Grace in the Trespass Offering - Sep. 19th, 2021
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Five Glimpses of Grace • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 1:24:05
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· 50 viewsPastor Walker explains the trespass offering's role to bring about restoration to one who has sinned against another, and its fulfillment by the death of Jesus Christ.
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Introduction:
Introduction:
14 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 15 If a soul commit a trespass, and sin through ignorance, in the holy things of the Lord; then he shall bring for his trespass unto the Lord a ram without blemish out of the flocks, with thy estimation by shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering: 16 And he shall make amends for the harm that he hath done in the holy thing, and shall add the fifth part thereto, and give it unto the priest: and the priest shall make an atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering, and it shall be forgiven him. 17 And if a soul sin, and commit any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the Lord; though he wist it not, yet is he guilty, and shall bear his iniquity. 18 And he shall bring a ram without blemish out of the flock, with thy estimation, for a trespass offering, unto the priest: and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his ignorance wherein he erred and wist it not, and it shall be forgiven him. 19 It is a trespass offering: he hath certainly trespassed against the Lord.
1 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 2 If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the Lord, and lie unto his neighbour in that which was delivered him to keep, or in fellowship, or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his neighbour; 3 Or have found that which was lost, and lieth concerning it, and sweareth falsely; in any of all these that a man doeth, sinning therein: 4 Then it shall be, because he hath sinned, and is guilty, that he shall restore that which he took violently away, or the thing which he hath deceitfully gotten, or that which was delivered him to keep, or the lost thing which he found, 5 Or all that about which he hath sworn falsely; he shall even restore it in the principal, and shall add the fifth part more thereto, and give it unto him to whom it appertaineth, in the day of his trespass offering. 6 And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the Lord, a ram without blemish out of the flock, with thy estimation, for a trespass offering, unto the priest: 7 And the priest shall make an atonement for him before the Lord: and it shall be forgiven him for any thing of all that he hath done in trespassing therein.
The requirement of the five offerings call our attention to five aspects of the death of Christ. In the Burnt Offering there is representation. In complete consecration of His life to His Father Jesus died as the sinner’s representative. In the Meal Offering there is refreshment. Jesus is the Bread of Life offered to God on our behalf. In the Peace Offering there is reconciliation. Jesus brings reconciliation between a holy God and sinful man by the blood of His cross. In the Sin Offering there is reproach. Jesus bore our curse in His own body as He became an offering for sin. In the Trespass Offering there is restitution. All that was lost by sin is fully restored by the sacrificial death of Christ. The Trespass Offering not only restored all that was lost by the trespass but it also included the addition of a fifth part.
The Trespass Offering is translated “reparation offering” and it lays emphasis on compensation to the victim of a crime. For this reason it is also called the compensation offering. The Sin Offering and the Trespass Offering seem to be the same terms but they are not. The word sin carries the idea of missing the mark. The word trespass expresses the idea of stepping over the mark. The Sin Offering is for the one who comes short of the boundary and the Trespass Offering is for the one who oversteps the boundary. The Sin Offering is in relation to our birth. The Trespass Offering is in relation to our behavior. The Sin Offering deals with our conception in sin. The Trespass Offering deals with our choice of sin. The Sin Offering is for what we are. The Trespass Offering is for what we do. The Sin Offering and t he Trespass Offering are vitally linked because of their relationship to the heart and the hands. What we have in our hearts determines what we do with our hands. Our hearts control our habits. In the Sin Offering Jesus died for what we are. In the Trespass Offering Jesus died for all that we have done. In Him all that was lost by sin is restored plus much more than was originally lost.
The Trespass Offering differs from the other offerings not only in its requirement of restitution but also in its naming of sinful acts. Consider
I. Out of Bounds: Some Things the Lord Calls Foul
I. Out of Bounds: Some Things the Lord Calls Foul
15 If a soul commit a trespass, and sin through ignorance, in the holy things of the Lord; then he shall bring for his trespass unto the Lord a ram without blemish out of the flocks, with thy estimation by shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering:
The Trespass Offering does not deal with sin generally but specifically. It names the singular acts which are rejected by God. All sin can be forgiven by God but no sin can be overlooked. There is no trespass that cannot be pardoned but there is no trespass that can be bypassed.
The acts which are rejected by God are so important that He gave them an individual listing. They are set before us because they are often excused as acceptable behavior. God wants us to know that the trespasses we excuse cannot be escaped. What we accept does not mean acceptance by God. Too many times we are not conscious of our sins because we do not understand the nature of sin. Because of man’s failure to comprehend the nature of sin God spells out in plain and simple terms the sins of nature. God rejects
A. Ignorance of What Belongs to God
A. Ignorance of What Belongs to God
“If a soul commit a trespass, and sin through ignorance, in the holy things of the Lord …” (Leviticus 5:15a–b).
In Psalm 24:1 we read that “the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that live therein.” In Psalm 50:10 God said, “For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.” In Haggai 2:8 we hear these words: “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts.” In Ezekiel 18:4 God lays claim on all souls. In Leviticus 25:23 God claims the land for Himself. The firstfruits of the harvest also belonged to the Lord in recognition that even the privilege to work belongs to the Lord. Everything is owned by the Lord and all activity of man in this world is in the holy things of the Lord.
God has set boundaries for His territory which must not be overstepped and notice of these borders have been clearly posted in His Word. The trespass before us is a careless indifference toward holy things. it is an attitude in regard to holy things that is insensitive and even impudent. It treats holy things of the Lord as if they have no importance whatever.
Application
Think for a few minutes about the ways people trespass in holy things of the Lord. Many trespass in the holy thing of life by saying it is their own and they can do with it whatever they want to do. Many trespass in the holy thing of time by wasting it in selfish pursuit. Many trespass in the holy thing of the Lord’s day by failure to worship in God’s house. Many trespass in the holy thing of the tithe by spending it on themselves. Many trespass in the holy thing of the Scriptures by neglecting them. Many trespass in the holy thing of worship by reacting to it with a critical spirit. Many trespass in the holy thing of service by their unwillingness to do it. Many trespass in the holy thing of witness by their silence. Many trespass in the holy thing of prayer by their abuse of it in the flesh. Many trespass in the holy thing of brotherly love by an unforgiving attitude.
You will notice that trespasses in holy things of the Lord are caused by ignorance. A slackness towards the teachings set down in God’s Word is due to the lack of understanding concerning the ownership of God and His right alone to say what can be done with what belongs to Him. The Scriptures teach that all things are God’s and any slackness towards the teachings of God’s Word is an act rejected by God.
B. Ignorance of the Law He Has Given
B. Ignorance of the Law He Has Given
17 And if a soul sin, and commit any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the Lord; though he wist it not, yet is he guilty, and shall bear his iniquity.
The sin mentioned in the text is the kind he commits because he is ignorant of God’s laws. This ignorance is not the result of what he cannot know but what he wilfully neglects. The sinfulness of this trespass is enlarged by the fact that the man never took the trouble to find out what was expected of him.
Illustration-
However, America’s legislative branches have become so withered through decay that the average citizen has no idea just how guilty they have become, simply by their everyday routines. The consequence of more laws to manage immorality is exactly the opposite of what it seeks to accomplish, more and more lawlessness as the conscience becomes more and more seared and society callouses to hardness of heart and stiffness of neck. Harvey Silvergate gives consideration of this in his book, “Three Felonies a Day.” [NOTE - this is not an endorsement of any views put forth by the author, take it with a grain of salt]. The following is a summary from the book’s meta.
The average professional in this country wakes up in the morning, goes to work, comes home, eats dinner, and then goes to sleep, unaware that he or she has likely committed several federal crimes that day. Why? The answer lies in the very nature of modern federal criminal laws, which have exploded in number but also become impossibly broad and vague. In Three Felonies a Day, Harvey A. Silverglate reveals how federal criminal laws have become dangerously disconnected from the English common law tradition and how prosecutors can pin arguable federal crimes on any one of us, for even the most seemingly innocuous behavior. The volume of federal crimes in recent decades has increased well beyond the statute books and into the morass of the Code of Federal Regulations, handing federal prosecutors an additional trove of vague and exceedingly complex and technical prohibitions to stick on their hapless targets. The dangers spelled out in Three Felonies a Day do not apply solely to "white collar criminals,” state and local politicians, and professionals. No social class or profession is safe from this troubling form of social control by the executive branch, and nothing less than the integrity of our constitutional [republic] hangs in the balance.
America’s laws used to follow the frameworks of more godly lawmakers like William Blackstone, who greatly influenced America’s founders. Much of what Blackstone laid forth had clear a scriptural framework. Not anymore in the US of A.
God’s laws, however, unlike man’s ever-evolving laws, are a matter of Biblical record and they are available to anyone who wants to read what they require. A man cannot claim ignorance of God’s laws because he could have known if he had wanted to know. His ignorance of what God commands is the outcome of his failure to read God’s Word. It is wilful neglect. God does not hold people accountable for truth which has never been available to them. He does hold them responsible for what they could have known and never made the effort to learn.
This lack of knowledge is not something which can be taken lightly. Knowledge was near by but the man never reached out to take it. He is more guilty because knowledge could have been had for the asking and he never opened his mouth.
C. Intentional Deception & Violence for Self-Gain
C. Intentional Deception & Violence for Self-Gain
2 If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the Lord, and lie unto his neighbour in that which was delivered him to keep, or in fellowship, or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his neighbour;
The previous offences are thoughtless trespasses. They are the product of unthinking actions. From here on the trespasses are the result of clear intention. The wording of the text makes it clear that the wrong done to others is a trespass against the Lord. Although it breaks into the lives of men it crosses the line which God has drawn. David emphasizes this reality in the confession of his sin involving Bathsheba and Uriah. David said, “Against thee, thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight …” (Psalm:51:4a–d). David committed adultery with Bathsheba and he sentenced Uriah to death on the field of battle. David violently intruded into the lives of Bathsheba and her husband but David’s transgression was first and foremost against the Lord. All trespassing forces its way across the boundaries of men but the infringement on human rights is primarily against the Lord. Lies told to men are lies first told to God. Ananias and Sapphira lied to Peter but Peter told them that the lie was not to men but to God (compare Acts 5:1–10).
This particular trespass deals with things which have been entrusted to another for safekeeping. The person who was trusted to keep what was committed to his care betrayed the confidence that was placed in him and lied about the matter. Someone leaned on him and by a shift from the trust that was given to him he let that other person fall flat on his face.
Anything we are given to keep for someone else makes us responsible for returning it to the owner at the time it is requested and in its original condition. No excuse is acceptable for its loss or damage and any excuse offered is a lie. Any attempt to wiggle out of responsibility for it is a lie. Any denial of receiving it or carelessness in keeping it is a lie. This responsibility is extended to anything that belongs to anyone else and comes into our possession—even borrowed books, tools, money or time. For example, employees are entrusted with time from their employer. The employee that deliberately wastes time on the job or uses the time for his own purpose has committed a trespass and is essentially lying to his employer every payday by milking the time-clock.
God wants His people responsible in their relationships. To ensure this God makes us first responsible to Him.
“…in fellowship” (6:2)
The word fellowship is also translated bargain and it refers to business relationships. It deals with the attitude in which a person practices his trade and it pictures the person who is so shrewd in his figuring that he gets a real bargain in his transactions. The problem with this kind of shrewdness is that someone is always cut and made to bleed financially. So many are made to suffer because they have felt the sharp edge of a cut-throat mentality. This can be true both for the buyer or the seller.
You’ve heard the warning, “Let the buyer beware?” The reason for this is that many people try to sell things for more than they are worth. The represent their product as something better than it is, hoping that the buyer will never know the difference. They escalate prices because they know their product is a necessity and people will pay anything to get it. The cost of something ought to have a price tag of what is right and not what is the going rate. How many transactions have left someone at a great disadvantage by another’s desperation to get what they want or sell what they have at a price that is totally unfair. Many have become masters of manipulation, and have trespassed against others willfully and without batting an eye.
It may considered good business to buy something at rock bottom rates or sell something at sky high prices, but to do it by taking advantage of someone’s need or ignorance is a shrewdness that transgresses God’s law. God says, that’s “Out of Bounds.”
God wants His people to be fair in business. God’s people are different and God wants us to demonstrate that difference in the way we do business in the world. It is not good Christian business to get something unfairly and those who deal in this manner will be dealt with by God.
“… or in a thing taken away by violence …” (Leviticus 6:2e).
These words refer to robbery by which a man is stripped of what rightly belongs to him. It speaks of brute force that takes unjustly the possessions of another and claims them as his own. This is sometimes done by sneak attack in which bodily harm is inflicted. However, the violence of the text is not restricted to physical force against another that results in injury. Any act that takes something which another does not want to give up is considered a violent assault and it is an act rejected by God.
A person can be robbed of his ideas by the intimidation of those who are strong-willed and who are bent on having their own way. They take away the initiative of others with a bully attitude that thinks things can be done only by the methods they employ. They pressure others into their way of thinking by the threat of their authority. Many have been robbed mentally by the violence of the bullheaded.
A person can also be robbed by the violent use of the law. This is what happened to Naboth and his story is told in the second chapter of the first book of the Kings. Naboth had a piece of property near the palace. King Ahab wanted to buy it from Naboth but Naboth did not want to sell. By an underhanded use of the law Naboth and his heirs were put out of the way and the property came into the possession of Ahab. This story is not limited to this Old Testament example. There have been many who have unfairly used the law to take what they wanted from someone else. Some have lost their property because it stood in the way of progress. They did not want to sell so the property was condemned and obtained at a ridiculously low price. There is nothing wrong with the law but there is a lot wrong with the way some use the law to forcefully take what belongs to others. It may be legally right but it is ethically and morally wrong.
God’s people must be gentle in their dealings with others. In no way should they ever be found guilty of the violence that would rob another person of his personality or property.
The ninth act rejected by God is
“… or hath deceived his neighbor” (Leviticus 6:2f).
Some things are taken by violence. Other things are taken by deceit. This trespass tells how some people take what they want by trickery. The pull the rug out from under another after pulling the wool over their eyes. Jacob tricked Esau into giving up his birthright. The Gibeonites tricked Joshua into making a league of peace with them. Delilah tricked Samson into telling the secret of his strength. Ammon tricked Tamar into an incestuous act. Abraham tricked Pharaoh into believing that Sarah was his sister. Herod tricked the wise men into thinking that he wanted to worship the Christ whenever they were able to locate Him. The Bible is filled with examples of trickery and their examples are matched by many in today’s world.
Everything done by God’s people must be performed in the light of truth. Shady dealings are tactics of the prince of darkness. If we cannot get what we desire by honest methods it is better to do without. Our ways before the world must be transparent. Everything must be out in the open and there can be no secret schemes or hidden agenda. We should be characterized by truth and not by trickery.
Jesus is the truth and all we do and say must be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Anything less than the truth is a denial of our relationship with the source and being of the truth. There are those who excuse trickery by trying to soften its terminology. They do not say it is telling a lie but stretching the truth. The truth cannot be stretched but the testimony of our union with the truth can be stretched so far that it is that it is full of holes and ripped to pieces.
“Or have found that which was lost, and lieth concerning it, and sweareth falsely; in any of all these that a man doeth, sinning therein” (Leviticus 6:3).
This trespass strikes at the heart of selfishness and greed. It describes the get something for nothing mentality that finds joy by the sorrow of others. Every effort must be made to return what is found to its rightful owner. The Bible condemns the “finders, keepers” attitude. Keeping what we find with no attempt to locate the owner bears a similarity to the thief. The difference is one of degree. The thief took what was not his and kept it for himself. The finder keeps what is not his and does not try to return it. Both are thieves. One is a thief by the action he took and the other by action he failed to take.
After God informed His people of the acts that were rejected He told them of
II. Getting Back In-Bounds: Pathway to Peace
II. Getting Back In-Bounds: Pathway to Peace
5 And it shall be, when he shall be guilty in one of these things, that he shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing:
Acquaintance with sin calls for acknowledgment. Awareness demands action. Our knowledge must be followed by confession. Confession is more than admitting our fault to God, it is agreement with Him that what we did was wrong. Agreement with God is the necessary step toward forgiveness. Disagreement with God about our involvement in sin denies the privilege of fellowship with Him. Agreement with God in the matter of sin brings acceptance by Him.
Take a moment to think about
A. A Guilty Conscience
A. A Guilty Conscience
“… and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then shall he be guilty in one of these” (Leviticus:5:4e–g).
C̵ONVIC̵´TION, n. The act of proving, finding or determining to be guilty of an offense charged against a person before a legal tribunal; as by confession, by the verdict of a jury, or by the sentence of other tribunal, as in the summary convictions before commissioners of the revenue.
2. The act of convincing, or compelling one to admit the truth of a charge; the act of convincing of sin or sinfulness; the state of being convinced or convicted by conscience; the state of being sensible of guilt; as, the convictions of a sinner may be temporary, or lasting and efficacious. By conviction, a sinner is brought to repentance. Men often sin against the conviction of their own consciences.
3. The act of convincing of error; confutation; the act of compelling one to acknowledge his error, or the truth of what is alledged; as, the conviction of a heretic may induce him to abandon his errors.
The idea in these words is confession at the time of consciousness. The moment we are made aware of our transgressions is the time that we must acknowledge them before God and agree with Him that what we did was wrong. Any delay magnifies the guilt because it refuses to do what is required in the light of knowledge. It is a serious thing to be guilty and not know it. It is even more serious to know we are guilty and not do anything about it.
Illustration - “I’m sorry; I was wrong to…; Will you please forgive me? I won’t do it anymore.” The tendency is to whittle this down into, “I’m sorry, please forgive me...” but friend that will never fix the problem and only lead to further heartache. Imagine the dentist, knowing you needed a root canal, simply said, “Let’s just give you a good tooth cleaning” and never addresses the root cause of the abscess? You’ll have the prettiest, rottenest teeth for about a two seconds, before that baby has to come out altogether because of the pain and disease. No, the right thing to do, but the hard thing to do, is to drill down deep and purge that sin. Don’t shortchange God, yourself and others by cutting corners. Just get right and stay right!
With the consciousness of the guilt there must follow
B. Godly Confession
B. Godly Confession
“… he shall confess that he hath sinned …” (Leviticus 5:5c).
Every sacrifice for sin was accompanied with confession, but in the Trespass Offering the confession was a requirement of the ritual. Confession of sin is never general. It is specific. The text says that he shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing.” Forgiveness for a trespass that has a name must be identified by that name. Forgiveness for all our sins is the result of confessing our sins one by one.
Confession is something more than shallow words that spill over the lips. It is the sorrowful expression that sounds the depths of the soul. This confession is first offered to God. After confession to God there follows confession to others who have been offended. Repentance before God will always issue in restitution to man.
Illustration - Zaccheus
Conclusion: Finding Restoration
Conclusion: Finding Restoration
The emphasis of the Trespass Offering is on restoration. The matter between the offender and the offended party could not be settled until reimbursement was made to the victim along with the addition of a fifth part.
16 And he shall make amends for the harm that he hath done in the holy thing, and shall add the fifth part thereto, and give it unto the priest: and the priest shall make an atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering, and it shall be forgiven him.
Forgiveness is being made right with God but it does not stop with Him. It must include making things right with others who have been victimized. Sin is always against God but others are always made to suffer because of it. The account of wrongdoing cannot be reconciled until there is restoration. Amends have to be made for the harm that was done. Since there is always the possibility of a difference of opinion in the assessment of damages, consider
A. Estimation, Restitution, Reconciliation
A. Estimation, Restitution, Reconciliation
“… with thy estimation by shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering” (Leviticus 5:15e–g).
Neither the one who did the wrong nor the one who suffered the harm was allowed to put a price tag on what it would take to set things straight. The one who was given the responsibility for this task was the priest and his standard of judgment was the shekel of the sanctuary. The shekel of the sanctuary represents true measurement. Men have their weights by which they make their measurements but they do not meet God’s standard. The penalty for wrongdoing should not be what others think ought to be done but what God says must be done. God’s measurement is the only true standard of judgment.
Silver is the symbol of redemption and Christ is typified by the priest. The estimation that was chosen underlines the fact that the cost of redemption is divinely determined. The estimation of cost was never cheap because the loss of time, property and countless other things added up to a big bill. The great cost in restoration speaks of the high price Jesus paid in His redemptive effort to restore sinful man to a holy God.
“… and add a fifth part thereto, and give it unto the priest …” (Leviticus 5:16b–c).
The offending party was responsible for returning to the owner a sum equal to the original value of what had been taken away. However, this was not the end of the obligation. A person was also commanded to add an amount which totaled one fifth of the worth of what had been stolen. The purpose in this was to let no man profit from the loss for which he was responsible. All that was taken had to be returned along with the addition of a fifth part.
The fifth part amounts to a double tithe. It is the sum of two tenths. The tithe is the Lord’s (Leviticus 27:30). The trespass is against the Lord and the tithe is the acknowledgment of God’s ownership of all. The double tithe is a double recognition of wrongdoing as a violation of divine rights. It not only was a double acknowledgment of guilt, it was compensation for all the trouble that had been caused. What was done in reparation accentuated the fact that sin is costly.
The trespass of Adam made God a loser. The disobedience of Adam robbed God of the honor and praise due to Him from the lips of man. The trespass of Adam also made man a loser. His disobedience of heavenly law robbed man of eternal life from God, endless joy in God and enjoyable fellowship with God. Both God and man lost by the trespass of the first Adam. As the last Adam, Christ became the Trespass Offering who restored to God and man all that was lost by the first Adam. The offering of Christ not only restored all but it also brought back more than was taken away by the Fall. Christ did nothing to take it away but He did everything to bring it back (compare Psalm 69:4). Both God and man have gained far more than was ever lost. Through the work of God’s Son on the cross God and man have not lost anything but have actually gained more than was forfeited by Adam’s sinful departure from the will of God. God receives far more from man redeemed than from man created. God has received more in man’s redemption than He lost in man’s rebellion. Man has received more from God in His salvation than he ever lost in his sin.
“… and the priest shall make an atonement for him for his sin which he hath sinned …” (Leviticus 5:10c, 13a, 6d).
Christ is the Trespass Offering who has remedied the wrong committed by the trespasses of man. Our trespasses alienated us from God but in the offering of Christ for the violation of God’s law the alienation is now reversed.
The nature of man makes him incapable of approaching God. The man of flesh cannot come to God without assistance. In His loving condescension God provided access to Himself through the ministry of a mediator. The priest is representative of Christ by whom alone sinful man can come to God. In John 14:6 we read these words: “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
B. Atonement, and Assurance
B. Atonement, and Assurance
“… atonement …” (Leviticus 5:10a, 13a, 16d).
The work of atonement in the pictures of the Old Testament was a repetitive process that pointed to the sacrificial work of Christ once for all. The continuing work of the Old Testament points to the concluded work of the New Testament. When the atonement had been made by the priest, the one for whom it was done could rest in the work that was completed. The work that was finished for one trespass pointed to the finished work of Christ for all trespasses.
“… and it shall be forgiven him …” (Leviticus 5:10d, 13b, 16e).
These words are packed with absolute certainty. They are sure because of their source. They are spoken by the Lord. We cannot always depend on what people tell us but the word of the Lord leaves no doubt whatsoever. The word of God about forgiveness takes everything into consideration. His forgiveness covers every situation and circumstance. It is about forgiveness immediately received and it is immensely reassuring. The work of atonement was available to all but it had to be applied on an individual basis.
Note - Atonement is based on faith, and it is blessed by forgiveness.
Faith is taking God at His Word and responding to what He has revealed. Without faith there is no basis for fellowship with God because it is impossible to please Him apart from faith (compare Hebrew 1E6). Faith is the only way people have ever been accepted by the Lord and the catalog of the committed in Hebrews 11 lays emphasis on this method. The work of the altar was based on faith.
“… forgiven …” (Leviticus 5:10d, 13b, 16e).
Forgiveness is the result of redemption by faith. It is something positive and not subject to doubt. Through faith the wayward are blessed by divine forgiveness that lasts forever.
Faith is in the work of God the Son
Faith is the word calling it done
Faith is in the will making us one
Faith is in the way excluding none.
Faith makes us what we could never be
Faith gives us all our eyes can ever see
Faith goes to God to get us a key
Faith unlocks our door to set us free.
Faith blesses the believing soul
Faith puts God in control;
Faith writes our names on Heaven’s roll
Faith takes the pieces and makes us whole.
(© Dean M. Weaver 10/16/1998.)
[Adapted from: Dean Weaver, Five Glimpses of Grace: The Levitical Offerings, Dean M. Weaver Sermon Outlines (Wordsearch, 2016), 93–104.]