All Christians are to be in service of Christ

All are to preform service or Ministry to Christ Most think of ministry as the work done by pastors, missionaries, Christian conference speakers, or evangelists. We rarely think of work of ministry /service done by bankers, lawyers, engineers, or homemakers or any other occupation out there. We typically believe that those who get their paychecks from a church or other Christian organization are the ones who “do” ministry, while the rest of us are those to whom ministry is “done.”  Yet The Greek word in the New Testament that is often translated as “ministry” is diakonia. The basic meaning of this word is “service.” It can refer to tasks as basic as waiting tables (see Acts 6:1), caring for the poor through monetary gifts (see 2 Corinthians 9:12), or proclaiming the gospel (see Acts 20:24). The term is not limited to the service of a select few appointed to particular offices within the church. In fact, the exact opposite is the case. Paul said that those who hold offices in the church are given gifts for the purpose of enabling all of God’s people to do ministry: It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service / ministry [diakonia], so that the body of Christ may be built up. (Ephesians 4:11-12) The leaders of the church are not the only ones doing the work of service or ministry. The leaders are given to the church for the purpose of preparing every member to do the ministry––to render service to the Lord, to the church, and to the world.

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Peter isn't the Rock the church is built on

Peters not the Rock

Christ is the cornerstone in whom the church is built off of (not Peter) I say that because there  are some who say that the church was built on Peter because of the following verse Matt 16:18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. :Peter's name is Petros in the greek it means rock or stone that is a small rock one you might throw  and  the word rock in the verse in greek is petra it means a large rock or large stone. It is a common thought that when Jesus said “on this rock I will build my church “ it is believed by most Evangelical Christians Christ was referring to the solidness of Peter’s statement verse 16 "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Christ also said that the gates of hell would not prevail against it .In Just a few verses later in the very same chapter Christ said to Peter  “23 But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man." Why would Jesus say he is going to build his church on Peter then turn around and say  to get behind him satan ,calling Peter satan and that his mind was set on things of man and not God.So is that the person the Church is built on NO! In Matt 26:33-34 Jesus  foretells the denial of him by Peter and also in Matt 26 :69-75 Peter carries out that denial.So is the church built on a muire man a petros(Peter) a little rock a throwing rock or on a petra(the confession about Jesus Christ) a large stone that stone being Jesus the Christ,he is true ,square and solid. Like the man who built his house on the sand and the storms of life came along ,the house fell apart or his life fell apart . The man who built his house on solid foundation ,that is his life is in Christ the solid foundation ,when life storms come along ,his life doesn’t fall apart he is solid because his foundation is solid . His life is built on Christ and what Christ has done for him and not on his own deed or works. Matt 7:24-27

Christ the stone

Christ The Rock

I grew up in a Christian home and  I can remember many traditional songs from my childhood one of them goes something like this: On Christ the solid rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand all other ground is sinking sand.

Thats one of the great hymns of my past .It’s still a great hymn for today .

What does it mean Christ is a solid rock ? That is what I’m going to talk about today.

In the bible Christ is Identified as a Cornerstone

The Cornerstone

Definition of a cornerstone:cor·ner·stone

ˈkôrnərˌstōn/

noun

noun: cornerstone; plural noun: cornerstones

1. a stone that forms the base of a corner of a building, joining two walls.
• an important quality or feature on which a particular thing depends or is based.

synonyms:

foundation, "trust is a cornerstone of human relations" Cornerstone ******from bible study tools****** Architectural term used twice in the New Testament ( Eph 2:20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, ; 1 Peter 2:6 For it stands in Scripture: "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame." ) to speak of the exalted Jesus as the chief foundation stone of the church, the cornerstone on which all the building depends. The New Testament draws on two Old Testament passages about the coming Messiah ( Isa 28:16 therefore thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: 'Whoever believes will not be in haste.' ; Zech 10:4  From him shall come the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler--all of them together.). In Isaiah 28:16 the prophet speaks God's words directly to the rulers in Jerusalem who boasted that they were immune to the scourges of life because they were secure in themselves. God said their security was false because he would lay a stone in Zion, a precious cornerstone, which really was secure and it was not those present rulers. Zechariah expands this promise by saying that the cornerstone will come from the tribe of Judah (10:4). Paul builds on this concept in Ephesians 2:20 by saying that Jesus Christ is the chief cornerstone, the apostles and prophets are foundation stones, and the whole building (the church) is a holy temple in the Lord. Peter's use of the idea is more complex, stringing three prophetic verses together ( Psalm 118:22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. ;  ; 28:16 therefore thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: 'Whoever believes will not be in haste.' ). The stone laid in Zion (Isa 28:16 ) is precious to the believer, but as the stone placed at the "head of the corner" , that is, exalted ( Psalm 118:22 ), he is a stone of offense and stumbling ( Isa 8:4 ) to those who refuse to believe. The metaphor seems obvious: the cornerstone is either a source of blessing or judgment, depending on a person's attitude toward it. Some modern interpreters, beginning with J. Jeremias in 1925, take a different tack, separating the two stones and making the cornerstone one thing and the stone at the "head of the corner" another, that is, a capstone or keystone. It is hard to visualize one stumbling over a capstone, but metaphors can be stretched. In any case, the point is that the very foundation of the church is Jesus Christ. This was prophesied by the prophets of old and fulfilled through the incarnation. Those who believe are blessed and those who stumble over that rock chosen by God are condemned. Calling Christ the Capstone isn’t as strong a metaphor as a cornerstone. It does work in that when a arch is made out of stone the one in  the middle ,at the top is the capstone  it keeps the rest from falling . The capstone keeps it together. Just as without Christ we fall apart  ,with Christ as our capstone he holds us together.

We can see through this article that Christ being the cornerstone in whom the church is built off of (not Peter). True ,square and solid. Like the man who built his house on the sand and the storms of life came along ,the house fell apart or his life fell apart . The man who built his house on solid foundation ,that is his life is in Christ the solid foundation ,when life storms come along ,his life doesn’t fall apart he is solid because his foundation is solid . His life is built on Christ and what Christ has done for him and not on his own deed or works. Matt 7:24-27

Build Your House on the Rock

24 "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.

26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.

27And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it."

7:24–27 This parable concludes the Sermon on the Mount and attests to the reliability of Jesus’ words. Wise people hear His words and respond accordingly. Foolish people disregard Jesus’ teaching, fail to act righteously, and go to their own destruction.

If you are a Christian and troubles enter into your life ,struggles,worry ,financial, marriage , kids,and any other numerous things .How does your walk stand ,is it in line with the Cornerstone that is the Christ.

Christ the living stone

1 Peter 2:4-8

4 As you come to him,( Jesus) a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.6 For it stands in Scripture:

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,a cornerstone chosen and precious

and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,“The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,”fn

8 and“A stone of stumbling,and a rock of offense.They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

When we come to Christ ,the living stone ,a solid rock, the corner stone ,He  Jesus is what we as believers build our faith off of ,guide our lives from, we are like the living stone . We are being transformed into the image of Christ the creator. Col 3:9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self  with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

I would like to take a look at a verse that relates back to the Old Testament from the New Testament

1 Cor 10:4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.

This Rock is capitalized  it is a representation of Christ. A type of Christ ,what's the rock give ? WATER without water we die . The Rock was a source of living water .Christ is our source of living water.

John 4

10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” 11 The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” 13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.fn The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”

Of course the water being spoken of is a spiritual water Probably refers to the Holy Spirit. ,our trust in Christ the Holy Spirit living in us we live even when things seem dire..

Never be thirsty again ,is referring to a person's deepest desire to know God personally will be satisfied.

Isaiah 12 :3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4 And you will say in that day:“Give thanks to the Lord,    call upon his name,make known his deeds among the peoples,    proclaim that his name is exalted.

Wells of salvation is a endless supply of the spiritual water  that is the Holy Spirit that comes through our faith in Christ as our redeemer ,foundation ,or cornerstone ,our capstone ,our Rock ,from him flows the living water , because of what he did on the cross  for us we have the opportunity to draw on the living water for strength and peace the living water is no other than the 3rd person of the trinity the Holy Spirit..

There are many verses that show Christ as a rock our sure foundation . Hope I've being clear here. Would like to end this with the lyric of the hymn I mentioned at the beginning.

My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;

I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

When darkness veils His lovely face,

I rest on His unchanging grace;

In every high and stormy gale,

My anchor holds within the veil.

His oath, His covenant, His blood

Support me in the whelming flood;

When all around my soul gives way,

He then is all my hope and stay.

When He shall come with trumpet sound,

Oh, may I then in Him be found;

Dressed in His righteousness alone,

Faultless to stand before the throne.

Refrain:

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;

All other ground is sinking sand,

All other ground is sinking sand.

Give thanks to God for a sure solid foundation found only in Christ.

Unintentional Sin

What is unintentional sin?

Before I answer that question I want to see what the definition of unintentional means according to an online Dictionary.

Unintentional:Not deliberate or intentional

Synonyms

accidental, unplanned, inadvertent.

So unintentional means not deliberate ,it was an accident ,or I didn’t plan too and I didn’t know.

What's the definition of sin.

Sin:1.

transgression of divine law:

the sin of Adam.

2.

any act regarded as such a transgression, especially a willful or deliberate violation of some religious or moral principle.

Biblical definition:Sin (Noun and Verb):

lit., "to miss the mark," is used in the NT

(a) of "sinning" against God,

Synonyms:

• unrighteousness, sinfulness, wickedness, go against,
• infract, violate, break, trespass, fall, offend, breach, transgress

 

If unintentional is not meaning too, and sin is to miss the mark . So if you sin and didn't mean too or were ignorant that you sinned then is that unintentional sin ?

Job had something to say about this.

Job 34:32 teach me what I do not see; if I have done iniquity, I will do it no more'?

Job is asking God to show him the things he has done wrong, the sins he has committed  that he isn’t aware of, so he will not do them anymore. How nice it would be if more Christians would be more like Job and asked God to show them their sins.

In Leviticus there are several passages about unintentional sin and what needs to be done when it's realized or brought to their attention.

Lev 4:1 The LORD said to Moses,

2 "Say to the Israelites: 'When anyone sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD's commands-

13 " 'If the whole Israelite community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD's commands, even though the community is unaware of the matter, they are guilty.

14 When they become aware of the sin they committed, the assembly must bring a young bull as a sin offering and present it before the Tent of Meeting.

22 " 'When a leader sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the commands of the LORD his God, he is guilty.

23 When he is made aware of the sin he committed, he must bring as his offering a male goat without defect.

27 " 'If a member of the community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD's commands, he is guilty.

28 When he is made aware of the sin he committed, he must bring as his offering for the sin he committed a female goat without defect.

A footnote in my ESV study bible say’s by mistake or makes a mistake for unintentionally

Strongs concordance shows the word unintentionally to mean: The KJV translates Strongs H7684 in the following manner: (through, in...) ignorance (12x),unawares (4x), error (2x), unwittingly (1x).

Sin falls into 2 categories Commission and Omission . So what category does unintentional sin fall in. Sin isn’t always something we do it can also be something we don’t do.

James 4: 17 Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.

It's not only what people do that matters ,also what people don’t do that matters when they know it's right that they should do.

Lets first take a look at sins of commission.

A sin of comission is a sin we take action on to commit. It can be in thought ,word , or deed. In sins of commission we are fully involved we let our sinful flesh overrule our Christ like nature. Instead of walking in the spirit we are walking in the flesh.

Adam and Eve are the only ones who committed a sin of commission without sinful flesh .I say that because  Thru one man Adam sin entered the World.

Romans 5:12a Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man. That one man was Adam.

Prior to Adam there was no sinful flesh

Adam's sin was eating of the fruit that God said not to eat.

Gen 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden,

17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."

King David committed sins of adultery and murder

2 Samuel 11:3 And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, "Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?"

4 So David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her.

15 In the letter he wrote, "Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, that he may be struck down, and die."

Ex 20:13 "You shall not murder.

14 "You shall not commit adultery.

There are many examples in God's Word of sins of commission. Abraham, Moses, Solomon, Peter and Paul. All are people in God's Word that have committed sins of commission.

So a sin of commission is an intentional  or willful act against God's moral laws or divine laws and commands.

What are sins of Omission ?

James has a good definition of this : James 17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

If you are in a situation and you know what to do and it's the right thing to do and you don’t do it, it is sin, a sin of omission

Lets take a look at some examples in the bible of sins of omission.

Jesus give and example of who you neighbor is ,in the parable of the good samaritan also is an example of sins of omission.

Luke 10: 30 Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead.

31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side.

32So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion.

First we have a Priest going by and he didn’t do anything ,why it would of made him unable to perform his temple  duties, he probably thought he was dead.

What was the right thing for him to do ? Stop and assist . He didn’t by not doing so he committed a sin of omission.

Next a Levite came by,This term  (Levite) was initially used in the ot to designate descendants of Levi and the priestly class perpetuated through his descendant Aaron. Later, the term “Levite” came to distinguish non-Aaronic priests who served in minor roles in the temple. This latter sense is being employed by Jesus in this instance, contrasting him with the priest in v. 31 who fulfilled the primary duties in the temple worship. Both men represent the corruption and self-interest of the Jewish religious establishment.

The Levite like the Priest passed by and did nothing. Both committed a sin of omission.

Then a Samaritan came by Samaritans   were the archenemies of Israel following the Assyrian captivity down through the Second Temple period (see 2 Kgs 17, especially 24; John 8:48).

The Samaritans were descendants of the northern tribes of Israel, who were left behind following the Assyrian captivity in 722 bc. Afterward, they intermarried with other people groups and lost their purely Jewish identity. Alternatively, they could have been colonists inserted by the Assyrians following their destruction of Israel in 722bc (see 2 Kgs 17:24). Either way, they were despised by the Jews and not viewed as authentic Israelites.

So a person that is considered low scum basically ,Stops to help ,not the ones that are suppose to be Godly men.

Paul describes both these type of sins in Romans

Romans 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin.

15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.  ( Sin of commission. )

16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good.

17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. ( sin of omission )

19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.

20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

Everything Paul is describing here we all as Christians struggle with ,we intentionally do sin . That is because of the sinful flesh  were sin resides in us but we are not controlled. When we sin it is a choice ,whether omission or commission sin we still choose.

Refugee Cities in the bible

The purpose for refuge cities was for those who committed unintentional sin .so they can be safe from their actions until their case can be heard.The sin mentioned is killing someone without intent.

The Cities of Refuge

1 Then the LORD said to Joshua,

2 "Say to the people of Israel,'Appoint the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses,

3 that the manslayer who strikes any person without intent or unknowingly may flee there. They shall be for you a refuge from the avenger of blood.

4 He shall flee to one of these cities and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city and explain his case to the elders of that city. Then they shall take him into the city and give him a place, and he shall remain with them.

5 And if the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not give up the manslayer into his hand, because he struck his neighbor unknowingly, and did not hate him in the past.

6 And he shall remain in that city until he has stood before the congregation for judgment, until the death of him who is high priest at the time. Then the manslayer may return to his own town and his own home, to the town from which he fled.'"

7 So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, and Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah.

8 And beyond the Jordan east of Jericho, they appointed Bezer in the wilderness on the tableland, from the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead, from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan, from the tribe of Manasseh.

9 These were the cities designated for all the people of Israel and for the stranger sojourning among them, that anyone who killed a person without intent could flee there, so that he might not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, till he stood before the congregation.

So we can see from this scripture that in the case of deliberate murder, the Law permitted the Avenger of Blood to exact punishment, essentially a life for a life. But to guard against a miscarriage of justice, Cities of Refuge were appointed where the accused could flee so that his case could be considered properly away from the emotions that death always brings. These Cities of Refuge were designed to provide Divine protection for the manslayer. But the Law did make a clear distinction between premeditated murder and unintentional manslaughter.  There were six cities of refuge. The actual distribution of the cities of refuge was based on the geography of the area. To be of any use, a city of refuge had to be accessible. For this reason, three were placed on either side of the river Jordan. There were good roads leading to each city, which provided the easy access for all of Israel.

Those cities of refuge portray how Christ shelters the sinner from death.We have fled to Jesus Christ, and He is our eternal refuge. As our High Priest, He will never die (Heb. 7:23-25); 23 The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office,

24 but he( Jesus) holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever.

and we have eternal salvation. No avenger can touch us, because He has already died and arisen from the dead

God Himself appointed these cities of refuge, God's Word announced these cities of refuge,Anyone could access these cities of refuge,they were in central places on both sides of the Jordan, so they were easy to reach from any place in the country.  great doors of these cities were always left open and never locked. We can see why.  Otherwise a man might die while beating on the door.The cities of refuge were completely adequate for the needs of the endangered ones.

Christ is Portrayed by the Cities of Refuge

Christ is easy to reach.  We may cast ourselves upon Christ at any time, in any place.  The Church is to be the teller of this good news.  The Church is to cry, “Refuge!  Refuge!” to the lost world.

Rev 22:17 The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And Let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

Christ is open to all Matthew 11:28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Christ never locks His gates.  There is no need to wake Him.  He is infinite; He is God; He is never asleep.  We do not have to beat upon the door and die because He does not open it.

Christ is a completely sufficient refuge.  Christ’s death in  is completely adequate to meet our need for refuge from the true moral guilt which we have.  It is final because of who He is.  He is the infinite second person of the Trinity; therefore, His death has infinite value.  if we do not flee to the refuge which God has given to us at such a great price, there is no help for us.

So Christ is easy to reach, His arms are open to all, His entrance is never locked, He is a completely sufficient refuge, and He is the only hope.  

Conclusion

This is titled Unintentional sin what is it? So I looked at sins of Omission : that is a sin of not doing what you know to be right. I looked at sins of commission: that is a sin that goes against God's moral and divine laws that we intentionally do. Then I looked at refugee cities in the Bible : The cities  were for the person  who without intent killed someone ,and the person could be safe until his day in court .

Then I looked at how the refugee cities were a example of Christ and how he he is our refuge for an eternity.

So what is unintentional sin ? It's a sin of Commission unintentional sin is a sin against God's moral and divine laws that we choose to commit  whether we are aware of the law or not it is still sin. Ignorance of the law is no excuse. It's like being pulled over for speeding ,you tell the officer I didn't know  you still get the ticket.

Ignorance is no excuse. Take heart we have an eternal refuge in Christ.

I would like to end with 2 verse Job 34:32 teach me what I do not see; if I have done iniquity, I will do it no more'?

Psalms 26:2 Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind;

Ask God to test your heart and mind to show you the errors you have made that you are not aware of so you will not do them any more .

Praise God for the victory we have in Jesus our refuge.