February 16, 2022
There is confusion among many Christians regarding the Old Testament laws. There are some laws that we realize we are not bound by in our era. Most of these are particular CEREMONIAL laws that were tied to a pre-Christ system. These laws, given to the Jews, were designed to fulfill the spirit of the law, but done in ways that pictured the coming Christ.
Leviticus 6:1-7 gives us a great example as it tells the Israelites what to do when a man steals and lies to another.
The basic principle of this law is this: if you have stolen or lied to your neighbor it is a sin, not only against him, but against God. So, you need to do two things:
1. You must realize your sin against God and get right with Him.
In the OT era you were to bring a "guilt offering to the Lord." Now that Christ has come, we come to the cross, confessing our sins (getting honest and repentant) and finding our forgiveness through Christ at the cross.
2. You must realize your sin against another, confess it, and make restitution.
You must pay them back, plus 20% more in restitution. If you will remember, this is what Zacchaeus did when he got right with the Lord (Luke 19). He immediately made amends with those he'd defrauded. It's exactly what Jesus tells us to do in the sermon on the mount. If our brother has something against us, we need to go get it right with our brother (Matthew 5:23-24).
The spirit of the law is the same. The only difference is the ceremonial sacrificial system of the OT is replaced by the fulfillment of Christ--His cross and resurrection--of the NT.
But here’s the most important thing as we read this passage: have YOU sinned against God and against your brother? If so, heed what God has said (in both OT and NT). Clear your conscience fully with both God and man!
Father, search my heart. Show me everything and anything that I have done against You or others. Give me the grace to humbly admit my sin and seek your forgiveness. And help me approach those I’ve sinned against to clear my conscience and make restitution as needed. Help me not delay, but to do this today.
February 20, 2025
If you have questions about how real, how present, how personal and intimate the Lord is, then just read six words of travelogue in Luke’s journal as he traveled with Paul.
February 18, 2025
I have known many people who have had great joy and power in the midst of great suffering. It is humbling that the slightest inconveniences deter many of us from following God. We have not gotten to the bottom—settled the issue. Most often, we live for our comfort, reputation, or gain. When any of those goals are touched, we are troubled and discontent.
February 17, 2025
The repentant who finds God gains everything. “He who has God and everything else,” said C.S. Lewis, “has no more than he who has God alone.”
