(This article was first written April 15, 2016).
Remember that we are dealing with a God who drowned every single human being on earth save for the members of one small family. God has a flip side. Unlike many human beings, God says what He means and means what He says. We need to keep that thought in mind when we read the Holy scriptures.
Many humans, even believers, will spend countless hours glued to their television sets and seldom, if ever, read the scriptures. The scriptures contain the mind of God. They tell us how God thinks, what troubles Him, what angers and even infuriates Him. We can be thankful that God is slow to wrath, has perfect control of His temper and is great in mercy. But scripture warns He will not stifle his anger forever.
Who would you hold to a stricter standard of conduct, your eighteen year old son or your eight year old son both guilty of the same offense? Who do you think God holds to a stricter standard, one who was converted many decades ago or one who was converted last summer? And what does the new convert say about you if now he reads his Bible daily and seeks to be well pleasing to God in every choice he makes?
It is a devil’s lie that all God sees when He looks at a Christian is the righteousness of Jesus Christ. When God looks at you He sees YOU! When first converted and the blood of Jesus Christ is applied to our past never forget that THAT is what has just occurred. Our godless, unholy, sinful PAST is obliterated. Any sin we then commit after that point God sees and commands that it be confessed AND FORSAKEN! (Read the first three chapters of Revelation if you doubt what I just said). “If WE (we believers) confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (I John 1:9). Yes, at that point, not before. “He that covers his sins shall not prosper, but whoso confesses and forsakes them shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13). Don’t return to your sins like a dog returning to its’ vomit. Don’t return to your sins like a sow returning to wallow in the mud after being washed! (See 2 Peter 2:22; Also Isaiah 55:7).
Yes, God punishes unforsaken sin in the believer’s life. “But if you be without chastisement, whereof all (God’s sons and daughters) are partakers, THEN ARE YOU BASTARDS (illegimate children – not truly converted), and not sons” (Hebrews 12:8).
Jesus Christ warned in the clearest, plainest language that multitudes will hear Him say to them, “Depart from me you workers of iniquity I NEVER KNEW YOU!” Those “believers” who continue in sin day in and day out will learn too late that Jesus always said what He meant and meant what He said. Their argument that Jesus was only speaking to the Jews in the four gospel accounts will prove to be an empty argument. God help us all to understand and to daily walk in righteousness, bringing every thought into captivity to Jesus Christ. (See 2 Corinthians 10:5; Mark 7:20-23; Matthew 23:25-26; I Peter 1:14-16 and Isaiah 45:7).
Christ’s Faithful Servant (Galatians 1:10-12),
Donald Wiley