Date: Thursday, February 05, 2015
Chapters: Leviticus 16-18
Message Title: Be Holy
Hello My Friend,
Holy, when you think of that word, most people refer to it as something relating to God or sarcastic like, you think you are better than me, sarcastic. The word holy actually means proper, whole, entire or perfect, in a moral sense, meaning we are to be pure in heart and free from sinful or immoral actions that God disapproves of. Many people reject Christ because they do not want to live a holy lifestyle, and God is okay with that, He will not force Himself upon anyone, but He does expect His people to live a holy lifestyle. If we choose Him, we need to choose His holy lifestyle as well. “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” - 1 Peter 1:13-16.
Every year a special offering was to be made, it was called the Day of Atonement, and was the one day of the year that the high priest could make an atonement for the entire congregation for their sins of the past year. In addition to the daily sin, trespass, and peace offerings were two the offering of goats, one for God and one to be the scapegoat, the scapegoat took the blame and punishment for others.“And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat. Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering. He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on. And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering. And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat. And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD'S lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering. But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.” - Leviticus 16:2-5,8-10.
Since it was for the entire congregation Aaron, the high priest, in a sense, took on all their sins. Aaron had to put his hands on the scapegoat, placing all the sins of the people on that goat, he said a prayer and let the goat take off into the wilderness, taking all the peoples sins with it. This entire ceremony represents Jesus Christ, first, He is our high priest, the mediator between God and man. Second, He took every sin known to man to the cross when He became the sinless sacrifice, and third He became the scapegoat, which takes away all the sins of those who believe in Him. Jesus took the blame for all of us and died for all of our sins, only those who believe in Him will receive the atonement for their sins. “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” - Hebrews 9:24-28.
All of the cattle offered by the Israelites or a stranger among them, while in the wilderness, were to be presented before the door of the tabernacle, and the flesh wasto be returned to the offerer, to be eaten as a peace offering. God gave strict warnings against offering any of these animals just anywhere and to any god or the devil. “What man soever there be of the house of Israel, that killeth an ox, or lamb, or goat, in the camp, or that killeth it out of the camp, And bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer an offering unto the LORD before the tabernacle of the LORD; blood shall be imputed unto that man; he hath shed blood; and that man shall be cut off from among his people: To the end that the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices, which they offer in the open field, even that they may bring them unto the LORD, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest, and offer them for peace offerings unto the LORD. And the priest shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar of the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and burn the fat for a sweet savour unto the LORD. And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils, after whom they have gone a whoring. This shall be a statute for ever unto them throughout their generations.” - Leviticus 17:3-7.
Today, we no longer need to travel miles to a particular place in order to make an atonement with God, and give our offerings to Him. The spiritual sacrifices we are now to offer, are not confined to any one place, they exist and rest in one person, Jesus Christ. He is our Altar, and the true Tabernacle, in which God dwells, and is now among all who believe in Him. It is in Christ that our spiritual sacrifices are acceptable to God, and only in Him. To set up mediators, altars, or sacrifices to other gods or idols is to set them up to the devil, there is only one God, and He is only found through Christ. Trying to get to God any other way will result in a one way ticket to hell, and the lake of fire. “He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” - Revelation 21:7,8.
While all sin separates us from God, some are an abomination to Him, the most disgusting to Him are the ones committed of the flesh. While all sin has the same effect on God, He despises it, sins of the flesh destroy the body, therefore, he will have none of His people sinning against their bodies. God commanded the Israelites, and anyone else among them to abstain from all lusts of the flesh. “Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you: And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants. Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you: (For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled;) That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you. For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people. Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the LORD your God.” - Leviticus 18:24-30.
We think that what we see going around the world is something new, it is not new to God. There is not one thing in this life that God has not seen already over the centuries, this includes every immoral act of the flesh such as fornication (sex without marriage), adultery, incest, bestiality, homosexuality, and even bringing immorality into the marriage bed. We are children of God, that means that we are to start acting like it and not do the things that we see or have done while we were in the world. Yes, we may have done some things that we were ignorant to, but that does not give us an excuse to do them now. “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” - Galatians 5:13,16,17,24,25.
Today's Prayer: God, Thank You for Your indwelling Spirit that replaces my sinful nature with a spiritual one. Lord, teach me Your ways, and let me not be hard hearted to receive them. As I walk in Your ways year after year, I am aware of sins that separate me from You. Help me to remove all the sin that keeps me from receiving the blessings You have for me, and give m the strength to walk in the Spirit and not my flesh. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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Thursday, February 5, 2015
Monday, February 2, 2015
The Mercies Of God
Date: Monday, February 02, 2015
Chapters: Leviticus 7-9
Message Title: The Mercies Of God
Hello My Friend,
Have you ever stopped to think about how powerful the things are that we cannot see? For instance, the wind, you cannot see it coming, but when it does, you can sure feel it, it can be pleasant or quite dangerous. Oxygen, you cannot see it either, but it is what we breathe to keep us alive. Electricity, it is perhaps one of the most dangerous elements that God has created, it's all around us, and unless you see a lightening bolt you cannot see it, touch it, and it can kill you. Now, imagine how powerful God is, we cannot see Him, but He, in fact, made all these things, and controls every bit of these elements. Talk about power! God's power is awesome, He uses it on every one of us, and depending on our walk with Him that can be pleasant or quite dangerous. While God is endless in His mercy, he will only give that mercy to those He chooses. “What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.” - Romans 9:14-16.
In continuation of God explaining the sacrifices and how the priests were to perform them, God gives more detail into the peace offering. Peace offerings were offered for one of three reasons, to give thanks for some special mercy received, to perform a vow made in distress, or to ask for special mercy. Unlike sin offerings, peace offerings could be consumed, God stresses the importance not eating any of the fat or blood. “Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Ye shall eat no manner of fat, of ox, or of sheep, or of goat. And the fat of the beast that dieth of itself, and the fat of that which is torn with beasts, may be used in any other use: but ye shall in no wise eat of it. For whosoever eateth the fat of the beast, of which men offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, even the soul that eateth it shall be cut off from his people. Moreover ye shall eat no manner of blood, whether it be of fowl or of beast, in any of your dwellings. Whatsoever soul it be that eateth any manner of blood, even that soul shall be cut off from his people.” - Leviticus 7:23-27.
The exclusion of fat was to preserve in their minds a reverence for God's altar, on which the fat of the inwards was to be burnt. The fat was offered to God only by way of acknowledgment, but the blood made an atonement for the soul, and since life comes from blood, consumption of it was forbidden at any time. The soul shall be cut off meaning, they would not be able to communicate with God until they sought forgiveness and repented of what they had done. Blood has always been required for the atonement of the soul, but the blood of these animals could not permanently redeem a soul, it was and always has been a foreshadow of Christ, who would offer Himself without blemish, to make atonement for the soul once and for all. “For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” - Hebrews 10:1,4-6,10.
God commands Moses to consecrate Aaron and his sons in order for them to be able to accept the sacrifices, it was at this time that they would be ordained into the office of priests. “And Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and washed them with water. And he put upon him the coat, and girded him with the girdle, and clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod upon him, and he girded him with the curious girdle of the ephod, and bound it unto him therewith. And he put the breastplate upon him: also he put in the breastplate the Urim and the Thummim. And he put the mitre upon his head; also upon the mitre, even upon his forefront, did he put the golden plate, the holy crown; as the LORD commanded Moses. And Moses took the anointing oil, and anointed the tabernacle and all that was therein, and sanctified them.” - Leviticus 8:6-10.
When Aaron committed the vile act of creating the golden calf for the Israelites to worship, God could have easily destroyed him in an instant, but He had mercy on him, and still used him to be the first high priest who would minister to the people and receive their offerings for God. God's mercy endures upon those who are His, and while we may have to face some chastening for our sins, He will still use us, and all will be used for His glory. “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.” - Hebrews 12:11-13.
Before the priests could even stand before God they had to be consecrated, cleansed of all their sins, and separated from any outside influence, which was a seven day process. On the eighth day, the first sin, meat, and peace offerings for the congregation were made to God. “And it came to pass on the eighth day, that Moses called Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel; And he said unto Aaron, Take thee a young calf for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering, without blemish, and offer them before the LORD. And unto the children of Israel thou shalt speak, saying, Take ye a kid of the goats for a sin offering; and a calf and a lamb, both of the first year, without blemish, for a burnt offering; Also a bullock and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before the LORD; and a meat offering mingled with oil: for to day the LORD will appear unto you. And Aaron lifted up his hand toward the people, and blessed them, and came down from offering of the sin offering, and the burnt offering, and peace offerings. And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the people. And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.” - Leviticus 9:1-4,22-24.
The glory of the Lord, the fire that came down from heaven and devoured the sacrifices, it was so powerful that the people fell on their knees in fear. There is no greater way to redeem someone than fear, many of us get saved and have no desire to serve God until we see the glory of the Lord. As powerful as God is, He has no power to force us to choose Him. Regardless of whether or not we choose Him, every knee will bow and will have to give an account for the things we have done. “For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” - Romans 14:11,12.
Today's Prayer: God, I thank You for Your mercy, it truly does not end for those who love You. Lord, lead me and guide me, keep me looking to You so I do not get swayed by outside influences just eager to get me away from You. I know that You could easily cast us away for disobeying You, but Your promise to never leave nor forsake us still stands for all who put their faith and trust in Your Son. Give me Your power, wisdom, and strength to endure temptation, and get through this day to glorify You. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Learn How To Get Saved: God's Price
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Copyright © 2015 I'm Following Jesus, All rights reserved.
Chapters: Leviticus 7-9
Message Title: The Mercies Of God
Hello My Friend,
Have you ever stopped to think about how powerful the things are that we cannot see? For instance, the wind, you cannot see it coming, but when it does, you can sure feel it, it can be pleasant or quite dangerous. Oxygen, you cannot see it either, but it is what we breathe to keep us alive. Electricity, it is perhaps one of the most dangerous elements that God has created, it's all around us, and unless you see a lightening bolt you cannot see it, touch it, and it can kill you. Now, imagine how powerful God is, we cannot see Him, but He, in fact, made all these things, and controls every bit of these elements. Talk about power! God's power is awesome, He uses it on every one of us, and depending on our walk with Him that can be pleasant or quite dangerous. While God is endless in His mercy, he will only give that mercy to those He chooses. “What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.” - Romans 9:14-16.
In continuation of God explaining the sacrifices and how the priests were to perform them, God gives more detail into the peace offering. Peace offerings were offered for one of three reasons, to give thanks for some special mercy received, to perform a vow made in distress, or to ask for special mercy. Unlike sin offerings, peace offerings could be consumed, God stresses the importance not eating any of the fat or blood. “Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Ye shall eat no manner of fat, of ox, or of sheep, or of goat. And the fat of the beast that dieth of itself, and the fat of that which is torn with beasts, may be used in any other use: but ye shall in no wise eat of it. For whosoever eateth the fat of the beast, of which men offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, even the soul that eateth it shall be cut off from his people. Moreover ye shall eat no manner of blood, whether it be of fowl or of beast, in any of your dwellings. Whatsoever soul it be that eateth any manner of blood, even that soul shall be cut off from his people.” - Leviticus 7:23-27.
The exclusion of fat was to preserve in their minds a reverence for God's altar, on which the fat of the inwards was to be burnt. The fat was offered to God only by way of acknowledgment, but the blood made an atonement for the soul, and since life comes from blood, consumption of it was forbidden at any time. The soul shall be cut off meaning, they would not be able to communicate with God until they sought forgiveness and repented of what they had done. Blood has always been required for the atonement of the soul, but the blood of these animals could not permanently redeem a soul, it was and always has been a foreshadow of Christ, who would offer Himself without blemish, to make atonement for the soul once and for all. “For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” - Hebrews 10:1,4-6,10.
God commands Moses to consecrate Aaron and his sons in order for them to be able to accept the sacrifices, it was at this time that they would be ordained into the office of priests. “And Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and washed them with water. And he put upon him the coat, and girded him with the girdle, and clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod upon him, and he girded him with the curious girdle of the ephod, and bound it unto him therewith. And he put the breastplate upon him: also he put in the breastplate the Urim and the Thummim. And he put the mitre upon his head; also upon the mitre, even upon his forefront, did he put the golden plate, the holy crown; as the LORD commanded Moses. And Moses took the anointing oil, and anointed the tabernacle and all that was therein, and sanctified them.” - Leviticus 8:6-10.
When Aaron committed the vile act of creating the golden calf for the Israelites to worship, God could have easily destroyed him in an instant, but He had mercy on him, and still used him to be the first high priest who would minister to the people and receive their offerings for God. God's mercy endures upon those who are His, and while we may have to face some chastening for our sins, He will still use us, and all will be used for His glory. “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.” - Hebrews 12:11-13.
Before the priests could even stand before God they had to be consecrated, cleansed of all their sins, and separated from any outside influence, which was a seven day process. On the eighth day, the first sin, meat, and peace offerings for the congregation were made to God. “And it came to pass on the eighth day, that Moses called Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel; And he said unto Aaron, Take thee a young calf for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering, without blemish, and offer them before the LORD. And unto the children of Israel thou shalt speak, saying, Take ye a kid of the goats for a sin offering; and a calf and a lamb, both of the first year, without blemish, for a burnt offering; Also a bullock and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before the LORD; and a meat offering mingled with oil: for to day the LORD will appear unto you. And Aaron lifted up his hand toward the people, and blessed them, and came down from offering of the sin offering, and the burnt offering, and peace offerings. And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the people. And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.” - Leviticus 9:1-4,22-24.
The glory of the Lord, the fire that came down from heaven and devoured the sacrifices, it was so powerful that the people fell on their knees in fear. There is no greater way to redeem someone than fear, many of us get saved and have no desire to serve God until we see the glory of the Lord. As powerful as God is, He has no power to force us to choose Him. Regardless of whether or not we choose Him, every knee will bow and will have to give an account for the things we have done. “For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” - Romans 14:11,12.
Today's Prayer: God, I thank You for Your mercy, it truly does not end for those who love You. Lord, lead me and guide me, keep me looking to You so I do not get swayed by outside influences just eager to get me away from You. I know that You could easily cast us away for disobeying You, but Your promise to never leave nor forsake us still stands for all who put their faith and trust in Your Son. Give me Your power, wisdom, and strength to endure temptation, and get through this day to glorify You. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Learn How To Get Saved: God's Price
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Copyright © 2015 I'm Following Jesus, All rights reserved.
Ignorance Is Not Bliss
Date: Sunday, February 01, 2015
Chapters: Leviticus 4-6
Message Title: Ignorance Is Not Bliss
Hello My Friend,
Ignorance, it's not something that any of us care to admit, but the truth is, we are all ignorant to many things. Ignorance does not mean that we are stupid, it just means that we did not know something. So many people reject Christ because they do not believe that they are sinners, and thanks to a world that endorses the very things that God is against, they are ignorant to that fact.In fact, we are all guilty of being ignorant to doing something we thought was right, but just because we do something out of ignorance that does not mean we do not face the consequences of it either. We who know Christ know better, we may come to the knowledge of something a little later as we grow in Christ, but once we know of it, we need to do whats right because knowing and doing comes with it own consequences. “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” - 1 Peter 1:13-16.
In the last three chapters God gave the required offerings needed for a soul to be able to fellowship with Him. Now, He gives the actual instructions on how the anointed priest was to accept and prepare the sin offering. All of these sin offerings pertain to a soul that sinner out or ignorance. “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a soul shall sin through ignorance against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which ought not to be done, and shall do against any of them: If the priest that is anointed do sin according to the sin of the people; then let him bring for his sin, which he hath sinned, a young bullock without blemish unto the LORD for a sin offering. And if the whole congregation of Israel sin through ignorance, and the thing be hid from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done somewhat against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which should not be done, and are guilty; When the sin, which they have sinned against it, is known, then the congregation shall offer a young bullock for the sin, and bring him before the tabernacle of the congregation. And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands upon the head of the bullock before the LORD: and the bullock shall be killed before the LORD.” - Leviticus 4:1-3,13-15.
If any soul shall do what God is against, or has not done as He has commanded through ignorance, as soon as it comes to knowledge, they need to seek forgiveness, and do what's right. Ignorance is not an excuse for sin, once we learn of it as sin, we need to admit it and do what's right. No soul is saved through ignorance either, but a soul is saved by doing what's right. “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.” - Acts 17:30,31.
While God allowed a sin sacrifice daily for the congregation through ignorance, there was another sin offering required individually, this was known as a trespass offering, Trespass offerings were offerings given for specific sins, something that they knowingly knew they did. Now, if a person knowingly sinned, meaning they were not ignorant to what they were doing, they would be subject to some major affliction until they admitted their sin before God. “And if a soul sin, and hear the voice of swearing, and is a witness, whether he hath seen or known of it; if he do not utter it, then he shall bear his iniquity. Or if a soul touch any unclean thing, whether it be a carcase of an unclean beast, or a carcase of unclean cattle, or the carcase of unclean creeping things, and if it be hidden from him; he also shall be unclean, and guilty. Or if he touch the uncleanness of man, whatsoever uncleanness it be that a man shall be defiled withal, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty. Or if a soul swear, pronouncing with his lips to do evil, or to do good, whatsoever it be that a man shall pronounce with an oath, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty in one of these. And it shall be, when he shall be guilty in one of these things, that he shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing:” - Leviticus 5:1-5.
Admittance and confession of sin is the only way not only get right with God, but ourselves and others as well. If we are living in sin, whether ignorantly or knowingly, everyone around us is affected. Until we come clean, it only gets worse, just like any parent, the punishment is less severe when we admit what we did to our Father. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” - 1 John 1:9.
Now God gives the instruction on how the anointed priest was to accept and prepare the trespass offering, “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, And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD, a ram without blemish out of the flock, with thy estimation, for a trespass offering, unto the priest: And the priest shall make an atonement for him before the LORD: and it shall be forgiven him for any thing of all that he hath done in trespassing therein.” - Leviticus 6:2-4,6,7.
The three trespasses here mentioned, lying, swearing, and stealing, are still trespasses against the law of Christ today, which come with the same consequences as when the law of Moses had been broken. God mentions the three most common sins that people do ignorantly, they are not what we see as something that is sinful, even many Christians do it ignorantly all the time. Sin is still sin to God, and comes with the same consequence, the only way to be redeemed of any sin is by confession and repentance, which means stop doing it. “Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” - Revelation 3:2,3,19,20.
There is no difference between sin committed ignorantly or knowingly, it is all sin and cause for redemption. If we think we have no sin it would be wise that we go before God and ask Him to reveal any hidden sin so that nothing unexpected will come at us. “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” - Psalm 139:23,24. If a saved soul continues to live in sin with the attitude that, “No matter what I do I am saved so, I am going to do it anyway”, he will suffer more and more until he repents. “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” - 2 Peter 3:9.
Today's Prayer: God, I know that I am a sinner saved by Your grace because I am simply believing in and trusting Your Son, Jesus to save me from hell and the lake of fire. As a child of God I know there are sacrifices that You ask of me, most especially to follow You and obey You no matter the cost. I can’t do this in my own strength, but I know I can do them in Christ's. Circumstances will test me, but I know I can overcome them with Your Son. I am determined to remain faithful to You so that my faith will grow and my Christian walk will be strengthened. I will not be ashamed, but rather glory in the amazing transformation You are making in me as I learn Your law and obey it right away. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Learn How To Get Saved: God's Price
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Chapters: Leviticus 4-6
Message Title: Ignorance Is Not Bliss
Hello My Friend,
Ignorance, it's not something that any of us care to admit, but the truth is, we are all ignorant to many things. Ignorance does not mean that we are stupid, it just means that we did not know something. So many people reject Christ because they do not believe that they are sinners, and thanks to a world that endorses the very things that God is against, they are ignorant to that fact.In fact, we are all guilty of being ignorant to doing something we thought was right, but just because we do something out of ignorance that does not mean we do not face the consequences of it either. We who know Christ know better, we may come to the knowledge of something a little later as we grow in Christ, but once we know of it, we need to do whats right because knowing and doing comes with it own consequences. “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” - 1 Peter 1:13-16.
In the last three chapters God gave the required offerings needed for a soul to be able to fellowship with Him. Now, He gives the actual instructions on how the anointed priest was to accept and prepare the sin offering. All of these sin offerings pertain to a soul that sinner out or ignorance. “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a soul shall sin through ignorance against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which ought not to be done, and shall do against any of them: If the priest that is anointed do sin according to the sin of the people; then let him bring for his sin, which he hath sinned, a young bullock without blemish unto the LORD for a sin offering. And if the whole congregation of Israel sin through ignorance, and the thing be hid from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done somewhat against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which should not be done, and are guilty; When the sin, which they have sinned against it, is known, then the congregation shall offer a young bullock for the sin, and bring him before the tabernacle of the congregation. And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands upon the head of the bullock before the LORD: and the bullock shall be killed before the LORD.” - Leviticus 4:1-3,13-15.
If any soul shall do what God is against, or has not done as He has commanded through ignorance, as soon as it comes to knowledge, they need to seek forgiveness, and do what's right. Ignorance is not an excuse for sin, once we learn of it as sin, we need to admit it and do what's right. No soul is saved through ignorance either, but a soul is saved by doing what's right. “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.” - Acts 17:30,31.
While God allowed a sin sacrifice daily for the congregation through ignorance, there was another sin offering required individually, this was known as a trespass offering, Trespass offerings were offerings given for specific sins, something that they knowingly knew they did. Now, if a person knowingly sinned, meaning they were not ignorant to what they were doing, they would be subject to some major affliction until they admitted their sin before God. “And if a soul sin, and hear the voice of swearing, and is a witness, whether he hath seen or known of it; if he do not utter it, then he shall bear his iniquity. Or if a soul touch any unclean thing, whether it be a carcase of an unclean beast, or a carcase of unclean cattle, or the carcase of unclean creeping things, and if it be hidden from him; he also shall be unclean, and guilty. Or if he touch the uncleanness of man, whatsoever uncleanness it be that a man shall be defiled withal, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty. Or if a soul swear, pronouncing with his lips to do evil, or to do good, whatsoever it be that a man shall pronounce with an oath, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty in one of these. And it shall be, when he shall be guilty in one of these things, that he shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing:” - Leviticus 5:1-5.
Admittance and confession of sin is the only way not only get right with God, but ourselves and others as well. If we are living in sin, whether ignorantly or knowingly, everyone around us is affected. Until we come clean, it only gets worse, just like any parent, the punishment is less severe when we admit what we did to our Father. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” - 1 John 1:9.
Now God gives the instruction on how the anointed priest was to accept and prepare the trespass offering, “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, And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD, a ram without blemish out of the flock, with thy estimation, for a trespass offering, unto the priest: And the priest shall make an atonement for him before the LORD: and it shall be forgiven him for any thing of all that he hath done in trespassing therein.” - Leviticus 6:2-4,6,7.
The three trespasses here mentioned, lying, swearing, and stealing, are still trespasses against the law of Christ today, which come with the same consequences as when the law of Moses had been broken. God mentions the three most common sins that people do ignorantly, they are not what we see as something that is sinful, even many Christians do it ignorantly all the time. Sin is still sin to God, and comes with the same consequence, the only way to be redeemed of any sin is by confession and repentance, which means stop doing it. “Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” - Revelation 3:2,3,19,20.
There is no difference between sin committed ignorantly or knowingly, it is all sin and cause for redemption. If we think we have no sin it would be wise that we go before God and ask Him to reveal any hidden sin so that nothing unexpected will come at us. “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” - Psalm 139:23,24. If a saved soul continues to live in sin with the attitude that, “No matter what I do I am saved so, I am going to do it anyway”, he will suffer more and more until he repents. “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” - 2 Peter 3:9.
Today's Prayer: God, I know that I am a sinner saved by Your grace because I am simply believing in and trusting Your Son, Jesus to save me from hell and the lake of fire. As a child of God I know there are sacrifices that You ask of me, most especially to follow You and obey You no matter the cost. I can’t do this in my own strength, but I know I can do them in Christ's. Circumstances will test me, but I know I can overcome them with Your Son. I am determined to remain faithful to You so that my faith will grow and my Christian walk will be strengthened. I will not be ashamed, but rather glory in the amazing transformation You are making in me as I learn Your law and obey it right away. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Learn How To Get Saved: God's Price
Visit Our Website: I'm Following Jesus
Like Us On Facebook: I'm Following Jesus
Copyright © 2015 I'm Following Jesus, All rights reserved.
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