February 8

I find the concept of unintentional sin intriguing. How do you sin unintentionally? "I'm so sorry, I really had no idea that money I stole from the safe didn't belong to me." Oh come on! And if we give ourselves to a careful reading of the Old Testament, we find that there was no ritual sacrifice for anything intentional. Every intentional sin was only punishable by death. Once we grasp this standard, we realize the magnitude of our desperate need for Christ's sacrifice on our behalf. As Leviticus 4:22 reads, we are still guilty for unintentional missteps and most certainly guilty for willful disobedience. In either circumstance, a life must be taken to atone for the sin, either a sacrifice for ignorance or death to the malefactor for rejecting God's commands. The verdict, we are all guilty.

So back to unintentional sin. The book James is a great read if you haven't because he speaks of two kines of sin, omission and commission. Omission is a significant source of unintentional sin in our lives, the good we should do and don't. In the busyness of my day I don't notice the homeless person in the doorway by the sidewalk that God is whispering to me to encourage but because I have filled my day beyond what wisdom dictates, I miss the moment. I see them only after I am in the flow of traffic in my rear view mirror after pulling out of the parking garage and I am already late for next appointment...oh God, forgive me.

But here's where grace really takes a turn. Before Jesus, all intentinal sin was only punishable by the perpetrators death. Not now. We can now come to God, repentant of heart, ashamed of our choices and forgiveness is there...becuase a sacrifice has been made, Jesus. Can you see the beauty of the imagery of Leviticus? The priest lays his hands on the head of the lamb and the guilt shifts. I need my guilt to shift, to Jesus. I live because He died.

Grace...

Pastor Fred