Category Archives: Sin

Your GPS

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Numbers 31-33

Do you use a GPS when you travel? Do you ever ignore the GPS when you travel? How does that work out for you? If your destination is your goal, you might do better following the directions. If the journey is your goal, you might enjoy a detour now and again. And if the journey is your goal, you might never reach your destination.

If I counted correctly, the Israelites picked up and moved 41 times from the day they left Egypt until they finally entered the Promised Land. I think I’ve moved ten times since college, and that seems like a lot. I can’t imagine moving on average once a year for forty years.

Looking at the map in my Study Bible I realize they definitely didn’t take the short, direct route. You might say they took the scenic route! Yes, they got to their destination. But if you read about those forty years, you know it cost them dearly. In fact, many of them never reached the destination at all.

My destination is heaven. My goal is a right relationship with God But I look back on my life and see that I, too, have not always taken the direct route. There were times I wandered in a wilderness of rebellion, just like the Israelites did. I’ve made detours, worshiped other gods, got lost… and it cost me.

God has given us a GPS. It’s called Scripture. The Bible can and does tell us the best route to take.

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” (Isaiah 31:21)

When you come up against a crossroad and you don’t know which way to go, listen for the voice of God who will speak His Words to you. If you are veering off the route, or if you take a wrong turn, a Scripture will come to mind telling you to “make a legal U-turn.” Or you will be reading the Bible, and the Holy Spirit will highlight the passage that will point you in the right direction, re-routing you toward your destination. God speaks through His written Word as clearly as that MapQuest voice in your car.

If you are a young person reading this, take it from one who has been young. Trust God. Obey Him. Let Him lead you. Resist the temptation to take a detour, or to figure out your own route. Your destination may be heaven, if you know Jesus as your Savior. But God has a route mapped out for you that is direct, blessed, and shared with HIm.

Don’t miss that! The years I spent in rebellion weren’t worth the cost. I wish you’d believe me. I don’t want you to make my mistakes.

To those of you no longer young: which route are you taking? It’s not too late to turn your life around, to re-route and obey God’s direction. Wilderness wandering is a waste of precious time.

You see, there is only one route to heaven. To ignore God’s GPS is foolishness, and will end in death. It doesn’t get more costly than that.

It’s so much better, the journey more enjoyable, the time more blessed following God’s GPS.

Makes Your Mouth Water

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Numbers 27-30

The burning meat on the altar of sacrifice was a sweet fragrance to God. Despite the stench of blood and guts, the smell of lamb or beef cooking over an open fire was pleasing to God. That mouth-watering aroma covered the ugliness of the dead animal used in the sacrifice.

We talked about this in Sunday School this past Sunday. As we read the Old Testament account of the required sacrifices, most if not all of us, have trouble getting over all that blood! And the feces, drying blood, the smell of death grosses me out! It did many of us in that room.

But Scripture tells us the smell of the sacrifice pleased God. And actually, I think it pleased everyone in Jerusalem as that smell permeated the air. Who doesn’t like the aroma of a barbecue? Makes your mouth water.

Our worship of God, offered with clean hearts and in humility is that same sweet fragrance to God. The stink of sin is covered with the unmistakable smell of devotion, surrender, complete trust, and repentance. God tells us He loves that smell!

So as you worship God today in your home, driving in your car, or this weekend standing with your church family, check your smell. Is your worship of God pure and offered according to His rules? Or are you trying to slip a bit of feces into your offering by holding onto a sin He has revealed to you?

I pray each of us will offer God our sacrifice of worship, with complete submission. May we bow to Him who demands to be worshiped, in such a way that our worship becomes a sweet aroma, pleasing to Him who deserves to be worshiped.

May we make God’s mouth water every day with our devotion and our worship.

What About Here?

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Numbers 23-26

How many times have I wanted God to DO something? I pray, but a door closes. I pray again, and His answer continues to be “No!”

So, I figure if I do something different, He’ll do what I want Him to do. I decide to go to church every Sunday instead of just occasionally. Maybe God will do what I’m asking from over here.

Again, the door I want open shuts in my face. So I decide to try something else. I write a bigger check and place it in the offering plate. Maybe God will answer me from here.

But when the answer is still “No!” I move on. I actually start inviting people to church. Surely God will do what I want from here.

Balak learned that no matter where you stand, if your request is a sin, God’s answer will be “No!”

Friend, if you think God’s not hearing you, even when you try to clean up your act thinking God will answer your prayer if you do, you might want to take a closer look at your request. God loves you enough not to give you permission to sin.

But if God’s “No” is a “Wait,” then trust Him. Give it to Him, then continue to serve Him out of love and in humility, believing He works all things for the good of we who love Him. Storm the throne of heaven with your request, if your request aligns with Scripture and is consistent with God’s character. Be patient for His will to be done.

Learn from Balak and Balaam. You can muster up all kinds of faith, you can say all the right words, and try to get to God from different angles in order to get Him to do what you want. But if your request is a sin, take the “No” as His love toward you. Because that’s what it is.

Don’t Say It

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Leviticus 10-13

Jealousy is a destructive emotion. Aaron and Miriam are jealous of Moses. But instead of dealing with their sin, they attacked Moses.

Deflect! Deflect! Deflect!

I think God would have us learn from their example. The next time we are tempted to criticize someone, or we feel the need to point out someone’s flaws, we need to do a heart-check. Is the problem really that they are sinning? Or is the problem that our own hearts are sinful?

Jealousy? Bitterness? Unforgiveness? What is it in us that wants to throw a bad light on someone else? If it’s sin, we need to confess it and repent of it.

Then, when we are tempted to say that cruel or judgmental word… don’t say it!

I Think We’ve Got It Wrong

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Numbers 4-9

Chapter 5 reminds me that God demands purity in His house. Those who were unclean were to be put out, removed “that they defile not their camps, in the midst where of I dwell.” (vs 3) It goes on to say when someone sins, “then they shall confess their sin which they have done…” (vs 7).

Now I know some will say these verses were about physical diseases and we shouldn’t put spiritual lessons into everything. And I would say your are wrong about that. 2 Timothy 3:16 tells me there is something to learn about our walk with the Lord in every verse of the Bible.

So considering how often God tells us to keep ourselves free from uncleanliness and those who would defile His dwelling place, I’m sorry but I think we need to stop inviting unsaved people to church. That is in direct opposition of what Scripture repeatedly tells us should be happening in God’s house. If we want God to be in the midst of our worship, we had better be a holy people unto the Lord. (Deuteronomy 14:2).

“Well,” you might say, “if only holy people can worship then there’d be no one in the pews.”

And there’s the problem. We have exchanged holiness for numbers. Our churches are social clubs and soup kitchens. We’ve got play grounds and polished performances, but we don’t even talk about holiness.

We approach worship like a sporting event. We want to have an experience instead of being cleansed. We open our arms in the name of inclusion, and welcome sinners into the fold. Instead of going and making disciples, we think an invitation to church is sufficient. It sure is easier.

Oh, Church – I think we’ve got it wrong.

God’s Character

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Leviticus 24-27

My Study Bible reminds me that, although these rules and regulations we read in Leviticus are no longer in effect because Jesus fulfilled them all once and for all, God has not changed. He is the same Holy God today that He was when He gave Moses the Law. We can learn a lot about God’s unchanging character as we read the book of Leviticus. Here’s what I see:

  1. God is holy, and demands holiness of His children. His law paints a picture of that holiness. He expects us to be separate from non-believers in our worship, in the way we conduct business, the way we treat others, and in our speech.
  2. God is patient – but not tolerant. He never winks at sin or condones it. He always – always – punishes sin. Just look at the cross where He punished His Son without mercy for sins He did not commit, to be the perfect substitute for sinful people who deserve to be punished without mercy.
  3. God is just. The regulations were the same for everyone, no matter their social or financial status in the community. The rules were the rules and didn’t change just because the people didn’t like them or were offended by them. In the New Testament we hear Jesus tell us that in order to be saved, we must believe on the Son. It’s the same for every human being. It’s the “whosoever” of John 3:16.
  4. God looks out for the underdog. Those who are blessed have a responsibility to help those who are struggling. This is NOT a picture of our present day welfare system that keeps people in poverty. God expects His people, when we see a need, to meet that need so the needy person can get back on his feet and get back to work to provide for his own needs and reach out to other needy people who need a hand. God’s regulations, if followed, would eliminate poverty. Jesus often reached out and touched the outcast, the “less than’s” of the world. We are called to do the same because God still looks out for the underdog.
  5. God blesses obedience. The rules were given so He COULD bless His children. They were given so His children could live freely, safely, and in harmony. The rules were not given to enslave the people, but to free them from slavery to sin.

I see in Leviticus a God who longs to bless His children. And I am reminded that God is love. He provided a way for us to fellowship with Him (even as sinful as we are). He provided that way first through the Law, then and finally, through His precious Son, Jesus. God’s greatest joy is the intimate relationship He has with His obedient children.

God’s unchanging character is revealed through what we read in Leviticus and reinforced throughout Scripture. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever: Holy, Just, Loving, Forgiving, Compassionate, and honest enough to tell us He demands the same of us. He blesses obedience according to His riches in glory. And he punishes disobedience without mercy.

This unchanging God, who demands the impossible of sinful people, made it possible for us to obey when He died on the cross and took the punishment for our sin without mercy.

We can rest assured that God isn’t going to change the rules. We can know without a doubt that He is true to His Word. His character is unchanging. And He wants to have a relationship with you.

True Justice

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Leviticus 2-5

A couple of things stood out to me today as I read these chapters in Leviticus. One is that no one was exempt from offering a sacrifice for sin. Offering a sacrifice was the ONLY way a person could be forgiven by God. No exceptions.

If a person was too poor to offer a lamb, or even a couple of birds, he could offer a handful of grain. Being poor did not give a person a free pass. And the poor person didn’t expect someone else to bring a sacrifice for him. A person’s offering had to cost that person something.

The truth we see here is that each of us has to bring our own sins to the foot of the cross. We are responsible for our own repentance, our own acknowledgment of sin, and our own offering of ourselves to God in order to be forgiven. No one can do that for us. Dealing with our sin is something between ourselves and God in a personal, intimate encounter. It’s the same for every human being.

The other thing that stood out is actually related to the first. It’s the fact that ignorance is not bliss. Someone who sinned without realizing that what he’d done was considered a sin, was still guilty of sin. There was no such thing as, “My bad!” to get off the hook.

Once an action was revealed as sin, the guilty party had to offer a sacrifice in order to be forgiven of that sinful action. That’s why I think we who know the Truth need to be calling sin sin, not choice, not a character flaw, not a mistake or shortcoming.

Sin is serious. The wages of sin is death. And the only way to escape that eternal separation from God is to humble ourselves at the foot of the cross, to accept His gift of grace; the forgiveness of our sin.

The requirements are the same if you sin knowingly or unknowingly, if you are wealthy or poor, Jewish or Protestant, American or Iraqi. That’s what makes God’s conditions fair for all of us.

There is perfect justice because God is perfectly just. There is one requirement all humans must meet in order to receive eternal life. Jesus met that requirement when he died on the cross, then came back to life three days later. He is the perfect sacrifice for my sin and yours.

And you and I are required by God’s Law to “believe in the Lord Jesus.” Jesus, the Messiah, eternal God in the flesh, the fulfillment of the Law, the only way, truth, and life, the perfect Lamb of God.

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)

That’s true for every single person without exception. That’s true justice.

It Is Finished

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Exodus 28-30

The intricate details spelled out in these chapters of Exodus speak of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. What we read here are the demands of God for the forgiveness of sin. It wasn’t simply that an animal was sacrificed. Every inch of that animal was significant. Every drop of blood had purpose.

We all know Jesus died on the cross, the Perfect Sacrifice for sin. He fulfilled the requirements we read about in Exodus. Every minute detail was carried out to perfection when Jesus died.

This past Sunday our church celebrated the Lord’s Supper together. Taking communion can become mundane, just another “thing” we do. Oh, may it never be that to me again.

When Jesus cried, “It is finished,” He was referring to the sacrificial system I read about today. He completed the requirements perfectly, once and for all. Every drop of blood He shed had a purpose. He became sin, and climbed up on that altar of sacrifice willingly.

I sinned. I deserve death, the eternal separation from Holy God. Jesus said, “Kill me instead.” And they did.

Let’s take time today to consider the eternal significance of Jesus’ voluntary death on the cross. Read these verses in Exodus and praise God for satisfying every intricate detail so that you and I can be saved from the awful consequences of our sin. Let’s worship and adore our Perfect Sacrifice who alone can say, “It is finished!”

It’s Not About The Plagues

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Exodus 8-11

The plagues were sent by God to reveal the Truth of Him to Pharaoh, the Egyptians, and the Jews. There could have been redemption if Pharaoh had humbled himself and believed. But the plagues only made Pharaoh dig in his heels in rebellion.

I believe two things about this:

  1. God did not harden Pharaoh’s heart against Pharaoh’s will. God didn’t make Pharaoh sin in order for God’s plan to come to fruition. God doesn’t tempt anyone with evil. Yet God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, according to Scripture. God would have us understand that the consequences of rejecting God result in a hardening of the heart against God’s revelation of Himself. The more you reject Him, the easier it is to reject Him. That’s how God created us. That is God’s doing.
  2. Pharaoh wasn’t the only one ignoring God’s signs. His wasn’t the only heart hardening. And the same thing is happening today. God reveals Himself to the world every morning when the sun comes up, when a paper cut heals, when there is joy and laughter in a child. He reveals Himself in storms and sickness and earthquakes. God is drawing all people to Himself every minute, every breath, every heartbeat. We see His love, His protection, His grace and mercy, as well as His righteous judgment, if we just pay attention.

The lesson here in Exodus is clear. Your response to God not only effects you, it effects your children, your co-workers, friends, neighbors. It effects a nation if the people reject God’s revelation of Himself.

The lesson in these chapters isn’t about the plagues. Don’t waste time trying to figure out the logistics. The lesson here is that there are devastating consequences for rejecting God. Those consequences start in our hearts, and extend out to touch the lives of others.

So don’t blame God when we are faced with our own modern-day plagues. We have no one to blame but ourselves, as long as we refuse to acknowledge the God who wants us to know Him.

A New Identity

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Genesis 31-34

Why did the angel ask Jacob his name before blessing him? He was an angel so I imagine he knew who he’d been wrestling with all night. I believe there is a lesson in the question.

Fast forward a few thousand years. Jesus is in the middle of His short ministry as a human on Earth. He healed thousands. He forgave sins.

Take Bartimaeus for example. He was obviously blind, yet Jesus asked him to state his request. To the paralytic at the pool Jesus asked, “Do you want to get well?” When a woman touched the hem of his garment, Jesus demanded she identify herself.

Do you see the pattern? Very often in Scripture, we see Jesus requiring people to state their need. Say the words. We see the necessity of confession. It’s not so God is informed of our need. It’s so we know exactly what we need, admit it, and go to the only one who can meet it.

Here in Genesis we see Jacob wrestling with God. Who hasn’t, right? We know what is right, but we want to have our own way instead. A battle ensues. It’s a tug-of-war until we do what? Admit our sin and allow God to change our wants to His.

In my experience – and in Jacob’s – God won’t bless until I confess. When the angel asked Jacob his name, he had to reply: “I’m the deceiver, the holder of the heel, the supplanter.” That’s what his name meant. And we know Jacob had lived up to his name.

Jacob had to admit who he had been before God could give him a new name: Israel. According to the Abarim Publications, Israel means “He retains God,” or “God is upright.” Jacob’s new name reflected God. His new identity honored God.

Jacob received a new beginning, as do all of us who confess our sins and allow God to forgive us and give us new life. Jacob had lived for himself and had committed sins to fulfill his own desires. God was giving him a chance to turn that all around, to live for God and make choices that fulfilled God’s desires for him. That’s awesome!

May that be true in all of us. Some people think they are Christians because they go to church and live good lives. That’s not true. Being a Christian involves a change of heart, saying the words, admitting guilt. And receiving God’s amazing grace.

If God has laid a finger on any sin, if you (or I) are wrestling with that sin, hear God ask “What is your name? What do you want me to do for you?” Then confess. Repent. Be forgiven, and receive a new beginning!