They had it so good they were content to remain bad. By “having it good” I mean they were living in a state of grace that provided them with a sense of security. They had the Old Testament law, but they were unable to live up to it. However, because of God’s grace (unearned favor) they did not suffer the consequences of their failure to keep the law. God in his mercy forgave them and in his grace offered them the hope of salvation. That hope was made possible through the love of Jesus, although they did not yet know him. The sin offering that God required was not a payment for sin, but was a symbolic acknowledgment of sin and their need for forgiveness. God’s plan was that having received forgiveness, each person would live a life of righteousness.

Some people made a sincere and honest effort to live like God wanted them to live, but in human weakness they were condemned to failure. That is where God’s mercy and grace met their need. However, many were content to accept God’s forgiveness without making the effort to do better; they were content to remain bad.

Jesus came not to do away with God’s mercy and grace, but rather to fulfill the potential it had for changing the human experience. God’s mercy was still the same. He would forgive us for our sins even though we did not deserve forgiveness. Christ would replace the offered sacrifice and become the only sacrifice that was ever needed. The real change came in the nature of God’s grace. The greatest gift that Christ gives is not the gift of forgiveness (that is mercy), but rather the gift of relationship with God. Christ was the one and only Son of God and he was in the closest possible relationship with God; God was his father. The grace Jesus gives is a personal relationship with God. A righteous relationship with God changes us. The grace of Jesus makes it impossible to remain bad.