Sinning Against One's Neighbor

Speak to the children of Israel: When a man or woman commits any sin that men commit in unfaithfulness against the Lord, and that person is guilty...

Numbers 5:6 (NKJV)

As Christians, as soon as we hear of a sin committed by a believer, we see two things: their disobedience and the God they disobeyed. For us, the only being we can sin against is God and no one else. We all believe that the wrong we have committed against someone cannot be considered a sin. Therefore, a wrong committed is not a sin, but a wrong. This is probably why some people see no reason to ask for forgiveness.

Strangely, God sees things differently. When we hurt someone, even unconsciously, He considers it a sin and requires us to confess it. He goes even further, saying that we must make amends (v. 7), which means performing a voluntary act that will alleviate the suffering of the person wronged. The most striking point of this passage is that it mentions the person's awareness of their guilt. The lesson is that God wants both people to be relieved. He also wants the one who caused the wrong to be freed from any sense of guilt.

If you read verses 5-7, you will understand that God does not always seek to punish those who do wrong. He wants us to learn to recognize the wrongs we have committed against others and to have the courage to confess them. This is why the author tells us that by wronging our neighbor, we commit an infidelity toward God. In other words, wronging another is tantamount to committing a sin with a double impact: both against our neighbor and against God. If your neighbor forgives your sin, know that God forgives you too.

May the grace and peace of God be with you all.