For thousands of years the Israelites sought forgiveness of sins in the blood of animals. Every year they were atoned by a sacrifice made by the high priest. The high priest would enter the tabernacle and go into the Holy of Holies, the presence of God, to make a sacrifice on behalf of the people. Only the high priest could go into the presence of God and the people had to be continually cleansed and consecrated even before entering the outside courtyard. The Israelites were separated from God. God called them out, led them, and loved them, but their sin still separated them from their Creator. Then Christ came and was crucified.
Christ was the final sacrifice. He was the perfect sacrifice that covered all sin. Our sin has been forgiven because his blood can do what the blood of bulls and goats cannot. His life was given on our behalf. When he died the curtain separating the Holy of Holies from the rest of the world was torn. God's presence was no longer limited to one place. We were no longer separated from him. When Christ became our sacrificial lamb, God's glory filled the earth. Sin no longer separates us from God because he remembers our sin no more. We can now enter the presence of God with clear conscience and boldness because he has forgiven us and covered us with the perfect blood of his Son.
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