In the Blink of an Eye... (More Passover Meditation)

...your life can end.  In the blink of an eye, you could die.  It happens all the time.  One moment you're alive, the next moment you're dead.  I even watched my second-born son die before my very eyes eight and a half years ago.  You don't imagine your child dying before you.  One moment he was breathing, the next moment he was white as a sheet, and I couldn't bring him back.  No amount of breathing for him or screaming at him did the trick.

The following is a small portion of my Passover night entry in my prayer journal, the entries of which are to my Eternal Father God and also for my Lord Salvation the Anointed Firstborn:

I also thought about how quickly our lives can end.  I had told the kids that, in the afternoon before this Passover night, because a squirrel had been electrocuted.  That explains why the previous morning or two mornings before, there was a loud boom, followed immediately by the electricity flashing off and back on.  Then later Nathan went to get ice, and he came across that terrible wreck.  Again, it's a reminder that your life could end just that suddenly, or at least be changed drastically in that instant.

I was getting the kids ready for bed at the beginning of the evening of Passover, and my husband (currently agnostic) left to go get ice, just about a ten- to twelve-minute drive from here.  A good while had passed, and he sent me a message to say he was ok, that there had been a wreck.  He had been on his way back, and he'd noticed a pole down and the line across the road.  Then he saw the crashed vehicle.  He was the first on the scene of the accident, quickly followed by a young guy and gal, the latter of which turned out to be a friend of the victim.  My Love and the younger guy searched for the driver.  The one guy looked in the demolished vehicle.  At that time my husband heard the victim.  He was making a horrible "snoring" noise at a quick rate and was totally unresponsive.  Nathan was sure he was witnessing the man dying.  He was lacerated all over, and it appeared by his position that his arm(s) and neck and vertebrae were broken.  He'd been ejected at least ninety feet from the vehicle.  Nathan instructed the younger guy to not attempt to move the victim, and he left to drive down the road to get cell service so that he could call 911.  Before he got in the truck, though, the girl who had stayed at their vehicle asked whether her friend was going to be ok.  He told her he was in trouble and needed immediate help, so she broke down.  When he got back, another couple had stopped who also knew the victim.  A different girl asked my husband whether he was alive, and he could said that he was breathing, but it wasn't good, so then she broke down.

This was all a very traumatic ordeal.  Nathan came home pale and distraught.  Thankfully, though, this story has a good ending.  He found out the next day which hospital the man was in and called to check on him.  The injuries were considered "moderate."  Amazingly his head did not receive any injuries.  The nurse said it was a miracle.  He had a broken vertebrae and something else (I think that one arm was broken) and then cuts all over, none of them major.  He'd only finally come to a few minutes before Nathan called and was informed of where he was and that he'd been in an accident.  His terrible breathing had been as I suspected, due to the traumatic nature of what had happened to him.

His accident was almost certainly due to folly, driving too fast on that potentially very dangerous road.  Thankfully the fellow will live to be given the opportunity to change, to make sure he's driving safely and to urge others to do so.  My husband is also apt to drive too fast much of the time, and this helped him to realize what can happen.  He said he'd resolved to slow down on these roads.

Unfortunately for the aforementioned squirrel whose life ended abruptly by electrocution, he or she will not get a chance to change its ways and not run down the electrical lines anymore.  Sometimes the same goes for people.  Sometimes an act of folly will be the last thing a person does in this life.

There were a couple different things that triggered meditation from these events, one of them being that our Lord's friends must have reacted in much the same way as those frightened girls of the vehicle accident victim, when the Lord's friends heard of his plight and saw him beat and then later staked/nailed to wood to hang.  I could imagine their cries and hysteria, and it caused me to be grieved, too, as if I was really there.

But more so I meditated on the fact that we do not know when our last moment of life in this body will be.  We do not know when we will draw our last breath.  And when we die, do we want to die with hope and expectation or with dread and fear of the second death?  Christ is our Passover Lamb who has made it possible for us to escape the second death!  But it's not a guarantee for all.  That is what links the message of the Passover to the message of Unleavened Bread.  We must repent of our sin—transgression of the Ten Commandments—if we want to be spared the second death in the lake of fire. Christ was sacrificed, but the prerequisite to being begotten by the Royal Sperm—the God Spirit—is repentance!  We must make the choice to obey the Law (Acts 5:32; 2:38), and then we will receive the Helper, which is God's very own spirit DNA.  But we must keep ourselves pure so as not to corrupt the gestation and spontaneously abort, or we will not make it to our birthday at Christ's next coming.

We need to carefully examine ourselves each Passover and Unleavened Bread week and note which areas need work in our lives.  We also need to watch other brethren and spend more time with those who are zealous and strong in their walk and be more cautious about others, because "a little leaven can leaven the whole lump" (1 Cor. 5:6; Gal. 5:9).  I've observed very well over the years that you become like the company you keep, so we should be diligent to keep the right company.  I prefer to keep my closest friends as ones who value truth the most, are not lukewarm, who will set a good example for me, and who will reveal my errors (which doesn't always require them saying anything; sometimes it just takes seeing that they're doing it right, and I'm not).   I also want to make sure that I'm a good friend and keeping my friends on the right track.

Younger siblings, by nature, mimic and follow the older ones, regardless of whether the older one(s) are doing what is right or wrong.  Since we are fallen, though, it does not come natural to us to follow our Lord Brother the Righteous Firstborn.  We must make a voluntary choice to do so, and then we must choose wise siblings in the Royal Family to imitate.  When things are working the way they should, you are imitating them, and they are imitating you, and you keep each other on the right path that way.

What about you?  Have you come close to death before or have been close to someone who has unexpectedly died or nearly died?  Did it cause you to re-examine your life?

You do not know when you will die!  You can be healthy and full of life one moment and be out of the game the next.  You can be rich one year and poor the next.  You can walk on two legs one day and be sitting in the hospital with no legs the next.  You could see one hour and be blind the next.  We should be thankful for all that we've got and be diligent to make the best of what we've got when we've got it.  We must repent and stay on the path of righteousness while we can.

In the blink of an eye, your life can end.  Do not wait until it's too late.

Two Types/Stages of Forgiveness

It recently came to my attention that the opposite topic of judgment and condemnation—forgiveness and pardon—is perhaps as confused and misunderstood as the former.

I've explained elsewhere before (not sure whether on this blog), as have others the right understanding on judgment.  If you already understand this, feel free to skip down to the bolded "Forgiveness" after the first line of asterisks. I'm not about to go into depth on it now, deeply quoting scripture, but summarily:

Many twist the meaning of the scriptures and ignore much scripture on the topic of judgment and/or simply do not understand.  People say you should not judge anyone for their sinful behavior, "...because Jesus said not to."  The fact of the matter is that our Lord and Christ said to take heed and be careful with our judgment, because with the same measure of judgment we apply to others, our Father God will apply to us (Matt. 7:2).  Basically, it was a message of not being a hypocrite and a lesson on God's righteous judgment toward us being what we apply to others.

When you read other scriptures, it becomes clear that Christians are expected to be able to judge righteously.  Christ told us to "judge righteous judgement," and "not according to appearance" (John 7:24). Paul rebuked the Corinthians for taking brethren to the judges of men, saying, "Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?" (I Cor. 6:3).

If we lacked good judgment, how would it be that we could choose not to engage in sin like those around us?  If we did not judge that dishonoring God, idolatry, blasphemy, sabbath-breaking, dishonoring parents, murdering, adultery, stealing, lying, coveting, and such are sin, we are sinning!  

So you say, "Oh, but you should judge the sin, not the sinner."  But the scriptures say a different thing than what you say.  Oh, sure, the scriptures do say that we should not judge those without, meaning not DECIDING (one meaning of judging) whether the person is doing what is right or wrong, but meaning that we can't go PENALIZING those without.  Paul said to the Corinthians, "But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler-- not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? But those who are outside, God judges. Remove that wicked man from among yourselves" (I Cor. 5:11-13).

But then on the other hand, the scriptures teach us to rebuke the wicked: "Yet if you have warned the wicked and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered yourself" (Ezek. 3:19)

Basically we are to JUDGE what is right and wrong and walk in that, as Christ walked, not going against our conscience.  We are to not be hypocritical with our JUDGMENTS, making sure if we JUDGE our neighbor or brother in something, we are not guilty of the same.  We can penalize a sinning brother or sister by casting them from a church group or from not associating with them, if they choose not to repent, but we cannot penalize those without.  We are going to be around sinners in this world, and we are to be lights (but not choose those people as our closest buddies).  We can judge them by DECIDING what they are doing is wrong and by REBUKING them, just NOT PENALIZING.

If a person is an unrepentant and practicing liar, whore or whoremonger, or thief, is it wrong to judge by saying the person is a liar, whore or whoremonger, or thief?  Of course not!  What nonsense!  It's called the truth, and some people just hate the truth, and so they misquote scripture.

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Okay, now on to FORGIVENESS.

First we know that we must be willing to forgive others if we want God to forgive us:

And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses (Mark 11:25).

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors…For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses (Matt. 6:12, 14-15).

So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses (Matt. 18:35).  This is the conclusion of the story of the wicked servant, which I'll write more about shortly.

We have all sinned and done horrible things.  It's easy for us to look at others and judge what they've done as worse than what we've done, but have you considered that in many cases you may be wrong?  Have you considered that you're judging by appearance, rather than righteous judgment?  Remember, God judges the heart.  Have you considered that most of the persons you are judging as being worse than you started with a genetically worse sin inheritance to struggle against and grew up in a worse sin-saturated environment to also struggle against?  Have you ever stopped to consider that those persons hate their sins, too, and struggle badly against them?  Have you ever meditated on whether you might actually be worse in God's eyes than some of those persons, because He is looking at the heart, and even though those other persons stumble and fall with worse outward sins that appear to man to be more horrible, that person is more repentant at heart and is trying harder not to commit those sins of heart and outwardly than you are with your lesser outside sins?

We have all sinned and fall short of God's glory child, the Perfect and Righteous Firstborn, Salvation the Lord (Rom. 3:23).  We are all filthy compared to my Beloved Salvation.  Since it's hard to read the hearts of some, and we know also that some judge us wrongly, because they don't know our hearts and how we may struggle greatly with certain things, we need to focus on our Lord and be so grateful He chose us and died for us so that Father will forgive us, if we repent of our sins.

Since we're so grateful for Father and Salvation (Jesus/Yeshua), we need to be just as forgiving as they are.

A Maskil of David. Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered (Psalm 32:1).  This was repeated by Paul in Romans 4:7.

And rend your heart and not your garments." Now return to the ETERNAL your God, For He is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness And relenting of evil (Joel 2:13).

Now, indeed there are those who have repented and have been forgiven by God, but the scriptures also make clear that there are those who God has not and will not forgive, because they have not repented. God plans punishment for those who are sinning, but IF they repent, He forgives.

"Perhaps the house of Judah will hear all the calamity which I plan to bring on them, in order that every man will turn from his evil way; then I will forgive their iniquity and their sin" (Jer. 36:3).

Repentance is required for forgiveness of God.  A few more references:  Acts 8:22; Hosea 14:2; Ezekiel chapter 18 (highly recommended read).   Quoted from my book God's Law of Love, the Perfect Law of Liberty: Jehovah's Law Still Applies Today, pg. 30:

    Those who do not keep God’s law will not inherit eternal
    life (Romans 2:6-13; 6:16, 23; 8:9; I Corinthians 6:9-11; Galatians
    5:19-21; Ephesians 5:3-6; II Thessalonians 1:7-9; Hebrews 5:9; 6:4-6;
    10:26-31, 38-39; James 5:19-20, II Peter 2:20-22; 3:9-18; Revelation
    3:5; 21:7-8; 22:12-15; Exodus 32:33; Psalm 1:6; 5:5-6; 15:1-2; 34:16;
    37:9, 20, 22, 27-31, 38; 119:155; Proverbs 2:21-22; 10:30; Isaiah 24:5-
    6; 66:24; Ezekiel 18:4, 20-21, 23, 26-28, 3.—32; Hosea 4:6; Malachi
    4:1-6; Matthew 4:17; 5:7-20; 7:21-23; 19:17; 24:12-13; Mark 1:15; Luke
    10:25-28; 13:3; Acts 2:38; Acts 5:32; Acts 17:30
    and more).

In other words, those who don't repent will not be forgiven, as you must be forgiven in order to inherit eternal life. 

If God does not forgive those who do not repent, does that mean we should not forgive?  This is where a lot of people are very confused.  That is the reason for my strange title.  The answer is both yes and no.  I will explain in depth.  The answer is in the scriptures.

Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and IF he repent, forgive him (Luke 17:3).

 Does it say, "And whether or not your brother repents or not, forgive him?"  No, it doesn't.  BUT, it also does not say you should seek revenge or harbor bitterness in your heart.  In other words, you should possess a FORGIVING SPIRIT.  You do not know whether that person will later repent.  You are to REBUKE the person (in kindness of spirit, of course) and possess a forgiving spirit.  IF the person repents, forgive him (or her).

Again, except this time it is not for a brother in the Royal Family, but for the "wicked":

"Yet if you have warned the wicked and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered yourself" (Ezek. 3:19).

The following details the same conversation quoted above from Luke, recorded from Matthew, and explains what to do if your brother (or sister) does NOT repent:

Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican (Matt. 18:15-17).

So, rebuke the transgressing brother, and if he doesn't listen, then take one or two more with you to confront him again, and then if he still doesn't listen, take it to the whole local church community, and THEN if he or she still doesn't listen, it says you should regard your brother or sister as a HEATHEN.  You should regard the person as one of the wicked, one of the ones "without" the church.  In other words, the person is NOT FORGIVEN, until the person REPENTS.  Does that mean you harbor hate and bitterness toward the person?  NO!  You should maintain a FORGIVING SPIRIT and LEAVE IT TO GOD.  In the end, if that person returns to the world and is overcome with wickedness and never turns from his or her ways, God will avenge you for his or her transgression(s) against you.

Before the story of the wicked servant:
Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven (Matt. 18:21-22).

The above scripture is after the one I posted right before it, but it's before the one I posted that concluded the story of the "wicked servant."  So, it's in the context of a REPENTANT person, who after rebuked, repents.  Soooo...you should forgive your brother or sister who has sinned against you, but how many times?  What if the person transgresses multiple times?  Should you forgive each count?  When Salvation said not seven times but seventy times seven, he meant that you should be willing to keep forgiving, as long as you can detect the person is truly repentant at heart and is sorrowful about what he or she is doing against you.

A good example of this is the spouse who struggles with substance abuse.  Say one partner has an alcohol addiction or tobacco addiction.  That person is not just affecting him- or herself.  This kind of sin affects the spouse and other family members.  An addiction like this can be very hard to overcome.  For those who struggle with such an addiction or are married to a spouse who struggles with it, you know over the course of many years that the person can quit for periods of time and relapse over and over again.  It's difficult!  But you know he or she is trying, else the person wouldn't bother trying so hard to quit and wouldn't be so sorrowful over it and the problems it causes.  So forgive, forgive, forgive.  There are other examples, too, like the person who stands you up over and over, forgetting your meeting, or a spouse or friend who keeps slipping up with an Internet pornography addiction.  

So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow (2 Cor. 2:7).

Again, this refers to a repentant person, someone in sorrow.  It's bad enough for the repentant, sorrowful individual to cope with his or her own sin.  It's just too much for that person to also bear the sorrow of friends and family (and especially members of the Royal Family) rejecting and not forgiving him or her.

Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots (Luke 23:34).  

Christ said the people who were dividing up his clothing and mocking and saying ugly things about him when he was on the cross knew not what they were doing.  They didn't realize who he was and that he was innocent.  They must have thought he was receiving just punishment, that he was a blasphemous troublemaker.  Notice Christ did NOT say, "Father, whether or not they know what they're doing, forgive them."  Of course not!  What was the point of Christ's coming to earth and dying for the transgressions of mankind if God is willing to forgive everyone, regardless of what they do?


Now, sometimes it can be difficult to get to a place of forgiveness toward someone, while in other cases it's relatively easy.  If you've done the same sin and understand it, you might find it very easy to POSSESS A FORGIVING SPIRIT toward the transgressor, unless you are hypocritical, like Salvation said of those who judge without removing their own sin first.

In the last two or three years I've had to change my debit card number twice, due to fraudulent use.  I do a lot of my purchasing online, so I memorize my card number.  It's irritating to me, more than anything, whenever I have to get a new card and to file a report for unauthorized charges on my account.  NEVER have I cursed the persons who have done this to me, NEVER have I possessed an unforgiving spirit toward the transgressors, and it's quite easy for me, because my husband and I were guilty of the same many years ago (before conversion).  We transgressed against around 70 different people for an amount of $30k to $35k, fraudulent use of a credit card across interstate lines, when I was seventeen years of age.  I understand why people are driven to do such things.

Do I know whether the people who have transgressed against me have repented of their deeds?  I do not know.  Have I forgiven them?  I hold a FORGIVING SPIRIT toward them.  This means that I do not know whether they've repented, as I DO NOT KNOW THEM.  It's between them and our Creator.  It's up to God to forgive, IF they repent.  I've done MY part.  God knows I possess a forgiving spirit toward them.  If they don't repent, then God will eventually punish them for their sin.

Now what about sins that we can't relate to and struggle with forgiving?  What about forgiving adultery when you can't imagine doing something so atrocious, or how about the murder of your spouse, child, parent, sibling, other relative or one of your best friends?  

Remember how we've all sinned and done horrible things?  We've not all done the same things.  We've not all committed adultery or murder.  But remember the way God sees things differently than we do?  Remember how some struggle with worse things?  (And remember that the HEART is what God judges, and some people desire such horrible sins in the heart, but they fear consequences from man if they transgress outwardly.)

I used to be guilty of murder in my heart in my teens.  I carefully premeditated different persons' murders. I know, it's awful.  It's absolutely appalling to me now.  I've since repented of my sin of murder.  Did I actually physically kill someone?  No.  But I still was guilty of the sin of murder before God.  I've repented and feel terrible about it.  What if I'd have actually physically carried out a murder?  And then, as I have in my real life, I later had terrible remorse and repented?  Would I not seek for forgiveness from those whom against I trespassed?  Would I not hope for forgiveness from the victim's family and friends?

Murder is a difficult thing to forgive, even for those who understand it, whether it's premeditated or whether it's a result of rage, and even more difficult if it's a child kidnapping-rape-murder.  But we are basically all guilty of our Lord Brother's death, because of our sin.  He was murdered for us.  God expects for us to forgive even murder....IF the transgressor repents.

Of course there are unsolved murders and unknown adultery partners and unknown thieves.  There are a lot of persons out there who have transgressed against us whom we don't even know!  We can't rebuke them!  Do we just forgive them?  What if we struggle with forgiveness?  

I think it helps to imagine the unknown person realizing before you that they've transgressed against you and apologizing in great sorrow to you.  You can SEE in your MIND'S EYE that they are deeply sorrowful (even though they may never meet you).  They feel absolutely awful for what they've done against you and are totally repentant.  Is that not how you have felt before our Righteous and Good Father and our Beloved Lord Salvation?  THAT is how you can then find that FORGIVING SPIRIT.  That's ALL YOU NEED.  If you do not know your transgressor, try this out!  It HAS WORKED FOR ME before.  I have unknown transgressors out there who committed horrible acts against me, and I hold NO BITTERNESS OR HATRED OR REVENGEFUL THOUGHTS against them.  God knows my heart is filled with a FORGIVING SPIRIT toward those unknown persons.  If they repent, God will FORGIVE them, and that pleases me.  I will also say, on the other hand, if they do not repent, I know God will PUNISH them.  He will AVENGE me for their transgressions against me, and that also pleases me.

This is perfectly holy, righteous, and good, no matter what anyone tells you.  We do NOT have to sit around feeling that we must forgive unrepentant people who love wickedness and hate us.  That is NOT what God expects of us.  He expects for us to possess a FORGIVING SPIRIT, not a spirit that allows people to just run all over us.  We are NOT to possess a REVENGEFUL, HATEFUL, BITTER SPIRIT.  

This is what I meant in the title by "two types/stages of forgiveness."  There's the FORGIVING SPIRIT and there's actual forgiveness.  And then there's manly forgiveness and Godly forgiveness.  For example, a person may forgive someone for becoming an unrepentant practicing homosexual, but will God forgive it?  No, He won't.  God doesn't go by man's rules.

And they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.” And some of the scribes said to themselves, “This fellow blasphemes.” And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, “Why are you thinking evil in your hearts? “Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, and walk’? “But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Get up, pick up your bed and go home.” And he got up and went home. But when the crowds saw this, they were awestruck, and glorified God, who had given such authority to men (Matt. 9:2-7).

We can't forgive men the way God can.  As you see above, the scribes realized that God is the only One Who can truly forgive as far as our spiritual standing is concerned. We may forgive things that we do not think are sin, but God is the ultimate Forgiver/Pardoner.

Moses had asked God to forgive Israel and to blot him out of God's book in their place, and the ETERNAL said:

"...Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book" (Exo. 32:33b).


Notice what these perfectly righteous Children of God of the scriptures said about UNREPENTANT SINNERS, when it comes to FORGIVENESS:

Jeremiah and Jeremiah Quoting the ETERNAL God:

Yet, ETERNAL ONE, thou knowest all their counsel against me to slay me: forgive not their iniquity, neither blot out their sin from thy sight, but let them be overthrown before thee; deal thus with them in the time of thine anger (Jer. 18:23).

Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; they will be brought down when I punish them," says the ETERNAL (Jer. 6:15).

"Why should I pardon you? Your sons have forsaken Me And sworn by those who are not gods. When I had fed them to the full, They committed adultery And trooped to the harlot's house. They were well-fed lusty horses, each one neighing after his neighbor’s wife. Shall I not punish these people," declares the ETERNAL,“And on a nation such as this shall I not avenge Myself?"  (Jer. 5:7-9)

This speaks of punishment rather than forgiveness, BECAUSE they would not repent after continual rebuke.

"We have sinned and rebelled and you have not forgiven" (Lam. 3:42).

Nehemiah:
 
Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders (Nehemiah 4:5).

David:
 
You, ETERNAL God Almighty, you who are the God of Israel, rouse yourself to punish all the nations; show no mercy to wicked traitors (Psalm 59:5).

May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the ETERNAL; may the sin of his mother never be blotted out (Psa. 109:14).

It is time for you to act, ETERNAL; your law is being broken (Psalm 119:126).

Paul:

Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works (I Tim. 4:14).
 
I've said this a few times, and I know many righteous Christians pray this way.  This is a very wise way to put it, because the Lord knows whether the person will repent.  If Alexander the coppersmith repented (even if he never saw Paul again, he could have cried out to God and felt horribly sorrowful about what he'd done and wished he could take it back), then the reward for the work of repentance was forgiveness, but if he didn't repent in due time, he would have "gotten his," if you know what I'm saying. 

Isaiah:
 
So people will be brought low and everyone humbled-- do not forgive them (Isa. 2:9)

This last one is talking about the time of great wrath of God in the future, when he will have rejected his people Jacob.  The context speaks of the land being full of materialism, idols (think of the Washington Monument phallic/penis obelisk and the sun god/goddess "Statue of Liberty"), tons of horses and chariots (think of all the fancy motor vehicles), and many fortune-tellers.

And finally, in Revelation, God's True Children symbolically cry out:

AND THEY CRIED WITH A LOUD VOICE, SAYING, "HOW LONG, O LORD, HOLY AND TRUE, DO YOU NOT JUDGE AND AVENGE OUR BLOOD ON THEM THAT DWELL ON THE EARTH?" (Rev. 6:10).

I have done as Jeremiah and the others have done toward certain ones on this earth.  For example, one of my most-hated targets is the evil ones at the top of Monsanto and the evil ones in our governments and the evil ones at the top of other corporations who knowingly unleash evil upon the peoples of this earth and DO NOT CARE!  Yes, I cry out to God, "WHEN will it be that you send my Beloved to PUNISH these evil ones?!"

It is PERFECTLY RIGHTEOUS to want vengeance on evil persons or people who sin against us who do not repent.  BUT WE LEAVE THIS UP TO GOD TO DECIDE, because we simply DO NOT KNOW whether a person will repent, especially if our transgressors are unknown.

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So again—and as summary and conclusion—we are to possess, as Children of the Most High God and brethren of the Lord Salvation the Perfect Firstborn, a FORGIVING SPIRIT without thoughts of hate, revenge, or bitterness against our transgressors but a RELAXED AND TRUSTING knowledge that IF the transgressors do not repent, we will be avenged by our Loving Father and Lord Salvation.

And if we truly TRUST God, and we are patient for that day of Christ's return, then it's not too difficult to possess that FORGIVING SPIRIT toward ANY transgressor, meaning we're willing to forgive anyone who repents. And for those who don't, we keep our pure spirit as not to defile ourselves and suffer with bitterness that will poison us, and we trust that God will avenge us.

What "The Law Was Added Because of Transgression" Means

There is a great deal of confusion surrounding the meaning of Paul's words to the Galatians when he said:

Wherefore then [serveth] the law?  It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; [and it was] ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator (Gal. 3:19).

It's really simple, though.  Of course, I encourage each one to read the entire context.  Here, though, I simply want to lay it out for those who still don't get it, even after reading the context and reading the entire bible.

In the beginning, God created Adam and Eve on the sixth work day.  He didn't lay out an endless number of statutes for them.  He didn't overwhelm them with a lot of rules.  Anyone who honestly just reads the opening of Genesis can see that he put them in the garden, told them to take care of it and told them what they could eat for food.  The tree of life was also in the garden, and then there was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and God told Adam and Eve that they were not to eat from that tree, or else they would die.  We then know the next day was the seventh day that was sanctified and hallowed, so right from the beginning we see the Sabbath day, the signature mark of the Creator.  So things started out in a very BASIC way. 

Now, we must ask, WHAT is the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil?"  WHAT is the knowledge of good and evil?  What do we call something that lets us know what is good and what is evil?  Would we not call that law?  Of course!  Adam and Eve were alive and well, and everything was going smoothly, until they allowed themselves to be deceived by the serpent.  Notice what happened.  Back in Genesis 2:25 Adam and Eve were naked but were not ashamed, just as young children that do not yet know good from evil are not ashamed.  They thought nothing of it.  No one TOLD them it was wrong.  God did not say, "Oh, and make sure you stay dressed with clothes, because it is not good for you to be naked."  But, after they had eaten from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, their eyes were opened, and they suddenly realized they were naked and covered themselves.  They later told the Lord (the one who is the Firstborn of the Father) they were hiding from him because they were naked.  He replied, "Who told you that you were naked?  Did you eat from the tree from which I told you not to eat?"

Does this not remind you of what Paul said several thousand years later?  Read Romans chapter 7, where he talks about how the law gives knowledge of what is good or evil and that he was alive once without the law, but then the commandment came, sin revived, and he died.

EVERY person on this earth, since Adam and Eve ate from the fruit, if they live long enough, comes to a point where their eyes are opened, and they know good from evil.  Infants start out innocent and UNKNOWING of good and evil.  Small children do not know that being naked in front of others is bad.  They do not know that putting their fingers into electric sockets is evil.  Little kids do not realize that crawling off the high bed is evil.  They don't know these things bring bad consequences!  Not until they transgress!  THEN once they transgress, they know there is good and evil!  Was killing and stealing and lying and such wrong from the beginning, before Adam and Eve knew it was wrong, before they ate from that tree?  Of course it was!  Did they have such ideas?  Was there any written law with judgments laying all this out?  No, there was not!  Would it have been good for them to have clothes on from the beginning?  Yes!  But, were they at fault for not having on clothes?  No, they had never been given any idea that it was wrong!  

If you read my study on the tree of life, you will learn that the tree of life represents Christ.  How do we get eternal life?  There is only ONE way to salvation, and that is through Salvation the Anointed One, Jesus Christ (Yeshua the Messiah).  It's his sacrifice in our place that gives us the gift of eternal life for those who repent of sin [transgression of the law], are baptized, and the receive the Holy Spirit (the seed of God so that we can be born as sons of  God at the resurrection).

I try to keep it as simple as possible for my children.  The Ten Commandments are summed up by love God with all your heart, mind, and life and love your neighbor as you love yourself.  I tell them the Ten Commandments teach us how to do these things.  I do not bombard them with a laundry list of things they should do, though, to protect themselves, to protect others, and to protect property.  BUT, if they transgress in some way, it becomes needful at times that I ADD LAW.

Just last night my husband was saying to my parents, concerning buying a third game controller, "I've been needing to buy another one, anyway, in case the kids tear up one."  This was said in front of our children.  This is a no-no, of course, but who is not guilty of doing this at some point?  Most parents realize that suggesting this sort of thing in front of our kids puts the idea into their head to do evil.  Whereas before, doing such a thing probably would not have crossed their minds, now they are tempted to do just that.  Now, does this also sound familiar?  Remember what Paul said about the law killing him, because we tend to want to do the opposite of what it says?  Any experienced parent knows this is the case with children.

Would I tell my young child, "I just put some matches up in this cabinet.  Now don't get into these and start a fire?"  NO!  I would put the matches up there in hopes that my child will not be snoopy and get into such a thing.  I am not going to put the idea into his head to get into the matches.  Most children will have a strong temptation to do the exact opposite of what you commanded.  Not all children would actually follow through with it, but there would be a strong temptation, whereas if you kept your mouth shut, it would likely not be an issue.  Now,  let's say nothing was said, but one day the child got into the cabinet for one reason or another, and he happened to see the matches then.  It was an unlikely event, but it happened.  He was then tempted to use them.  Still, a child could make the choice not to do so.  But, sometimes a child does.   If the latter occurred, THEN law would have to be added.  YES!  That's right.  Oral or written law added AFTER transgression.  The law is holy, just, and good, meaning what is good is good, but what was good was good before the giving of the law in a written organized form, full with judgments and then the added rituals.  There were faithful and obedient people serving God BEFORE the added law.  There were already people following the spiritual law, as written on their hearts, not killing, fornicating, stealing, etc.  Yet, some transgressed, so it was needful for an ADDED law in written form, complete with JUDGMENTS for transgression.  The animal sacrifices, human priesthood, etc. was to REALLY POINT OUT TO CARNAL-NATURED PEOPLE HOW SERIOUS TRANSGRESSION WAS. 

Is that not why so many statutes are ADDED to the U.S. law code (or ANY law code)?  The invention of motor vehicles, for example, as a new thing here.  AFTER transgression, namely wrecks that caused people's bodies to be flung through the windshields, law was ADDED to include use of seat belts.  At some point, law was ADDED for babies and young children to be put in car seats.  Is someone foolish enough to say that this law is bad?  What fool is willing to say this is a bad law?  Is it for the GOOD?  Is it to save lives?  YES!  Now, would there be some fool out there who claims that this is wrongful adding to God's law?  Probably so.  Now, it is indeed BETTER, as it is under the new covenant, to be led by the Spirit, to have God's law written on our HEARTS, choosing good because we want to do what is right, NOT because there is some written law that has judgments if transgressed.  In that case, all that would have to be done is seat belts and car seats would be invented, proven to save lives, and then what fool would not want to use them?  A wise person uses them, because he is following God's law of love as written on his or her heart, NOT because the U.S. law mandates them, for we know that not all man made laws are good.  SOME are, though, and if it's a life-giving law, then why wouldn't a person follow it?

With increase of KNOWLEDGE, there is more to be decided on what is good and evil.  I've written explanation time and again of this.  If Moses lived today and was told to give a written law to Israel, it would NOT simply say, concerning safety in housing, "You must build a rail around the top of your roof so that no one falls off."  Why, that would likely not even be included, because it DOES NOT APPLY.  We do not have flat roofs that we walk upon and use in our every day lives, like people did in ancient Israel.  However, there would be statutes like, "Don't let bare wires be exposed in your homes," and "Do not leave electric sockets exposed so that young children do not stick their fingers in them."  It would not be just, "Eat only animals that have split hooves and chew the cud," etc., but it would likely be, "Do not eat McDonald's french fries," etc.  What fool is there out there who would actually say that the food regulations as given in the law of Moses is good enough and everything else is fine to eat without control?  We do not live in that age! 

Of course, those of us who are Spirit-led and have God's law written on our hearts, following the law in the spirit, understand this.  Believe it or not, though, there are folks out there who believe ONLY what was written by Moses for that day is what applies and that there is no new covenant, only a renewed old covenant.  Makes you wonder why those people even bother claiming they have faith in the Messiah, for what would the point of his coming and sacrifice be if the old covenant was simply going to be renewed.  That could have been done by any prophet, and there would have been no need of Salvation's sacrifice.  There would be no need of a new covenant Passover Lamb.  If the old covenant was good enough, some prophet simply could have come on the scene to remind people to be circumcised in the penile flesh, go to the temple in Jerusalem for the feasts, have the priests offer animal sacrifices for the people's sins and their own, etc. 

If people would READ the words of people like David, who lived in the time of the old covenant, but who had the Spirit of God, they would see that those few people who lived in that time who had God's Spirit had a new covenant mindset.  I don't think people are reading the scriptures for what they say!

Yes, the fact is that most people are CARNAL.  They are fleshly-minded.  Many do not care to follow any law, certainly not to have it written on their hearts.  But, there are others who like others to THINK they are righteous (think of the carnal Pharisees whom Jesus criticized over and over), and so they cling to the old covenant things like penile circumcision, wearing fringes in the garments, etc. so that they appear righteous to others and so they can say to those who don't do those things, "Look at us.  We are pleasing to God."  Really?  What goes on in their hearts, we must wonder.  What kind of daily fruit do they bear?  In my experience, those who believe old covenant regulations are binding (like penile circumcision) are so much like the Pharisees that Jesus called hypocrites.

Those who believe the law was not ADDED because of transgression need to get studying the scriptures.  They need to get a solid understanding of the first two chapters of Genesis, because they obviously do not already understand it.  Christ is even recorded of giving examples of where the law of Moses fell short.  He said certain things, like a man divorcing a wife if he was not pleased with her, was allowed for the HARDNESS OF THEIR HEARTS (yes, that's right, they may have had circumcised penises, but they had uncircumcised hearts), but FROM THE BEGINNING IT WAS NOT SO.  YES!!!!!!!!!!  Even the Lord said with his own mouth that the law of Moses was ADDED.  Obviously is was, if something was not so from the beginning, but it was then allowed in the old covenant law of Moses to be more lax.  Obviously penile circumcision was not from the beginning. Of course not.  That would mean God would have made a mistake with the penis, since he could have just made the penis without the foreskin that extends beyond the head of the penis.  It was ADDED.  It was given to Abraham as a sign of the covenant.  Then later some of his descendants (namely the children of Israel) became slaves to Egypt, and so God worked out a way for them to be freed from bondage, and then he had Moses give them the law and the Levitical priesthood, etc. That was the beginning of the old covenant.  BEFORE the Levitical priesthood, there was a different priesthood.  People offered to the high priest Melchisadek, which was really the Lord.  NOW it is as before.  The old covenant with its law, priesthood, sacrifices, etc.  were TEMPORARY.  They were to last UNTIL it was replaced with something better.

I hope that if you have not before grasped what "the law was added because of transgression" means, that you now understand it.  God did NOT bombard Adam and Eve with a bunch of regulations.  He kept it simple.  They ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, sin entered this world, and much later the law of Moses was ADDED because of all the transgression.  Yes, there was law that was being broken BEFORE the law being added in a written form (along with additional rituals and sacrifices), just as if a child does something he shouldn't, but just because the transgression occurred doesn't mean the law had been given.  If there is transgression, law then becomes needful so that if continually transgressed, punishment can be given. 

BUT, if people have God's Spirit to circumcise their hearts and so have the law written on their hearts, there is LIFE.  There is no need for the old covenant set-up, because the promise was given--Christ.  And the PROMISE OF THE MESSIAH WAS GIVEN TO ABRAHAM HUNDREDS OF YEARS BEFORE THE OLD COVENANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  As the law states, and Paul repeated, one is CURSED to not do all the things in the law of Moses, if one chooses to enter that covenant.  Many of those things are IMPOSSIBLE to do, seeing as we have no temple in Jerusalem, etc.  Now, does this all make those things wrong?  Is penile circumcision wrong?  No, but it is wrong to say it must be done for salvation.  That was the old covenant that said, "Cursed is the man who does not do all the things of the law."  Of course, no one could ever do it perfectly, and the death of animals and penile circumcision (especially when done to a child who did not make a conscious choice of having it done) does not save a person.  Only the Spirit of God and obeying Him in Spirit will save a person, under the new covenant that was instituted with Christ's blood being shed.

The law of Moses was indeed ADDED because of transgressions.  People like Abel, Enoch, Noah, and Abraham all served God in obedience in faith (looking forward to the promise) BEFORE the law of Moses was added.  So it is now no different under the new covenant.  Many obey God--putting Him first, not bowing down to images, not holding up His name in useless worship, keeping the seventh day holy, honoring their parents, not killing anyone, not committing sexual sin, not stealing, not lying, and not coveting what is not rightfully theirs--all in its spiritual intent.  That means they are not even thinking of these evils.  They don't need some judgment clause in a written law to keep them from committing acts. No, they do NOT WANT to even think about doing those things.  They hate evil in their hearts.  They do not feel the need to have outer symbols in the flesh that only serve to receive praise from men.  Only God fully knows our hearts, and regardless of how good we act on the outside, if we're not clean on the inside, the outside stuff doesn't matter.

Even the other nations who do not have the knowledge of the fourth commandment passed down, if following the law as written on their hearts (knowing there must be a Creator and so being thankful to Him, taking care of the earth, honoring their parents, not killing, not fornicating, not stealing nor destroying property, not lying, nor wanting something not rightfully theirs).  When they are raised up to life during the "Great White Throne Judgment," they will have their eyes opened to the truth of who God is and what his Sabbath was, etc.  These people who did what was right in their hearts, because they wanted to do what was right, will put to shame those who had penile circumcision yet did not have the right heart.

Just as those BEFORE the law was added obeyed, we obey.

My closest co-worker in Christ, Keith Hunt, has written more about this, found within his expounding of Galatians.  The part which deals with the law being added because of transgression is found here: http://www.keithhunt.com/Ntacts21.html.  If you want to study further, I recommend the link.

In God We Trust?

I get emails and such every once in awhile that make a big deal about the removal of the national motto "In God We Trust" from various public places.  I got such an email today.

Now, it's not that I don't think the removal of "In God We Trust" isn't a big deal; quite the contrary.  But, rather the point I wish to make is that it's quite hypocritical.  After all, seventy-something percent or more of our nation's population claim to be "Christian," and yet if that percentage was truly Christian, we wouldn't even have this issue.

The fact of the matter is that not even close to seventy percent of people in our Israelite nation of the United States of America trust in God.  Whenever my husband or I tell one of our children to do something or not to do something, and he or they choose to disobey, we become upset and ask the child(ren) why he did not trust us.  Why did he disobey our words?  Trust and obedience goes hand in hand.  If a person trusts another, why would the person disobey that person's words, unless the person just flat out delights in following that in which he or she knows is false?  If I tell my son he's in extreme danger of getting hurt if he rides his bike without his hands on the handlebars as he's going across bumpy terrain, why would he, in his right mind, then ride his bike with his hands up in the air while speeding across bumps?  Either he didn't believe--didn't trust--what I told him and rather believed that he was not in danger of getting hurt, or he didn't care whether he got hurt and was willing to take the risk of suffering bad consequences for temporary pleasure of delighting in folly.

Our nation's people, over all, do not trust God.  They may trust certain things He has said, but for the most part they do not trust Him.  They are liars.

This nation's people--stiff-necked Israelites and the strangers that live among us--have rejected God's words as false.  They have rejected His perfect Law, defined by its ten commandments and their statutes.

These people draw close to God with their lips, but their hearts are far from Him; they are hypocrites (Matt. 15:7-9).

This people daily breaks the first commandment by putting other people and things before the Most High God.  They put other gods before the Most High.  It's not wrong to honor others, but God comes first, and when men are wrong, we should rather obey God (Acts 5:29).

The people of this nation breaks the second commandment by making special a likeness of a heathen god with long hair and a beard.  They call the likeness Jesus Christ and feel as if they are honoring him by hanging up pictures of this likeness.  This people erects idolatrous images such as the Statue of Liberty and the phallic Washington Monument obelisk.  They sport obelisks on top of their church buildings.  They erect crosses and Christmas trees, and they even sing praises to the tree:  "O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, I think you are so lovely!"  They then offer gifts (sacrifices--they sacrificed time and money) under the evergreen, just like heathens throughout all time.  A certain percentage of this people bow down to and kiss various images, including the heathen goddess known by various names and the title "Queen of Heaven" and whom they claim is the "Virgin Mary," the mother of our Christ.

This people daily breaks the third commandment by claiming that they follow God and yet break His commandments.  They worship Him in vain.  They commit blasphemy.  They throw around His name and titles carelessly and also throw around blessings and curses by Him carelessly and profanely.

The people of this nation break the fourth commandment by profaning the seventh-day sabbath that was sanctified and made holy from the very beginning--from Genesis 2:2-3--and by instead honoring Rome's substitute Sunday, the first day of the week, and today even most professing Christians don't even rest on Sunday or set aside time to spend with God and fellowship with other Christians and do more bible study.  They call God's true sabbath and other feasts [like Passover and the Feast of Trumpets] that outline the true plan of salvation a burden of all things, but they delight in Rome's feasts that are entrenched with heathenism--the abominable Christmas, Easter, January 1, Halloween, etc.  They reject God's calendar and his new year and his new months (new moons).  They engage in unfair labor practices.  They reject the Creator's land sabbaths, and instead they rape the land year after year and spray toxic pesticides on the land and its crops.  They use toxic synthetic fertilizers to return nutrients to the soil, due to their wicked transgression of the land sabbaths.  More and more of this nation's people, even those who profess to be Christians, believe and teach that we evolved from apes, rejecting the creation account in the scriptures.

The people of the United States break the fifth commandment by dishonoring our Father God by disobeying all His commandments, and they dishonor their mother earth that our Father gave to us for our nourishment and nurturing.  They dishonor their earthly father and mother by disobedience and curses.  The parents dishonor their children with more various abuses and neglectful actions.  They do not teach their children the Law of God each day and how to follow it with their thoughts and actions, "marking them on their hands and foreheads."(Deut. 6:7-8) Instead, parents teach their children lies like the Christmas Santa Claus and that Christ was born on December 25 and the Easter Bunny and egg hunting (rooted in heathen worship of sex and fertility) and that Christ rose on Easter Sunday.  They encourage them to have Rome's mark on their hands and foreheads (Rev. 13:16), to follow the ways of Rome in their thoughts and actions.  The parents sacrifice their children to Molech by aborting them or making daycares and unGodly public [government] schools rear them.

Our stiff-necked people breaks the sixth commandment by murdering a hefty percentage of every child conceived, especially children who would have been destined to be firstborn.  They are sacrificed to the god of this world.  They are sacrificed for convenience, for the pursuit of materialism, for selfishness.  Infants and older children are injected with deadly vaccines.  Babies are fed ill-health-causing formula even when the mothers can breastfeed.  People feed themselves and their children abominable meats like pork, squirrels ("tree rats"),  lobsters ("cockroaches of the sea," as my husband calls them) and would-be healthful meats like beef and chicken, if they weren't factory-farmed.  They delight in gluttony and drunkeness and the abuse and misuse of other drugs--some of which are fine in moderation for recreational, medicinal, and religious use; and some dangerous manufactured ones that should never be used.  They believe and trust the US FDA, rather than believe and trust God's FDA.  Much of the food and drugs that this people consume are absolutely abominable.  There are more and more whacked-out citizens of this nation who go on killing sprees and murderous rampages.  More innocent children are brutally murdered.  Children are even murdering other children.  People are hateful and disrespectful to each other.  Less and less people even smile or wave, anymore.  People delight in fighting sports--both people fighting people and animals fighting animals.  They engage in reckless driving and road rage.  They let their dangerous pets roam loose, without regards to the protection of their neighbors.  Men abuse their wives or their children.  People partially or totally disregard their health, hygiene, and safety or that of others.

The hypocritical people of this nation that claims to be "under God" nearly totally disregards the seventh commandment.  The marriage covenant is not taken seriously.  Divorce is considered almost a certainty in every new marriage, and adultery thrives.  It's actually statistically higher among those who profess to be Christians.  Fornication and pornography runs rampant.  Homosexuals engage in the most abominable acts.  Children are prey for sexual perverts, at risk of pornographic exploitation, molestation, and rape.   Musical lyrics are tainted with immoral sexual references.  Books and movies are awash with cheap immoral sex.  A large percentage of the populous is infected with at least one STD.  People engage in sex during menstruation and delight in doing so.  This hypocritical people lusts after movie "stars."  They wear immodest clothing.  The physical fornication and adultery of this nation reflects their spiritual fornication and adultery, their fornicating with a false christ, all the while claiming to follow the true Christ, who kept His Father's Ten Commandments.

This nation's people delight in breaking the eighth commandment.  They steal from God in denying Him tithes (Mal. 3:8).  They steal time and property from their employers.  They shoplift.  Some commit burglary.  Some commit robbery.  Some commit identify theft and/or credit card fraud.   They violate copyrights, and they plagiarize.  Some are guilty of kidnapping. Some mistreat their hired servants and cheat them of wages.  Bankers and individuals are guilty of excessive usury or usury upon the poor.  The hard-working poor are oppressed, and the lazy poor are rewarded for their laziness.  Vandalism and other property damages are common.  Animals' rights are unheeded.

Our people reject the ninth commandment.  False witnesses are numerous.  We're swamped with bribes.  It's hard to find trustworthy friends and associates.  Vows are broken.  Gossip reigns.

Our people delight in breaking the tenth commandment. Contentedness is nearly non-existent in this nation.  Desiring material things is okay, but not when it leads to idolatry, stealing, etc.  When a person cannot desire something while being content with what he has so that if he does not obtain what he desires,  he's still happy, then he has a problem.  Our people just want and want and want more and more and are simply not content with what they already have.  They are unthankful and materialistic.

So, "In God We Trust" is a blasphemous motto when it is uttered from the mouths of most of our people.  It's a transgression of the third commandment when it comes from most people's mouths.  If our people truly trusted God, they would not hesitate to deeply repent of their sins.  They would stop coveting and fornicating.  They would stop their idolatrous observance of Rome's festivals and would delight in observing God's, including his seventh-day sabbath.  They would start teaching their children the ways of God as a way of life and stop watching the trash on television.  They would break their idolatrous images.  They would throw away their pornography and dust off their bibles.  They would change their food and drug habits and their style of dress.   They would stop their stealing and their fighting and their cold attitudes toward others.

This nation as a whole does NOT trust in God.  They complain about the taking down of the displays of the Ten Commandments and the removing of the motto "In God We Trust," but in their living they reject the Law of God saying that it has been "done away."  If the Law has been "done away," then there is no sin.  Sin is the transgression of God's Law (I John 3:4), and where there is no Law, there is no sin (Rom. 5:13).  If there's no sin, then there's no need of a death sacrifice, and so Christ died in vain.  But, of course there is a Law, and only those who repent of transgressing it receive grace.  The rest must die for their sins, because the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23).  The sacrifice of Christ does not cover the unrepentant.  Many will say to him, "Lord, Lord, were we not good Christians who went to church every Sunday and gave to the poor and prayed to you daily for others?"  And Christ will say to them, "I never knew you.  You transgressed my Father's Law"  (Matt. 7:21-23).

What about YOU?  Do you trust in God?

Psalm 119:142, 163