The Purification Offering — Turning Again Toward God's Target
Application for Today
Doing God's will requires advance preparation and an ordered life.
Leviticus 4:1-5:13EnglishThe English PDF edition is currently in preparation.
In this article 4
Application for Today
① Carelessness Is Also a Spiritual Problem
Doing God’s will requires advance preparation and an ordered life.
Some recurring moments of forgetfulness and habitual mistakes arise from spiritual indifference.
The absence of sinful intent does not erase the consequences of sin.
Order and preparation are revealed in the posture of our lives
Slips of the tongue, forgotten promises, neglected responsibilities, and unintentional wounds inflicted on others should not be dismissed with the words, “I didn’t do it on purpose.”
We must first acknowledge the outcome and examine what was lacking in us.
Application for Today
② Ignorance Is Not a Complete Excuse
Not knowing God’s Word does not remove all responsibility for sin.
Where Does Ignorance Come From?
- Spiritual immaturity
- Indifference to and neglect of studying the Word
- Accepting another person’s teaching without critical examination
When We Newly Discover That Something Was Wrong
- Acknowledge the wrong.
- Correct the consequences of past actions as far as possible.
- Learn God’s Word more accurately.
- Change habits and surroundings to avoid repeating the mistake.
Studying the Word, therefore, is more than accumulating knowledge. It is a practical responsibility through which we reduce unintentional sin and learn to live according to God’s will.
Application for Today
③ Each Person Remains Responsible Even When Taught Incorrectly
Leviticus 4:13–21 concerns a case in which the whole congregation sins unintentionally.
The excuse “My pastor said so” cannot by itself exempt anyone from responsibility before God (Tim Hegg, p. 30).
- Believers must compare sermons and church traditions with Scripture.
- Even the words of a respected leader must not be uncritically treated as absolute.
- A practice followed by most of the community is not automatically right.
- When false teaching is discovered, both the leaders and the community that followed it must make corrections together.
This does not mean that every believer should interpret Scripture however he or she wishes. It means that while receiving help from pastors and the community, we must not forget our ultimate responsibility to discern before God’s Word.
Application for Today
④ One Person’s Sin and Error Have a Wider Impact on the Community
Today this teaching applies to pastors, teachers, elders, parents, and community leaders.
- A leader’s personal sin can harm the whole church.
- False doctrine and interpretation can lead many people into unintentional sin.
- The greater a leader’s authority, the more rigorous the scrutiny and accountability required.
- Talent and popularity must not be the only considerations when appointing leaders.
Two Things Pastors and Teachers Must Possess Together
- A personal, living, and growing relationship with God
- Diligent, careful, and serious study of God’s Word
Spiritual zeal without an accurate understanding of the Word can lead people in the wrong direction. Conversely, abundant knowledge without a living relationship with God can produce a proud or merely formal leader (Tim Hegg, p. 30).