Then the LORD said to Moses, “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. This is how you are to deal with those who sin unintentionally by doing anything that violates one of the LORD’s commands. [Leviticus 4.1-2]
How does one unintentionally have another god before God?
How does one unintentionally make a carved image and worship it?
How does one unintentionally take God's name in vain?
How does one unintentionally work on the Sabbath?
How does one unintentionally dishonor father or mother?
How does one unintentionally commit murder?
How does one unintentionally commit adultery?
How does one unintentionally steal?
How does one unintentionally lie about another?
How does one unintentionally want what is another's?
All I am saying here is that the difference between unintentional and intentional should be quite obvious, right?
I dare say, most of us deal very little with unintentional sins. Instead, it seems, more often than not, we are found to have sinned intentionally. In other words, we knew what we were doing was sin and did it anyway.
So, what about these intentional sins? Oh, we should love this...
But those who brazenly violate the LORD’s will, whether native-born Israelites or foreigners, have blasphemed the LORD, and they must be cut off from the community. Since they have treated the LORD’s word with contempt and deliberately disobeyed his command, they must be completely cut off and suffer the punishment for their guilt. [Numbers 15.30-31]
Yep, it is that serious.
But, (here's why we should love this) that is precisely why Jesus was not just alienated from people on the cross, but also from God ("My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?"). He did it for us because there was absolutely no hope of our being forgiven otherwise!
Thank God He loved us that much (John 3.16)! Jesus' suffering covered our unintentional sins (so we don't have to offer sacrifices), but more importantly, Jesus suffered for our intentional sins - He was cut off from God and suffered the punishment for our deliberate disobedience! Amazing Grace!
Father, thank You!
How does one unintentionally make a carved image and worship it?
How does one unintentionally take God's name in vain?
How does one unintentionally work on the Sabbath?
How does one unintentionally dishonor father or mother?
How does one unintentionally commit murder?
How does one unintentionally commit adultery?
How does one unintentionally steal?
How does one unintentionally lie about another?
How does one unintentionally want what is another's?
All I am saying here is that the difference between unintentional and intentional should be quite obvious, right?
I dare say, most of us deal very little with unintentional sins. Instead, it seems, more often than not, we are found to have sinned intentionally. In other words, we knew what we were doing was sin and did it anyway.
So, what about these intentional sins? Oh, we should love this...
But those who brazenly violate the LORD’s will, whether native-born Israelites or foreigners, have blasphemed the LORD, and they must be cut off from the community. Since they have treated the LORD’s word with contempt and deliberately disobeyed his command, they must be completely cut off and suffer the punishment for their guilt. [Numbers 15.30-31]
Yep, it is that serious.
But, (here's why we should love this) that is precisely why Jesus was not just alienated from people on the cross, but also from God ("My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?"). He did it for us because there was absolutely no hope of our being forgiven otherwise!
Thank God He loved us that much (John 3.16)! Jesus' suffering covered our unintentional sins (so we don't have to offer sacrifices), but more importantly, Jesus suffered for our intentional sins - He was cut off from God and suffered the punishment for our deliberate disobedience! Amazing Grace!
Father, thank You!
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