WHEN YOU SIN BY MISTAKE
We have mentioned before that the people worshiping in the wilderness tabernacle had a sacrifice to cover every sin. This included sins for unintentional matters.
Have you ever hurt someone’s feelings without realizing what you were doing?
Have you ever accidentally hit someone’s dog in the road with your car?
Have you ever done something on an occasion that was totally disrespectful; but you didn’t realize it at the time?
Have you ever accidentally destroyed someone else’s property?
Did you ever do anything without thinking and feel very sorry for it later?
These are all unintentional sins. They are all the wrong things that you never intended to do; but you did them anyway.
They are still wrong; whether you intended for them or not.
The ancient people had to bring sacrifices for this particular type of sin. There were specific requirements for each person. Leaders were held to a higher accountability and their sacrifices had to be greater than the common man’s sacrifice.
Why do you think God required sacrifice for accidental sin?
That will be our topic of the day today.
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the COME AS A CHILD Thursday on-line, chronological bible study. Today we will be looking at Leviticus; Chapter four. If you missed last week’s lesson you may find it here: https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/communion-gods-table/
DO OUR UNINTENTIONAL SINS COUNT?
Have you ever started a prayer with these words: “Lord; I made a terrible mistake today. Please forgive me. Or; Lord; I did something today that I really did not mean to do…..then you can begin to understand how it feels to commit unintended sins.
The big question is this: Are we accountable to God for unintended sins?
Are there levels of forgiveness with God?
Does He REALLY look at the intentions of our hearts instead of the results of our actions?
THE ONE TRUE GOD IS DIFFERENT FROM PAGAN GODS
Let’s consider that the sacrifices for sins with Israel were very different from the sacrifices of the pagan cultures living in the land.
How so?
When the pagans brought their sacrifices before their fake gods, they were trying to influence the fake gods in one way or another. These fake gods were known for changing their minds at the drop of a hat. They could be persuaded to change their ways. The people were always thinking that they had to appease their gods and keep them happy. Their happiness did not depend on whether a person did right or wrong; it depended on the mood of the fake god.
The One True God of Heaven and Earth is not like that.
He is constant. He doesn’t change.
Always; and without exception, if a sin is committed; God’s justice must be served.
You either broke a commandment; or you didn’t.
A SACRIFICE IS ALWAYS REQUIRED TO ATONE FOR SIN
It isn’t about whether or not the sin was intentional or unintentional; it is all about whether or not the person who committed the sin asked for forgiveness from God and received it. Also; did they turn and walk away the next time, or did they continue to live in that constant sin. True repentance requires change. It isn’t about mumbling a prayer and asking forgiveness then turning right around and committing the same sin over and over.
So why did God start out this chapter in Leviticus by speaking of a person who committed an unintentional sin?
Because these people needed to know that ALL of their actions had consequences; whether intentional or unintentional. All sin calls for atonement. There are no exceptions.
A sacrifice was always required for atonement and forgiveness from The One True and Just God. This was the one and only way to correct the situation. There is always a price to pay for sin and justice must always prevail; otherwise God would not be considered to be a righteous God.
DEFINE “UNINTENTIONAL”
In a sense you could say that all sin that later seeks mercy and forgiveness is unintentional sin.
Most sins are not premeditated, or planned out knowing all along that they are wrong. The knowledge of right and wrong may be present; but the person is usually not thinking straight, or they are usually unaware of all the circumstances that their sin will cause and create. Only a very rebellious person defiantly shakes his fist at God and says “I know I’m sinning against you but I’m going to do it anyway.” Though this DOES happen; it isn’t the norm. Most people just are not thinking straight when they sin.
God is making it clear in this book of Leviticus that “not thinking straight” isn’t an acceptable excuse.
If a person sins intentionally, without remorse or regret; they never seek out God’s forgiveness because they do not care about God’s commandments. They deliberately commit sins without caring if it offends God or not.
BEING CUT OFF AND LIVING IN SIN OUTSIDE THE CAMP
In ancient worship of God, when one sinned they first repented, then they brought a sacrifice to correct any offence to God. Once that sacrifice was done and atonement had been applied; God could forgive the sinner.
This same pattern was always followed. It was always the same order that we have already seen before with other sacrifices; sin, repentance, sacrifice, atonement, forgiveness, healing and new life.
So the prescribed sacrifice was offered, and the blood was poured out at the altar and the rest of the sacrifice for unintended sins was carried outside the camp and burned.
The person who committed the sin deserved to be cut off from the people (the typical punishment for sin) so the animal that is sacrificed in their place is carried outside the camp where it is abandoned and cast off from the people.
The sacrifice has been made and justice for the sin has been served.
The person is atoned by the blood that is sprinkled at the altar and God forgives them. They walk away free and clear and clean. They once again become acceptable to be a part of the people of God.
THE PICTURE OF CHRIST
Is this not a picture of how Christ died for our sins? He died in our place; like the animal that is sacrificed. His blood was given for our atonement. He was taken outside the city and crucified on a cross so that we could be sin-free and forgiven by God for all of eternity. He was cast out for us so that we could be accepted. He died that we might live.
Jesus came and died for every confessed sin; whether accidental or intentional; He died for those who have confessed their sins to God and have regret and remorse in their hearts over having committed them.
UNREPENTED SIN AFFECTS EVERYONE
In the ancient times; if there was no regret, no remorse, no confession, no sacrifice, the sins that you committed affected all of the people. Your life among the people made the whole group unclean. God wanted purified people. If your sins kept this from being the case; you were cast out of the camp. You were removed from your people until you felt remorse and regret enough to confess and make the sacrifice. Until then; you were on your own. You became like Cain, wondering the earth with no conscience. You became marked by your own unconfessed sins.
SOME THINGS HAVE NOT CHANGED
It is basically the same today. If you intentionally sin without regret or remorse and you refuse to confess a sin which you know defies the commandments of God; you will be separated from God for all eternity. Outside the camp could equate to meaning; being cast away from God’s Kingdom forever in eternity.
Basically this chapter in Leviticus confirms the fact that ALL sins; whether intended or unintended still require purification. God desires for His people to have clean hearts, minds and souls. If you are walking around with unconfessed sins because you consider the things you did to be minor and unimportant; you are not only bringing condemnation upon yourself; but you affect all the others that you come in contact with.
A GOOD PRAYER
Knowing the above to be true; I have often prayed in this way: “Lord, I’m sure there are things that I do and say in ignorance that are sinful. I may not understand that these things offend you; but they do. God, please forgive me for any unintentional sins that are hidden from my knowledge. If I have these sins in my life; please open my eyes so that I might see and turn and change and be pleasing to you again. ”
LIKE A LITTLE CHILD
Let’s think of this passage this way:
You are a parent and your child throws a book across the room and accidentally hits his brother in the head with it. He didn’t intentionally aim the book at his brother; but he was just throwing the book. What would you do? After comforting the brother that got hit in the head you would most likely face your guilty child and tell him to apologize to his brother; right?
Does it really matter to you whether or not the book was aimed at the brother? No. What matters to you is the fact that the wrong action of the other child (whether intended or not) affected the welfare of his sibling.
This is how God feels when we commit unintended sins. Whether we intended it or not; our actions created problems for everyone. Our untended to sins keep the whole group of believers from being safe and secure. We still have sin in the camp; whether intended or not.
GOD SEES MORE AND BETTER THAN WE DO
So; yes it is true that God looks at the intentions of our hearts. He sees better than we do. If we had good intentions and did not realize our sins; God has already provided a way for us to be forgiven. If we are true believers and we want to always please our Father the right thing to do with sin (whether intended or unintended) is to confess and turn. For the Old Testament saints, there was the offering of imperfect sacrifices. For us today; there is the perfect Lamb of God and He is called Jesus.
NO PAGAN GOD COULD GIVE SALVATION, SANCTIFICATION OR ETERNAL LIFE
Again, the worship of The One True God is different from the worship of a pagan deity. Pagan practices were all over the land and God wanted His people to know the truth. In order to appease God’s justice for sin; atonement was necessary.
It is still true today. A sacrifice is always required for sin.
There is only One perfect sacrifice.
The false gods had no resurrection powers.
Whether in ancient times or in the present day; no pagan deity has ever died to atone for the sins of mankind.
No pagan deity ever provided a way to make a person clean before God in spite of their sins.
No pagan deity ever gave their blood as an atoning covering for sinners like you and me.
SALVATION CAN’T BE ACHIEVED BY YOUR OWN WORK
In the pagan world it is all about the person who is incapable striving to get better and better by works of themselves.
In the Christian world it is about God loving the incapable person so much that He died in their place.
In the pagan world everything comes through self-sacrifice and self-gratification.
In the Christian world everything comes through God and God alone. It is nothing that we do ourselves. It is only through the sacrifice that God has provided for us.
PAGAN RITUALS HOLD NO RESURRECTING POWER
All the Hindu spirits in the world can’t accomplish eternal life or salvation from sin.
All the demons from hell do not have enough power to atone for a man’s sins or to give him eternal life.
Buddha can’t achieve this for you either.
You certainly can’t achieve it for yourself; in case you are into self-idolatry.
Only One can achieve atonement for sins and eternal life and do it with perfection. That price was paid by Jesus Christ.
ONE SACRIFICE FOR ALL
The ancient people of God had to be very careful to make all of the right sacrifices.
For us living today; Christ has already provided the sacrifice; once for all.
For the Old Testament believers; they needed to bring an acceptable substitute to die in their place. The wages of sin is death. There is no way around the justice of God. Breaking a commandment is breaking a commandment, whether intentional or unintentional. The commandments are given for the good of the whole and we must act to provide safety and atonement for the whole. If we sin; we must confess. If the whole group sins as a whole together; whether intended or not; they must feel remorse and regret and confess and a sacrifice must be provided. It is the same pattern for a leader or a group of leaders and that is all spelled out by God right here in the fourth chapter of Leviticus.
All people from all walks of life and all levels of life are held accountable to God. All sin defiles us. All sins need cleansing. All sinners must be healed and redeemed by God’s grace and mercy and forgiveness.
So if you are living in sin today; whether intentional or unintentional; come to Jesus and confess.
He is faithful and true and He will give you life!