Indifference....a Very Dangerous Sin!

Leviticus 4:1-2 and 27-28 - The LORD said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites: 'When anyone sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD's commands……… " 'If a member of the community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD's commands, he is guilty.  When he is made aware of the sin he committed, he must bring as his offering for the sin he committed a female goat without defect. 

The Lord had so much to tell Moses…he just kept speaking his words to him. Sin is sin…whether premeditated…or by accident…God knew that any sin would hold us back in our relationship to him.  When we are made aware of it…when God finally gets through to our stubborn human flesh…that tries to justify what we have done as good….or worse yet even deny that we have done anything at all…the horrible disease of indifference creeps in and takes a stronger hold than we think.

Satan feeds off this blinding human emotion…he loves that he can convince us that something we did unintentional ….or even out of our human weakness…was okay….not our fault. Satan tries to convince us that since we did not do it intentionally…we should have no remorse…no guilt.  But God is saying here…that once he has shown us that what we did is sin…we have to openly confess it…and ask God to remove it from our lives…so we can renew our relationship with him.

It might have been something we said to someone….it might be something we did not do for God because we were not listening…it might be something we did out of the weakness of our human flesh…but when God finally gets through…and we have that ‘ah ha moment’…and our heart feels that pang of guilt and remorse…we should stop right then and beg God’s forgiveness and ask him what we need to do to make amends. For even in this world…that Christ gave the last blood sacrifice…God still calls us to evaluate our lives daily for sin that is seeping into our soul…trying to separate us from the only love that can save us….and Satan jumps in quickly…and tries to sow that seed of indifference in our heart…which by the by…is harder to kill out that kudzu.

My mind is thinking of the 12 steps in the Celebrate Recovery program I attend every Thursday night at my church. Step 9 is based on Matthew 5:23-24. This step calls me to make amends to anyone I might have hurt …as I begin to examine my life for the sins I committed…and need to ask god’s forgiveness for. Clearly this New Testament writer was trying to help us understand how to continue the commands of God spoken through Moses when he wrote, “ Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and thee remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.”

God…help me to really understand this message from one of your oldest writings.  Help me to identify all the sin that has gone unnoticed in my life…because I have allowed my human flesh to hide it form my soul. Uncover this day all the ugliness I still need to deal with…and help me to confront it….admit it to you…and listen carefully to how you wish for me to seek reconciliation for all that I uncover. Amen.