The Blinding Power of Sin – The Ninth Commandment

The Blinding Power of Sin

The Ninth Commandment

Leviticus 6:1-5

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “If anyone sins and commits a breach of faith against the LORD by deceiving his neighbor in a matter of deposit or security, or through robbery, or if he has oppressed his neighbor or has found something lost and lied about it, swearing falsely—in any of all the things that people do and sin thereby—if he has sinned and has realized his guilt and will restore what he took by robbery or what he got by oppression or the deposit that was committed to him or the lost thing that he found or anything about which he has sworn falsely, he shall restore it in full and shall add a fifth to it, and give it to him to whom it belongs on the day he realizes his guilt.”

Leviticus 5:4, 5

…or if anyone utters with his lips a rash oath to do evil or to do good, any sort of rash oath that people swear, and it is hidden from him, when he comes to know it, and he realizes his guilt in any of these; when he realizes his guilt in any of these and confesses the sin he has committed…

We note in these two statutes the blinding power of sin. The law of sin at work within the human soul is so powerful, that if it is not checked by repentance and obedience to the holy and righteous and good Law of God, it can lead us to transgress against our neighbor and not even realize it.

But the Spirit of God dwells in believers now, whereas He did not then. And His work is, in part, to convict us of our sins. When the Spirit brings to mind transgressions against our neighbor—any deceit or lies or less-than-truthful dealing—our duty is to confess, repent, and make any restoration that may be called for.

Moreover, we should offer something to the Lord, some offering of thanks and praise for His mercy and convicting love. Our second passage goes on beyond the final ellipsis to command a sacrifice, designed to restore relations with God as well. Let us remember that whenever we sin against our neighbors, we sin against God as well. While we must ever seek to be restored to our neighbors, we must not neglect to be restored to the Lord as well.

In this series of In the Gates we present a detailed explanation of the Law of God, beginning with the Ten Commandments, and working through the statutes and rules that accompany each commandment. For a practical guide to the role of God’s Law in the practice of ethics, get The Ground for Christian Ethics by going to www.MyParuchia.com and click on our Book Store.

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In the Gates is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T.M. Moore, editor of the Worldview Church. He serves as dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He is the author or editor of twenty books, and has contributed chapters to four others. His essays, reviews, articles, papers, and poetry have appeared in dozens of national and international journals, and on a wide range of websites. His most recent books are The Ailbe Psalter and The Ground for Christian Ethics (Waxed Tablet).

Scripture quotations in this article are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (c) copyright 2001, 2007 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.