The Seriousness of Sin (Leviticus 10:1–13)

Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them. And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.’” And Aaron held his peace.
—Leviticus 10:1–13

Wow, what a story. I think we have a tendency—or better yet, I should say I know I have a tendency—to treat sin lightly, to sometimes think of sin as not that big a deal. Like, “Oh, this thought—it was just a thought,” or “This word—it was just one word, one thing I said,” or “One desire that wasn’t good,” or “A motive that wasn’t right.”

And I can easily just think, “Well, God will forgive me,” which is true—praise Jesus. And at the same time, this is not the way we should think about sin, when one sin against an infinitely holy God is worthy of infinitely eternal punishment. Think about Genesis 3. One sin—they ate a piece of fruit.

And from that one sin came condemnation for all men, as Romans 5 says.We have to be careful never to underestimate the seriousness of one sin before a holy God.

Leviticus 10:1–13 shows why casual attitudes toward sin are dangerous.

So today, O God, we pray: help us to realize the seriousness of sin. Help us to hate it. Help us not to be casual with sin. God, please deliver us from any and all casual approaches to sin. Help us to see even what we would consider to be small sins as serious sins.

Even right now, God, lay our hearts bare before you, we pray. Help us to see ways we have been casual with sin. I pray for this in my life. I pray for this in others’ lives who are listening to this right now. Please, O God, don’t let us be casual with sin.

We confess our sin before you, even specifically in our hearts and in our lives. After this little podcast episode is over, cause us to be broken over what we might be tempted to consider the slightest or the smallest sin. God, help us to hate it. Help us to confess it honestly and humbly, to turn from it, to repent of it as we receive your grace.

Leviticus 10:1–13 calls us to hate sin and pursue holiness.

Lord Jesus, we praise you all the more for your grace and your covering over our sin. We should be dead—eternally dead, O God. We should be separated from you forever in hell because of our sin. Lord, we should be consumed by your judgment, as Leviticus:10:1–3 show.

So God, we thank you for your grace and your mercy. Jesus, we thank you for enduring the judgment we deserve in our place.

So we pray: help us to be holy. Help us to honor you with our sanctification. God, we want to be near you, so make us holy, we pray, and help us to glorify you in our lives today.

And God, help us to spread the good news of forgiveness of sin and freedom from sin to people around us today and to peoples around the world.

A Prayer for the So Tri People

God, we pray for the So Tri people, this relatively small people group of 12,000 men, women, and children. Lord, we pray that the So Tri people would be reached with the good news of your grace and your mercy, your forgiveness for all who trust in Jesus.

God, we pray all this according to your Word in Leviticus 10:1–3.

In Jesus’ name, amen.