forgive

Oops!

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Leviticus 4:2
“Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If a person sins unintentionally against any of the commandments of The Lord…'”

IMG_1481Leviticus 4 addresses unintentional sins. The word unintentional means, “not being done on purpose; accidental or unwittingly”. Whether these sins are committed by the people, the leaders, or the congregation as a whole, Moses gives instructions for how forgiveness will be received. This forgiveness involved two primary factors. First, once they became aware of their sin, the people were responsible to bring an offering to the altar. Second, they were to lay their hands on the offering as an admission of their guilt. We can learn something about our reaction to sin from these offerings.

First, we no longer live under the Old Covenant. On the night before His death, Jesus established a New Covenant based upon His death, rather than a system of daily offerings. As a result, we do not need to bring an offering every time we become aware of our sins. Instead, we simply look back to the cross and once again become aware of the blood of Christ which was shed once, to forever remove the guilt and penalty of sin.

Second, while we do not need to bring an animal to the temple, we do need to take responsibility for our sin. Just as the Israelite placed his hand on the offering to show he had violated the law of God, so we must take responsibility for our actions. The New Testament word for confession is one that means to agree with. To confess is not to make excuses, blame others, or justify our actions. To confess is to agree with God that sin is sin. Once we take responsibility for what we have done wrong, we can begin the process of having that behavior removed from our lives.

Psalms 139:23-24
“Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
And see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Pastor Jim

 

Hitting Rock Bottom

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Exodus 17:7
“So he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’”

IMG_1418When the sojourning camp of Israel reached Rephidim, they were horrified to discover there was no water. There are many things in life we view as necessities, which are actually comforts; water is not one of them. A person can survive in difficult desert conditions for about three days without water. Their situation was grave, to say the least. This truly could have been the end for Israel. As the people assessed the problem, the only solution they could come up with was to return to Egypt. They knew if water was not discovered quickly, they would certainly perish.

When Moses heard their complaint, he immediately sought counsel from the Lord. After crying out to God, he received a remarkable promise. If he would take his rod and strike a rock, water would be provided for the people. Rather than relying upon the science that a rock is more dense than a stick, and if rock hits stick, the stick will break, Moses chose to trust in the word of God and strike the rock. Miraculously, water began to gush forth, and Israel lived to see another day.

After the events had been accomplished, Moses decided to name the area. Whatever this particular site had been known as before, it would now have a different name. Reflecting on the events, many names would be applicable; he could have called it “Miracle Water,” “Where the Rock Struck,” “Provision from God,” “Watering Hole”; truly the possibilities seem endless. I am struck by he name Moses chose;

“So he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah”

Massah means tempted and Miribah means contention. Of all the things Moses chose to take away from the events of this day, he thought they should remember the contention of the people, rather than the amazing work of the Lord. This is a dangerous and costly way to live. We will read, some thirty-eight years later,  Moses will once again find himself with the people, and without sufficient water. The seeds of his hostility toward the people which were planted here, will get the best of him, and he will strike another rock in anger, costing him his position as leader of the nation.

Whatever situation in life we are facing, there is always more than one perspective. If we choose to look through the eyes of doubt, bitterness, anger, fear or frustration, we will walk away with seeds that will produce the same kind of fruit later. On the other hand, if we choose to look for the hand of God in the midst of our struggles, we will have our faith strengthened and be more conditioned to face the next difficulty life throws our way.

Moses was a great man who served the Lord in tremendous ways, but here he chose to look at things from the wrong perspective. Let’s learn from his example.

Pastor Jim

 

Free Pass

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Exodus 12:13
“…when I see the blood, I will pass over you…”

IMG_1406There are many pictures of Christ portrayed in the Old Testament narrative. We see Him as the offering of Abraham on Mount Moriah, the Angel wrestling with Jacob, the Captain of the Lord’s armies in Joshua, and on and on. One of the clearest pictures, is found here in Exodus. We see Jesus as the Passover Lamb. Paul, writing to the Corinthians put it like this,

“Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.” 1 Corinthians 5:7

We see some of the most important aspects of our relationship with Christ illustrated in the Passover story.

Like Israel, who was in severe bondag under a harsh task master, and facing the threat of death, we are in bondage to sin and death. All other plagues, which represented natural events and Egyptian gods, were unable to deliver Israel. It was only through the shed blood of the Lamb of God that deliverance could be found. In the same way, Scripture declares boldly and consistently, there is NO salvation apart from faith in Christ. If a person wanted to be delivered from the curse, they must hide under the blood of the lamb. As exclusive as the offer of deliverance was, it was made openly to all of Egypt. All Israel, and anyone in Egypt, could have obeyed the message from Moses and been delivered from the curse.

Israel was instructed to eat the meal with their shoes on. It seems God wanted them ready to walk, once they had partaken of the Lamb. This walk included getting all the leaven out of the house. As the years passed, they would commemorate this event by removing leaven from their homes for a week after Passover. Leaven is used in Scripture to illustrate sin. Once a person comes to Christ, it is time to take inventory of life, and remove anything that is not pleasing to God. It wasn’t cleaning up their lives that delivered them, but once delivered, it was time to clean house.

The Passover changed the calendar year for Israel. From now on, their year would start with this event. It became the beginning of months for them. The same is true of all who put trust in Christ. No matter what our past holds, we become a new creation, once we respond to Christ. ALL old things pass away and ALL things become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). We no longer have to live with the guilt, fear, disappointment, weight, or baggage of the past. All has been washed in the blood of the Lamb, and we can press toward the goal of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14).

Will you make Christ your Passover? Will you partake of the Lamb whose blood was shed for you? His blood was spilled so your sins could be washed, and you could be made right with God. Partake of Him today.

Pastor Jim

 

Busted

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Genesis 38:24
“And it came to pass, about three months after, that Judah was told, saying, ‘Tamar your daughter-in-law has played the harlot; furthermore she is with child by harlotry.’ So Judah said, ‘Bring her out and let her be burned!’”

2015/01/img_1350.jpgOur sin always looks worse on someone else.

Judah, after the death of his wife, and in the loneliness of that condition, stumbled in his walk with God, committing fornication with a young woman. While we do not read of his reaction to this, it is highly likely he was ashamed, and at least somewhat remorseful. I can imagine he confessed his failure, and may have even made offerings to God.  A few short months after this  incident, Judah got word that Tamar, his widowed daughter-in-law, was pregnant outside of marriage. The same sin he had committed, had been engaged in by Tamar. Whatever his response to his own sin was we cannot be sure, but we do know how he responded to her’s. He was furious, and wanted her to receive the harshest judgment the law would allow.

It seems to me, this is an all too common reaction towards sin. We take the harshest stand we can against the sin of others, and expect the fullest extent of mercy for ourselves. It might do us well to consider what Jesus said regarding our sin and that of others. He declared;

Matthew 7:5
“Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

Jesus declared, while we should not ignore sins committed by others, we must always take the time to look inward, before we go on a campaign against the sins of others. One of the tragedies of the church is having people rally for causes, while neglecting their own walk with God. Paul gave this simple, yet very helpful, instruction for dealing with the faults in others,

Galatians 6:1
“Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.”

Pastor Jim

 

Let It Go

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Matthew 18:21
“Then Peter came to Him and said, ‘Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?’”

2015/01/img_1347.jpgI think Peter had a little more insight into the mind of God than he gets credit for. In the passage leading up to this, Jesus spoke regarding confronting those who are in sin. He spoke of going to a sinning brother, bringing others and going a second time, then telling the church of his sin, and finally treating the unrepentant as you would an unbeliever (which of course means that you want to do all you can to win them back to Christ). It is in response to this that Peter asks regarding forgiveness.

Not all sins are to be confronted. When a believer is committing a sin that endangers their relationship with God, we must do all that is available to us to warn them, instruct them, and win them back to Christ; but not all sin is like that. Some sins are what we might call the sins of humanity. They are sins that manifest themselves in things like forgetfulness, or being inconsiderate, or even unkind. We might also call these relational sins. Those are not the sins that need to be confronted, but forgiven. Many of us have had a well-intentioned believer come to us, quote Matthew 18 about confronting sin, then proceed to tell us of the recent times when we disappointed them by neglecting to call, seeming to ignore them, or sitting in a different location at church. I want to suggest that those are not sins to confront, but to forgive.

Forgiveness is really the key to relationships within the body. The longer we walk with Jesus, the more we will find that even the Christians we admire most will do things to let us down or hurt our feelings. If we carry those things around, not only are we disobeying Jesus’ example and command to forgive, but we are also carrying around weight that will slow us down in our Christian progress.  It will work like a poison, turning us from a sweet and fruitful tree that draws others to Christ, into a bitter root that others avoid.

Perhaps now would be a good time to examine your heart. Are you bearing a grudge? Is there anyone you are not forgiving? Is there anyone who you would like to see in debtor’s prison?

Paul said, “Forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you.”  Ephesians 4:32

Look at the debt which you have been forgiven, and forgive!

Pastor Jim

 

Face Of God

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Genesis 33:10
“And Jacob said, ‘No, please, if I have now found favor in your sight, then receive my present from my hand, inasmuch as I have seen your face as though I had seen the face of God, and you were pleased with me.’”

2015/01/img_1341.jpgI am sure we have all been complimented, at one time or another, for how we looked, or what we were wearing. Of all the compliments I have received, none has been quite like what Jacob said to Esau. After not seeing his brother for 20 years, Jacob said, “you look a lot like God.” Jacob is not saying God is a six foot tall man with red hair, but that the actions of Esau were, in some way, reflective of the character of God. What was Esau doing that was so godlike?

The answer is forgiveness. After being deceived time and time again by his brother, Esau finally resolved to let it go. He was no longer haunted by his hurt, anger, or bitterness, but had freed himself by letting it go. Instead of bringing an army to attack Jacob, he brought a welcoming committee, and extended an arm in forgiveness.

Sadly, many of us carry around a heavy weight of unforgiveness, not realizing it is like a poison that pollutes our joy. We think ourselves justified in holding a grudge, instead of looking at the cross and realizing, we too, are guilty of the most heinous sins. Instead of harboring bitterness and hurt, it is time we reflect the face of God, and forgive those who have wronged us.

Pastor Jim

 

Unforgivable

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Matthew 12:31-32
“Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.”

2015/01/img_1323.jpgThere are some verses in Scripture that are more difficult to understand than others. Satan, who is a master of manipulating the Word of God, (he did it in the garden to Eve and in the wilderness to Jesus) uses this verse to confuse, discourage and frighten believers. Because of the severity of the warning in this passage, it is of utmost importance that we understand what Jesus is saying.

First of all, we know Jesus came to forgive sin. We see in Scripture, those guilty of heinous sins being pardon by Christ. We know Matthew, as a tax collector, was guilty of theft and corruption. Simon the Zealot, no doubt, broke the law in his campaigns against Rome. Paul was guilty of murder. Mary Magdalene, of adultery, and the list goes on and on. We even find a man sentenced to death, receiving pardon for sin during his execution. So we understand ALL sin can be forgiven.

Second, “blasphemy” is the translation of a Greek word meaning, “to speak evil against.” And if we are honest, we will admit we have all been guilty of speaking evil against God. Maybe in a moment of anger, or perhaps like Job, in a time of great despair, or even as the punch line to a joke, whatever the case, we all have been guilty of speaking evil against God. Is Jesus saying we cannot be forgiven? Take a look at the words of Paul the apostle,

“. . . although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.” (1Timothy 1:13-14)

Paul admits he had been guilty of blasphemy and yet received pardon from the Lord.

Finally, the key to understanding what Jesus is speaking about, is to look more carefully at the blasphemer to whom He refers. Notice He calls it “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.” The work of Christ in the world was primarily to provide a ransom for the sins of mankind. The work of the Holy Spirit is primarily to lead people to Christ to receive that pardon. If a person rejects the work of the Holy Spirit by refusing to accept Jesus Christ, they have no remedy for their sin. That is why it is unforgivable. Any person who receives Christ will be forgiven any sin they have committed past, present and future. The key is to receive Christ.

If you would like to accept the forgiveness Jesus offers, pray now:

“Lord Jesus, I am a sinner and I ask you to forgive me of my sin, I ask you to come into my life and help me to follow after you.”

If you prayed that today, contact us today at prayer@ccvb.net

Pastor Jim

 

Who Is Mr. Clean

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Proverbs 20:9
“Who can say, ‘I have made my heart clean,
I am pure from my sin?’”

IMG_1236.JPGSin is a plague that has infected every man. As Paul explained to the Romans, it was by one man (Adam) that sin entered the world, but that sin spread to all men because all have sinned (Romans 5:12). David, looking out at the world, and looking in at his own heart, declared, there were none righteous, not even one (Psalm 53:3). Most of us are familiar with the story of the woman who was caught in an adulterous relationship and brought before Jesus. After hearing the charges brought against her by her accusers, Jesus responded by inviting those in the crowd who were without sin, to throw the first stone. One by one her accusers dropped the rocks and departed, for they were all sinners (John 8:3-4). The truth that we have all sinned, makes Solomon’s question all the more striking. Is it possible for anyone to proclaim that their heart is clean, and they are pure of all sin? Scripture boldly declares that it is.

When Jesus hung on that rugged cross, He bore the penalty for all sin, and shed His blood to provide atonement. It is at the cross where the sinner can be cleansed of all sin. No matter how deeply we may have been submerged under the weight of sin, it is at the cross where the weight is removed and we are washed and forgiven. David rejoiced over the blessedness that comes with the forgiveness of sin when he declared,

Psalms 32:1-2
“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit.”

Forgiveness and cleansing from all sin, can be found at the cross. No matter who we are, or what sin we are bound by, when we come to the cross, the blood of Jesus washes us white as snow, and we are forgiven. It is then, and only then, that we can proclaim, “I have made my heart clean, I am pure of all sin.” Sadly, many make the mistake of ignoring, justifying or explaining away sin, rather than coming to the source of cleansing. We are not made clean by our own declaration, but by receiving the One who washes sin away.

Will you come to the cross today? Will you confess your sin, and allow His blood to wash you clean? If so, then you can declare, “I am pure from my sin.”

Pastor Jim