Why is ignoring sin, as mentioned in Leviticus 20:4, dangerous for believers? Setting the Scene Leviticus 20:4: “If the people of the land, however, should ever close their eyes to that man when he gives one of his children to Molech and do not put him to death,” What Leviticus 20:4 Teaches About Complicity • Closing our eyes to sin makes us partners in it. • God links silence with shared guilt; refusing to act is itself sinful (compare James 4:17). Ignoring Sin Breeds Further Evil • Unchecked sin spreads like leaven (1 Corinthians 5:6). • Toleration signals approval, emboldening others to follow. Ignoring Sin Invites Divine Discipline • God declares, “I will set My face against that man and his family” (Leviticus 20:5). • Hebrews 10:30 reminds, “The Lord will judge His people.” • Discipline may be temporal (loss, hardship) and eternal for the unrepentant (Revelation 21:8). Ignoring Sin Undermines the Witness of God’s People • Israel’s task was to display holiness (Leviticus 20:26). • When believers wink at sin, the world mocks truth (Romans 2:24). • A compromised church loses moral authority (Philippians 2:15). Ignoring Sin Hardens the Heart • “Encourage one another daily… so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness” (Hebrews 3:13). • Repeated indifference dulls conviction, paving the way to apostasy (1 Timothy 4:2). Steps to Guard Against Indifference • Stay in the Word: Psalm 119:11. • Cultivate accountable relationships: Galatians 6:1–2. • Confront sin humbly and biblically: Matthew 18:15–17. • Confess quickly: “Whoever conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will find mercy” (Proverbs 28:13). • Pray for discernment and courage: Ephesians 6:18–20. Encouragement from the Gospel • Christ bore sin’s penalty so we can repent without fear (1 Peter 2:24). • Through the Spirit we have power to resist complicity (Romans 8:13). • Faithful confrontation restores others and preserves purity (Jude 23). |
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