Comprehensive Cleansing

“Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me” (Psalm 19:12-13a).

Dear Praying Friends:

The Law of Moses distinguished between two types of sins: (1) “Secret,” that is, unknown sins, namely, those committed either unintentionally or in ignorance (Leviticus 4:1-35; Numbers 15:22-29), and (2) Those committed presumptuously, or committed intentionally [“with a high hand”] (Numbers 15:30-31).

We all know the difference. Many today do not know, for example, that sex outside of marriage is sinful. Or, more commonly, we hurt others without meaning to, as when a driver who is distracted by texting slams into the rear end of another car, or we say something that hurts without intending to do so. In any case, what we do breaks God’s law and leads to spiritual, emotional, or physical hurt or harm. There may be no intention to harm, but the impact is the same.

For the first kind, there was provision of forgiveness through sacrifice, but for the second, no pardon or sacrifice remained. The offender had to be expelled from Israel.

Christians, however, have the assurance that “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to cleanse us from [the guilt and stain] of all unrighteousness,” because Jesus Christ the Righteous is the propitiation for our sins (1 John 1:9; 2:1-2).

This precious truth from the Scriptures seems appropriate during the season of Lent, even if we don’t observe it as strictly as some do.

Yours in his comprehensive cleansing,
Wright