"WHY SHOULD I PARDON YOU?"

"WHY SHOULD I PARDON YOU?"

Jeremiah records a most sobering question which God ask of the Israelites: “Why should I pardon you?

What answer would we give?

CONTEXT: We need to remember that the Israelites were not as Canaanites, or Babylonians. They were in a covenant relationship with God based upon the events at Mt. Sinai (Exodus 20: Deut. 5). They had sworn to 'keep' (obey) this Law. However, as Jeremiah 5 details, they had BROKEN their promise to 'keep' (obey) this Law. So, God puts forth the question, "WHY SHOULD I PARDON YOU?"

[On a side issue, another sobering matter for consideration is this: if, as is commonly preached today, that "once saved; always saved", or, "a child of God cannot so sin, as to be eternally lost" is a true situation, then God's question is a moot issue, for the Israelites COULD NOT POSSIBLY BE IN NEED OF PARDONING!]

Care needs to be taken so as NOT to apply these words to an alien sinner (i.e., one who has NEVER been in a covenant relationship with God thru Christ. These words apply to one who has chosen to become a disciple, by virtue of being "born anew" (John 3:3-5).

Can a child of God, so sin as to be in need of pardon? The answer is clear from Jeremiah. What about Judas (Acts 1:25), Simon the sorcerer (Acts 8:22), the apostle Peter (Gal. 2:11), Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5)?

For one who, after being "born again", breaks his word, he is in need of pardon. God's question applies to him, "WHY SHOULD I PARDON YOU"?

What shall your answer be?

copyright 2017

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If you FAIL to PREPARE: PREPARE to FAIL!

The children of Israel spent 3 days, in PREPARATION to hear what God would say from Mt. Sinai ~ Exodus 19:10-11

David did not sin with his mouth because of preparation/purpose ~ Psalm 17:3

Isaiah advised that PREPARATION and PURPOSE be made before we worship ~ Isaiah 1:11

Daniel did not defile himself because he PURPOSED NOT TO ~ Daniel 1:8

Ezra was a skilled scribe because of his preparation to teach/explain the Law so that it could be understood ~ Ezra 7:6, 10; Nehemiah 8:8

Christians cannot 'cleave' (be faithful) without preparation/purpose ~ Acts 11:23

The apostle Paul was ready for his departure because he had prepared and purposed to serve Christ ~ 2 Timothy 3:10

You can do what Jesus said in John 7:17 with preparation and purpose.

Are you 'resolved' no longer to linger?

Indeed, if you FAIL to PREPARE: PREPARE to FAIL!

copyright 2017
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DAVID WAS AN ISRAELITE

DAVID WAS AN ISRAELITE!

Psalm 32

1 How joyful is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! 2 How joyful is the man the Lord does not charge with sin and in whose spirit is no deceit! 3 When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night Your hand was heavy on me; my strength was drained as in the summer’s heat. Selah 5 Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not conceal my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and You took away the guilt of my sin. Selah 6 Therefore let everyone who is faithful pray to You at a time that You may be found. When great floodwaters come, they will not reach him. 7 You are my hiding place; You protect me from trouble. You surround me with joyful shouts of deliverance. Selah 8 I will instruct you and show you the way to go; with My eye on you, I will give counsel. 9 Do not be like a horse or mule, without understanding, that must be controlled with bit and bridle or else it will not come near you. 10 Many pains come to the wicked, but the one who trusts in the Lord will have faithful love surrounding him. 11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones; shout for joy, all you upright in heart.

In verses 1 and 2, David describes the joy of forgiveness, how blessed it is.

In verses 3 and 4, he describes the misery of life, when he tried to hide (conceal) his sin.

In verse 5, he then speaks of the ‘change’ in how he dealt with his sin; no longer concealing it, he acknowledged and confessed the sins and the guilt was taken away.

In verse 6, he encourages all to follow this example of dealing with their sin…namely confess it and pray for God’s forgiveness…………..but why?

Because David was an Israelite!

What does that (i.e., David being an Israelite), have to do with how David dealt with his sin, and with his advice to others?

David, being an Israelite, was ALREADY in a covenant relationship with God. David was NOT an alien, he was an Israelite! So also today, those who are ALREADY in a covenant relationship with God, are to acknowledge their sin, repent, and pray for forgiveness.

But what of an alien? Could a non-Israelite do as David did, for his sin? Could a Canaanite, Assyrian, or Babylonian sinner, do as David did? No, for they had never been a part of the covenant made at Mt. Sinai. That covenant was with the nation of Israel thru the seed of Abraham, thru Isaac and Jacob ONLY. Notice:

Exodus 19:5 — “Now then, if YOU will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then YOU shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine…”.

NOTE: This generation died in the wilderness, because of their sins. Their children inherited the ‘promised’ land of Canaan, and Moses spoke these words to the 2^nd generation in Deut. 5:1-3, “And Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the ordinances which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and observe to do them. Jehovah our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. Jehovah made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day.”

Malachi 4:4 — “Remember the law of Moses My servant, even the statutes and ordinances which I commanded HIM in Horeb for all ISRAEL.”

But HOW DID ONE BECOME AN ISRAELITE? How did one ENTER the covenant relationship?

One became an Israelite by a birth, underwent circumcision and was taught the Law of Moses; NOT by confession and prayer. Those instructions (confession & prayer), were for one already IN that covenant relationship! 

David WAS an Israelite; NOT an alien!

The prophet Jeremiah spoke of a new covenant God would make with man through His Son. This ‘house of Israel’ would be those who comprise the church, which Jesus built (Matt. 16:18).

Jer. 31:31-34 – “Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, NOT LIKE the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord. “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the Lord, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the Lord, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

We see the change in how one would enter into this NEW covenant from this language. Whereas, under the OLD covenant, one was BORN, then TAUGHT the Law, under the NEW covenant, you would be TAUGHT FIRST, THEN BORN. (John 6:43-45 – “Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Do not grumble among yourselves. No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘AND THEY SHALL ALL BE TAUGHT OF GOD.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me’.”)

Today, how does an ALIEN enter into a covenant relationship with God today? By confession of sin and prayer? NO, rather by being BORN (John 3:3, 5, 7) “...unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God... unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God...Ye MUST be born again.”

AFTER one is in this new covenant relationship, he then can confess his sin, and be cleansed of his guilt, as David spoke of in this psalm.  But could an alien sinner, NOT YET in covenant relationship, do as one who IS in a covenant relationship with God for his sin? No more than a non-Israelite could do as David.

David continued in Psalm 32, showing this distinction between one IN covenant relationship with God as opposed to one NOT IN covenant relationship:

6 Therefore let EVERYONE WHO IS FAITHFUL PRAY to You at a time that You may be found. When great floodwaters come, they will not reach HIM. (THIS IS NOT TRUE OF AN UN-FAITHFUL PERSON)

7 You are my hiding place; You protect me from trouble. You surround me with joyful shouts of deliverance. Selah
(WHY SO? BECAUSE DAVID WAS AN ISRAELITE!)

What will God do for the FAITHFUL?                                                                                                                                                          8 I will instruct you and show you the way to go; with My eye on you, I will give counsel.

But what of an UN-FAITHFUL PERSON?

9 Do not be like a horse or mule, without understanding, that must be controlled with bit and bridle or else IT (i.e., understanding) WILL NOT COME NEAR YOU.

10 Many pains come to the wicked, but the one who trusts in the Lord will have faithful love surrounding him.

11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones; shout for joy, all you upright in heart.

David WAS an Israelite! 

Today, a saved person is one who has undergone a circumcision of the heart, as Jeremiah foretold. He is an Israelite ‘inwardly’. 

Rom. 3:28-29 – For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh.

 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.

All Jews in the book of Acts, beginning with the ‘about 3,000’ in chapter 2, were physical Israelites. They were under the OLD covenant, but not as yet Israelites ‘inwardly’. Now that the prophecy of Jeremiah had been fulfilled, they needed to become a Jew ‘inwardly’ to enter the NEW covenant.  Remember, they would be ‘taught’ how to do so (John 6:43-45). This teaching came when the gospel was preached. The terms of the NEW covenant were explained, i.e., the new birth.

However, as yet, these physical Jews/Israelites were ‘aliens’ to the NEW covenant. Did the apostle Peter tell them to confess their sins and pray? No, he told them to be ‘born anew’.  He told them to “Repent and be baptized for the remission of your sins” (Acts 2:38). Then “they that ‘gladly received’ Peter’s words WERE baptized” (v. 41).

If you desire to be saved today, as an alien, you must do as they did. THIS is how you enter into covenant relationship with God through Christ. He (Christ) is the mediator of the NEW covenant (1 Tim. 2:5 — “…there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus…” – cf. Heb. 8:6; 9:15; 12:24). 

After you are IN covenant relationship with God through this new birth, when sin is committed, you are to acknowledge (not conceal) your sin, and pray for forgiveness.

There is an example of an individual in Acts 8 who was an alien, (i.e., separated from God because of his sin); he then was ‘born anew’ (Acts 8:13 – “Simon himself believed; and after being baptized…”), thereby entering into covenant relationship with God, under the NEW covenant terms in the gospel. 

However, this same person, (now a Jew ‘INWARDLY’) committed sin again. But now, because he was a Jew ‘inwardly’, and IN covenant relationship, he was NOT told to be ‘born anew’, but to acknowledge his sin and pray for forgiveness.  Why so? BECAUSE HE WAS NOW AN ISRAELITE ‘INWARDLY’! 

Notice what was preached to him, regarding how to deal with his sin in Acts 8:18-22 –

18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money,

19 saying, “Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!

21 You have no part or portion in this matter, FOR YOUR HEART IS NOT RIGHT BEFORE GOD.

22 Therefore REPENT OF THIS WICKEDNESS OF YOURS, AND PRAY THE LORD THAT, IF POSSIBLE, THE INTENTION OF YOUR HEART MAY BE FORGIVEN YOU.

ALIEN, or ISRAELITE? Does it make a difference? David was an Israelite. His words in Psalm 32 did not apply to an alien.

Jesus told Nicodemus (a physical Jew/Israelite) that he MUST be born again (John 3). He told other physical Jews/Israelites that they must be taught how, in order for them to come to Him (John 6). They would be taught ‘how’, when the gospel was preached to them, as was done in Acts 2. 

Once one has entered into covenant relationship, he then has the right to call upon, and address God as his “HEAVENLY FATHER”. However, “God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.” (John 9:31).

This was the significance of David being an Israelite.

If you were told to confess your sin and pray for forgiveness, were you already IN a covenant relationship, or were you told to confess your sin and pray to ENTER that covenant relationship? Your salvation depends on it!

copyright 2017

rdb

Authority in Religion, a source or an expedient?

Expediency and Authority

Authority can be general or specific in nature. If general, there are expedient means to obeying what God has authorized. There must first be authorization to act, before expediency applies. These matters are clear from the scriptures.

When considering the question, “Is there a NEED for authority”; the answer is a clear YES from numerous examples in the Bible. The NEED is seen in the examples of those who QUESTIONED/CHALLENGED it.

~ Moses: when confronting two of his brethren, had his authority questioned in Exodus 2:14 – One of them said to Moses, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us?”

~ John the Baptist had his authority to baptize questioned in John 1:25 – They (priests & Levites) asked him, “…why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

~ Peter & John had their authority challenged in Acts 4:7 – And when they (members of the council) had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?”

~ Jesus’ authority was challenged by the religious leaders of the day.  Matthew 21:23 – “When He entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him while He was teaching, and said, ‘By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority’?” 

So, the question “Is there a need for authority in religion” is NOT new.

However, it is important that we not misunderstand the issue within the question.  The issue is NOT, ‘Is authority needful in the sense of useful or helpful.  Rather, the question should be understood to mean, “Is authority necessary?”  

We need to understand this question as asking: MUST we have authority PRIOR what we practice in religion? Otherwise, what the Bible says about a subject is a moot issue.  This is the significance of 1 Peter 4:11 – “Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God…so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ…”.

Authority is not merely an expedient to accomplish what we have determined to do in religion; rather it is the source by which we determine IF we can do the thing under consideration.

Therefore, if we do NOT have authority for the practice; we CANNOT engage in the particular practice. This must be settled firm in our attitudes toward our religious practices prior to any ensuing decisions. We must determine WHETHER WE HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DO IT, before deciding HOW we will do it.

Our authority will come from the word of God.  Let us never presume to have authority without looking into the “perfect law of liberty, and continue therein”, (Proverbs 19:13; James 1:25); remembering the words of the apostle Peter: “…seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.” – 2 Peter 1:3-4

Roger Bruner

copyright 2015

Transporting the "BIBLE" on a new cart

Strange title?  Perhaps, but consider the ‘usage’ habits of the bible with many a child of God.  First, let us review a story from the Old Testament in the days of Samuel.  The story comes from 1^st Samuel 4:1-11.

“Thus the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out to meet the Philistines in battle and camped beside Ebenezer while the Philistines camped in Aphek. The Philistines drew up in battle array to meet Israel. When the battle spread, Israel was defeated before the Philistines who killed about four thousand men on the battlefield.  When the people came into the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us take to ourselves from Shiloh the ark of the covenant of the Lord, that it may come among us and deliver us from the power of our enemies.”  So the people sent to Shiloh, and from there they carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts who sits above the cherubim; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. As the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth resounded.  When the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, “What does the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” Then they understood that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp. The Philistines were afraid, for they said, “God has come into the camp.” And they said, “Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before.  Woe to us! Who shall deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who smote the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness.  Take courage and be men, O Philistines, or you will become slaves to the Hebrews, as they have been slaves to you; therefore, be men and fight.” So the Philistines fought and Israel was defeated, and every man fled to his tent; and the slaughter was very great, for there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers.  And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.”

The Israelites thought that the mere presence of the ark would ensure victory.  That was NOT how the ark was to be used.  The ark represented the presence of God in their midst.  But God had told them that He would dwell in their midst and protect them IF THEY FOLLOWED HIS COMMANDS! They vowed repeatedly to do this (cf. Exodus 19:8; 24:3, 7; Deut. 5:27).  Yet they did just the opposite (cf. Joshua 1).  Disobedience incurred God’s wrath with or without the presence of the ark (cf. Numbers 14:41-45).  The ark was not a ‘good luck charm’.  In order for the ark’s presence to benefit, the people had to be obedient in their personal lives as well as in their worship. 

What about us?  How do we “use” our Bible?  Do we regard the mere presence of our bible as they did the presence of the ark?  Consider a small test in your life to determine if you view your bible as Israel did the ark.    

Today (Sunday), after the morning service; leave your bible in the pew.  During the evening service, you may use it, but leave it in the pew afterwards until Wednesday.  Then during the mid-week assembly, you may use it again.  Afterward, leave it in the pew again until the following Sunday. 

Now, on this Sunday, be sure to take your bible home with you after the morning service, but when you get home, either leave it in the car or lay it on the coffee table until ready to return to the evening service.  Then use it during the service, take it back home with you, but again, leave it in the car or lay it somewhere in the house until the mid-week service.  Then, take it back to the building with you and use it during service, being sure to take it back home with you, but not using it again until the following Sunday.

Now…….what is the difference in the first week’s routine and the second week’s routine?  If you’re not going to use the bible except when at the church building, why take it with you?  Is it a good luck charm that will ward off demons?  Will its presence apart from studying it benefit?  IS YOUR BIBLE JUST SOME SORT OF IDOL? 

Is this not what the Israelites did with the Ark of the Covenant?  The Bible is of no benefit when used in this way.  In essence it is being “transported” the wrong way, much as the ark was done in David’s day…upon a cart (2 Samuel 6).  Such is a misuse, abuse and waste of God’s wisdom. 

Resolve today to “use” your Bible in the manner that God purposed it...
as: "a lamp unto your feet; and a light unto your path." ~ Psalm 119:105
to: "search the scriptures daily..." ~ Acts 17:11
to: "study to show thyself approved unto God..." ~ 2 Tim. 2:15

9/13/2015
rdb

GOD’S AUTHORITY IN HIS ETERNAL PURPOSE

The subjects of God’s eternal purpose and God’s authority are inseparable.  Because God possesses all authority, He has the right to purpose man’s destiny.  The scriptures are clear that God purposed eternal life to man conditioned upon man’s obedience to His Son.  Therein we see why God’s Son was given all authority.  Jesus has the right, as God to command man; and man MUST recognize Jesus’ right to command.  Man disobeyed God’s commands and God offered forgiveness for that disobedience on the condition that man obey commands.  Herein we see the role of commands as proof of the genuineness of faith. Saving faith, obeys. 

God’s love for man is seen through the giving of commands, without forceful obedience.  Man was created capable of understanding God’s right to command and that God’s reason for commanding man how to live, was so that man might NOT sin.  Man’s capability to live in obedience is why God gave authority to man.  When man obeys God’s command, his authority is executed in such a way that justice and mercy abounds. 

God’s love is first and foremost toward man, whom He created in His image. Psalm 8 bears out God’s love for man in the position of authority that God gave to man.  But the rule that man was meant to have, was made possible by, and purposed through Christ.  It is not referring only to physical rule over animals, but to a rule connected with submission and obedience, and therefore connected with the commands He gave man because of His authority.  It is the way in which man can rule over sin and control his lusts.  He (Christ) overcame the efforts of Satan by obedience to the will of God.  Heb. 5:8-9 states, “…He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.  And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation…”.

From this we also see the WAY in which God purposed victory and rule to all of us - - - thru suffering for righteousness’ sake.  In this way, authority and dominion are ours.  The ultimate reward for obedience is eternal life, which, again was purposed through Christ.  Evil is overcome and suppressed by those who live in obedience to God.  He is the source of wisdom, and this wisdom resides in His commands that He gave ONLY to man, relative to eternal life, for eternal life was purposed ONLY for man.  All else that was created, will cease to exist.  But the man who submits to God’s wisdom will inherit eternal life (Proverbs 8:22-36).

Authority is from God and established for man’s benefit.  When God’s authority is respected and followed, peace and harmony result.  When His authority is rejected and despised, discord and division result. 

In all realms of man’s relationships, God has delegated authority.  Man has authority over woman.  He is to rule over her in the manner that God rules over him, in justice and with mercy.  Submission and respect is the proper response to that designated rule.

There is authority in gov’t, with rulers who are to rule in justice and with mercy.  Submission and respect is the proper response to that designated rule.

In the home, the husband is to rule over his wife in in justice and with mercy.  Submission and respect is the proper response to that designated rule.

In the church, there is designated rule by elders who are to rule in justice and with mercy.  Submission and respect is the proper response to that designated rule.

We need to appreciate the reality of God’s authority, for it has resulted in our salvation.  We need to respect God’s authority by drawing near to God in humble submission to His will.  We need to personally examine our current attitude and understanding of God’s authority; especially as it relates to our obedience.  We need to give attention to the commandments of God, and understand their benefit as it relates to our salvation.

Deut. 6:24-25 – the Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God for our good always and for our survival, as it is today.  It will be righteousness for us if we are careful to observe all this commandment before the Lord our God, just as He commanded us.

Israel failed in this matter and suffered God’s wrath. 

Romans 10:3 – For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.

Let us learn from their error the eternal benefits of obedience to God’s commands as given by Christ through the apostles.  Have you obeyed the Lord in being born anew (John 3:3, 5)?  Have you been obedient as a disciple?  What of your spiritual growth…have you made your calling and election SURE?  (2 Peter 1:10)

Roger Bruner

copyright 2015

Daly's N. T. Translation Project: A Common Misconception of Bible Translation

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