In search of mercy

From daily quiet time with God
Ex. 25:21
"You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony which I will give to you. 22 There I will meet with you; and from above the mercy, . . . I will speak to you about all that I will give you in commandment for the sons of Israel."  From Macarthur notes: The lid or cover of the ark was the 'mercy seat' or the place at which atonement took place. Between the Shekinah glory could above the ark and the tablets of law inside the ark was the blood-sprinkled cover. Blood from the sacrifices stood between God and the broken law of God!"
This got me thinking how as a Christian, I find mercy, forgiveness, for my sins thru the sacrifice of myself, my selfishness, admitting my sin before God. While I don't have to sacrifice an animal, I do have to agree with God that my actions/inaction are sin (think of God's law inside the ark--how one has broken that law) and ask for forgiveness. Then I think how before I became a Christian, how two thousand years ago the final sacrifice on the mercy seat was made so that I could draw near to God, acknowledge my need for Him, and find forgiveness of my sinful state as a human being. Forgiveness and the dispensation of mercy are never free. There is some sacrifice that has been made or must be made to obtain mercy. I can write much more on this later, but this is the gist of what I was thinking during my quiet time.