October 28

Sins of Ignorance

The priest is to make atonement for the whole congregation of Israel, so that they may be forgiven; for the sin was unintentional and they have brought to the LORD an offering made by fire and a sin offering, presented before the LORD for their unintentional sin. — Num 15:25 BSB

Because of our limited understanding, we are often unaware of our sins of ignorance. Yet we can be sure that they are many, both in what we do and in what we fail to do. We may sincerely believe we are serving God while engaging in something He has never commanded and will never accept.

The Lord knows every one of these sins, and this should give us both concern and comfort. It is alarming because in His justice, He will hold us accountable for these transgressions. But it is also comforting because our faith assures us that He will deal with these sins. He sees them so that He can cast them behind His back and remove them from us.

Our greatest comfort is that Jesus, our true High Priest, has made atonement for all the people of God. His atonement covers even the sins we do not know about. His precious blood cleanses us from all sin, whether we recognize it or not. God sees it, Christ has atoned for it, and the Holy Spirit bears witness to our forgiveness. In this, we find a threefold peace.

O my Father, I praise You for Your perfect knowledge, which not only sees my sins but has also provided an atonement to deliver me from their guilt, even before I knew I was guilty.