Tag: Sin

18.r. “And whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house) they will know that a prophet has been among them.”

John 15:22  If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father also. If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: They hated me without a cause.’

 Ezekiel 2:5    And whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house) they will know that a prophet has been among them.

 Romans 1:20    For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

 Acts 17:30    The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,

 Ezekiel 33:31-33  And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it; for with lustful talk in their mouths they act; their heart is set on their gain.  And behold, you are to them like one who sings lustful songs with a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument, for they hear what you say, but they will not do it.  When this comes—and come it will!—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.”

 2 Corinthians 2:14-16   But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.  For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing,  to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. 

 Luke 12:46    the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful.

Because Jesus did come to and speak to the world, they knew something of God that they did not know before. This made them without excuse for hating and rejecting Jesus and His Father in heaven. Jesus did among them the works which no one else did, and they still hated and rejected Him. (Guzik)

People will say and do many things in their lives, some good, some bad, and some irrelevant.  Live has a way of drawing us into things of this world and I guess rightly so.  The hard part is, while in this world, not to be blinded  by its offers of peace, joy, happiness, and purpose.  They are lies.  While we may be part of this world, we live in it, we should not allow it to distract us from humble service, honor, glory, obedience, trust, and reliance in and to Jesus Christ.   

God’s Word is a heavenly scent to those who believe and to those who do not it is either unnoticed or it is a stench to them.  Those that reject the heavenly fragrance from God’s Word reject Him.  Those that reject Him are guilty of sin.  Those that reject Jesus Christ, reject God and are guilty of sin.  Those that reject the heavenly fragrance of the Holy Spirit’s leading to salvation, reject the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, and God. They are guilty of sin.  “But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.”  “If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.”  “ For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.”

With all that is going on right now in the world our prayer should be for the heavenly fragrance of God’s Word be ever so powerful in our lives and also in the lives of those who do not know Him.  

18.g. “Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.”

John 13:2   During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him,

 Acts 5:3     But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit

 Ephesians 2:3   among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

 James 1:13-17   Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.  But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.  Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.  Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.

 Mark 4:19     but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.

 Romans 6:12    Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions.

Some people are like the ground on a hard-packed pathway. This is hard ground because people walked on it all the time and hardened it. When people are hard to the word of God, they allow no room for the seed of the word in their lives – it never enters.  “There are some that hear the word, but never meditate upon it, never lay it to their hearts, never cover it with second thoughts.” (Poole)  Some people are like the ground that is rocky but covered with a thin layer of dirt. They receive the seed of the word with a flash of enthusiasm that quickly burns out. Some people are like the seed that falls among the thorns. They receive the word but allow the interests and cares of this world to choke it out.

We ought to be able to rightly see and understand the world we live in, its lures, lies, fears, temptations, and false hopes.  But how is this to occur?  When we are in God’s Word.  When we hunger and thirst for His Word.  When we have surrendered our life in this world to victoriously living to bring honor and glory to Jesus Christ.  This does not happen by walking hand in hand with what this world has to offer or giving head nods toward Christian values, the bible, attending church, or listening to Christian music.  Head nods are not the same as a heart surrendered.  There is a big difference.  Head nods do not let the word of God into their heart.  These people play at being a Christian but there has never been a heart change that only comes through repenting, confessing, and surrender all hope of eternal life into the hands of Jesus Christ.  No thought of being good enough enters their thoughts.  They understand they were lost and without hope and then the Light of the Gospel flooded their heart and mind.  They realized there is only one way to eternal life and that is through hope and faith in Jesus Christ.  God’s Word allows them to see this world and what it has to offer.  This allows them to reject temptations that come at them in all kinds of forms.  Greed, lust, passion, hate, anger, fear, worry, pride, self-worth, and self-reliance are some of the many forms this world will tempt.  Hunger and thirst for His Word with a desire to live so that all you think, say, and do honor and glorify Jesus Christ.

17.s. “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

John 12:20   Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.

Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!”

 Isaiah 49:5-6   And now the LORD says, he who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him; and that Israel might be gathered to him— for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD, and my God has become my strength—  he says: “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

 Isaiah 53:10-12    Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.  Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.  Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

 Luke 9:23-24     And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

Jesus’s thought of the cross just a few days away, His main concern was that God was glorified.  His purpose on earth was to redeem, save, and demonstrate God’s love for mankind.  It is hard for me to come close to understanding the commitment and longing and desire of Jesus to honor and glorify God, knowing what just a few days away would yield great physical and emotional pain.  He knew what He was facing.  He knew His purpose and was willing to die on the cross for it to honor and glorify God and redeem mankind.  

I can wrap my mind around taking a bullet, fast death, for someone you love, but willing to be tortured, beaten, whipped, and nailed to a cross for the sins of every human being is an act of love so humble, pure, and holy it seems beyond understanding. What a Savior we have in Jesus Christ.  In light of this, how should we live our lives?  The writer of Hebrews said: Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,  looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

16.y. “Who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness”

John 10:16  So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?” Others said, “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

Isaiah 53:10-12     Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.  Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.  Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

Philippians 2:6-8     who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,  but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Titus 2:14    who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

It is hard to imagine the grace, mercy, and love Jesus Christ willingly poured out on the world.  The King of kings, Lord of Lords, Son of God, chose obedience to God the Father and willingly and with joy, went to the cross to bear our sins.  Jesus had full authority to choose obedience to God’s will.  He chose to give us life through His death and resurrection.  It is good for us to remember the great price that was paid by the King of kings, Lord of Lords, Son of God.  He did this for each individual person, yes YOU.

 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.  But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

Though the offer/gift of grace, mercy, love, forgiveness, redemption, and salvation is offered to everyone it is not accepted, received, or believed by everyone.  Many reject and deny this gift.  Condemnation and eternal punishment await everyone who rejects and denies the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. Today is the day of salvation.  Trust in, cling to, and rely on Jesus Christ.

16.a. “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”

John 7:21  Jesus answered them, “I did one work, and you all marvel at it. Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man’s whole body well? Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”

Deuteronomy 1:16-17    And I charged your judges at that time, ‘Hear the cases between your brothers, and judge righteously between a man and his brother or the alien who is with him.  You shall not be partial in judgment. You shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not be intimidated by anyone, for the judgment is God’s. And the case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.’

Proverbs 17:15    He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the LORD.

Isaiah 11:3-4    And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear,  but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.

James 2:9     But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

Jesus had healed a cripple who had been an invalid for 38 years.  He did this on the Sabbath and the Jewish leaders immediately told the healed man that it was unlawful for him to carry the mat he had been laying on.  Jesus brings this up when the Jewish leadership was wondering how Jesus had learning when He had never studied.  He tells them that they marvel at this act and then proceeds to tell them that they are not seeing scripture with understanding.  It was man-made laws and traditions that resulted in them thinking that healing a cripple on the Sabbath was breaking the law.  “Judge with right judgment.”  We are all guilty of wrongly judging some on or something.  We judge by the action and not the intent.  We judge the guy or gal in the car that is going to slow or cuts us off and have no idea what might have distracted that person.  Did they just get a phone call with very bad news?  Are they heading to the hospital to see someone who is dying?  We just don’t know but we judge them guilty of intentionally doing this to us.  There are thousands of other examples of how we judge others and much of the time we are judging without the love of God in our hearts and mind.  We need to be mindful of how critically we look at others.  Maybe it would be good for us to look into the mirror and ask ourselves if we would like to be judged by others the way we judge them.  I wonder if we ever take the time to ask God to reveal our true heart to us and seek the Holy Spirit’s to lead us into this insight.  We stand before God through Jesus Christ alone.  We did nothing to deserve this grace and mercy.  And yet, we go about judging others as if we were deserving of redemption, salvation, and forgiveness. When you are humble in thoughts and actions you will find the spirit of Judging will find no place in your heart, mind, and soul

15.w. “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?”

John 6:22  On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.

When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

Deuteronomy 5:27    Go near and hear all that the LORD our God will say, and speak to us all that the LORD our God will speak to you, and we will hear and do it.’

Jeremiah 42:3-6    Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the LORD be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act according to all the word with which the LORD your God sends you to us.  Whether it is good or bad, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God to whom we are sending you, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the LORD our God.”

Micah 6:7-8    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?

Acts 2:37    Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

Acts 16:30    Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

Those who questioned Jesus seemed sure that if only Jesus told them what to do, they could please God by their works of God. For these people, as with many people today, pleasing God is found in the right formula for performing works that will please God. The sense behind their question seemed to be, “Just tell us what to do so we can get what we want from You. We want Your miracle bread and for You to be our Miracle King; tell us what to do to get it.” If we want to do the work of God, it begins with trusting Jesus. The first work is to believe in Jesus whom God sent.  This is first.  Some people stop with this.  They say they believe but, beyond these words is nothing to indicate any kind of change in their lives.  They seem to forget “obedience”.  Belief/faith/trust is the foundation for works that are done for the sole purpose to honor and glorify Jesus Christ.  Without faith in Jesus Christ first, our works turn into what we trust to be right with God.  Our works easily become our false sense of security.  Our works are not out of obedience but rather out of self-reliance.  No work of ours will wash away our sins.  No work of ours will remove the stain of sin.  No work of ours will result in eternal life. No work of ours will give lasting peace, joy, and refuge.

Robert Lowry got it right.  This is from the hymn he wrote.  

What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

For my pardon, this I see,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
For my cleansing this my plea,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Nothing can for sin atone,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
Naught of good that I have done,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

This is all my hope and peace,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
This is all my righteousness,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

14.v. “They have hearts trained in greed.  Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray.”

John 2:13  The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

Jeremiah 7:11     Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the LORD.

Isaiah 56:10-11   All you beasts of the field, come to devour— all you beasts in the forest.  His watchmen are blind; they are all without knowledge; they are all silent dogs; they cannot bark, dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber.  The dogs have a mighty appetite; they never have enough. But they are shepherds who have no understanding; they have all turned to their own way, each to his own gain, one and all.

1 Timothy 6:5    and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.

2 Peter 2:3    And in their greed they will exploit you with false words

2 Peter 2:14-15    They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children!  Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing,

Jews came to the Temple from all over Israel, indeed from all over the known world. Most of the time, they couldn’t bring animals with them to sacrifice.

Moreover, Passover was the time that people paid the annual temple tax (Matthew 17:24-27; Exodus 30:13, 26). In Jesus’ day, many kinds of coinage were circulating. The  Romans, of course, had their own coins, but so did many kings and city-states across the empire. The various Herodian kings issued coins, as did the Phoenicians, Aegeans, Corinthians, and Persians. If these were voluntary offerings, perhaps, coins from these various countries and kingdoms might have been accepted. But this was a tax, not an offering. So, probably because of its exact weight and good alloy, Tyrian coinage (from Tyre) is specified in the Mishnah as the only coinage acceptable for the temple tax. Of course, there was a fee to exchange one’s coins for the Tyrian coins. The chief priest controlled the entire enterprise of money-changing and sale of sacrificial animals — and got his percentage of the gross. The sacrificial animals and money-changing tables were located in the Court of the Gentiles within the temple grounds. So the place designated for believing Gentiles to pray and worship was cluttered with the clink of coins, the braying of animals, and the sounds of commerce — hardly a place of peace wherein to seek the Lord. Jesus was offended, not that pilgrims needed to purchase sacrificial animals — cattle, sheep, goats, doves/pigeons, etc. — but that God’s house had become perverted from its main function as a house of prayer, and turned into something resembling a market, at which everyone brought their products, set up stalls, and crowds came to do their shopping.

Psalm 69: “I endure scorn for your sake, and shame covers my face. I am a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my own mother’s sons; for zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who insult you fall on me.”

I recently asked my Pastor about something that had been on my mind for a while and I could not wrap it up to understand it.  I love to listen to godly expositional preaching on the radio when I am driving.  There are some who seem to bring the Word of God alive.  The problem I had was at the end of their message there were 3-5 minutes of requesting money, need for money, and promise of blessing for sending in money.  To add to this problem I routinely would visit their web sites and read their sermon.  During visits to their web-site, I would be required to give my email address.  During my visit to their web site, there were pop-up ads for donations.  After they had my email address I would at least once or more per day get offers of deeper meaning to enhance my walk, through books, tapes, pod-casts., and other teachings for either a minimum donation or a flat fee.  This was the problem for me, there were more promotions and marketing for selling and making money than there was for proclaiming God’s Word.  The second concern I had was for what I was hearing on certain Christian radio stations.  They were offering a chance to win something.  If you call in and donate today we will enter you into a “chance to win” this once in a life time experience.  They all seem to be exchanging the humble sacrificial giving of a servant of Jesus Christ for a personal book that will bring you closer to God or a game of chance.  In either case, they are robbing that person of giving the honor and glory to Jesus alone.  I have no problem with being made aware of a need for a ministry.  It is when a ministry converts to using worldly marketing and cultural enticements to obtain donations or sell merchandise that I think it is wrong.  My Pastor said this “God’s will, God’s bill”.  God will provide, empower, and supply for those who do and follow His will.  When we go about commercializing His Word  He is not being honored or glorified or worshiped.  God’s Word is given to us by our loving heavenly Father and its application in our lives is through the Holy Spirit’s leading, and the blessings that come from and through His Word are rewards directly from and through Jesus Christ. God’s Word and its application into our lives is not something that can be bought and sold.

Some scripture is difficult for me to understand and I go searching for help.  I came across “The Enduring Word” website by David Guzik and his commentaries on the bible.  I have used it often and especially when studying the Old Testament.  I notice early this week that other than personal use permission must be given.  I had been using this commentary for over a year.  I sent David an email confessing my use and how I used it.  This was his response “Please, don’t worry at all about citing or using my online commentary in the preparation of your devotional writings. I make my material freely available; my main concern is that they would not be sold in some form without my permission. I’m happy to hear the online resources have been of some use to you.”   

To me, this is a humble heart wanting to honor and glorify and proclaim Jesus Christ.  We do well to seek God’s discernment in applying His Word without contaminating the honor and glory Jesus Christ deserves.

14.r. “no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

John 1:29   The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”

John 5:32   There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true.

Matthew 11:27     All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

Hebrews 1:1-2     Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,  but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.

1 John 4:9    In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.

John said; “I myself did not know Him”  “And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God”.  Jesus said; “no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.”  “yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.”  God sent His Son into the world that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.  “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.”

When Jesus Christ is rejected so is the testimony about Him.  Think about how many times you make judgments for or against someone or something based on the testimony of one person.  That person may have a bias, deceit, fraud, false pretense, etc…. and yet their word printed or spoken is taken as truth while truth and testimony of Jesus Christ recorded and proclaimed by hundreds is rejected.  Why is this?  “The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”  They choose to believe a lie and they choose to reject the truth.  Testimony after testimony about Jesus Christ, the Love of God, salvation, redemption, forgiveness, eternity, eternal life, and heaven are chosen to be rejected.  They have rejected the Son of God and His revelation of God’s grace, mercy, and love.  It is in this choice to believe a lie over the truth of Jesus Christ they are given strong delusion to further enhance their false belief. 

Imagine a person/company builds you a house and says it can never catch fire, it is fireproof.  Then imagine a person coming to your house, knocking on the door to warn you that your house is on fire, and you say no it is not, I don’t believe you.  Another after another comes knocking on your door and says your house is on fire you must believe me or you will surely die.  Time and time again you reject what they are saying and then the fire marshal comes with a fire truck and firemen and knocks on your door and says you must get out before the fire kills you.  You still maintain your house is not on fire because it is fireproof.  You have a piece of paper from the builder that says you paid for and bought a fireproof house.  You do not and will not believe it is possible your house will catch fire and burn.  Your hopes and trust and belief had consequences.  The result of this is your death.  You refused to believe the truth.  So it is with everyone who rejects Jesus Christ, the truth, and believes the lies, God is not real, His Son is not real, I am not that bad, God loves everyone so I am loved by God and He will not judge me or cast me into Hell, I am a good person on my own, I do not need to confess, I do not need forgiveness, I do not need redemption, my house is not burning down.

Belief in Jesus Christ means there is a reliance, trust, and clinging to Him alone.  It means you have come to the knowledge of His holiness and your sinfulness.  It means you come to the knowledge and understanding of there being only one way to be right with God and that is through belief in Jesus Christ.  It means you have surrendered all thoughts of being self-righteousness before God and with all your heart, mind, and soul you are clinging to, relying on, and trusting in Jesus Christ alone.  Because of this belief you humbly serve, honor, follow, obey, and rely on Him.  Believing the truth of Jesus Christ results in eternal life.  Believing in anything else is believing a lie and results in eternal death, Hell.

13.t. “On that day there shall be a fountain opened to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness.”

Zechariah 12:10  “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.

Zechariah 13:1   “On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness.

Isaiah 59:19-21   So they shall fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun; for he will come like a rushing stream, which the wind of the LORD drives.  “And a Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” declares the LORD.  “And as for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the LORD: “My Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children’s offspring,” says the LORD, “from this time forth and forevermore.”

Joel 2:28-29     “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.  Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.

Acts 2:33  Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.

  Titus 3:5-6    he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,  whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

Who will turn to Jesus, the pierced One. His head was pierced with thorns, His hands and feet were pierced with nails, and a spear pierced His side.  When we see Jesus crucified – understanding why He went to the cross and what He accomplished there – we are drawn to Him in humble repentance. They/we will look on Him whom they pierced. They will realize that they did it or would have done it and that they bear responsibility – not sole responsibility, but responsibility nonetheless – for the crucifixion of their Savior. Sin and sinfulness must be put away.  Sin cannot be excused, condoned, or compromised with. We first must look to Jesus, then in the light of His holiness, grace, and mercy we mourn for our sins and repent. It is in this first act of looking to Jesus that our heart becomes tender, our conscience aware, and our sinfulness exposed.  A fountain of grace, mercy, and love is overflowing and is never-ending this side of eternity.  Now is the time to look to Jesus, look full into His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.  Come to the fountain, drink richly from it, and live to honor and glorify the author and finisher of our salvation.