23 September Leviticus 14

Guard yourself from sin

Leviticus 14:34-42 (NIV) “When you enter the land of Canaan, which I am giving you as your possession, and I put a spreading mild in a house in that land, the owner of the house must go and tell the priest, ‘I have seen something that looks like a defiling mould in my house.’ The priest is to order the house to be emptied before he goes in to examine the mould, so that nothing in the house will be pronounced unclean. After this the priest is to go in and inspect the house. He is to examine the mould on the walls, and if it has greenish or reddish depressions that appear to be deeper than the surface of the wall, the priest shall go out the doorway of the house and close it up for seven days. On the seventh day the priest shall return to inspect the house. If the mould has spread on the walls, he is to order that the contaminated stones be torn out and thrown into an unclean place outside the town. He must have all the inside walls of the house scraped and the material that is scraped off dumped into an unclean place outside the town. Then they are to take other stones to replace these and take new clay and plaster the house”.

God wanted to keep His people safe by ensuring they got rid of mould in their homes immediately. Even though the Jews didn't know how harmful mould could be when inhaling it, God was looking out for them. The message in these verses is that sin shouldn't be allowed to stay in a believer's life. This is what Jesus was talking about when He used the example of cutting off a part of your body to show how important it is to remove sinful influences from your life. Matthew 5:29-30 (NIV) “If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell”. This is also confirmed in:

Romans 6:12 (NIV) “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires”.

2 Corinthians 7:1 (NASB95) “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God”.

Hebrews 12:1 (NASB95) “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us”.

Therefore, if you have done something wrong, confess your sin and turn to the Lord. He loves you, and Jesus is there to speak on your behalf. Keep your focus on Jesus, who began and will complete your faith, so you won't get tired or discouraged. Hebrews 12:2-3 (NIV) “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart”.

In conclusion, just as God instructed the Israelites to remove mould from their homes to protect them from harm, He also calls us to guard our lives against sin. Sin, like mould, can spread and cause significant damage if left unchecked. By removing sinful influences and focusing on Jesus, we follow God’s command to live a sanctified life. Jesus, who endured the cross and all its shame, is our perfect example and advocate. As we strive to keep our lives pure, let us confess our sins, lean on the strength of the Lord, and continue running the race of faith with endurance. By doing so, we honour God and protect our spiritual well-being, ensuring that sin has no place in our lives.