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God's wrath, heart, intellect, knowledge, Laodicea, light, love, lukewarmness, Martin Luther, mind, punishment, repentance, revelation, sin, spiritual power, trust, truth, warning
As a foundation for my following deliberations, I’d like to adduce the following verses.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.” (Prv 3:5-8 ESV)
We may not believe that God always caresses His children. His permanent, perfect, and satisfying love is only for those who have repented of all their sins, that is, those who have “been perfected in love.” (1 Jn 4:18) In all other cases of not-yet-mature Christians, Jesus Christ is a chastener who also punishes sin if we remain in an unrepentant condition although He warned us to return to Him. For it is written,
“I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” (Rev 3:15-20 – ESV)
Christianity today is the lukewarm church in Laodicea of which Christ spoke of here. Sin is serious!! We must not take sin lightly. Sin is the reason that we experience sickness, pain, losses, trials, affliction, and death. Otherwise, we would still live in paradise.
I decided to start with a quote which reads,
“There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.”
― Søren Kierkegaard
And now I dare to introduce you to a God who is both loving AND wrathful (regarding the unrepentant sinner). Let us look at different biblical examples where God showed us that He had always been the same God (Heb 13:8) – here regarding OT vs. NT – who punished ongoing sin with sickness…or even death.
Dipping into the healing at the pool of Bethesda where Jesus proved to be God who alone can forgive our sins, we see that He healed an invalid who had been sick for thirty-eight years (cf. Jn 5:1-17). We do not know what happened after that miraculous healing since we do not know either whether the man’s heart had been changed too, but we hear Jesus warning him,
“See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.” (Jn 5:14)
We hear almost the same words when Jesus saved an adulterous woman from being stoned because of her sin,
“[…] and from now on sin no more.” (Jn 8:11 ESV)
What can happen if someone has been forgiven, has been saved, has been healed by God, yet keeps on sinning despite that severe warning? What could be worse than suffering from an infirmity for thirty-eight years?
Let’s read the whole story about that frightening event.
“But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.” When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him. After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.” And she said, “Yes, for so much.” But Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.” (Acts 5:1-11 ESV)
“YOU HAVE NOT LIED TO MAN BUT TO GOD!”
Do we see the Christ-likeness of Peter in this passage? It was Christ Himself who spoke through Peter. Christ who judged and condemned “a simple little lie” – as some people might say. “Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” And thus she died also.
Do we believe that such power of God shown through His servants/disciples/prophets still exists? Or do we rather cling to an “appearance of godliness, but denying its power” (2 Tim 3:5)?
If a believer is truly called by Jesus to follow Him by taking up his cross daily, and to walk as Jesus did (1 Jn 2:6), this believer will also receive the power to bind and to loose, as Jesus said here,
“Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Mt 18:18 ESV)
That does not mean at all that these disciples could decide whether or not to forgive sins of others committed against them. Quite the contrary! Their Christ-likeness springs from having achieved the goal of which Paul had said, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” (Gal 2:20 ESV). Thus they are always able to turn the other cheek to their offenders.
If such servants of the Lord open their mouth, they do speak the words of God, and no longer their own, since their self was indeed buried with Christ in His death. Therefore, they are dead to sin because they
“[…] know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.” (1 Jn 5:18 – KJV).
I chose the older King James Version here because I believe that modern translations with that more liberal wording “does not keep on sinning” instead of “sins not” got it wrong. Even the newer German Luther Bible from 1984 reads it the way the older translations from 1545 and 1912 also did, “We know that everyone who has been born of God does not sin” (that is my own literal translation from the German text (*). Traditionally, KJV and Luther’s Bible rather often parallel each other.
Translating from (old) German into modern English, for instance, often takes the edge off from Luther’s originally very powerful German language which he used in his translation. Although Luther made mistakes in his life – as we all did (cf. 1 Jn 1:10) – of which he later repented, I am convinced that he received his Bible translation on the same level as Paul received the gospel (Gal 1:11-12) and John the revelation of Jesus Christ (Rev 1:1).
Why do I believe that?
God always uses these persons who no longer rely on their own understanding. As soon as a believer is completely empty of his own self-efforts to be something before men or to do something “for God” on his own but relies on Christ’s power alone, only then Christ can use him in a way that is fully pleasing to God (Col 1:10). It is stated that Luther had been desperate, hidden inside that castle („Wartburg‟) where he came to the end of himself. He faced so many different possibilities to translate the Bible, mostly from Greek, yet also from the Latin Vulgate and some Middle High German translations which already existed at that time, that he prayed to God that He’d help him to choose the proper words.
As a last point, I would like to point to the importance of continuous prayer (1 Thes 5:17). I do not believe that anyone could ever get such a revelation from God nor will men ever be able to live in God’s presence for all their lifetime without ever seeking Him. Of course, prayer without ceasing is a gift from God because no human being is able to pray day and night unless the Lord gave them the spiritual power to do it. And thus – by such prayer – we become able to continually abide in Christ so that the power of sin will be destroyed – completely. Although the flesh remains sinful (Rom 7) and “the body is dead because of sin” (Rom 8:10), the desires of the flesh will be crucified (Gal 5:24) and will have no dominion over those who live under grace (Rom 6:14), i.e., under “the law of the Spirit” ((Rom 8:2) which is LOVE.
(*) German (Deutsch): „Wir wissen, dass, wer von Gott geboren ist, der sündigt nicht.‟
Kennth Dawson said:
Yes that is a challenging post and by personal experience I have gone through the battle grounds over this issue of sin in the life of a believer..the weapons of battle have always been on interpretations of certain biblical texts..my own personal way of understanding in this matter is that obviously God has called us to live above reproach and I do seek to live pleasing to him…I know that satan no longer is my boss and yes I do have these animalistic desires still with me in my flesh and to me the secret to staying out of the trouble spots is to always keep in focus my lord Jesus who is at the fathers throne and to depend on him inside of me in his spirit being..I like the way an African guy said it…we live by Gods guidance=God-you and I-dance…you lead I follow and we flow as one in the dance of love..and to me the best definition of sin is living in independence from Gods guidance.
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
Amen, Kenneth.
A perfect and God-inspired reply!! Thank you so much for commenting!
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Michael said:
Susanne,
I think that the main difference between Jesus showing compassion on some caught in sin like the woman caught in adultery and Him showing judgment as He did so often with the Saducees, Pharisees and Jewish leaders is this. In the first case the Great Physician came to heal the (sin) sick, not the (self-righteous) well. The first category of persons KNEW that they were in need forgiveness and a new heart, but the last class of people believed that they were righteous in the eyes of God and needed nothing. These Bible scholars of 2000 years ago chose to ignore the admonition of their prophet who said, “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.” (Isaiah 64:6 RSVA)
And Isaiah also said, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way…” But He didn’t leave the sin-sick heart their to languish and suffer for he also prophesied saying, “…and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all… he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5-6 RSVA) Our wholeness is only found in Christ and never in ourselves!
His forgiveness would have been extended to the Pharisees and the other scholarly Jews if they had only repented of THEIR OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS, and turned to Him and been forgiven and imputed His righteousness as theirs! That is the key to true salvation! But no, we read Jesus saying at the end of His bodily ministry among them…
“You serpents, you generation of vipers, how can you escape the judgment of hell? Therefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them you shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall you scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth… O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you that kill the prophets, and stone them which are sent unto you, how often would I have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and you would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.” (Matthew 23:33-38 KJ2000)
The sin of self-righteousness and refusing to repent of it IS the unforgiveable sin against the Holy Spirit of God. And for that there is no remedy. But if we will humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord as that woman did as she wept and kissed Jesus’ feet, we will be purified from sin and filled with His great love.
Remember the contrast of the two sons of the Prodigal. One judged and begrudged his brother who was a sinner being forgiven by his father. The other “came to [the end of] himself” and wanted to only return to the household of his father as a lowly servant in his fields. Forgiveness and acceptance with God is dependant on us coming to ourselves and realizing that we are ALL sinners in need of the healing hand of the Son in our lives and the need of being given a brand new heart that is responsive to His voice and touch for THIS is what the New Covenant is all about (See Jer. 31:31-33 and Ezek 36:27 and Hebrews ch.7 and 8).
As for this delusion we know as Christendom, Soren Kierkegaard nailed it when he wrote,
“The apostasy from Christianity will not come about openly by everybody renouncing Christianity; no, but slyly, cunningly, knavishly, by everybody assuming the name of being Christian, thinking that in this way all were most securely secured against.. the Christianity of the New Testament (which people are afraid of), and therefore industrial priests have invented under the name of Christianity a sweetmeat which has a delicious taste, for which men hand out money with delight.”
“The human race in the course of time has taken the liberty of softening and softening Christianity until at last we have contrived to make it exactly the opposite of what it is in the New Testament…”
So true!!!
Susanne, I would like to end my comment by quoting what you wrote once again…
“God always uses these persons who no longer rely on their own understanding. As soon as a believer is completely empty of his own self-efforts to be something before men or to do something ‘for God’ on his own but relies on Christ’s power alone, only then Christ can use him in a way that is fully pleasing to God (Col 1:10).”
God bless you, my dear sister and friend!
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Michael said:
Thanks, Susanne, I will check it out!
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
You’re welcome, Michael.
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Duane said:
“God always uses these persons who no longer rely on their own understanding. As soon as a believer is completely empty of his own self-efforts to be something before men or to do something “for God” on his own but relies on Christ’s power alone, only then Christ can use him in a way that is fully pleasing to God (Col 1:10).”
Amen. This is a gem of great value in the treasure you revealed in your words. It was this lesson that seemed to have taken me the longest to get. Mis-placed zeal was definitely prominent in my early years as a disciple.
Thank you for being who God has called you to be……Thank you for your consistent reliance on our Savior Jesus Christ to guide your thoughts and words.
Peace to you, sister
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
You are so welcome, Duane.
I deeply appreciate your encouraging words as to my writing for Him. You show great humbleness by admitting that misplaced zeal was a big deal for you, too. I guess the natural man and woman all have the same problems. Even today it is not always easy for me that I cannot do anything “on my own”. I would love to do it, honestly! But as soon as I think about something that seems to be a good idea in my view, the Spirit wind blows through my mind – Feeeeewwwwww – and Susanne is as emtpy as a vacuum. No thoughts that make sense nor any idea to get enthusiastic about. I could never be proud of obeying His voice since, indeed, I have no other choice. 😉 It is ALL His doing – not mine.
Peace to you, too, dear brother.
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wayne roper said:
susanne-my thoughts on the woman caught in adultery . it would have been a cruel thing to tell the woman to go and sin no more knowing her heart. but with Jesus the words He spoke,to the accusers brought conviction, to her they included the power ( grace ; the ability to do ) to do the thing He spoke to her ( go and sin no more in that area of her life, adultery ) if she would receive them. the power to walk and obey would be there .James 4:6 “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” the same with us as God convicts us of our yielding to our self-life in an area and moving in pride as soon as we agree with Him and repent the grace is there ( His life in us is released ) to do those things in that area that are pleasing to God. Ephesians 4:29 goes along with this
Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. same principle of life as above in the words spoken through us by the Lord . Proverbs 18:21
Death and life are in the power of the tongue. ~ wayne
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
Wayne,
I am absolutely with you on this very thing, In fact, you express my own thoughts. You may know that my article above is EXCLUSIVELY(!) addressed to those who decide to remain self-righteous regarding sinners although they keep on sinning themselves – though often only in their hearts. If you’re interested in my take on Jesus’ grace and mercy shown toward sinners (here especially for that woman caught in adultery), you could follow the link I posted for Michael before. See http://www.tillhecomes.org/go-and-sin-no-more/#comments (comments no. 23 and 24).
Thanks so much for sharing your precious insights.
Much love,
Susanne
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Michael said:
Susanne, your description of how God takes away your thoughts that are not His is very encouraging to me. I have one of those strong minds that is quite capable of getting things done without seeking God first. My strength in the world has become my weakness in God’s kingdom. Paul also had this very problem.. a strong will and an active mind and Jesus had deal with him head-on on the Damascus road. I am not sure what it will take to get me where you seem to be, my sister, but I know it involves being made ever weaker under His mighty hand. As Paul but it, “… he [Jesus] said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” I will all the more gladly boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10 RSVA).
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
Michael, you may know that I have a strong will and an active mind, too. 😉
Actually, I am not the typical woman, either. I have been blessed by God with an analytical mind that loves to search for – and rarely find – a solution for spiritual matters, or at least an explanation for everything I cannot grasp immediately. Humanly speaking, I am not able to “believe” without understanding what I cannot understand. Yes, I am a tough nut to crack but with God all things are possible (grin). Also, I appreciate that you admit your weaknesses, my brother. I know it is usually more difficult for men to admit it than it is for women (here I am a bit more “male” as well 🙂 ).
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wayne roper said:
susanne~ read your comments on tillHecomes and enjoyed them.definitely looks like we are on the same page on this. Glad i saw your name on Michael’s page . i have been reading some of your older post and find them very enlightening.
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
Oh, Wayne – thank you so much!! You may know that your comment really blessed me. 🙂
Yes, obviously we’re on the same page. I am glad you found my blog and I hope to see more of your encouraging and insightful comments in the future here as well as on Michael’s page. 😉
Every blessing to you,
Susanne
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Fred Thoren said:
I remember a few times reading the story of Ananias, with his wife Sapphira and it scared me. I mean really scared me. The unforgivable sin also scared me just as much if not more. Also I am still very much scared of being luck warm.
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
Yes, it is a scary story, Fred. But such things happened because the presence of God back then was fully manifested in and through the apostles after Pentecost.
Looking at the lukewarm state the church worldwide is in today, instead, you will hardly find God’s power revealed on a remotely comparable level. I would go so far to say that we are all lukewarm until God has gripped our hearts completely AND has given us a new heart. Just think about Peter’s conviction to be able to die for Jesus and then denying him shortly afterwards, even three times. Lukewarm, isn’t it? But on Pentecost we see a different Peter who acts very courageously through the power of the Holy Spirit. So, no need to despair here; His work in us will bring to completion what Jesus has already begun.
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Michael said:
That was a great answer to Fred, Susanne! The Holy Spirit abiding in us makes all the difference. ⭐
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
Thank you very much for your edifying words, Michael. 🙂
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