In Numbers 15:27-31, the Lord makes a distinct difference between those who sin in ignorance and those who practice deliberate sin. The Hebrew word for "ignorance" does not mean that one does not know the law, but rather that one errs through weakness in disobeying the law. This weakness reflects two levels of sin that inhered to Adam and Eve when they disobeyed God. The lowest level of Adam and Eve's sin was that they knew God's commandment, but, like Lucifer, they deliberately disobeyed God. In this respect, they joined with Satan in his rebellion against God. This level of sin can only be totally evil and can never be forgiven by God. The highest level of sin in Adam and Eve was that they simply disobeyed because of weakness. Eve saw that the forbidden fruit was good to eat, and she believed it would give her a better life. Adam sinned because he wanted to be on the same level with his wife. Both were tempted and sinned because of weakness. God always forgives sins of weakness when one repents. God has compassion for sins of weakness, but only eternal condemnation for deliberate sins. Genesis chapter 3.
Throughout the Word of God, He displays compassion for sins of weakness, even among His own people. But He also displays severe wrath and judgment against deliberate and rebellious sins. God can always distinguish the difference between these two levels of sin because He can see the heart of man. I Samuel 16:7; John 2:24-25.
In Numbers 15:27-29, God reveals that He always forgives sins of weakness when a sacrifice has been made for them. Sins of weakness happen because deliberate sin attaches itself to some good qualities that God has put into man for the attempted purpose of forever ruining that goodness. In other words, Satan seeks to destroy some of God's goodness in order to cause the eventual destruction of God Himself. Deliberate sin is the attempted murder of God. John 8:44.
Deliberate sin nailed Jesus to the cross. But Jesus willingly suffered for man's sins in order to separate the goodness that God put into man from ever being eternally ruined by deliberate sin. In this way, God vindicated His Love, and He rescued man from eternal damnation because of the ruination caused by deliberate sin by forgiving his sins of weakness. On the cross, God separated deliberate sins from humans for eternal condemnation, and suffered the eternal punishment for sins of weakness in order to cleanse and forgive them. John 1:29; Luke 23:34.
In Numbers 15:30-31, God reveals that He will forever separate the total evil of deliberate sins from the goodness that He has put into people. The goodness in people that has been tainted by deliberate sin will eventually destroy both man and God. But God will cleanse and forgive sins of weakness because of the sacrifice of His Son. In the end, God's project is to cleanse and forgive His people either by the blood and water from Jesus' body or by His consuming fire, and His separation of total evil from man by its eternal consignment to the lake of fire. Both of these methods of salvation were accomplished by Christ's sacrifice because He also descended into hell to suffer man's eternal separation from God in man's place. Revelation 20:14-15; Revelation 21:1-5; Revelation 21:8; I Corinthians 3:12-15; Hebrews 13:10-13.
No comments:
Post a Comment