Sin is expensive! You can’t afford the price demanded when you embrace sin! Though you may play with sin, you are playing a game that is rigged to ensure that you cannot win. You deceive yourself when you imagine you can afford the price you are going to pay. We are warned against inviting sin into our life; but at the moment we are embracing our sin we are prone to ignore the warning, “The wages of sin is death” [ROMANS 6:23a]. If you are now emmeshed in some persistent sin, you need to know that while you are unable to pay the price that is demanded, God has made provision to deliver you from that sin, having paid the price demanded of sin. It is essential for you to take note of the remainder of that verse which continues by stating, “The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” [ROMANS 6:23b].
The devil exacts a massive fee for the fleeting pleasures of sin. The writer of the Letter to Hebrew Christians made a stunning observation concerning Moses, writing, “By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them” [HEBREWS 11:23-28].
What a contrast to our view of wealth and pleasure compared to what we witness in Moses. We are told that he chose “to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.” The fleeting pleasures of sin for Moses included wealth, a pampered lifestyle, power, the ability to impose his will over the will of others. Most of us would consider these trappings of position and power and possessions as the epitome of success. Few of us would willingly walk away from such luxuries.
I suspect that we can convince ourselves that we can do so much good if we have wealth. We can masterfully spin a tale of how we can serve God more effectively if we hold a position of power and influence. In our private moments we convince ourselves how much we need some particular pleasure to recharge our life.
However, we run headlong into the words of the Apostle who cautioned, “Consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God” [1 CORINTHIANS 1:26-29]. Wealth is seductive, leading us into pursuing still more wealth. Power corrupts far more frequently than it frees us to serve. Pleasure tends to turn us from refreshing our soul, and thus becomes a futile pursuit.
Focused as I am on the way in which sin yields such fleeting pleasures leads me to point you to the cautionary words penned by the Apostle of Love, who has written, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever” [1 JOHN 2:15-17].
I acknowledge that sin can provide pleasure, genuine and oh so real pleasure. The pleasures of sin appeal to the flesh, and thus whatever pleasure there may be is transient, momentary. Whatever pleasure we may derive from sin quickly evaporates, leaving an even greater emptiness than was there before. And in our eagerness to grasp sin, we seldom think of the high cost that will be exacted. It still holds true that “The wages of sin is death” [ROMANS 6:23a]. Indeed, the wages of sin have not been frozen.
The world is passing away along with its desires, though we would be hard pressed to know this to be the case. Like those who scoff at the thought of Christ’s return, even we who follow the Lord can fall into the deadening trap that leads to musing, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation” [2 PETER 3:4]. We need to be reminded from time-to-time, “That the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly” [2 PETER 3:5-7].
What has all that to do with judgement of the nations? I admit that the theme of these messages is dark, far darker than we might wish to hear. Who among the people of God rejoice at the thought of judgement? We grieve at the thought of eternal judgement of our neighbours, of our colleagues, and especially at the thought that family members are even now under judgement. Yet, we have the Word of the Lord Who warns, “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God” [JOHN 3:18]. And only a short while after this dark word was given, the same Word of God warned, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” [JOHN 3:36]. No follower of the Master can rejoice in the thought of such judgement.
No more can we rejoice at the thought of immediate judgement falling on our nation. Though we are citizens of Heaven, God has chosen to leave us here for a while; and we love our nation and grieve whenever we see the nation we love embracing wickedness and promoting evil. When we witness rejection of righteousness, twisting the good and exalting the bad, we cannot help but recall the stern warning Isaiah penned,
“Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood,
who draw sin as with cart ropes,
who say: ‘Let him be quick,
let him speed his work
that we may see it;
let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near,
and let it come, that we may know it!’
Woe to those who call evil good
and good evil,
who put darkness for light
and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
and sweet for bitter!
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,
and shrewd in their own sight!
Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine,
and valiant men in mixing strong drink,
who acquit the guilty for a bribe,
and deprive the innocent of his right!
[ISAIAH 5:18-23]
And witnessing the course our nation has adopted, we tremble at the knowledge that God is holy and He cannot ignore unrighteousness. We witness His repeated warnings to His ancient people such as that delivered by Amos,
“Seek the LORD and live,
lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph,
and it devour, with none to quench it for Bethel,
O you who turn justice to wormwood
and cast down righteousness to the earth!”
[AMOS 5:6-7]
God did not excuse His ancient people, and the True and Righteous Judge will judge our descent into national madness? When God at last judged His ancient people, the nation was shocked. His servants were grieved; but He judged His own, nevertheless.
WHEN GOD DISCIPLINES HIS OWN [vv. 1-7] — Among the saddest passages in the writings of Jeremiah is that recorded when the Prophet speaks for the LORD, saying,
“Is there no balm in Gilead?
Is there no physician there?
Why then has the health of the daughter of my people
not been restored?
Oh that my head were waters,
and my eyes a fountain of tears,
that I might weep day and night
for the slain of the daughter of my people!”
[JEREMIAH 8:22-9:1]
God must ultimately judge the lost, but He does not now discipline the devil’s children. There is a distinction between judgement and discipline, and the time for discipline had passed. Henceforth, it would be judgement for Israel. The Lord leaves no doubt in the mind of the reader why judgement came upon Israel. Superficially, a historian or someone fully identified with this world would conclude that the Chaldeans conquered Israel. However, Jeremiah, someone who was much closer to the events of that day, didn’t see things from the perspective of the world. As he reviews what had taken place, the Prophet grieves because it is evident that something quite different had occurred. It was not that the Babylonians conquered Israel that is the focus of the lament Jeremiah has penned, it was that the LORD withdrew His mercy. And He withdrew His mercy because the people thought they were strong and no longer needed to depend upon the Lord GOD. Note especially the emphasis on the LORD and His actions in LAMENTATIONS 1:1-8.
“How the Lord in his anger
has set the daughter of Zion under a cloud!
He has cast down from heaven to earth
the splendor of Israel;
he has not remembered his footstool
in the day of his anger.
“The Lord has swallowed up without mercy
all the habitations of Jacob;
in his wrath he has broken down
the strongholds of the daughter of Judah;
he has brought down to the ground in dishonor
the kingdom and its rulers.
“He has cut down in fierce anger
all the might of Israel;
he has withdrawn from them his right hand
in the face of the enemy;
he has burned like a flaming fire in Jacob,
consuming all around.
“He has bent his bow like an enemy,
with his right hand set like a foe;
and he has killed all who were delightful in our eyes
in the tent of the daughter of Zion;
he has poured out his fury like fire.
“The Lord has become like an enemy;
he has swallowed up Israel;
he has swallowed up all its palaces;
he has laid in ruins its strongholds,
and he has multiplied in the daughter of Judah
mourning and lamentation.
“He has laid waste his booth like a garden,
laid in ruins his meeting place;
the LORD has made Zion forget
festival and Sabbath,
and in his fierce indignation has spurned king and priest.
“The Lord has scorned his altar,
disowned his sanctuary;
he has delivered into the hand of the enemy
the walls of her palaces;
they raised a clamor in the house of the LORD
as on the day of festival.
“The LORD determined to lay in ruins
the wall of the daughter of Zion;
he stretched out the measuring line;
he did not restrain his hand from destroying;
he caused rampart and wall to lament;
they languished together.”
The Babylonian soldiers were not more disciplined in battle nor were they more ferocious warriors than the Israelites. Israel was defeated because the LORD had determined to withdraw His favour—God surrendered the nation to its own desires. Israel went through the motions of worshipping the LORD, but they were doing their own thing while ignoring righteousness. The armies of Israel were disheartened and undisciplined as societal moral standards were consistently lowered, and the armies were charged with defending a culture that was increasingly corrupt. Israeli society had grown proud, and God would now permit them to see just how far their pride could carry them. Admittedly, their pride led them to presume against the Lord GOD. The LORD would do what He promised would be done, and Israel would be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans. The nation would be conquered and the survivors deported into captivity.
I have stated the premise in earlier messages that there is a God in Heaven, and this God Whom we serve directs in the affairs of nations, just as the Psalmist has said:
“Kingship belongs to the LORD,
and he rules over the nations.”
[PSALM 22:28]
Either this is true, or it is mere ecclesiastical blustering. We who are twice born know the truth of this assertion because the Spirit of Christ lives in us, testifying with our spirit. Therefore, we agree with the Psalmist,
“God reigns over the nations;
God sits on his holy throne.”
[PSALM 47:8]
GOD OWES US NOTHING [vv. 8-13] — Israel assumed that God was in their debt. “We are God’s holy people,” they crowed. “God needs us. He will not let anything happen to us.” However, the truth was far different than their presumption. Thus, the writer of this lament reviews what has happened and cries out,
“The LORD determined to lay in ruins
the wall of the daughter of Zion;
he stretched out the measuring line;
he did not restrain his hand from destroying;
he caused rampart and wall to lament;
they languished together.
Her gates have sunk into the ground;
he has ruined and broken her bars;
her king and princes are among the nations;
the law is no more,
and her prophets find
no vision from the LORD.”
[LAMENTATIONS 2:8-9]
The familiar surroundings have suddenly been transformed into a hostile, barren land. What was once comfortable has suddenly become terrifying, an environment that challenges the mercies of God. The heartache is palpable, as the writer surveys the stunned silence with which people attempt to move about what was once a safe place but has now become a challenge to the people. So, he sees the few elders that seem frozen in place, and the young women who attempt to hold what dignity remains as they move slowly through what was once the city they called Zion. And the writer is consumed with grief. He writes,
“The elders of the daughter of Zion
sit on the ground in silence;
they have thrown dust on their heads
and put on sackcloth;
the young women of Jerusalem
have bowed their heads to the ground.
My eyes are spent with weeping;
my stomach churns;
my bile is poured out to the ground
because of the destruction of the daughter of my people,
because infants and babies faint
in the streets of the city.”
[LAMENTATIONS 2:10-11]
No one in the city is spared; grief is distributed to all. He sees the infants, the toddlers that have been spared in the initial onslaught of the enemy, and he observes,
“[The infants and babies] cry to their mothers,
‘Where is bread and wine?’
as they faint like a wounded man
in the streets of the city,
as their life is poured out
on their mothers’ bosom.”
[LAMENTATIONS 2:12]
Alas, there are no words that can comfort, no thoughts that can ease the devastation experienced, and despair seems the prevailing condition for Zion.
“What can I say for you, to what compare you,
O daughter of Jerusalem?
What can I liken to you, that I may comfort you,
O virgin daughter of Zion?
For your ruin is vast as the sea;
who can heal you?”
[LAMENTATIONS 2:13]
One of the tragic results of having enjoyed God’s goodness without understanding that it is God Who is blessing is that people begin to assume that the blessing they now enjoy is their due. God warned Israel not to slip into this error, and we who read the Word of God must not neglect that what was delivered to Israel holds true for us today. Speaking through Moses, the Lord cautioned, “Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day. And if you forget the LORD your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish” [DEUTERONOMY 8:17-19].
Israel had reached that stage in which they concluded that their might, their ability, their goodness, had given them a divine protection. Though they did not necessarily say the words aloud, they lived as though the LORD owed them His grace. They were not dissimilar to an attitude that appears prevalent in western society today. We who live in North America give off the attitude that we will see no tough times or suffer deprivation because God favours us. But it still holds true that if God did not spare His ancient people, we are foolish to think that He will never desert us.
Jeremiah rebuked the people before the Chaldean invasion, warning the people against merely going through the motions of honouring the Lord, depending on mere ritual. The warning he delivered is a warning that should be trumpeted from every pulpit and that should be heard by each Canadian and by each American living in contemporary culture. “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. Do not trust in these deceptive words: ‘This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD.’
“For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly execute justice one with another, if you do not oppress the sojourner, the fatherless, or the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own harm, then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your fathers forever” [JEREMIAH 7:3-7].
When what we need is a relationship with the Holy One, know that God is not impressed by the mere recitation of prayers. When what is needed is righteousness, the Lord is not moved by mere ritual. And when we need to depend on the Lord Christ, the Living God is certainly not impressed by a life that ignores Him, attempting to relegate Him to a sort of celestial 911 operator.
How terrifying to know that the words of the Wise Man could apply to us.
“If you turn at my reproof,
behold, I will pour out my spirit to you;
I will make my words known to you.
Because I have called and you refused to listen,
have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,
because you have ignored all my counsel
and would have none of my reproof,
I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when terror strikes you,
when terror strikes you like a storm
and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
when distress and anguish come upon you.
Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
they will seek me diligently but will not find me.
Because they hated knowledge
and did not choose the fear of the LORD,
would have none of my counsel
and despised all my reproof,
therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way,
and have their fill of their own devices.
For the simple are killed by their turning away,
and the complacency of fools destroys them;
but whoever listens to me will dwell secure
and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.”
[PROVERBS 1:23-33]
Though the warning of the Lord GOD was known, and though His Prophets had spoken these warnings repeatedly, the people grew complacent. Of Moab, God said the land was “settled on his dregs” [see JEREMIAH 48:11], and the same charge could have been brought against Israel before the Chaldean invasion. Is this same charge not one that could be brought against us in this modern day? We have flaunted our wealth and lived as though God owes us His grace. My great fear for this modern culture in which I live and among whom I hold forth the Word of the Lord is that we have deserted the righteousness of the Lord, and we are therefore in danger of being deserted by Him
STEPS LEADING TO DISASTER [v. 14] —
“Your prophets have seen for you
false and deceptive visions;
they have not exposed your iniquity
to restore your fortunes,
but have seen for you oracles
that are false and misleading.”
[LAMENTATIONS 2:14]
Did Israel really need the Lord to explain to them how things came to be? Did the people need God to explain that the visions their prophets had delivered were false? Was it necessary for the Lord God to reveal that the soothing words that had been delivered lulled the people into a false sense of security?
Earlier, before His judgement was unleashed upon Israel, the LORD had warned the nation not to listen to false prophecies. Communicating the mind of the LORD, Jeremiah had written for the nation, “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD. They say continually to those who despise the word of the LORD, “It shall be well with you;” and to everyone who stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, “No disaster shall come upon you.”’
For who among them has stood in the council of the LORD
to see and to hear his word,
or who has paid attention to his word and listened?
Behold, the storm of the LORD!
Wrath has gone forth,
a whirling tempest;
it will burst upon the head of the wicked.
The anger of the LORD will not turn back
until he has executed and accomplished
the intents of his heart.
In the latter days you will understand it clearly.
‘I did not send the prophets,
yet they ran;
I did not speak to them,
yet they prophesied.
But if they had stood in my council,
then they would have proclaimed my words to my people,
and they would have turned them from their evil way,
and from the evil of their deeds.’”
[JEREMIAH 23:16-22]
Did you hear what the Man of God said? Jeremiah informs his readers that not everyone who called himself a prophet spoke the Word of the LORD. The prophecies of many, even most, were false. These false prophets were blind to what was coming. Consumed by their own lust for ease of life, they were incapable of seeing what was about to burst upon the land.
And Jeremiah’s warnings were not mere bluster. You may recall how the LORD commanded Jeremiah to make yoke-bars and send a message to kings surrounding Judah to put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon. And this same message was to be delivered to Zedekiah, the king of Israel. To fail to do so would be to insure divine punishment for that nation [see JEREMIAH 27:1-13].
The Prophet continued by warning that the prophets who were prophesying deliverance were lying, they had not been sent by the LORD [see JEREMIAH 27:14-22]. One of those false prophets, a man named Hananiah, insulted by Jeremiah’s words, disputed what Jeremiah had said. Hananiah boldly claimed that God would shortly deliver Israel, and even the deposed King Jeconiah would soon be returned to the throne [see JEREMIAH 28:1-4].
Jeremiah seemed momentarily stunned, responding “Amen! May the LORD do so; may the LORD make the words that you have prophesied come true, and bring back to this place from Babylon the vessels of the house of the LORD, and all the exiles. Yet hear now this word that I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people. The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many countries and great kingdoms. As for the prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes to pass, then it will be known that the LORD has truly sent the prophet” [JEREMIAH 28:6-9].
It is as though Jeremiah was confused. How could he be so wrong about what God was saying? Then, as though to add to his confusion, Hananiah broke the yoke-bars off Jeremiah’s neck and asserted, “Thus says the LORD: Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all the nations within two years” [JEREMIAH 28:11]. Hananiah used biblical language and he spoke with incredible confidence. Moreover, his message was something that everyone could agree was positive. People would feel encouraged by what he said, unlike their reaction to what Jeremiah was saying. And so, Jeremiah left, confused and no doubt feeling chagrined and embarrassed for having been so brash.
Yet, we read, “Sometime after the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke-bars from off the neck of Jeremiah the prophet, the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: ‘Go, tell Hananiah, “Thus says the LORD: You have broken wooden bars, but you have made in their place bars of iron. For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: I have put upon the neck of all these nations an iron yoke to serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and they shall serve him, for I have given to him even the beasts of the field.”’ And Jeremiah the prophet said to the prophet Hananiah, ‘Listen, Hananiah, the LORD has not sent you, and you have made this people trust in a lie. Therefore thus says the LORD: “Behold, I will remove you from the face of the earth. This year you shall die, because you have uttered rebellion against the LORD.”’
Then, the divine text adds, ominously, “In that same year, in the seventh month, the prophet Hananiah died” [JEREMIAH 28:12-17]. It is a dangerous thing to presume to be a prophet when the Lord did not send you.
Peter spoke of such false prophesies, warning that false teachers would insinuate themselves among God’s people in this day. The Apostle to the Jews warned, “False prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep” [2 PETER 2:1-3].
No one who is the least conversant with the Word of God should be surprised that there are reverend ministers, preachers who stand behind the sacred desk, who promote wickedness and advocate that which is unholy. They indeed bring in destructive heresies among the faithful. And the great tragedy is that many follow their sensuality, and because of these false teachers, the way of truth is blasphemed.
To promote wickedness, to approve of rebellion against righteousness, is to invite divine judgement not only on oneself, but also on those who buy into the error that is promoted. To elevate to holy orders those who are not called is to bring condemnation on all who listen. To make sodomites and those who rebel against who they are by birth leaders among the faithful is to promote rebellion against the Lord. To promote such evil within the halls of Parliament or the legislature is to invite divine retribution. To approve of such wickedness is to position oneself with that which is under condemnation by the True and Living God. And though judgement for such rebellion will be terrible, how much greater will the punishment be for those who promote this wickedness and for those who deceive the people through a message that is a lie!
LAUGHING AT GOD’S PEOPLE [vv. 15-17] — Those opposed to God can be, and often are, cruel toward His holy people. It is not enough for them to inflict physical pain; they are determined to inflict emotional pain. Whether they are acting out of fear because they realise they don’t match up to the standard exhibited, or whether they are enraged at their own failure is not immediately evident. What is apparent is that the wicked will always express amusement and ridicule when God’s people are disciplined.
You will recall the humiliation Samson endured when he was delivered into the hand of the Philistines. Samson was God’s provision to Israel to hold the Philistines in check. He repeatedly humiliated them, even when they tried to ambush him or deceive him so that he could be delivered into their hands. At last, he played fast and loose with his position appointed by God Himself and was taken captive. How brutal was his treatment, for we are informed, “The Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes and brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze shackles. And he ground at the mill in the prison” [JUDGES 16:21]. Samson became their ox, grinding their grain. I have often used this demeaning treatment to point out that sin is blinding, and it is binding, and at last it is grinding.
It wasn’t enough for the Philistines to humiliate Samson after he was delivered into their hands. They wanted to so thoroughly debase him that no Israelite would ever dare think of resisting them. Samson would be degraded pour encourager les autres. But his captors hadn’t been paying attention to what was taking place at the grinding wheel, for we read, “But the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaved” [JUDGES 16:22]. His hair was the symbol of his dedication to the LORD.
We thus read, “Now the lords of the Philistines gathered to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to rejoice, and they said, ‘Our god has given Samson our enemy into our hand.’ And when the people saw him, they praised their god. For they said, ‘Our god has given our enemy into our hand, the ravager of our country, who has killed many of us.’ And when their hearts were merry, they said, ‘Call Samson, that he may entertain us.’ So they called Samson out of the prison, and he entertained them. They made him stand between the pillars. And Samson said to the young man who held him by the hand, ‘Let me feel the pillars on which the house rests, that I may lean against them.’ Now the house was full of men and women. All the lords of the Philistines were there, and on the roof there were about 3,000 men and women, who looked on while Samson entertained” [JUDGES 16:23-27].
That day would be the last time many of them laughed at one of God’s people. We read, “Then Samson called to the LORD and said, ‘O Lord GOD, please remember me and please strengthen me only this once, O God, that I may be avenged on the Philistines for my two eyes.’ And Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the house rested, and he leaned his weight against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other. And Samson said, ‘Let me die with the Philistines.’ Then he bowed with all his strength, and the house fell upon the lords and upon all the people who were in it. So the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he had killed during his life” [JUDGES 16:28-30].
Now, I am not suggesting that we should pray for God to strike down those who ridicule us for our Faith, but I would be remiss to my duty as one who speaks on behalf of the Risen Son of God to fail to caution those who stand in opposition to the Faith. God will defend His people, and He will be harsh on those who seek to injure His people. This is the reason I fear for the people of Gaza, and for the nations of Europe who are choosing this day to stand against the people of Israel. In an analogous manner, I have a growing fear for Canada and the United States as government leaders openly seek to stand in opposition to Israel.
And I must not hesitate to point out that the faithful are identified as “the Israel of God,” when the Apostle writes, “Far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God” [GALATIANS 6:14-16].
God is delighted in us who follow Christ the Lord. He delights to bless us and to do good to us because of His love for His Son. Surely this is the thrust of the warning Peter issued when he wrote, “If God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment” [2 PETER 2:4-9].
If God holds the wicked to account, and He does, then why should anyone think it strange that He would rescue the godly from trials. No doubt there are many among us who would gladly stand and testify to the mercies of the Lord, telling how He kept them from trouble and telling how He rescued them from even their own foolishness. Our God is a deliverer; and He rescues His saints, doing this to the praise of His glory.
But what of you who hear me at this time, and though you have never been born from above, you wonder whether God would receive you. You know that you have sinned and that you have not ever lived perfectly as you know you should. In light of your failures, you question whether God would ever accept you. Listen to the invitation the Son of God gives, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” [MATTHEW 11:28-30].
He gave His life as a sacrifice because of you, and He was raised from the dead for you. He invites all who are willing to receive this forgiveness when the Word says, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved” [ROMANS 10:9-10].
That invitation is especially for you. Right now, you can confidently tell the Risen Lord that you do invite Him to take control of your life, to become Master over your very being. If someone should say that is difficult to understand, I ask you to hear this, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” [ROMANS 10:13]. Amen.
[1] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
