Soldiers for the Lord

Hello again!

This is what God gave me today in His word:

“With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:6-8)

We’re told four things here: first, that God wouldn’t be ‘pleased’ with our sacrifices (he isn’t pleased if we offer our firstborn son). Then we’re told the three things God has commanded us to do: to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our God. — On a side note, those three things aren’t for salvation; we don’t ‘do justice,’ etc. to be saved. We’ll talk more about that in a bit. But for now, lets look at the first thing that we can see:

God Doesn’t Like Our Sacrifices

Now, Micah doesn’t actually go right out and say that God doesn’t like sacrifices. Rather, he shows us some examples of sacrifices we may offer, then says what God actually does require for us to do, and, as sacrificing isn’t in “the list”, its inferred God doesn’t ‘want it’… With that being said, we are told to ‘present ourselves as living sacrifices’ in the New Testament (see Romans 12:1). So, because of that, its reasonable to assume that here Micah is only referring to sacrifices of things which are important to us, and things which we think would draw us closer to God, but in reality aren’t helpful at all (i.e. sacrificing bulls, our first born, etc..). Meaning, in essence, that God doesn’t want us to offer works, He wants us to offer ourselves. Of course, offering ourselves will naturally lead to works, but the works wont be in an effort to be made right with God (which seems to be what Micah is referring to).

Now that we’ve said that… Why doesn’t God want us to offering a couple thousand rams? After all, doesn’t He like seeing a couple thousand of His creations burning? Well, to start with, Isiah tells us all our works are like filthy rags (see: Isaiah 64:6), so no, God doesn’t really like seeing His people wiping themselves with dirty rags, in an effort to make themselves clean. But more, much, much, much more importantly than that, is this:

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (3:16)

So much more worse to God than seeing His people trying to “clean” themselves by their own works, is seeing them reject His free offer of a bath! He hates seeing them struggling to get clean, while all the while He’s offering to wash them clean; to remove any and all stains. Which is why He hates to see us virtually offering our first-born up; He’s already done it! He already offered His son on our behalf, there’s no need for us to do so.

Now, rather obviously in Micah’s time, Jesus hadn’t yet died and risen again. But even then God didn’t like sacrifices, and so set up several things for them to do; i.e. love judgment and the rest – along with several other things, it’s just those three where the most important… Speaking of which, lets look at those three things now:

God Wants us to ‘Do Justice’, ‘Love Kindness,’ and ‘Walk Humbly with Our Lord’

Now, obviously this wasn’t the only things that the Israelites were supposed to do, and neither is it for us. However, as Christians and as an expression of our love for our Lord, we are to be just, kind, and walk humbly with God. But more than that, look at the verbs (I think they’re all verbs, possibly minus the first one) attached to each action: “Do,” “Love,” and “Walk Humbly.”

“Do” implies action. Its doing, its active. “Do”, is a command, not a statement (such as “done”). “Love,” is also an action, but according to Paul it’s also far more:

 ⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)

“Walk”, isn’t just standing still (… Rather obviously). It means movement, rather than just standing by. “Humbly,” means with respect. It means knowing that we’re far inferior to a mighty, all-powerful God. It means submissiveness; we’re to submit to Him, and what He tells us to do. So, we’re supposed to actively try to do justice (in a loving manner), we’re to love doing kindness, and we’re to humbly walk with our Lord.

Finally, in closing, I would like to say this: we aren’t to do the three things I just mentioned because, as, again, I already mentioned, God doesn’t like seeing His people trying to wipe themselves clean with filthy rags. Instead, we’re to do those things because we’re Christians, and as such its our duty to, even if only by our actions, show the love, compassion, and justice of God to others. i.e. We should do it because we should want to, and even if we don’t want, we should do them because its our duty as soldier in the Lord’s army to do them (a soldier must be just, kind to those not his enemies, and must be in constant, humble, connection with his leader).

You are Loved!

Joshua Cleveland

P.S. I recently re-read this post, and saw that my spelling was rather dramatically off (to say the least), and thus the point of what I was trying to say was somewhat diminished. I plan on fixing it in the near future, but in the mean time, please forgive the errors.

Thank you,

Joshua

 

The Cure for Depression

Hello again!

This is what God gave me today in his word:

For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it–though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. (2 Corinthians 7:8-10)

Godly grief. That’s an interesting concept. What exactly is it? And how, aside from the result, is it different from worldly grief? Speaking of which, what is worldly grief anyway?

First, what is the difference between, and what exactly are godly and worldly grief? … Seeing as one leads to death and the other to repentance, I think it’s a rather important distinction.

For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter. (2 Corinthians 7:11)

Worldly grief, commonly called depression, kills your mind and consequently body. Godly grief (not depression), is where you are corrected and in response to the correction, don’t mope about it, but instead listen and do as the Corinthians did, which is to change. – The difference between the two being as already stated, the result. One person acts on what he is told, the other get’s depressed and go kills himself. It may seem blunt but it is what it is. One is the Corinthians/Christian, the other, is the rest of the people in the world. However, there is a cure for worldly depression (aside from suicide). This is commonly called, Jesus Christ (not Psychotropic drugs).

Second, how can Jesus heal depression? … Is it true that just like with cancer, people are just stuck with it for life?

38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. (Acts 13:38)

Worldly grief causes what again? Death. What was it Jesus conquered again? Death. Therefore it’s safe to assume that through Jesus, worldly grief’s result can be fixed. But what about depression itself? Depression is not cured by drugs (www.settingcaptivesfree.com/courses/cross-centered-mind/). It is, however, cured by knowing Jesus. Because what really causes depression? Inability to obey what you’ve been told to obey, Jesus in essence, fixes that problem by obeying it for you.

You are Loved!

Joshua Cleveland

 

2 Corinthians – Yes and Amen

Hello again!

Today we start the book of 2 Corinthians! – This what God gave me today in his word:

For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort. For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. (2 Corinthians 1:5-8)

Wait, what happened to what you just said in your last letter Paul? What about the whole, “God wont let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.”? You said yourself, “you despaired of life itself,” in this passage. – Is Paul contradicting himself?

First, is Paul actually contradicting himself? … 

Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. (2 Corinthians 1:9-10)

No, he isn’t contradicting himself. What he’s describing, for starters, isn’t a temptation. Except maybe to doubt God and clearly that isn’t happening. So what is he saying? He’s saying exactly what he says. At the moment, he’s being persecuted severely. To the point that he doubts he’ll make it out alive. But his point, the thing he wants the Corinthians to understand, is that in suffering in Jesus’ affliction, he also shares in his comfort. However this doesn’t mean that we should start beating ourselves senseless in order to share in Jesus’ comfort… At all.

So then, what does it mean to share in Christ’s afflictions? Well what exactly where Christ’s afflictions? First and foremost among them all, he was crucified on our behalf. But surely Paul wouldn’t be writing this if he even a small share in that. So that means that Paul must and this fits with his current situation, is, “sharing in Christ’s suffering,” when he went out his tours of Galilee (and other such places). What were those again? Well, they include being scorned, a couple assassination attempts (trying to throw him off a cliff, etc). Mocking, scorn, temptation, being called a demon. All part of the package.

So, if this is what Paul was referring to, what’s the point of it? By that I mean, what’s the point in telling the Corinthians that he was afraid for his very life, I would think the only thing that could accomplish is to scare them!

Second, what’s the point of Paul sharing his troubles? … It doesn’t seem very nice of him.

just as you did partially acknowledge us–that on the day of our Lord Jesus you will boast of us as we will boast of you. Because I was sure of this, I wanted to come to you first, so that you might have a second experience of grace. (2 Corinthians 1:14-15)

His hope was that they would be given grace to help them endure what they were hearing. Alright, that’s not so bad as just telling them what was going on to get it off his own shoulders. But, what could we learn from this? We can learn from this the same thing Paul wanted the Corinthians to learn from this.

As surely as God is faithful, our word to you has not been Yes and No. For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes. For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, (2 Corinthians 1:18-21)

Now this, is Paul’s real point. Not so much to have them share in the comfort Christ was giving him (Paul) because of his trails, not so much to inform them that being a Christian didn’t mean a life of ease. More than all of that, it was to remind them of the most important thing. That in every situation you find yourself in, no matter how horrible, all God’s promises are yes in Jesus. We will be saved? Yes and amen. God makes those as good as dead (or even those dead) alive again, whether he wants to do it Spiritually or physically. Yes and amen.

Paul wants them to remember his suffering, but more than that he wants to point them to Christ’s suffering that made them free. The suffering that made every promise Yes in Christ.

You are Loved!

Joshua Cleveland

 

The Wrath of God Is Coming?!

Hello again!

This is what God gave me today in his word:

For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. (Colossians 3:3-8)

Wait a minute here Paul, what happened to Jesus’ death on the cross? I thought that all God’s wrath was poured out on his son for me, yet now you seem to be saying I need to shape up and live up to my new life in Christ, or God’s wrath will come and get me?

First, we need to understand what exactly Paul is referring to here. He’s not so much referring to God’s wrath coming and getting you if you don’t shape up now, he’s instead simply stating a fact.

Second, we need to understand what Paul is talking about. And as was afore-mentioned Paul isn’t talking about something that will happen now, he’s referring to when this Earth and Heaven is destroyed and replaced with the new Heaven and the new Earth.

 ¹⁵ Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. ¹⁶ They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us^[f] from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! ¹⁷ For the great day of their^[g] wrath has come, and who can withstand it?” (Revelation 6:15-17)

Third, we need to understand how it is that there can be any wrath left for us. Well I personally believe I understand how much wrath is left for me quite well, there is none. Hence the obvious question: “How can what Paul’s saying be true, then?” It can be true, because there is no more wrath left for us, I didn’t say anything about slaves, generals, etc. But now, there’s a new issue to address, as I’m sure everyone reading this is already gleefully picturing the comments they’re going to leave about how, therefore, God must be a cruel God if he will destroy everyone but only a select few.

Fourth, we have to understand who God is. God hates sin with a righteous fury, he hates it in the worst possible way, he even sent his son to die for us to cleanse us of it and make us sons of himself, co-heirs with Christ.

I will plant her for myself in the land; I will show my love to the one I called ‘Not my loved one.’ I will say to those called ‘Not my people,’ ‘You are my people’; and they will say, ‘You are my God.’” (Hosea 2:23)

God will have mercy on who he will have mercy. The select few who will be saved, are saved through faith in Jesus, as anyone can be. It’s a very confusing topic, but I’ll put it this way:

You choose to follow God, yet all along it’s actually God choosing you to follow him. – God isn’t a cruel God, in fact, instead he’s an extremely unjust God, in that instead of destroying us, he gives us a means of salvation. Yet people who turn down that salvation, can’t really say God is cruel God.

Fifth and finally, we must understand how it’s possible for us to put to death all the things Paul mentioned. It is possible because God has made us to be a new creation in Christ; circumcised of the fleshy body and made new in Christ. Now Christ enables us to do all the things that Paul mentioned. Namely:

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

You are loved!

Joshua Cleveland

 

The Point of Being a Christian

Hello again!

This is what God gave me today in his word:

that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. (Colossians 2:2-4)

How is it, I wonder, that knowing that in Christ are hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge, will help them not be persuaded by plausible arguments. Well first let’s identify what some plausible arguments would have been for them:

1. Perhaps they were like the Corinthians, and might be persuaded into believing “super-apostles (super-imposters).

2. Maybe they would be tempted like the Galatians were, to observe special days (the law) instead of believing that Christ is all they need.

How could just knowing that Christ has treasures of wisdom and knowledge in him really help anyone with any problem? Surely it wouldn’t help them not believe in an imposter, or help them to realize that Christ is our (their) only hope of salvation. – Let’s look at one particular part of the verses in Colossians:

riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

As a Christian, we are Christ’s “temple” where he dwells. Paul is reminding the Colossians that Christ now dwells in them, and therefore Christ’s wisdom and knowledge also dwells in us. All that to say that with Christ dwelling in us, we can recognize one of Satan’s traps. Notice how exactly Paul phrases this:

riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.

God’s mystery is Christ. But let’s get more specific, what about Christ?

^26(BP) the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. ^27(BQ) To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are^(BR) the riches of the glory of^(BS) this mystery, which is Christ in you,^(BT)the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:26-27)

More specifically, Christ, the hope of glory. – Christ can live in us, because he died for us. Hence giving us a ‘hope of glory’ as Paul phrases. But now there’s another question that we see, “So what’s the point?” Sure Christ living in me is pretty cool, and being able to recognize and bring to God a trap from Satan is amazing, but really, it’s not exactly what I had imagined becoming a Christian would be like. Where’s the unexpected quadrupling of my salary?

⁸ Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, ⁹ for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. ¹⁰ Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. (2 Timothy 2:8-9)

God promises to provide all our needs not necessarily our wants (salary raise, etc). In fact, it usually means hardship (what form of “hardship” I don’t know). – “But, what’s the point of being a Christian then?” Is another question that arises. The point of it, is that we have Christ living in us and hope of glory. The point of it, is that we’ve been saved through Jesus’ blood. The point of it, is how could anyone do anything but praise the very one who died so that they could live?

You are loved!

Joshua Cleveland

 

Philippians – Made Sons and Brothers by God’s Grace

Hello again!

This is what God gave me today in his word:

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. (Philippians 1:6-7)

One main thing springs to (my) mind here; what did Paul mean that we are partakers with him of grace, both in his imprisonment and in the defense of and confirmation of the gospel (of Jesus). I’m fairly sure when he talks about us being partakers with him in grace, he’s talking about the grace we were(/are/will be) given when Christ died for our sins. But how can we be partakers with Paul if we’re in prison? That sure doesn’t seem to me like having the grace of God on us!

⁵ He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, ⁶ to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. (Ephesians 1:5-6)

Having God’s grace on us, as Paul inferred in this part of his letter, having God’s grace doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll live a happy little life. In fact, it pretty much promises hardship! Having God’s grace, means to be a child of God. Children of God, aren’t children of “the world”.

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (1 John 2:15)

In short; Paul’s mini-point was, simply put, having God’s grace doesn’t mean having easy life, it means you believe Jesus Christ died and rose again for you, so that you may have eternal life and become a child of God! And as a child of God, defend and confirm the Gospel (of Jesus). – And in doing that, we get a brotherly and sisterly sort of bond to other believers, as Paul said in the above verse in Philippians:

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace,

All in all, we have, through God’s giving us grace on the cross, we have become sons of God, and brothers with other Christians, and even Christ (Romans 8:17)!

You are loved!

Joshua Cleveland

 

Children of God; Co-Heirs With Christ

Hello again!

This is what God gave me today in his word:

Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. (Ephesians 5:4-5)

We’ve all loved something else at one point, even Paul before he was called to Christ, therefore it would be impossible for anyone to be saved (loving something other than Jesus is considered idolatry). After all, if you’re an idolater as everyone is or was at one point, you have “no inheritance in the kingdom of God.” So how then is it we’re saved? If what Paul said is true, even he can’t be saved!

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17)

That’s how we can be saved now. Through the blood of the lamb, we have been born again. Our old “self” and flesh has gone and we now live a new life in Christ! That’s how it’s possible for us to have a inheritance, to be co-heirs; to be God’s own sons and daughters! It’s because God doesn’t see us as who we used to be covered in sin, he sees us as we are now; washed clean in Jesus!

Now if we are children, then we are heirs–heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. (Romans 8:17)

And thing is, we did share in sufferings on the cross when we died with him:

¹ What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? ² By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? ³ Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. (Romans 6:1-4)

You are loved!

Joshua Cleveland

 

The Point Of the Trinity

Hello Again!

This is what God gave me today in his word:

For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, (Ephesians 1:15-17)

All normal talk for Paul; He commends them, he tells them he’s praying for them, so on and so forth. But wait, what’s this? The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory? But Jesus I thought Jesus is/was God and God is/was Jesus, so how can Jesus (the Christ), if he is also God, have God as his God?

⁷ For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. (1 John 5:7)

Jesus can have God as his God because he is Jesus, but he is also God. I think that makes some sense. – But what’s the point? Now that I think about it, why does it even matter if the Trinity does or doesn’t exist?

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)

The “point” of the Trinity is to remind you that Jesus can sympathize with us, have the power to defend us from Satanic attack, and overall do anything. – The point is they all have separate ”jobs” yet are the same person. God poured out his wrath on his only son, so that Jesus could free us of our sin and so The Counselor (the Holy Spirit) could come.

Video URL: www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNuhnf8gh9o

You are loved!

Joshua Cleveland

 

True Faith?

Hello again!

This is what God gave me today in his word:

The crown has fallen from our head; woe to us, for we have sinned! (Lamentations 5:16)

Why would God, our God, cause His chosen people to “loose the crown”? It doesn’t seem to make sense, sure they sinned and turned away from him to idols, but is that worthy of total annihilation?

But you, O LORD, reign forever; your throne endures to all generations. (Lamentations 5:19)

So that’s why God would let the crown go from His people. Yes, to punish them, but also it seems to teach them a lesson. They’re mortal, he isn’t. In short, they should shape up now and do good before they actually are “no more”. But does that apply to us? Do we too need to hurry up, repent, and start doing good? Well, in fact, to a certain extent yes. But not in the context you’re probably thinking of now:

 ¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? ¹⁵Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.¹⁶ If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? ¹⁷ In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. (James 2:14-17)

Looking at it from God’s point of view, we have a small speck of time in which to repent. So from that perspective we do need to “hurry up and be saved”, but are good works required for repenting and salvation? According the above verse it seems that we need to in essence “prove” we have faith by our actions, but are good works required for salvation? Well, is faith required for salvation?

²⁸For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. ²⁹Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, ³⁰since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. (Romans 3:28-30)

Now it seems we have to conflicting passages, the one says faith without works is dead. Yet the other says works are not required for salvation, and only faith is needed. Well let’s dissect this:

We are justified, or, “saved” by faith in Jesus alone. Yet that faith is not true faith, unless it is accompanied by works. No work’s “under the law” are required for salvation, instead works of the Spirit are required.

for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. (Philippians 2:13)

So what’s the conclusion? – The Israelites required works of the law to be saved, we require only faith. And when we have faith, God sends his Spirit into us so that we back our faith in him, with works for him. That’s why faith without works is visibly dead; If you don’t have the Spirit of God working in you, even if he only causes you to say a nice word instead of angry one, you don’t have true faith.

It’s important not to “fall off” on either side; either that we are saved by works alone (that’s the law perspective), or that nothing is required of us at all.

You are loved!

Joshua Cleveland

 

An Execration; a Horror; a Curse; and a Taunt.

Hello again!

This is what God gave me today in his word:

“For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: As my anger and my wrath were poured out on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so my wrath will be poured out on you when you go to Egypt. You shall become an execration, a horror, a curse, and a taunt. You shall see this place no more. (Jeremiah 42:18)

In what circumstances though would this happen I wonder? – If they returned to Egypt, God said the above (they’re becoming a: execration, etc), would happen. So how are we to apply this today? If someone goes back to “Egypt” or in today’s words Drugs or Alcoholism, should we do all of those things to them? Well of course not. But why? Let’s think about this for a moment: why is it today, that we don’t do the same thing God did back then (or more accurately; was going to do)? Why is it that everyone that turns to drug’s isn’t promptly put out of the church (you will see this place no more) and beaten (all the rest). Well aside from that being extremely illegal, the reason we don’t do what God did today, is because there has been a change in the way we do things.

²¹ Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.²² But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe. (Galatians 3:21-22)

From the above passage (the one in Galatians) we can see that things have in fact changed; we’re no longer under the law… We’re not stoned to death any longer for doing something wrong. Why? Because of what he, Jesus, did for us. Namely, dying on the cross for us.

Conclusion? Because Jesus was beaten, made to become an execration and a horror. Cursed for our transgressions and a taunted (spat at), we no longer have to become the afore-mentioned. However, this does not entitle us to freedom to do whatever it is our flesh want’s to do. Paul in Roman’s 6 makes that point quite clear.

You are loved!

Joshua Cleveland