“To Shemaiah of Nehelam you shall say: ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: You have sent letters in your name to all the people who are in Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying, “The LORD has made you priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, to have charge in the house of the LORD over every madman who prophesies, to put him in the stocks and neck irons. Now why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth who is prophesying to you? For he has sent to us in Babylon, saying, ‘Your exile will be long; build houses and live in them, and plant gardens and eat their produce.’”’
“Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the hearing of Jeremiah the prophet. Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: ‘Send to all the exiles, saying, “Thus says the LORD concerning Shemaiah of Nehelam: Because Shemaiah had prophesied to you when I did not send him, and has made you trust in a lie, therefore thus says the LORD: Behold, I will punish Shemaiah of Nehelam and his descendants. He shall not have anyone living among this people, and he shall not see the good that I will do to my people, declares the LORD, for he has spoken rebellion against the LORD.”’” [1]
If everyone loves the preacher, he may have a serious problem. If the preacher delivers messages that are always praised by the parishioners, he is likely failing at the task God assigned. Every preacher who ever made a mark for the Master will have had the experience of those who are seated in the pew becoming upset at what was said. Second-guessing from the pew and upset parishioners go with the territory.
I recall one man so upset with my messages that he threatened to leave the church and begin attending another church. When I told him he could leave with my blessing, he lost it, saying he would take the hand dryer from the bathroom. My assurance that no one would stop him only fueled his rage. Another woman rushed to the pulpit each Sunday to say that I couldn’t televise the sermon she had just listened to as it would offend people she knew. When I assured her that my purpose was not to offend anyone, her irrational irritation grew greater still. Because I wouldn’t yield veto power over the messages to her, she eventually left the congregation. Upset parishioners go with the territory. Don’t misunderstand, I don’t enjoy knowing that what I have said has generated hostility in members of the congregation. Nevertheless, I prepare and deliver messages with the goal of glorifying Christ, not in an effort to make parishioners feel good about themselves.
Jeremiah is known as “The Weeping Prophet” for good reason. When the Lord appointed Jeremiah to his position as a prophet, He commanded the young man, “Dress yourself for work; arise, and say to them everything that I command you. Do not be dismayed by them, lest I dismay you before them. And I, behold, I make you this day a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land. They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, declares the LORD, to deliver you” [JEREMIAH 1:17-19].
While all who speak on behalf of the Risen Saviour will know times that try the soul, few prophets openly struggled with the appointment they received as did Jeremiah. It is not without reason that Jeremiah is identified as “The Weeping Prophet.” His heart was broken with the grief he felt for His people, and especially as he was compelled by his office to deliver the dark prophecies of pending judgement. Early in the writings ascribed to this faithful, conflicted man of God, we see him complaining to the LORD,
“O LORD, you have deceived me,
and I was deceived;
you are stronger than I,
and you have prevailed.
I have become a laughingstock all the day;
everyone mocks me.
For whenever I speak, I cry out,
I shout, ‘Violence and destruction!’
For the word of the LORD has become for me
a reproach and derision all day long.”
[JEREMIAH 20:7-8]
And soon after this voicing this woeful plaint, Jeremiah cries out in anguish,
“Cursed be the day
on which I was born!
The day when my mother bore me,
let it not be blessed!
Cursed be the man who brought the news to my father,
‘A son is born to you,’
making him very glad.
Let that man be like the cities
that the LORD overthrew without pity;
let him hear a cry in the morning
and an alarm at noon,
because he did not kill me in the womb;
so my mother would have been my grave,
and her womb forever great.
Why did I come out from the womb
to see toil and sorrow,
and spend my days in shame?”
[JEREMIAH 20:14-18]
WOW! Talk about aggrieved! Jeremiah wants the day of his birth to be cursed! CURSED! And if that wasn’t bad enough, he wants the man who announced his birth to be cursed! Poor man! That poor man did nothing wrong; his only error was saying, “Congratulations! You have a son!” And for this, Jeremiah wanted him cursed! DAMNED! That is some kind of mad! Now, I know that none who share in the life of this Body have ever been aggrieved to that extent, but through this outburst the Prophet of God is revealing that even the finest servant is capable of being gravely angered.
When the God-appointed preacher declares the Word of the Lord prophetically, he must know that some who hear him speak will eventually take umbrage at what is said. The old saw assures us that the dog that yelps loudest was hit by the rock that was thrown. People don’t dissent when we speak about the sins of others, but each one is stung when private sins are exposed. The preacher needs to be prepared to hear the praises of shallow people suddenly become yelps of rage.
In our text we are introduced to a faith leader (according to modern terminology) who didn’t like the message Jeremiah was proclaiming. This faith leader was trying to use “the critics’ veto” to silence Jeremiah. He wrote to the priests, wondering why God’s Prophet had not been placed in irons so that he could no longer prophesy. The response of Jeremiah could not have pleased Shemaiah, because his actions would cost him and all who were related to him. Let’s look at the account given in the Word of God.
THE FAITH WEAPONISED — At the command of the LORD, Jeremiah sent a letter to the exiles in Babylon. “To Shemaiah of Nehelam you shall say: ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: You have sent letters in your name to all the people who are in Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying, “The LORD has made you priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, to have charge in the house of the LORD over every madman who prophesies, to put him in the stocks and neck irons. Now why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth who is prophesying to you? For he has sent to us in Babylon, saying, ‘Your exile will be long; build houses and live in them, and plant gardens and eat their produce’”’” [JEREMIAH 29:24-28].
Shemaiah of Nehelam is an otherwise unknown false prophet. False prophets are legion, persisting among the faithful to this day late in the Age of Grace. Like all false prophets, this man Shemaiah of Nehelam thought he could throw out ideas that metastasised out of the dark recesses of his rotted mind. He would speak what he imagined to be pending, pretending that what was communicated was given by the LORD. Shemaiah was much like the false teachers that infest so many pulpits in this day.
I believe it will prove valuable for us to hear once more the cautionary words that were written by Peter as he warned against the false teachers who would infest the churches in this Church Age. Peering into the future, Peter wrote of what lay ahead for the faithful, writing, “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].
Peter was looking back at what had been witnessed during the history of the Faith prior to the Advent of the Christ. He was pointing to the continuation of errant teaching present among the churches of our Lord even throughout the Age of Grace. We are now two millennia into the Church Age, and it is tragically true that false teachers abound among the churches of our Lord, often outnumbering the faithful servants of our God. The message these errant preachers deliver is seductive, drawing multitudes into the web of deceit spun by these fraudsters. What is especially dangerous is how effective these false teachers can be in disseminating their errors. Unwary listeners are especially vulnerable, being readily captivated by the drivel disseminated by these teachers of error.
There is a reason I urge listeners to the messages delivered from this pulpit to listen with an open Bible before them. If what is said is not verified by comparison with what is written, no one should pay attention to what may be said. The thoughts I convey are just that—my thoughts! What I think about an issue is no better, and no worse, than what you may think about a given issue. However, if what I should say comports with what God has revealed in His Word, we should give careful consideration to what is said. If the contention of any speaker behind the pulpit cannot find verification with what God has said in this Word, no one should give credence to what has been said. The speaker is blowing hot air, speaking out of the fertile imagination of their own mind.
As followers of the Master, we are provided guidelines teaching us not to weaponize the Faith. You may recall the instructions Jesus delivered to the disciples as He sent them out to labour during the days He ministered in the flesh. Jesus instructed His disciples, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics or sandals or a staff, for the laborer deserves his food. And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. As you enter the house, greet it. And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town” [MATTHEW 10:5-14].
I want us to focus on the principles our Saviour delivered, rather than attempting to draft tightly crafted rules for our service in the world. Jesus appointed His disciples to proclaim the Kingdom of Heaven. Doctor Luke provides insight into how this proclamation was to be presented when he writes, “Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near’” [LUKE 10:8-11]. Acts of mercy were to be performed, and when these acts were performed the disciples were to announce that “the kingdom of God has come near.”
We who are disciples of the Risen Saviour are members of the Kingdom of God. We Christians hold citizenship in Heaven. As we who walk with the Christ perform acts of mercy—comforting the broken-hearted, encouraging the discouraged, speaking wisdom to those struggling to make sense of the confusion of this fallen world, lifting the fallen, strengthening the weak—we are to tell those to whom we minister that we represent the Kingdom of God. Let those to whom we minister know that we serve in the Name of the Risen Son of God. As we perform the works that we are commanded to do, we must let the world know that they are witnessing the practical impact of God’s holy people, they see with their own eyes the Kingdom of God working in their midst.
Did you notice something important? Disciples are not to seek glory for themselves as they serve—they are to point those to whom they minister to the Kingdom of God. If a supposed disciple is attempting to build her or his own fiefdom, they are weaponizing the Faith. If in the act of ministry, the supposed disciple is attempting to promote themselves or an agenda, they are weaponizing the Faith.
Here is where things get somewhat touchy—touchy as in potential for slander if the people of God are not careful in how they raise the issue of error in the teaching some present. If the supposed disciple denigrates the message another has delivered, it is quite possible that the one speaking against another has weaponised the Faith. The half-brother of our Lord cautions us who follow the Saviour, “Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor” [JAMES 4:11-12]?
To speak evil against a brother is to speak evil against the Law; it is tantamount to attempting to usurp the position of Christ as the righteous Judge. However, do note that it is speaking evil against a brother that is in view! Speaking harshly against those who are deviant and who lead the unwary astray is something else again!
This aligns with Paul’s instructions to Titus, when he writes, “Remind [Christians] to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another” [TITUS 3:1-3].
Speaking against another is not something that any of us should do lightly. We need to be cautious, taking care not to slander anyone. And yet, when someone is doing wrong, when someone is setting themselves in opposition to the advance of the Faith, we are obligated to expose the error that is being disseminated. We do so because we love the truth, and because we must not allow anyone to imagine we approve of error. When the Apostle of Love became aware of a grievous error perpetuated in one of the churches, he wrote, “I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church” [3 JOHN 9-10]. John would expose Diotrephes for the evil he was performing by contrasting his deviant actions and errant message with the truth of Christ the Lord.
Take careful note that John had no intention of disparaging the character of Diotrephes—John would not slander this man in any way. the Apostle of Love would confine himself to saying specifically what Diotrephes was doing in hindering the advancement of the Kingdom of God. John would focus on facts; he would not impugn the character of Diotrephes, though we might believe that he would have been justified in doing so.
Calling the character of wicked individuals into question is not only permitted, but it may also be necessary on occasion. The Baptist didn’t spare the religious leaders. Matthew writes, “When [John] saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come’” [MATTHEW 3:7]?
Jesus, was also unsparing of these same religious leaders, excoriating them when He confronted them, “You snakes, you offspring of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell” [MATTHEW 23:33 NET BIBLE 2nd]? Ouch! That had to burn!
On one occasion, Jesus was warned by the Pharisees to flee because Herod was seeking to kill Him. Though Herod was a king, Jesus called him a fox [see LUKE 13:32]. The Master could use some strong terms when speaking of spiritual fraudsters. Know that as we progress through this life we will witness people who are set in opposition to the cause of Christ. They may speak ill of us, but they will assuredly dissent from the message of life we declare. In many instances, these benighted souls will claim to be doing the Lord’s work, almost always representing themselves as “real” disciples of the Risen Saviour. However, it will be apparent that their message is at serious variance with the call to faith in the Son of God. We must expose such false teachers by proclaiming the truth of Christ the Lord. When the errant message they are presenting is seen against the truthful message of the Lord, their error will be evident.
THE HIGH COST OF SIN AGAINST THE FAITH — “Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the hearing of Jeremiah the prophet. Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: ‘Send to all the exiles, saying, “Thus says the LORD concerning Shemaiah of Nehelam: Because Shemaiah had prophesied to you when I did not send him, and has made you trust in a lie, therefore thus says the LORD: Behold, I will punish Shemaiah of Nehelam and his descendants. He shall not have anyone living among this people, and he shall not see the good that I will do to my people, declares the LORD, for he has spoken rebellion against the LORD”’” [JEREMIAH 29:29-32].
When the letter Shemaiah had sent to Jerusalem was read to Jeremiah, God acted immediately, directing Jeremiah to respond with a stunning prophecy concerning Shemaiah. According to the Word of the LORD, not only would the LORD punish Shemaiah, but all his descendants would suffer because of his presumption against the Word of the Lord. There is a terrible cost extracted against the family of that one who sins against the Lord. Dear people, sin is not something to be treated casually. Sin is not a pleasant diversion meant to give one pleasure, and when the sin in question specifically is presumptuous sin, the judgement will prove consequential beyond our imagination.
We need but recall the Ten Words delivered by Moses to the people of God. While these commandments are ridiculed by many in this day, we do well to recall the Third Commandment with the consequences God appended: “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments” [EXODUS 20:4-6].
I suppose one could argue that the commandment is speaking of idolatry. Nevertheless, exalting your opinion above God’s Word is tantamount to idolatry. There remain other warnings against deliberate sin against God. When the LORD revealed Himself to Moses, passing before Him, God pronounced, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation” [EXODUS 34:6-7].
Pleading for the LORD to pardon the sin of the people when they had failed to obey His command, Moses recited the character of the LORD. He pleaded, “Please let the power of the Lord be great as you have promised, saying, ‘The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation.’ Please pardon the iniquity of this people, according to the greatness of your steadfast love, just as you have forgiven this people, from Egypt until now”” [NUMBERS 14:17-19].
Jeremiah was well acquainted with the long-term consequences of sin. At one point in his journey with the Lord GOD, Jeremiah recalled God’s character and the consequences of sin as he prayed. It was during his prayer that he recalled, “You show steadfast love to thousands, but you repay the guilt of fathers to their children after them, O great and mighty God, whose name is the LORD of hosts” [JEREMIAH 32:18].
What I would have you understand is that God warns that the consequences of sin persist long after the sinner is held to account. I’m not convinced that God is saying that He will hold your children to account if you choose to sin; rather, I understand Him to be saying that sin is invasive and that sin persists even in the lives of the descendants of the sinful person. The Lord is cautioning that families are contaminated for generations through the sinful behaviour of a man or a woman. The sinful behaviour you tolerate in your life today is being observed by your children and even by your grandchildren. You are teaching them through what you practise and what you tolerate. And what you are teaching your children will be magnified in their own lives.
We aren’t convinced that what we are is reflected in the lives of our children and our grandchildren, but even a moment of reflection will reveal a sobering truth. The example provided by a father to his children will set the stage for the direction of life for those children. In turn, they will influence the direction of life for their own children, and so forth until the deadening cycle is interrupted. Mothers, likewise, influence their children. If a mother is godly and pursues righteousness, that will be witnessed in her children. If she plays at righteousness, the children will witness her hypocrisy and treat the Faith of Christ the Lord as optional.
Let’s explore these potential disasters further. I have often contended that if a mother comes to Christ, she may or may not influence her children to place their faith in the Risen Son of God. There are no guarantees, but she does have a measure of influence over her children. A father, however, has major influence over the way his children will live. If a father comes to faith in Christ the Lord, especially if his conversion takes place early in the life of his children, it is almost always true that the children will embrace the father’s faith and live out productive lives as followers of the Lord Jesus.
Single-parent homes have become the norm in far too many instances in this day. This results from an absence of fathers in the home, assuredly a disastrous situation. Children grow to adulthood without the benefit of training they should receive from their fathers. A father can train a young man to be responsible and resourceful. Testosterone is surging through young boys that make them active and adventurous—they are looking for male affirmation. Without a father, many young men turn to a gang. Without the steadying influence of a father, the boys grow to be brutes, never learning that their strength is to be used to protect and provide. How can a young man learn to respect women if that young man has never witnessed a father who treats his wife with honour?
How can a young woman learn what she should be looking for in a man without a godly model of a father who loves her mother, treating her with respect and honour as his wife. It is not without reason that the Apostle to the Jews instructs Christian men, “Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered” [1 PETER 3:7].
When Peter writes, “likewise,” he is taking us back to what he has written concerning wives [see 1 PETER 3:1-6], concerning servants [see 1 PETER 2:18-25], and concerning our relationship with all human institutions [see 1 PETER 2:13-17]. The overarching command is development of a submissive attitude. A husband is to be considerate of (submissive to) his wife’s needs. This submissive attitude is cultivated through spiritual maturation within the structure provided by the congregation of the righteous, just as witnessed when Paul writes, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ” [EPHESIANS 5:15-21]. Through obedience to the commands given in these passages, men are providing their children with instruction in manliness through their example. Their sons are learning responsibility to provide and protect, and their daughters are learning what sort of man should be accepted as a suitor and potential husband.
I’ve said these things to caution that if my life is marked by a wild embrace of sin, or if I tolerate such sin in my life, excusing it and thinking that I can toy with such wickedness, I need to realise that I am jettisoning the opportunity to see my children grow into godly adults. My little ones will see the wickedness which I have embraced and tolerated, and in an exaggerated fashion they will embrace those very evils in their own lives. Dads need to look hard at how they are living, understanding that they are setting a pattern for the lives of their children. What I am in the home is but a sample of what my children will be when they are grown.
I’ve spoken of the impact fathers will have on their children, and I know there is similar impact from the influence mothers have. Moms can exert considerable influence, but it will not likely be as impactful as the influence a dad has. A mother’s influence grows stronger as she encourages her husband to be godly. We see that when Peter addresses the responsibility wives have as followers of the Lord Jesus. He writes, “Wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct. Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear—but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening” [1 PETER 3:1-6].
After he has urged men to love their wives sacrificially, the Apostle Paul appends this vital note of responsibility that addresses the often-neglected responsibility of wives. The Apostle writes, “Let the wife see that she respects her husband” [EPHESIANS 5:33b]. A husband doesn’t have to earn the respect of his Christian wife, though that would be nice—she is to give her husband respect, doing so voluntarily. Let me say quite plainly—no man has the right to demand respect from his wife; respect is hers to offer voluntarily. Wives, in showing respect to your husbands, you are strengthening the possibility that your children will grow to be righteous and godly. Neglect this opportunity to align with biblical expectations for godly womanhood, and you will contribute to the movement of your children toward wickedness.
I’ve invested considerable time in reviewing how divine judgement may be executed, but I’ve spent little time in review of the specific sin for which Shemaiah was guilty. It would be easy, though admittedly lazy, to say that we shouldn’t badmouth God’s servant. There is truth in that statement, but it seems apparent to me that the greater sin for which Shemaiah was condemned was setting himself in opposition to the revealed will of God. God had commanded those carried into captivity to accept their captivity as divine judgement [see JEREMIAH 29:4-14].
Shemaiah not only advocated against what God commanded, he attacked the messenger by whom the LORD spoke. Shemaiah had set himself in opposition to the Word of God; he was guilty of presumptuous sin against the Living God. Shemaiah was causing people to believe a lie. Because of his egregious sin, he brought down upon himself God’s wrath, just as the text states. Those who deliver a false message that will deceive the unwary bring down upon themselves God’s judgement.
How frightful the revelation of the Son of God, and how insightful, when He says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness’” [MATTHEW 7:21-23].
For us who follow the Master, we need to exercise discernment. Not everyone will agree with us in every detail, nor do they need do so to be accepted as followers of Christ as are we. We need to be careful in our reaction to those who claim a relationship with the Master but do not agree with us in every jot or tittle of doctrine. You may recall an incident that occurred on an occasion when Jesus’ disciples tried to stop someone from casting out demons. Peter remembered the incident and Mark recorded it. “John said to [Jesus], ‘Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.’ But Jesus said, ‘Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. For the one who is not against us is for us’” [MARK 9:38-40].
Jesus’ instruction teaches us to listen to what is said. We who are redeemed believe that Jesus is God in human flesh. We believe He was born of a virgin, that He died a sacrificial death, was buried and rose from the dead on the third day. We believe He ascended into Heaven where He is seated at the right hand of the Father. We believe He is coming again to receive us to Himself. Faith in Him, without any effort on our part brings forgiveness of sin and the new birth into the Family of God. The basis for our Faith is the Bible, which we receive as the Word of God. This is the essence of the Faith.
GOD JEALOUSLY GUARDS HIS PEOPLE — “Thus says the LORD.” God spoke, and God now speaks to those who will receive what He says. In these closing moments of the message I must address any who hear my voice and who, somehow, have failed to receive the grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Son of God. He was indeed born of a virgin. He lived a sinless life. He challenged those who opposed Him, inviting them, “Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God” [JOHN 8:46-47].
Jesus gave His life as a sacrifice, taking upon Himself the punishment you deserve as one who has sinned. The Word of God informs us, “By this the love of God is revealed in us: that God has sent his one and only Son into the world so that we may live through him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins” [1 JOHN 4:9-10 NET BIBLE 2nd].
The Son of God surrendered His life because of our helpless condition. He was certified as dead, and He was buried—a perfect sacrifice because of our broken, sinful condition. This is worth knowing, but the Good News is that Jesus did not stay dead. As Paul opens his Letter to the Christians in Rome, he points to Jesus, testifying, “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord” [ROMANS 1:1-4].
The words Paul employed anticipate the words with which Peter opened his first epistle: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” [1 PETER 1:3-5].
This, then, is the Good News we declare to all who will receive it: Jesus, the Son of God, has conquered death! He is alive, and He lives forever! Now, all who will receive Him as Master over life are invited to be forgiven all sin, being born from above and into the Family of God. This is the invitation the Father extends to everyone now. “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on him will not be put to shame” [ROMANS 10:9-11 CSB].
Should one say this invitation is confusing, God simplifies His invitation, saying, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” [ROMANS 10:13]. Why would you put off accepting this holy offer of life? Indeed, as stated in the Word of the Lord, “‘The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’ (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim)” [ROMANS 10:8]. Don’t put off accepting this divine offer. I urge you to believe the message of life; receive the Risen Saviour as Master over your life and you will be forgiven all your sin, even the sin of rebellion that has set you in opposition to the Living God to this point. 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.
