Punishment-Mercy

Comments October 2013
EXPLICIT BIBLE TRUTH
Jesus
Who is He
What is He
Why is He

Punishment-Mercy:

Punishment is for something we did in the past and was paid for by the life and death and resurrection of Jesus Christ putting us under Grace and not punishment.  Mercy is something we do not deserve but comes from the Grace of God.

Under Grace, discipline comes to us when God wants us to cease from worldly ways and ends with us being more Godly, closer to God or in some cases dying the sin unto death and minus rewards.

Walking as the world walks keeps us in servitude to the world whereas walking with the Lord gives us peace and freedom of mind and eventually we will be conformed to Godliness, the image of Jesus Christ, Romans 8:29.

Salvation is the beginning of the race that we run and the finish line is our death, the separation of our spiritual components from our Body of flesh and we will then be carried by Angels to be with the Lord in Heaven, 2Corinthians 5:6-8.

Our race is for rewards and is not a competition between saints but is judged against the rules of the competition which are the commandment’s of God which are not grievous, burdensome, 1John 5:1-3, with 1John 1:6-10 being part of the rules, meaning that God does not grade on a curve.

We will receive a new body at the Rapture of the Church, 1Corinthians 15:42-44, 2Timothy 4:5-8.

Suffering as an example to others:

1Peter 2:18 You, household servants must submit yourselves to your masters with all fear, respect not only to those who are kind and fair, but also to those who are unjust.

1Peter 2:19 For it is a fine thing if, when moved by your conscience to please God, you suffer patiently when wronged.

1Peter 2:20 What credit is it if you sin and patiently receive a beating for it? But if you suffer for doing good and take it patiently, you have God’s approval.

1Peter 2:21 This is, in fact, what you were called to do, because Christ also suffered for you and left an example for you to follow in his steps Matthew 16:24-26.

In the culture we were born into employers seldom beat their employees but we may experience mistreatment by bullies or even parents or family members or relatives or a spouse or neighbors, etc ;.

Abuse can be both physical and verbal. We may have to put space between us and these people by simply leaving if we are able to do so but we never reply with evil for evil, 1Peter 3:8-22.

A soft answer turns away wrath and I have used this effectively many times, Proverbs 15:1-4 as people are used to being confrontational and competitive which is from the world.

The work place environments can be very competitive and there are always fellow workers who seem to be less qualified but are advanced over us and /or take credit for things that we do or blame us for things that they wrongly do.

There is gender and racial prejudice in the Job environment.

Our best response is prayer to the Lord with thanks giving for all the things God has provided for us and for those people that God would correct the situation and cause those people to see the error of their ways and turn to the righteous God for forgiveness of their trespasses.

Stepping up in the job is not the primary reason we are here but we can demonstrate the love of God for our neighbor by our gracious deeds.

All of these things have happened to me in times past but oddly enough by God’s grace I seem to get all the marbles, benefits so to speak including my wife who I always thought was a great prize, gift who was rejected by a former spouse, a wayward Christian who walked as the world walks and who did not have the capacity to appreciate her.

Within a few years he died the sin unto death, 1John 5:16-19.

Be careful how we understand verse 18. Look to Romans 8:13 which has to do with the death of our mortal body but not our spirit, 1John 1:8-10, 1Corinthians 5:5.

When we are walking with God by our regenerated spirit we are said to be Son’s of God, those who have grown beyond childhood and are no longer mere children tossed here and there by every wind of doctrine, Ephesians 4:11-13.

But; while in the flesh, our mortal body, we always struggle against our own sin.

The commandment’s of God is the yard stick by which we measure sin and righteousness.

At our personal death or the rapture we will be released from our old sin nature that comes to us from the mind of our flesh that comes to us from the first Adam whom God knew would fail and had already made provision for by the “seed of the woman” meaning redemption existed in God’s plan before mankind was brought in to being, existed on planet earth.

1Peter 1:20-21, Genesis 3:14-15, Ephesians 1:3-4.

In our current suffering we are learning faithfulness and the cost of disobedience to righteousness as evil always destroys after draining the righteous of their assets as many have discovered in Las Vegas.

Recreational dope, alcohol and adultery are available anywhere and they come with consequences.

Acts of the early Church:  

Acts 3:1 Now Peter and John were going up into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.

Acts 3:2 And a certain man that was lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the door of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;

Acts 3:3 who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked to receive an alms.

Acts 3:4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him, with John, said, Look on us.

Acts 3:5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something from them.

Acts 3:6 But Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but what I have, that give I thee. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.

The name of Jesus Christ is who He was, is and what He did, as recorded in the New Testament, John 5:43 (the old testament), Matthew 1:21.

The Holy Spirit, the Vicar of Jesus Christ indwelt the Apostles of Christ and He enabled them to do miracles, John 2:23, John 5:36, John 14:10, Acts 3:12.

My assumption is that God was authenticating their ministries by miracles and many were recorded in the Bible so that we would know they had God’s authority to preach His word and we would know that Jesus of Nazareth is Messiah, Shiloh.

Consequently, any teaching contrary to the Bible does not come from God but is from anti-christ, 1I0hn 4:1-3.

There are only 12 Apostles of Christ, Revelation 21:14.

Healing for us is:

James 5:13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praises, Matthew 26:39.

James 5:14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing, medicating him with oil in the name of the Lord;

Anointing here should be translated medicate and the elders here are assumed to be qualified medically as was Luke who followed the Apostle Paul and no doubt attended to Paul’s cuts and bruises of which he had many.

Many medical doctors today are elders in the church and do pray for their patients in the name of the Lord.

Many Churches have started and maintain hospitals as well as providing doctors on the mission field.

James 5:15 and the prayer offered inthe faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him, Hebrews 12:1-17.

James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

One another here would be believers in fellow ship, walking with the Lord which would omit Busy Bodies, 1Timothy 5:13.

Temporary Gifts:

1Corinthians 13:12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know fully just as I also have been fully known.

When the Bible was completed the temporary gifts ceased as we had complete knowledge to peruse, read and the indwelling Spirit of God as our guide and also gifted teachers, Ephesians 4:11-25.

1Corinthians 13:13 But now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. See also: 1Corinthians 13:1-3.

Acts 3:7 And he took him by the right hand, and raised him up: and immediately his feet and his ankle-bones received strength.

Acts 3:8 And leaping up, he stood, and began to walk; and he entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.

Acts 3:9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God:

Acts 3:10 and they took knowledge of him, that it was he that sat for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.

Acts 3:11 And as he held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering.

Acts 3:12 And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this man? or why fasten ye your eyes on us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made him to walk?

The Holy Spirit indwelt the Apostles of Christ and He enabled them to do miracles.

My assumption is that God was authenticating their ministries by miracles and many were recorded in the Bible so that we would know they had God’s authority to preach His word and we would know that Jesus of Nazareth is Messiah, Shiloh.

Acts 3:13 The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, great grandfathers back to Abraham, hath glorified his Servant Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied before the face of Pilate, when he, Pilate had determined to release him.

They; Abraham, Issac, and Jacob knew God as “God Almighty” and we know Him as Jesus Christ, “God in the Flesh”.

The different names, titles of God represent different aspects, ministries of God but they are all one God, the God of creation and righteousness, the “I Am”,etc ;.

The word God means the source, where it came from and that source is Jehovah God also called “God the Father”.

Satan is called the “God of this world” meaning he is the source of evil, false teaching and false prophecy and evil thinking in this world and he has deceived many people who are “Sons of Disobedience” which we all were in times past, Ephesians 2:1-2, but thanks be to Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit and the Gospel we are “Children of God” who are moving toward being spiritual adults.

2Corinthians 4:3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:

2Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, Jesus who is the image of God, should shine unto them, Hebrews 1:1-3.

Acts 3:14 But ye denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted unto you,

Acts 3:15 and killed the Prince of life, Jesus ; whom God raised from the dead; whereof we the Apostles of Christ are witnesses.

A Murderer:

Matthew 27:15 Now at that feast, Passover the governor was wont, wanted to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would.

Matthew 27:20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask for Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.

Those Jews are really bad people. Well, had God chosen some Gentile nation and not Israel would we have done any better?

I think not as all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God as we all are born spiritually dead, separated from God.

Some of us, after hearing the “Gospel of Repentance”, Acts 17:30-34, turned to the righteous God and some sneered and would not.

Acts 3:16 And by faith in his name hath his name made this man strong, whom ye behold and know: yea, the faith which is through him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

Acts 3:17 And now, brethren, I know that in ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.
Ignorance here means they were not able to comprehend the Old Testament Scriptures concerning Messiah so then God could extend mercy to them through repentance but with comprehension God would hold them liable, responsible.

Acts 3:18 But the things which God foreshowed by the mouth of all the His prophets, Old Testament prophets that His Christ should suffer, He thus fulfilled.

Acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that so there may come seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord;

Turn again would imply that many here had followed Jesus in His ministry but had ceased when Jesus was crucified as did the Apostles but the resurrection is always the key that turns faith on.

The presence of the Lord will be the second coming but the vast majority of Jews still rejected Messiah, Shiloh and so we moved into the “Age or times of the Gentiles” and not into the “Seasons of Refreshing”.

Genesis 49:10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto Him, Shiloh, Jesus Christ shall the gathering of the people be.

A sceptre (or scepter in U.S. English) is a symbolic ornamental rod or wand borne in the hand by a ruling monarch as an item of royal or imperial insignia much like the Gavel, Mallet of a judge.

Solomon was such a ruler as were other rulers of Israel who were from the tribe of Judah, 1Kings 3:16-28.

2Chronicles 7:17 “And as for you, Solomon if you walk before Me as your father David, King David walked even to do according to all that I have commanded you and will keep My statutes and My ordinances, King David was a sinner even a murderer but He loved the Lord his God and repented of his many sins .

2Chronicles 7:18 then I will establish your royal throne as I covenanted with your father David, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man to be ruler in Israel.’

2Chronicles 7:19 “But if you turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you and shall go and serve other gods and worship them,

2Chronicles 7:20 then I will uproot you from My land which I have given you, and this house, the House of Judah which I have consecrated for My name, Jesus Christ I will cast Judah out of My sight, and I will make it a proverb and a byword Jew among all peoples.

2Chronicles 7:17-20 is a promise from God to Israel through Solomon and it is the conditional promise that is in view in Genesis 49:10 leading to the humanity of Jesus Christ, the “Son of David” who will sit on the throne of Israel in Jerusalem.

Gathering the people shall be the return of the exiles, probably beginning in 1947, from the world wide dispersion of Judah which began in 70a.d, some 40 years later and will include the northern tribes of Israel also.

We are now some 2000 years down the road from 70a.d. Messiah will first come for and with His Church for their resurrected or conformed bodies approximately 7 years prior to His second coming, the “times of refreshing”.

Acts 3:20 and that he may send the Christ who hath been appointed for you the Jew, even Jesus:

Jesus Christ will rule the world but in His humanity who is Jesus the Christ.

Acts 3:21 whom the heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, Revelation 12:10, whereof God spake by the mouth of His holy prophets that have been from of old, The “Old Testament”.

Acts 3:22 Moses indeed said, A prophet shall the Lord God raise up unto you from among your brethren, like unto me. To him shall ye hearken in all things whatsoever he shall speak unto you, See ; Deuteronomy 18:15-16, 19.

The Prophet here is Jesus the humanity of Jesus Christ born a Jew of the virgin Mary of the tribe of Judah.

He is also called the “Son of King David” who was a Jew from Judah and the “Son of Man”, etc ;.

Acts 3:23 And it shall be, that every soul that shall not hearken to that prophet, shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.

Acts 3:24 Yea and all the prophets from Samuel and them that followed after, as many as have spoken, they also told of these days.

Acts 3:25 Ye are the sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

Acts 3:26 Unto you first, the Jews God having raised up his Servant Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities,which is called repentance .

Ron

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