Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

February 4
Monday


UNLOCKING
THE GATE

READ:
Numbers 5:5-8
___________________________________

When a man or woman
commits any sin...
against the LORD,...
then he shall confess
the sin which he has
committed.
__Numbers 5:6-7
____________________________________

Researchers at the University of Toronto reported in 2006 that people who are suffering from a guilty conscience experience "a powerful urge to wash themselves." To study this effect, the researchers asked volunteers to recall past sins. They were then given an opportunity to wash their hands as a symbol of cleansing their conscience. Those who had recalled their sins washed their hands at "twice the rate of study subjects who had not imagined past transgressions."

The Bible proposes the only effective way of dealing with sin--confession. In the Old testament, one of the ways the Israelites were supposed to cleanse themselves and maintain purity before God and in their community was by confessing their sins (Num 5:5-8). To confess means "to speak the same; to agree with; to admit the truth." When the people confessed to God, they were not telling Him anything He did not already know. But their confession was a demonstration of a change of heart. Refusing to confess their sins allowed sin to take deeper root within their lives and community.

Admitting our sin unlocks the gate so that we can have forgiveness, joy, and peace. If we confess our sins, God is faithful to forgive (1 John 1:9).
__Marvin Williams
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~~~~~~~~~~~~If we would know God's power to heal~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~And cleanse us from within,~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~We must acknowledge when we're wrong--~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Confessing it as sin. __Fasick~~~~~~~~~~~~
_____________________________________________________________

Confession is agreeing with God about our sin.

****************Today's Bible Reading __Numbers 5:5-8************

5 Then the LORD spoke to
Moses, saying, 6 "Speak to
the children of Israel:
'When a man or woman
commits any sin that men
commit in unfaithfulness
against the LORD, and that
person is guilty, 7 then he
shall confess the sin which
he has committed. He shall
make restitution for his
trespass in full, plus one-
fifth of it, and give it to the
one he has wronged. 8 But
if the man has no relative to
whom restitiution may be
made for the wrong, the
restitution for the wrong
must go to the LORD for the
priest, in addition to the
ram of the atonement with
which atonement is made
for him.' "

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

The book of Numbers is so named because in it the poeple of the
tribes of Israel are numbered twice. Many of the events of the book
take place at the foot of Mount Sinai, before tracking the years of
the nation's wilderness wanderings. In total, the book spans a period
of about 40 years. __WEC