Archive article 7
“The extraordinary gift of freedom from sin’s addictions”
One of the most unforgettable moments for every believer is the freedom from sin when he confesses his sin to the Lord. All the weight of secret sins and addictions is lifted! In its place there’s the joy of experiencing what God promised in Isaiah 4325
“I am He who blots our your transgressions
for my own sake and I will not remember your sins.”
Even I, after 50 years, can remember as though it was yesterday, the absolute explosion of happiness when, with childlike words I asked Jesus to wash me from my sin. I didn’t walk home from church that night – I ran, skipped and jumped with sheer joy!
It’s absolutely extraordinary to find, in the 4th and 5th chapters of the book of Leviticus the same passion in God to free us from our prisons of sin!
God’s words are so clear and unambiguous! Right at the beginning of the 4th chapter Moses is told to speak to the people;
“Say to the people of Israel, “
When any one sins unintentionally. . .he must bring to the Lord . . . as a sin offering” v2-3. Note:
He doesn’t go on with a list of ‘things-to-do-for-penance’!
He doesn’t continue ranting and raving about the damage caused by the sin!
He doesn’t even proceed to give a series of reparatory actions which will contribute to a better future!
The instructions are simple and show how the first intention of God is to clear everyone from the weight and burden of the guilt of their sin.
But when and how will this happen?
Obviously when the sinner becomes aware of his sin! And at the beginning of chapter 5 there is an indication of exactly what sin is. There are 3 examples.
- There’s someone who did not speak when he should have
- There’s someone who has done something God had forbidden
- There’s someone who exploded emotionally saying all kinds of things he should never have said.
Even if these are things that have happened in the normal ebb and flow of life where neighbours and family are involved, what has taken place is clearly also a sin against God. And the whole thrust of these two chapters is not about the measurement of sin but on what you must do when you become aware of it!
Sin dishonours everyone.
Take adultery for example. When it takes place, the man has dishonoured his himself thoughtlessly yet wilfully breaking the marriage covenant: the wife is tragically dishonoured by being betrayed: the children are dishonoured by the father’s breaking the loyalty which he should give to, and receive from his children: the woman involved is dishonoured because she’s not behaved as a lady but has been involved in selfish satisfactions which don’t respect her purity and role in society: and worst of all, God is dishonoured as His plans for creation have been totally disregarded and degraded.
The sacrifices illustrated in these two chapters show how God has provided a gracious way for forgiveness and purification to take place.
We do not have to stay locked in to our own sin with its addictive power.
Everyone can be free!
It may be, as the fourth chapter shows, the top religious man of the day. It may be a public leader (and, unfortunately, we have had many of them in recent weeks and months) or a common citizen, or the entire nation – no matter who it is, there is a way to come to God to ask for, and receive, forgiveness:
“…the priest will make atonement for the man’s sin, and he will be forgiven” 4
It’s quite moving, at this point, to see the kindness of God towards everyone. For the religious leader or the entire nation, God asks for a bull to be given (44), but at the other end of the social scale, the poorest of the poor is only asked to bring “. . . a tenth of an ephah of fine flour” (511). The poor is able to behave in the same way as the rich. The sacrifice is not just for the rich!
Everyone is asked to bring their sacrifice to be killed at the tabernacle where the blood, instead of being only sprinkled on the external altar (as in the first 3 chapters), is taken inside and sprinkled “. . .seven times before the Lord in front of the curtain of the sanctuary” (46). No one else can take his place. He cannot delegate his confession of sin to another. Everyone, to whose conscience sin becomes a central life matter, must come before God with his own offering. And when he does, the final declaration is absolute:
“. . . he will be forgiven”!
Isn’t this exactly what God has provided for us in Jesus Christ?
Isn’t this what the author to Hebrews was speaking about when he wrote:
“How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the Eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!” (Hebrews 914)
It’s extraordinary that God has given to us a way of confessing our sins to Him so that we might be totally free, our “consciences cleansed”!
Where else does that, or can that, happen in society? Nowhere!!
God graciously brings to our conscience the full weight of our disobedience and wilfulness and invites us to come humbly before Him in the name of Jesus Christ.
Here is freedom from our addictions – from a slavish habits which bind us to certain places,
behaviours and people.
What a magnificent gift we have in Jesus Christ. Let’s not take Him for granted ignoring him for other solutions which are both empty and vain.
Pastor Paul Finch
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