Day 44 - Leviticus 5-7

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus%205-7&version=NIV

The sin offering and the guilt offering. Let’s discuss the significance of these today.

The sin offering was an offering made for an unintentional sin. It was an offering for the actual sin itself. Note that it was for an unintentional sin. There were no offerings for intentional sins in the Levitical laws. So, if you intentionally sinned against the Lord or others, you would be held responsible. You were held responsible for unintentional sins as well, but the sin offering was a way to acknowledge your sinfulness and ask for God’s forgiveness. This was not available for intentional sins.

What does this say about sin in regards to us? Well, we are sinning a lot more than we think we are. I heard this definition of sin once in a sermon:

“Sin is doing what God forbids and not doing what God commands.”

That is all encompassing if you ask me! The only way to even try to sin less, is by meditating on God’s Word so that we know what He commands us to do. Ignorance of God’s Word is not an excuse for both the non-Christian or Christian. As a Christian, we should really reflect on the sin offering. Jesus was our sin offering. He bore our sins, both unintentional and intentional. He bore our past, present, and future sins on the cross when we placed our faith in Him. This is another example of how the New Covenant is superior to the Old Covenant. Thanks be to God that Christ bore our sins.

Whereas the sin offering dealt with the actual sin, the guilt offering or as some call it the trespass offering, dealt with the effects of the sin. We all feel guilty when we have sinned. In our society today, guilt is thought of as being bad. While it is true that Jesus has taken away our guilt if we have placed our faith in Him, it is also true that the emotion of guilt will arise in a Christian who has a conscience that is inclined towards the Lord. Note that it is the emotion of guilt. Christ bore our guilt on the cross and we are no longer guilty before God.

Romans 8:1 states, “ Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”

Yet, continual sin sears the conscience. When one does not feel guilty after sinning against another, and more importantly against the Lord, one should cry out to the Lord to restore in them a clean heart and renew a steadfast spirit in them.

Bob Deffingbaugh from Bible.org is right on with this:

“For the believer, our guilt offering is Jesus Christ. Restitution is our responsibility, and confession and cleansing are offered to us. Even if it is a recurring sin, we need to confess it and leave the guilt behind us.”

When you find you are feeling guilty after you have sinned, pray to the Lord, 1 John 1:9:

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Christ bore our sins and also dealt with the effects of our sins as well. He was and is both our sin and guilt offering. The prophet Isaiah and the author of Hebrews both write of this. I would like to end my post with their words.

Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.

After the suffering of his soul,
he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.

Isaiah 53:10-11

The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says:
"This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord.
I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds." Then he adds:
"Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more." And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.”

Hebrews 10:15-18

Soli Deo Gloria

Today’s post was submitted by Russ Shellhamer