The Day of Atonement

The meaning of Yom Kippur is the "day of atonement. "

A part of the atonement God required of the Jews was that one must ask forgiveness to the one they have offended before they can go before God to ask forgiveness.

Matthew 5:22-24 "…22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ will be subject to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to the fire of hell. 23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.…"

Matthew 5:24

"leave your gift there before the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift."

God's principles do not change, He is always the same and expects the same as He always has.

Malachi 3:6

“For I, the Lord, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed."

Hebrews 13:8

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."

God will not forgive our sin against another person until we have first reconciled with the one we have offended.

1 Peter 1:23

"for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God."

When the American church adds their traditions God never commanded as well as their own ideas that God never spoke to the teachings of the Bible they are blaspheming God.

To Blaspheme God is to show great disrespect for Him and the principles of His word. Added to this is to show great disrespect to those who love God because they belong to Him.

To fight and argue against the truths of God's Word while claiming to be a Christian is a form of blaspheming God.

Blaspheming God is insulting or showing contempt for God and His principles. Many pretenders do this regularly when they fight against the truth to defend their traditions that God never commanded and when they refuse to hear God's Word in correction.

In our present day, people not only never ask forgiveness from one another they feel justified in their hatred and disrespect for others and refuse to be convicted of their sinful attitudes.

All the churches have turned their heart away from God to their traditions without conviction of this sin, even defending the sin of diverting the eyes of others from God to their traditions. They do not take seriously the sin of adding to God's Word or detracting from it in order to be able to commit their sin without guilt.

Someone once told me that as long as they have asked forgiveness of God they don't have to confront the one they offended to ask forgiveness. This is not Biblical but has been taught in recent years.

God has a reason for compelling us to ask forgiveness, that reason is that it is harder to consider repeating a sin against someone if we have to see them face to face and humble ourselves in front of them. Confessing our sin to the one we offend is humbling and life-changing. Without this practice, there is no spiritual or emotional growth, only stagnation and regression.

This is why superficial forgiveness without confession of sin is so dangerous, it removes the necessary steps to humility that reconciles a relationship.

Some people say "I have forgiven them even though they are not sorry but I can't forget", this is not forgiveness and it does nothing except enable the offender to continue the same without change in their hearts. Not only do people remain the same without confession of sin they also grow deeper into their pride and willfulness.

We do not help people when we pridefully proclaim we forgive without repentance. It is pride that causes people to want to act as though they are superior to God by shortcutting His ways to feel better about themselves. This mentality prevents relationship reconciliation while fostering arrogance in everyone.

God wants humility to grow in believers. Without confession, there is no humility, only regression into deeper sins of pride.

Proverbs 11:2 “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”

Proverbs 16:5 “The LORD detests all the proud of heart."