GOD of the Old Testament vs. GOD of the New Testament Part II

Part II

Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:1-15)

⁶ So the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? ⁷ If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”
⁸ Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. Gen. 4:6-8

How did God respond?

Cain was angry and the Lord spoke to him warning him that sin was ready to pounce on him but Cain ignored God and sin indeed did pounce. God had tried to reach Cain’s cold, hard heart before he did something horrible. God knew before hand what Cain would do but he spared his life anyway.  

⁹ Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?”
He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”
¹⁰ And He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground. ¹¹ So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. ¹² When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth.”
¹³ And Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is greater than I can bear! ¹⁴ Surely You have driven me out this day from the face of the ground; I shall be hidden from Your face; I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth, and it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill me.”
¹⁵ And the LORD said to him, “Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the LORD set a mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him.

Does that sound like a tyrant bent on killing any who disobey Him?

As atrocious as Cain’s behavior was, God still had mercy on him. God did not ignore his sin but still had compassion on him. Notice here that Cain never showed any remorse for his sin. He only showed concern for himself.

I don’t know why God chose to let him live, or why He didn’t let him live in fear of his life; all I know is God did not withhold mercy from this sinful man.

Continued…

Repentance

⁵ So David’s anger was greatly aroused against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the LORD lives, the man who has done this shall surely die! ⁶ And he shall restore fourfold for the lamb, because he did this thing and because he had no pity.”
⁷ Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man!”   -2 Samuel 12:5-7

Have we ever found ourselves caught off guard in a sin? Maybe we made some unkind statements about a friend or a joke about someone with a disability; and then we are confronted by them, or someone else. It may be then and only then that we realize how wrong we were.

Maybe we were supposed to take our kids to the zoo or pick up a friend at the airport but we forgot. Maybe our wife/husband was counting on us to do something important and we dropped the ball.

There is that moment that we are confronted with what we have done, or not done, that causes our heart to cringe and hurt.

What about those who are unfaithful to their spouse? The soldier who was asleep on post or not being vigilant and the result was the death of his fellow soldiers? The politician who takes a bribe and loses the respect of his constituents?  

Truth be known, everyone of us has failed another at some point. Unfortunately we are doomed to do it again and again. The big question here is not what we have done, but rather how do we respond once the sin has been uncovered.

It is easy for us to be angry when we see someone else do wrong, but isn’t it funny how we can be lenient on ourselves? For some, they go the opposite route and never forgive themselves. They let regret destroy their life and cause them to cease being productive.

So what are we to do?

David had failed miserably (2 Samuel chapter 11). His head had blown up and he thought he could do whatever he pleased; even taking another man’s wife and murdering the man.

But God wasn’t finished using David. He knew David’s heart, and He knew David would repent when he saw his sin exposed. God sent Nathan the prophet to lay out what David had done but do it in a way that David would not realize he was the man until his own anger was aroused at the hideousness of the sin.

When the truth was revealed, David repented. He was in agony over what he had done. God didn’t let him off the hook, but He allowed David to remain on the throne. God continued to use David.

Dear friend, have you got a hideous past? Have you committed adultery, lied, failed someone, murdered? There is hope. No matter what you have done, “REPENT!” God is faithful to His word and He will restore you. He wants to bring good out of the bad. He can heal any hurt you suffer. He may leave the scars, but He will heal the wound.

If you have sinned but just can’t bring yourself to confess it and repent, I urge you to get on your knees before Holy God and cry out; You are in grave danger.

If you are struggling with a tainted past and feel as though you can’t get past it, please contact your pastor, or a pastor if you are not a member of a church. If you would like to discuss this with me, please feel free to contact me.

The bottom line is we don’t know how long we have to make things right with God. Why wait? Please deal with this today.

I will praise You with uprightness of heart, when I learn Your righteous judgments.  -Psalm 119:7

John, Chapter Nine (revisited)

I have covered this passage before, but I feel led to revisit it. Every time I read it, I can’t help but be amazed at the nature of man.   

Who sinned?

 ¹ Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. ² And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
³ Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. ⁴ I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. ⁵ As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

How often do we pass judgment on others without knowing their story (or God’s purpose perhaps)? When we see a homeless person, do we automatically assume they are a wino, drug addict, a bum? For some, this may be true, but for others, it is a whole different story. I plan to come back to this later, so for the time being, let’s move on.

Jesus heals the blind man

⁶ When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. ⁷ And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.

I have read that the reason Jesus had the man go and wash was because Jesus required the man to step out in faith. I don’t argue this, but I would like to voice other possible motives (that could go along with this). First, Siloam means “sent.” Jesus “sent” the man to the pool, but He also “sent” him to testify of what the Lord had done for him. I believe Jesus wanted others to see the healing; obviously they did. I believe our Lord orchestrated the whole event to show 1) His deity, 2) His power, 3) the faith of this man, 4) the hypocrisy of the Jewish leaders, 5) the failure of the parents, and 6) as a witness throughout time.

Doubt and a testimony

⁸ Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, “Is not this he who sat and begged?”
⁹ Some said, “This is he.” Others said, “He is like him.”
He said, “I am he.”
¹⁰ Therefore they said to him, “How were your eyes opened?”
¹¹ He answered and said, “A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and I received sight.”

¹² Then they said to him, “Where is He?” He said, “I do not know.”

When God has blessed you, have you ever had family and friends that immediately tried to take away your joy? I think we all have. The people mentioned in verses 8 &9 saw what they saw but refused to believe. This was not the first miracle Jesus had done and no doubt they had heard; but yet they could not bring themselves to rejoice with the man and seek Christ. No, they take him to their spiritual leaders.

The Religious Leaders

¹³ They brought him who formerly was blind to the Pharisees. ¹⁴ Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. ¹⁵ Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.”
¹⁶ Therefore some of the Pharisees said, “This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.”
Others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them.

Great friends (sarcastically); they bring him to the Pharisee’s (they had to know this would be a problem). Have you ever had someone go to others in the church about you with the intent to hurt you? If you don’t believe this happens, start asking people you see who don’t go to church and ask why they stopped going. Many gave up on church because they have been hurt.

The Pharisee’s (vs. 16) never disappoint do they? The first thing they have to say is “This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.”

They are so controlled by the devil, they can’t even rejoice with the man for receiving his sight. Unfortunately I have seen this play out time and time again within the church. The Pharisee’s are more worried about the Sabbath (actually, they are worried about the laws they created pertaining to the Sabbath) than they are about a brother who has been healed. I feel I ought to stop here before I say something I shouldn’t. I will stop with this, if you are trying to steal a brother or sister’s joy, STOP IT!

¹⁷ They said to the blind man again, “What do you say about Him because He opened your eyes?”
He said, “He is a prophet.”
¹⁸ But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight. ¹⁹ And they asked them, saying, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?”
²⁰ His parents answered them and said, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; ²¹ but by what means he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know. He is of age; ask him. He will speak for himself.” ²² His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue. ²³ Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

Looks like an old fashioned lynch mob to me. The Pharisee’s were out for blood.

Notice what they say in vs. 19,  “Is this your son, who you say was born blind?

Two thousand years later and I am still getting mad over this.

Why would they drag his parents in? As always, they are not going to stop until they get something on Jesus. Do we not see this hatred today? Not just from the religious leaders but from the world. Jesus warned that because the world hates Him, it will hate us. I guess we just don’t expect it from religious leaders. 

But what about the parents? They throw their very own son under the bus.

Verse 22 gives the reason. They were more afraid of being thrown out of the synagogue than they were to stand up for their son and seek the Christ.

If we could speak with them today, I wonder what they would have to say about this now.

²⁴ So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him, “Give God the glory! We know that this Man is a sinner.”
²⁵ He answered and said, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.”
²⁶ Then they said to him again, “What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?”
²⁷ He answered them, “I told you already, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?”
²⁸ Then they reviled him and said, “You are His disciple, but we are Moses’ disciples. ²⁹ We know that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where He is from.”
³⁰ The man answered and said to them, “Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes! ³¹ Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. ³² Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. ³³ If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing.”
³⁴ They answered and said to him, “You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?” And they cast him out.

I love the guts this man showed. While all others cowered in fear, he went toe to toe with the religious leaders. I believe this had to be the Holy Spirit talking through him. I know the Holy Spirit had not come to indwell man yet, but we know that at times He would fill a person (I Sam. 10:9-10, Exodus 35:30-32, 2 Kings 2:9-18, etc.). We don’t know how much this man had heard of Jesus, but what he did know was that this Jesus had given him sight. As he stated, no man had cured one blind from birth. He obviously had faith, and great faith at that. He showed boldness and didn’t care what the Pharisee’s did to him.

Famous last words

³⁵ Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of God?”
³⁶ He answered and said, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?”
³⁷ And Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.”
³⁸ Then he said, “Lord, I believe!” And he worshiped Him.
³⁹ And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.”
⁴⁰ Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, “Are we blind also?”
⁴¹ Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.

This poor blind man met the Savior. No doubt he is with the Lord today. The Pharisee’s on the other hand had a very bad day. First the blind man disrespects them, and then Jesus (yet again).

If we could go and interview each person in this story today, I wonder what they would say.

Today you and I have a chance to share what Christ has done for us. Are we willing to do that? Despite what others think or say, are we willing to defend Christ against those who attack His holy name?

Romans Lesson II

The Proof of Universal Guilt

The Universal Provision of Righteousness

     Manifested to sinners

     Attainable for sinners

     Effective in sinners

There is none righteous

Romans 3:10-20 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

¹⁰ as it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one; ¹¹ there is no one who understands, there is no one who seeks God. ¹² All have turned away, together they have become useless; there is no one who does good, there is not even one. ¹³ Their throat is an open grave; they deceive with their tongues. Vipers' venom is under their lips.¹⁴ Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.¹⁵ Their feet are swift to shed blood; ¹⁶ ruin and wretchedness are in their paths, ¹⁷ and the path of peace they have not known.¹⁸ There is no fear of God before their eyes. ¹⁹ Now we know that whatever the law says speaks to those who are subject to the law, so that every mouth may be shut and the whole world may become subject to God's judgment. ²⁰ For no flesh will be justified in His sight by the works of the law, for through the law [comes] the knowledge of sin.

Paul quotes scripture to prove universal guilt. Scripture, not Paul, is the judge. (See Psalm 5:9; 10:7; 14:1-3; 140:3; Isaiah 59:7-8)
“By the Law” (vs 20): The purpose of the law was to bring conviction and prove guilt, not for justification. The law never justified anyone; its purpose was to reveal sin.
If a person says he is good, than he lies. He/she, may not be aware that they are not good. God’s law (see the Ten Commandments) shows us what to do, and what not to do.  But keeping of the commandments is still not good enough. If we have broken one, we have broken all.  The breaking of one commandment causes us to sin, and sin, unless paid for, leads to death (hell).

Have you ever told a lie? Then you are a liar.

Have you ever wanted something that belonged to your friend? Then you are a coveter.

Have you ever used a cuss word, or hated someone? Then you have taken the Lord's name in vain and are guilty of murder. Yes, Jesus said if you hate someone you have committed murder.

Things are not looking good for you my friend. You are obviously guilty as charged. On the day of judgment, when you stand before God’s throne of judgment, what do you think He will say? God, because He is good, and just, and must punish wickedness, has to demand the debt of sin be paid. But you cannot pay the sin debt; what do you do?

God's Righteousness through Faith

Romans 3:21-26 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

 ²¹ But now, apart from the law, God's righteousness has been revealed —attested by the Law and the Prophets ²² —that is, God's righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ, to all who believe, since there is no distinction. ²³ For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. ²⁴ They are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. ²⁵ God presented Him as a propitiation through faith in His blood, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His restraint God passed over the sins previously committed.²⁶ He presented Him to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be righteous and declare righteous the one who has faith in Jesus.

Vs 21. The Righteousness: The emphasis here is on the gift of personal relationship to God imparted to those who trust Christ. But now: Paul’s emphasis shifts to the new age or dispensation (see definition). He is not contrasting Jew and Gentile but the time when the law held sway and the present time when grace prevails.  

Dispensation

1 a : a general state or ordering of things; specifically : a system of revealed commands and promises regulating human affairs b : a particular arrangement or provision especially of providence or nature
2 a : an exemption from a law or from an impediment, vow, or oath b : a formal authorization
3 a : the act of dispensing b : something dispensed or distributed

Vs 22. Faith of [or “in”] Jesus Christ: Jesus Christ is the only valid object in which man must place his faith.

Vs 23. For “all” have sinned: The human need and the divine provision are alike applied universally. Come short of the glory of God: Man can exceed his own standards but never, left to himself, can he attain to God’s standard of righteousness.   

Vs 24. Being justified: indicates being declared righteous. It signifies the believer’s judicial standing before God.  Freely: There is no just cause in man to warrant justification. By His grace: Unmerited favor is bestowed through the redemption. Christ’s death is the ransom The sinner is released on the basis of the ransom ‘s having been paid.

Vs 25-26. Through Faith: Christ’s death satisfies the Father’s righteous demands. Its benefits are appropriated only through faith in His finished work. In His blood: The emphasis is not on the blood as it coursed through Christ’s veins, but as it was shed for our sins. This is how the propitiation was accomplished. Just and the Justifier: God can remain just (true to His nature) and still declare sinners to be righteous only because Christ has paid for sin and satisfied His holy law. The sinner is not rendered guiltless but pardoned. Christ has taken the sin on Himself and has imputed His righteousness to the sinner.

Propitiation means sacrifice of atonement. Jesus paid our sin debt on the cross. God poured out His fierce wrath and judgment on His perfect and Holy Son. Only Jesus could pay our debt because He alone is perfect. God’s judgment requires a perfect sacrifice.

Go back to the question asked earlier; You cannot pay the sin debt; what do you do? 

You must believe on the Lord Jesus, and make Him the lord of your life. He paid the debt for your sins, let Him come into your life and rescue you.

What Is Sin?

Definition of "SIN" (from merriam-webster.com)

1

a : an offense against religious or moral law b : an action that is or is felt to be highly reprehensible <it's a sin to waste food> c : an often serious shortcoming : fault

2

a : transgression of the law of God b : a vitiated state of human nature in which the self is estranged from God

Today, the word “sin” is used in a variety of ways. It is used in songs, movies, just about everywhere. One would think that this daily hearing of the word sin would cause us to be reminded of our need for a savior. However, it appears to have the exact opposite affect. I believe we have become comfortable and complacent with the word. No doubt this is but one of the tricks of Satan.

When a person becomes complacent with something, they tend to drop their guard.

I love to watch shows that have animal experts dealing with dangerous animals.  

Steve Irwin was very entertaining as he would grapple with crocodiles that were almost twice his length and more than twice his weight. Unfortunately, he was too comfortable while swimming with a stingray and that is what took his life. He was too comfortable and swam to close. We don’t hear about many deaths from stingrays, and they do not appear to be very aggressive (if I am wrong about this, it just shows they don’t make the news often for violent attacks). We should take this event and re-evaluate the danger of complacency.

How many times do we hear people say “yeah, but we are all sinners?” It’s as though we embrace our sin as something we should do. The fact is, we “all” are sinners but what do we do about it. If there was a radiation leak and we all got cancer, would we not all seek medical attention? Yet we all have sin but we don’t look for the cure. Are we so complacent that we don’t care?

Sin is the transgression of the law of God that estranges us from God. We cannot be guilty of sin and enter into His presence. The choice is ours. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will cover our sins with the blood of Jesus. Then, and only then, can we enter into His presence.

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ¹⁷ For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
¹⁸ “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. ¹⁹ And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. ²⁰ For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. ²¹ But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” –John 3:16-20