If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the Lord, and lie unto his neighbour in that which was delivered him to keep, or in fellowship, or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his neighbour; Or have found that which was lost, and lieth concerning it, and sweareth falsely; in any of all these that a man doeth, sinning therein: Then it shall be, because he hath sinned, and is guilty, that he shall restore that which he took violently away, or the thing which he hath deceitfully gotten, or that which was delivered him to keep, or the lost thing which he found, Or all that about which he hath sworn falsely; he shall even restore it in the principal, and shall add the fifth part more thereto, and give it unto him to whom it appertaineth, in the day of his trespass offering(Lev. 6:2-5).
As we discussed yesterday, the Book of Leviticus is invaluable to modern Christians in that it provides us with a detailed look at the Lord’s definitions of sin, guilt, and atonement. We already know that in God’s eyes, even the ‘least’ sin is enough to permanently separate us from His presence unless it has been covered by the blood of Christ. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all (James 2:10). But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin (I John 1:7). In Leviticus, we learn that while all sins are equal in regards to how they affect our relationship with Him, not all are the same. While some sins are personal, affecting only our lives and our relationship with God, others have an earthly victim as well. God’s Word makes it clear that, in these cases, we have a responsibility to the victim in addition to our obligation to God.
And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself (Matt. 22:39). Is it possible to love our neighbor and still repeatedly wrong them without apology or recompense? Of course it isn’t. Would we feel loved if we were on the receiving end of that type of behavior? When we commit an offense against another person, it is our responsibility to apologize and make amends. The compensatory actions required of us will vary from situation to situation, but in all cases, we will need to sincerely repent of our actions, offer a heartfelt apology, and commit ourselves to the process of rebuilding broken trust.
Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him (Luke 17:3-4). Christian love is well represented by the repentant sinner, but it also needs to be reflected in the attitude of the one who was wronged. When our neighbor approaches us with godly remorse, Jesus teaches that we have the responsibility to forgive them for the wrong done against us. In this way, God’s love flows freely, and the body of Christ is strengthened.
And Zacchæus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold(Luke 19:8).
Thought for Today: To judge the repentant is to reject God’s grace; we cannot follow the path if we are busy condemning those walking with us.
Christ Revealed:Through the body of the young bull which was burned without the camp (Lev. 4:12). This pictures Jesus as He suffered without the gate (Heb. 13:11-12).
Word Studies:4:20 an atonement = forgiven; 5:2 unclean = defiled as stated in the Law; 5:8 asunder = in two parts; 5:10 manner = law, ordinance.
Pray for Staff:Tifany Parisi • Government Official: Rep. Jack Bergman (MI), Sen.John Cornyn (TX), Sen.Katie Britt (AL) • Country: Romania (21,729,871) Southeastern Europe • Major Language: Romanian • Restricted Religious Freedom • 81.9% Eastern Orthodox; 6.4% Protestant; 4.3% Roman Catholic; 0.9% Other (Includes Muslim); 0.2% None/Atheist; 6.3% Unspecified • Prayer Suggestion: Seek the Lord in prayer, turn from your sinful ways, and God will have mercy and pardon for you (Is. 55:6-7).
Optional Reading Mark 5