#abundantly_pardon
#fearful_thing
Dear
Brother,
Thanks
for sharing the sermon "Abundant Pardon". I studied through the
sermon notes some years ago. (I am
better at reading than hearing.)
Here
is the text:
“Let
the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him
return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he
will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your
ways my ways, saith the LORD.”
Prophet Isaiah was ministering at the time
when Judah was in a deep spiritual degeneration; there were wicked and
unrighteous among the LORD's people.
1.
Prophet Isaiah was addressing the LORD's people; the wicked and the unrighteous
are the LORD's redeemed people - only those that are redeemed but have forsaken
the good and righteous way of the LORD can be called upon to return to Him;
forsake their own wicked and unrighteous ways.
2.
YES, YES, YES, the LORD will abundantly pardon His repentant children - this is
the practical aspect of salvation; the abundant pardon is CONDITIONED on the
repentance of His children. It's an error to understand this statement as
speaking of legal salvation, which is unconditional.
-
YES, YES, YES, the LORD was abundantly forgiving/pardoning by imputing ALL
(absolutely, not one remaining,; no, not even one jot ) the sins of all His
elect to Christ at the cross, and Christ declared He had completely finished
the work of redeeming His people.
Deliverance from the eternal lake of fire, and the resurrection to glory
in the eternal heaven is divinely assured, immutably guaranteed. This is
eternal salvation, completely and unconditionally by free divine grace.
The
LORD most certainly and abundantly pardon His repentant people. Though they
have sinned so grievously - just read all the charges levelled against them in
the earlier chapters of Isaiah - the LORD، amazingly, will still abundantly pardon them
IF/WHEN they return to the LORD. The LORD is not like so many small-hearted
vindictive men who are unforgiving; thus, "neither are your ways my
ways."
What about those that remain stiff-neck and unrepentant? Some insist, "God has no such among His redeemed; case closed." What a neat answer! Do they read the Scriptures, I wonder!
The
Bible says these TOO of the One who pardons abundantly.
Hebrews
10:30-31 KJT
"For
we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense,
saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge His people. It is a fearful
thing to fall into the hands of the living God."
Hebrews
12:6 KJT "For whom the Lord loveth
he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth."
- Many imagine that the scourging and chastening of the FATHER happen only while they are alive, and at death, they are ushered into eternal heaven, no matter how they have lived. Such will be in for a big surprise. The intermediate state is still in the realm of time. The eternal state follows the resurrection to glory at the end of time,
2
Corinthians 5:11 KJV
Knowing,
therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest
unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.
- Only
the Lord's redeemed can be persuaded by the Apostle Paul; not those still dead in trespasses and
sins. He persuaded the Lord's redeemed to walk circumspectly knowing the terror of the Lord who would cast those who are wicked and unrighteous among His people into hell during the intermediate state.
Christ also solemnly warned His
disciples: Luke 12 - KJT
4 ¶And I say unto you my
friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more
that they can do. 5. But I will forewarn you
whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast
into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.
This solemn and emphatic warning to the DISCIPLES would be completely redundant and irrelevant if they are EXEMPTED from, or outside of the power of God to cast them into hell! Men do waste words, Christ doesn't! Fear God for you are not exempted from, nor are you beyond the power of God to cast you into hell if you do not fear him. No, hell is not the lake of fire. Your deliverance from the eternal lake of fire is immutably assured by the redemptive work of Christ.
All the above passages are addressed to God's people; "the LORD shall judge His people." Therefore, it's a fearful thing for His people to fall into His hands.
Knowledge
of the distinction between eternal salvation and temporal salvation has helped
me in understanding these Scriptures a little better. Hell is in the temporal realm during the intermediate state; the lake of fire is in the eternal realm after the great and final judgment.
There
are not a few sincere Christians who believe "God so loved... therefore
there can't possibly be any hell for anyone. God is too loving for such a
horrid thing." The devil is happy with such a fable; he will have more company in hell.
There
is no need to pit one Scripture against another. Both are true and are in
perfect harmony; hold on to both and live by both; all will turn out well with
regard to the intermediate state.
Since
the Lord is abundantly forgiving of His people, it is indeed an immensely
fearful thing to fall into His hands to remain unrepentant. Hell is real for
His people in the intermediate state, i.e. between death and their resurrection
to eternal glory. That's why Jesus solemnly warned His disciples to take
drastic actions to avoid hell; no such warnings with respect to the lake of
fire, no, not one.
2
Timothy 2:7 KJV
Consider
what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.
