That they, like this young man, had realized the awfulness of sin and were not inclined to hurry out and commit more sin.

"So the atonement was in the bloody realization of God=s view of sin and in its ability to humble the sinner who recognizes his guilt and responsibility. When man is in this condition God can wisely pardon him and reconciliation takes place." (The God They Never Knew, by George Otis Jr, Bible Voice Publishers, 1978, pp. 114-116.)

Compare Otis's final statement about the sacrifice of Christ with something Norman Geisler said in False Gods of Our Time: 

"The most amazing power of Christ's resurrection is not his ability to eat fish or appear in a closed room. It is not his ability to be caught up into heaven in the sight of the disciples. The most amazing power of Christ's resurrection is that it is the seal of his sacrifice of our sins, the promise which empowers the transformation of individuals from skeptics to believers." False Gods of Our Time, by Norman Geisler. Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, Oregon, 1985, p. 164.

In Geisler's view, it is not the power of observing a sacrifice that is at the heart of the transforming power of the Gospel, but the fact that the sacrifice for our sins was accepted by the Father and sealed with a resurrection. Without the resurrection, the sacrifice loses its significance. It is questionable as to whether a resurrection is even necessary in the theology of Otis. The main point of atonement is to change the sinner and he believes that takes place by recalling or observing the crucifixion of Christ on the cross. 

I was prepared to defend Otis teaching with my life if necessary after I sat under it in the 70s. Now I live in a culture that practices sacrifice. When Mr. Otis says, "To illustrate the effects of the sacrifice upon the sinner, we will return by way of imagination to ancient Israel," (quoted from above) he means it, because the real world and his imaginary world are quite different. 

When I watched the sacrifice at a local mosque, it was interesting to see babies who could not even talk yet, being held in their mother's arms as they watched the bulls and goats getting their throats slit. As the men, women, babies and children watched the spurting blood, it had no visible effect upon them at all. 

Perhaps it was similar to my time in Los Angeles (after it had been "taken over for God" by John Dawson from his headquarters in Lake View Terrace) when I listened to the gun shots and screams coming from the neighborhood on a regular basis. At first it was shocking, but after a few months it loses most of its impact. Those who grew up in the 'hood have been hearing the shots since they were still in their cribs, so they are little affected by it. 

When Jesus died on the cross, hardened executioners were impressed with Him and His identity as the Son of God, they were not impressed about how terrible their own sins were, although some of them may have repented later, we have no record that they were shocked into repentance at His crucifixion. 

The following pictures have to do with real animal sacrifice. In cultures that practice animal sacrifice, such sights are not at all shocking or unusual. But if you have not seen this kind of thing before, it may be quite shocking. If you want to leave, click here and you will be returned to the index.  -- Or simply click the "back" button on your browser window.

Notice the numerous children casually observing the preparation for a bloody sacrifice. Also, notice that the floor at the bottom right of the picture has already been bloodied. None of the women or children shed a single tear. They were as happy as children in the West who are watching a puppet show.

One small child, in the upper left-hand corner of the picture, has been placed solidly on top of the wall to relieve his mother's tired arms from holding him and perhaps to get a better view of the show.

This bull knew nothing about what was to come. After it hit the tile it was dead, skinned, and chopped to pieces within about thirty minutes. 

When it comes to the forgiveness of sins, bulls and goats can't fly.

It is truly a bloody sacrifice. Compared to some of the pictures I have, this one is not so gruesome.

The head is gone, the skin is going. Nothing goes to waste. Even the intestines are cleaned and later cooked for food.

This is no happy camper! I think we could safely say he is having a bad day.

No more "hoofin-it" for this guy.

 After all the cutting is finished and the meat is placed into small plastic bags, it is distributed to the needy in the neighborhood who stand in line to receive their portion. I heard one story of a family with several children. Two or three of them would wait in line and walk away with a double portion.

A loving father holds his child as the last of a bull is being chopped apart.

Goats also saw their demise on this day of "korban."

After this goat made some noises like a third-wave revival, its throat was slit and it was dead within a few seconds.

One must be careful walking across the puddles of blood! This guy almost fell down.

I think the skins of goats are just thrown away. I've never seen anything made out of goatskin around the neighborhood, although there is some great "sate kambing" (goat sate).

The point of it all, my friends, is that the sacrifice of Christ on the cross was the one event of all history that took care of our sins, once and for all. The covering that God made for Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden was only a foreshadowing of what took place at the cross. Abraham going to sacrifice Isaac -- only a foreshadowing. Moses leading the Hebrew children to the promised land -- only a foreshadowing. The sacrifice of animals -- only a foreshadowing. The covenant of law -- never fulfilled by anyone in history except the Lord Jesus Christ!

The incarnation, life, death, and resurrection of Christ are the central points of history and we should be preaching these facts to all nations, baptizing people from every ethnic group -- in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 

The robes of His righteousness have been prepared for you! Will you put them on, through faith? It is only through the work of the Lord Jesus Christ that human beings can find the forgiveness of sins, His robes of righteousness, and the reconciliation with God that is necessary to enter the kingdom of heaven. Amen.

 

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