Read Leviticus 6, Isaiah 1, and Luke 21
This devotional is about Leviticus 6.
Some of the sins we commit are in our hearts. These are things like jealousy, envy, materialism, greed, lust, and even idolatry. But a lot of our sins are against another person–things that are good for us but at the expense of another person. Verses 2-3 describe some of these sins against others as “deceiving a neighbor about something entrusted to them or left in their care or about something stolen, or if they cheat their neighbor, or if they find lost property and lie about it, or if they swear falsely about any such sin that people may commit….”
We understand that sins against other people are wrong and that they hurt others, but do we understand that they are a violation of our relationship with God? Verse 1 here in Leviticus 6 says that someone who sins in these ways is “…is unfaithful to the LORD.” Sins against others broke Israel’s covenant with God. That’s why he says the sinner is “unfaithful to the LORD.” But even though we’re not Israel, God our Creator deserves our obedience and faithfulness because we were created by him and belong to him.
So, all sins are against God, even when they are sins against others.
Notice here in Leviticus 6 that there are two stages of forgiveness that the sinner needs to seek. First, the sinner must make restitution (v. 5), even adding 20% to the amount of damages because verse 5 says to “add a fifth of the value to it.” The restitution is made “to the owner” according to verse 5, so it is the person who was sinned against. You can’t do that without an explanation, so the explanation is an expression of repentance. Whenever someone sins against someone else, the sinner must go to the person he sinned against, own up to what he did, and offer to give more than the full value that was lost. And, according to the last phrase of verse 5, this is to be done “…on the day they present their guilt offering.” In other words, you seek the forgiveness of others and make restitution before you go to worship the Lord.
That’s all stage one of seeking forgiveness. But there is a second stage. Because your sin was an act of “…unfaithfulness to the LORD” (v. 1), you need to seek his forgiveness, too. Verse 6 describes this as a “guilt offering” which was taken to the tabernacle and offered as a burnt offering. Verse 7 says, “In this way the priest will make atonement for them before the Lord, and they will be forgiven for any of the things they did that made them guilty.”
That offering couldn’t really atone for the sinner, but it looked forward to the cross of Christ. Christ, our high priest, has atoned for our sins. He became our sin offering and his atonement was accepted by God for our forgiveness. If you are in Christ, your sins are forgiven because of what Christ did for you when he died on the cross as your substitute.
But as people under the New Covenant, we want to be faithful to God in all of our dealings. So, if we sin against another person, we need to seek that person’s forgiveness and make restitution just as Moses described here in Leviticus 6:5. Jesus himself drew on this passage when he said, ” “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:23-24).
Have you sinned against another Christian, but you keep praying, going to church, taking the Lord’s supper, and acting like a faithful Christian as if your sin never happened? Jesus died for your sins, so in Christ your eternity is secure. But, as someone who loves Jesus, be faithful to him by doing what he commands. Seek forgiveness from others and make restitution. This is how a faithful Christian shows fidelity to the Lord.