Mon.’s Devo - The Sin Offering

Read Lev. 4:1-5:19, Mark 2:13-3:6, Ps. 35:1-12, Pr. 10:1-2 Today we learn about the sin offering. It is an offering for reconciliation. God is always wanting to restore us to fellowship with Him, not condemn us. The sin offering is for someone who commits a sin without realizing it is a sin. When he realizes it, he is guilty and must atone for his sin. We condemn people when we know it is wrong…but God condemns them when they know it is wrong. There is a big difference. We need to wait and let the Holy Spirit convict them of their sin. It is the Holy Spirit’s job to convict and lead us to repentance. A wicked person will not feel guilt. Today’s Psalms explains this. They don’t fear God and can not detect or hate their own sin. They are bent on doing evil. That is how you can tell if a person can be changed - do they feel remorse and guilt? If they do - they can be saved. In Mark the people didn’t understand why during times of fasting, Jesus and his disciples ate. Fasting is an outward act of an inward work. Jesus explained it was because you would never fast at a feast. Jesus was the feast and it was time to eat every word that came from his mouth. They would need to fast when He was gone. He was trying to also teach them that there were some times when breaking the letter of the law was necessary to do the works of the spirit. David ate holy bread in a time of war. Jesus healed on the Sabbath. Jesus was trying to teach them the new covenant of grace that was not going to fit in their old wineskin minds. Jesus was bringing new wine that had to be poured in new wineskin minds. Lord help us to walk by the spirit and not the law. May we be new wineskins that you can pour your new wine into.