A Change of Heart

Introduction

The situation you are in with someone has great impact on the development of the relationship. A person who was my college roommate and I person I pass in the hallway at work would provide a different perspective to how I feel about a person. It’s imperative that we understand that while we need redeeming and salvation they are not quite the same. God’s plan of redemption was removing the children of Israel out of slavery, similar to us today, God’s plan of redemption was sending Jesus to free us from sin. To push the envelope further salvation is a eternal deliverance from sin and fellowship with God. To make a long story short, redemption is the ransom that had to be paid. Salvation is the deliverance into a place prepared by God permanently, redemption is God’s ability to pay the ransom to free us from sin. In order to be redeemed there are certain things one must do, nonetheless you could do everything right and it’s still up to the grace and mercy of God to provide us with an eternal fellowship or salvation with him.

The similarity is that they both take a change of heart in effort to experience being redeemed and being saved. Speaking of a “Change of Heart” there was a show that began in the late 80’s and ended around the time I graduated High School in which a couple would come on the show and each person would go on a date with a new person. There would be interviews and there would be a number of couples who would stay together but there were also those who had a Change of Heart!

Considering the climate that our community and our country is in we need a change of heart! We have to be able to move past this idea that says because I behave accordingly and my family is okay, everything is all good. As Christians we have a responsibility to each other and the community.

Violence, racism, gender inequality, poorly funded public schools, and family cycles of trauma is a sin problem, and it is definitely a heart problem. Our communities need a change of heart, our world needs a change of heart, and more importantly Christians need to lead the way at showing what a changed heart looks like.

Background

Scholars suggest that the book of Leviticus was written about a year after the Israelites left Egypt. Exodus 40:17 “And it came to pass in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was raised up.”

Understand that this is applicable to us today nonetheless this was directly to Moses to share with the people of Israel. As we progress through the book of Leviticus we see an expansion of the 10 commandments given in the book of Exodus.

Leviticus 1:1 “Now the Lord called to Moses, and spoke to him from the tabernacle of meeting, saying,”

Moses shares a number of things with the people, he begins by setting the expectation and showing that God is the ultimate example of holiness. It’s impossible to be holy without having a pure heart and a kind heart toward all mankind. Holiness begins with the right thinking, not solely behavior. he real mark of holiness isn’t outward conformity to a set of moral standards; the real mark of holiness is a pure and contrite heart—a heart that’s sensitive to God, a heart that never tires of grieving over sin or confessing sin. Because holiness is primarily an attitude toward God, it should promote us to have the same attitude of holiness toward people.

The idea that I can say I love God but hate another human being, or bring harm to another human being and justify my feelings by some private moral standard I’ve totally missed the message of the cross!

The purpose and theology of the book of Leviticus provide us with 4 themes.

The presence of God

Holiness

Sacrifice

Sinai Covenant

These laws are a testament to the expectations of God even in place of wilderness. Many times our life looks similar. God frees us from the bondage of life and the wilderness is simply a journey in effort to appreciate the purpose and the blessing of Caanan. Nonetheless, God still has expectations while we are in the wilderness. Individual expectations and collective expectations of the church. Individually we have a responsibility to treat each other with kindness and love. Collectively we have a responsibility to show those who do not know Jesus who Jesus is and lead them to salvation.

Often times we perceive this idea of holiness to be aligned with the position one has nonetheless the children of God should be considered holy by virtue of their position. My position shouldn’t promote me to live a life that is pleasing unto God, nor should my circumstance. Even without the position, even in the best circumstance I strive for holiness because of what God rescued me from.

1 Corinthians 1:2 “To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:”

Being holy is not just an aspiration of Christianity it is a calling, God calls his children to live in a certain way. Our life is not just about ourselves, just like when driving on the highway. You are driving for yourself and the safety of others. Similar to discipleship, it is not only beneficial for us as followers it’s also beneficial to the people around you.

It is beneficial for a child to grow up in a home with Godly parents.

It is beneficial for an employee to carry the expertise of their job as well as the grace and mercy of Jesus.

It is beneficial to the community when our hearts and minds are fixed on God.

We see a number of laws in this chapter, we see instructions on free will offerings as well as the parameters of sacrifices. We also see the consequence of disobedience.

Leviticus 19:8 “Therefore everyone who eats it shall bear his iniquity, because he has profaned the hallowed offering of the Lord; and that person shall be cut off from his people.”

The Importance of Equity and Justice

As we continue to acknowledge the laws given to Moses for the Israelites it’s important that we understand that it also was mandatory that we did right by the poor and we did not esteem the rich to be better than anyone else.

Leviticus 19:9 “‘When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest.”

We live in a society in which greed and the accumulation of things and money has led us to objectify people and oppress communities, God’s directive to Moses was to inhibit this. We see in the story of Ruth this mandate allowed her to provide for her mother in law. It’s not just about having resources, it’s also about opportunity in life.

Oppression just doesn’t take the resource it takes the opportunity and Christians need to be on the front lines speaking out against the opportunities that have been taken from the most vulnerable people in society.

Everyone deserves a fair opportunity and God understands that. No differences should be made no matter how rich or poor. “And you shall not glean your vineyard” basically, this is saying that the worker was not to work his way back over the field but rather leave the food for the needy. Understand that providing food for the poor was the underlying concern for the restoration of the Land during the Year of Jubilee.

Leviticus 25:35-38 “‘If one of your brethren becomes poor, and falls into poverty among you, then you shall help him, like a stranger or a sojourner, that he may live with you. Take no usury or interest from him; but fear your God, that your brother may live with you. You shall not lend him your money for usury, nor lend him your food at a profit. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God.”

How Should We Treat Our Neighbor

Do not steal

Do not lie

Do not deceive each other

Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of God.

God cannot lie, so why would we use him as a crutch to cover up our untruths!

Do not hold back the wages of a hired man overnight

Take care of the disabled

Do not spread rumors

Do not sit idly while you see your neighbors life in danger. It’s time that we become advocates for one another.

Our hearts should be empathetic enough to be there for the family that been a victim of homicide, be there when police officers take the life of one of our young men and women, be there in our schools for the young boys and girls that are exposed to violence, sexual assault and drug trafficking before they leave elementary school.

Do not hate your brother in your heart

1 John 4:20 “If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?”

Do not seek revenge.

These were the commandments that God gave the children of Israel in conjunction with navigating the wilderness. Imagine a community in which everyone’s heart reflected this type of environment. This is the beautiful thing about Jesus because He embodied all of these things even on the cross. This is why he bridges the gap, because Jesus was innocent of all things, Old Testament Law and being the perfect sacrifice in the New Testament on our behalf.

Jesus never stole for anyone, if anything He spent time with the thieves, matter of fact He was crucified right next to one. It was Jesus who provided us with parables on how to support the poor and the disabled in our communities. It was Jesus that showed us how to love and forgive in the midst of betrayal and abandonment by those whom you love! It was Jesus that raised Lazarus from the dead.

Understand that if you are making differences, and justifying the hate in your heart because of individual morality, our hearts need to change.