Sin rarely involves only one. The old saying “it takes two to tango” also applies to most occurrences of sin. Hello everyone and thanks for joining me another Sunday School preview. Today’s lesson is entitled “God Forgives” and it is taken from Numbers 14:10-20.
After returning from searching the land and siding with those who brought back a negative report, the people murmured against God and were ready to stone Moses, Aaron, Joshua and Caleb. But God Himself intervened before they could stone them. God had had enough of their unbelief and was about to destroy them all until Moses pleaded on their behalf.
He appealed to God’s patience and mercy and God decided against doing what He was considering doing. Sin is first and foremost against God. The bible describes sin as the transgression of the law of God. To doubt or not believe God especially after He has given assurances whether by word or deed is an insult and dishonor to the dignity of His person. It was for this sin God was ready to cast them aside for someone else.
Their sin of unbelief not only was going to destroy them but their children as well. Rarely do people consider how their sin affects others either directly or indirectly. Yet sin is seldom, if ever, committed in isolation or a vacuum. It can affect our spouses, our children and family, our coworkers, employees or customers, our friends and acquaintances, our neighbors and those we don’t know and haven’t been born.
Many of those affected are the ones we say we love and care the most about. If God had destroyed them all like He said, then all these people would have been affected in one way or another and destroyed. By God forgiving their sin, those who were or would have been affected by their sin were spared. The perpetrators of this sin that occurred as a result of their unbelief, however, were not spared and died in the wilderness for it.
Today, our unbelief too has consequences that extend far beyond ourselves and touch the very ones we say we love. Know it or not, your actions are being watched by others and are having an influence on their actions. When others see or are the recipients of our unbelieving actions or behaviors, it can cause and lead them into unbelieving actions and behavior as well.
So not only do we suffer for our sin, but others suffer also for their involvement or influence from our sin. The good news is that God will forgive us and not destroy us if we truly repent and believe. The other good news is that our repentance can help to save and influence others who would have otherwise been affected by and lost as a result of our sin.
Well, I hope you will attend SS this coming Sunday and share your thoughts with your class. If you have any comments or questions, be sure to place them in the comment section of this preview. So, until next time remember to fear God and keep His commandments.
Pastor Jordan
