The Old Testament gave us a picture of forgiveness of sins, where your sins were sent away when God forgave you. God only forgave sins through the Sin Offering offered up at The Altar, a picture of our Messiah Jesus dying on the cross for our sins. After Jesus died for our sins and was Resurrected, the New Testament letters instruct Christians to now forgive one another, just as Christ forgave us, for now we have a new nature, which is in Christ!