Num 15:29 Ye shall have one law for him that sinneth through ignorance, both for him that is born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them.
Num 15:30 But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
Sin through ignorance.
Sin through presumption.
Ignorance-
H7684
shegâgâh
sheg-aw-gaw'
From H7683; a mistake or inadvertent transgression: - error, ignorance, at unawares, unwittingly.
Presumptuously-
H7311
רוּם
rûm
room
A primitive root; to be high actively to rise or raise (in various applications, literally or figuratively): - bring up, exalt (self), extol, give, go up, haughty, heave (up), (be, lift up on, make on, set up on, too) high (-er, one), hold up, levy, lift (-er) up, (be) lofty, (X a-) loud, mount up, offer (up), + presumptuously, (be) promote (-ion), proud, set up, tall (-er), take (away, off, up), breed worms.
Sin through mistakes, sin inadvertently, sin through error, sin unaware, sin unwittingly.
Sin haughtily, sin loftily, sin proudly, sin through self exaltation.
When you are commanded NOT to do something and you do it knowingly, when you do it because you believe YOU know better, that YOU are in control of yourself- that God has no power to command you- this is a blatant sin, a presumptuous sin.
A sin committed in error, a sin committed through the weakness of our flesh, a sin committed that you know is a mistake, this is a sin of ignorance.
People sin all the time but many sin living as if God doesn't even exist, that God's will doesn't matter. People who sin proudly flaunting their supposed superiority over God have no place of forgiveness because they've made themselves to be their own god, denying the power of the one, true God. They have no conviction to even seek repentance and forgiveness. God will not forgive a person who does not seek forgiveness.
We can't make the mistake of believing there is no hope for those who are truly seeking forgiveness. Some would have us believe that we can never be forgiven, ever, no matter what because we sinned knowingly. DAVID sinned knowingly! It's not sinning knowingly that is presumptuous, it's sinning with the presumption that it doesn't matter if you sin. David knew He'd done wrong, David didn't presume that His sin didn't matter, that God's commands didn't matter. It was in the weakness of flesh that David sinned. DON'T get me wrong here, I'm not saying we can use our flesh weakness to presumptuously sin, NO WAY. The presumption - being haughty, being proud, exalting in that sin- will forever be wrong! And again DON'T get me wrong… God KNOWS our hearts, He knows what is TRUE flesh weakness and what is presumption. We CAN'T fool God! We can try to fool ourselves but God will not be fooled!
God knows the depths of our suffering, God knows even when we renounce Him out of pain whether we are doing so presumptuously or ignorantly- through our weakness. There is a grand difference between presumption and ignorance and Satan would have us believe that we are inevitably lost wanting us to give up on God's grace, on God's power of forgiveness. Satan wants us any way He can get us!
God gives us commands. Jesus reinforced those commands and added commands, these commandments reveal God to us, these commandments reveal God's love for us.
Why is eternal death the end result of breaking the commandments of God? Why was death a punishment, a sentence given and followed through on for breaking the commandments of God? Why would God make the punishment so severe? People want to believe that God didn't command death to those who broke the commandments, but He did. People will say that doesn't sound like a very loving, caring, forgiving God at all. What they mean is that doesn't sound like their imaginary God who will never punish but forever just give a tap on the wrist and forever give chance after chance.
We have an EXACTING God! We have a God who is a CONSUMING FIRE! This is OUR GOD! Our very, very loving God!
People will point out torture in the Bible and say if God condones that then He's not loving. People will point out at the innocent suffering and say that's NOT a loving God. People are very quick to judge God- and people are very quick to PRESUME they know better than God. People will reject God and in doing so they set themselves us as their own god. As soon as you make the presumption that YOU and YOUR thoughts, YOUR beliefs are better than God's- you have put yourself in place of God whether you go about claiming that title or not. Satan would love to keep you in the dark about your presumption and where it places you, as long as you are not claiming God, Satan is thrilled. Many would be appalled to realize that they are claiming to be a god. They don't look at it quite that way, they're just saying they don't understand God, they'll back paddle quickly if they have to come face to face with the fact that when they deny God they claim their own godhood. It's not like saying you don't believe in the President of the United States and that makes you the President of the United States - that's a MAN to MAN level, human to human level. We aren't dealing with a human to human level but a God to human level. Men can, and will, and do claim there is no God, men can, and will, and do claim to be in control of themselves, dependent upon no one. Men can, and will, and do claim to be their own god- their own creator (human creating human), their own sustainer.
We are dependent creatures. If that statement bothers you then you might be guilty of self-exaltation. Seriously. We are dependent upon God. God gives us life and yes, God can take that life away. We are dependent creatures who have the power of choice. That power of choice allows us to acknowledge our dependence or ignore it, deny it, rebel against it. We are told outright the results of our actions- if we choose to acknowledge our dependence or if we choose not to acknowledge our dependence. If we choose to acknowledge our Creator, our Redeemer, or if we choose not to acknowledge our Creator, our Redeemer- there are consequences for our choices. You can choose to not acknowledge and still live out your life here and now- but you give up life eternal. There will be NO automatic save. There will be NO second chance. There will be no holding pen while you acknowledge you are wrong.
If you choose to believe that God is unjust and therefore you don't want to follow Him- He won't force you to do so. If you choose to defy God and suffer for it, it's because YOU CHOSE to disobey- perhaps believing you have no need of God, perhaps believing He doesn't exist, either way it was YOUR choice. God will NOT force us to believe! God will NOT make it IMPOSSIBLE for you to have a choice. We have that choice, each and everyone of us has that choice of faith. Each of us is accountable to God for our choice- even the choice not to believe He exists. We are dependent, accountable beings and our God love us and has shown it in many, many ways. Our God could have destroyed us all outright, out of Love He's not destroyed us but given us a chance to live in Him, for Him, with Him.
God has revealed Himself to us. God sent His Son and His Son revealed God to us. We aren't left to wonder endlessly what God is like, He's shown us over and over. God has told us what He condones and what He doesn't condone. We can choose to live as He's revealed we should live- under the grace of our Savior, through our Savior's righteousness, yielding ourselves servant to our Savior, servant's to His righteousness- OR we can choose to live to ourselves, to sin.
Rom 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
Rom 6:17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
Rom 6:18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
Rom 6:19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
Rom 6:20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
Rom 6:21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
Rom 6:22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
We choose.
We are informed and we make a choice. Every day, every hour, every moment we make a choice.
By the grace and mercy of our loving Savior may we make the right choice now and always!
In His love!
Amen.
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