Have Mercy!

"He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy."

Proverbs 28:13

When I think of prosperity, success in business and good health come to mind.  Because there are many people who have become wealthy, famous, and prosperous through immoral and illegal means, what the scripture says reaches beyond the temporal.  That is the trap of concealing sins, for it does indeed seem to promote prosperity in the short term.  It is natural for us to hide our faults as children to avoid being "in trouble," and this tendency does not cease in adulthood.

David covered up his sin with Bathsheba and Urijah the Hittite, and though a powerful and influential king he did not prosper from his efforts.  As Moses warned the people about being sure your sin will find you out (Num. 32:23), David's sin was exposed in infamous fashion by Nathan the prophet.  True prosperity comes from a healthy, growing relationship with God because in Him are the true riches.  Our health will someday fail, and all our wealth and goods we acquire will be passed on to others.  Those who confess and forsake sin will have lasting mercy rather than wrath and torment for eternity.

It is counter-intuitive to confess our sins instead of merely covering them.  The response of Adam and Eve was to cover their nakedness with leaves and blame others when confronted by the God who knows all, and ours is naturally the same.  Freely confessing our sins is better than vain attempts to cover up.  Having admitted our guilt, the next necessary step in repentance is to make intentional effort not to repeat the wrong.  In addition to ceasing to do evil, we ought to do what is right.  God is gracious to be merciful to us and help us to walk in the way which pleases Him.

There are always consequences for sin:  Adam and Even were forced to leave the Garden of Eden and were under a curse; David's infant son would die and the sword would not depart from His house.  At the same time God promised blessing and a future Saviour who would save people from their sins, destroying the power of the curse of sin and death.  How merciful God is out of His goodness!  He does not forsake His people, and when we confess our sins and repent we are enabled to receive the eternal benefits of God's mercy.

Deserving Forgiveness?

News shook the National Football League last week when the star running back Kareem Hunt was unexpectedly suspended by the league and released by his team for alleged instances of assault.  Shortly after his release Kareem sat down for an interview with ESPN and was quoted in a CNN article: "I'm asking for forgiveness and I definitely believe I deserve forgiveness," Hunt told ESPN. "Everything is really happening fast right now, and I just want everybody to forgive me."  His perspective has me thinking about the nature of forgiveness.

It is common for people to feel sorry when they have done wrong, and especially when the are "in trouble" because of it.  In Kareem Hunt's case being in trouble means losing employment, money, sponsorship, and endangers his future career.  I am sure there are many NFL teams after the investigation concludes that would entertain the opportunity to offer Hunt a second chance because he is a young superstar.  But the question comes to mind:  does he deserve forgiveness?  Is forgiveness something which can be earned or deserved?

It is evident the world has a different view of forgiveness than perspective provided by the Bible.  God is righteous and all people are sinners unworthy of forgiveness, regardless how sorry we feel.  Forgiveness from God - the full pardon of our offence and release of all guilt - cannot be earned by apologising, trying to do good, or pledging to do better.  We are all guilty of sin and it is only by the grace of God we can be forgiven of all sin through repentance and faith in Jesus.  Forgiveness is a gift we receive from God, not something we deserve.

Having been forgiven by God, all followers of Jesus have the duty of forgiving others as we have been forgiven.  We do not forgive those who have wronged us because they have changed their ways, proved their loyalty, or apologised sincerely, but because God has freely and graciously forgiven us.  We can all fall into the trap of thinking those who have offended us need to earn forgiveness, but it is to be freely given even as we have freely received it from God - without bitterness, resentment, or thinking the worst.  Forgiveness is an act of faith in obedience to God because we trust Him, not because we believe others will never repeat their mistakes.  If we make forgiveness something others must earn (or we are entitled to by our efforts) we make the grace and goodness of God of no effect.

The Good Teacher

The concept of being able to do something to obtain our desire is attractive to us.  People are willing to make sacrifices, beg, borrow, or steal to achieve their goals.  This is true regarding the attempts of people to gain favour in the eyes of men or God.  A lot of what passes for piety or devotion is not motivated by love for God or faith in Him but what we hope to gain for ourselves.  It is sobering how much selfishness can move us to sacrifice much.

Jesus was approached by a rich young ruler who wanted to inherit eternal life.  Mark 10:17-19 says, "Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" ¹⁸ So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. ¹⁹ You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Do not defraud,' 'Honor your father and your mother.' "  Jesus answered the man's question of how to inherit eternal life by asking a question of His own.  Psalm 14 and 53 said there is none who does good, not one.  Jesus pointed out He could only be truly good if He was God, and the man he addressed was a self-righteous one.  Because it seems the man did not consider Jesus God, so He pointed to the Law of Moses.

Mark 10:20-22 reads, "And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth." ²¹ Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me." ²² But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions."  The man was willing to drop the "good" from his address to Jesus - indicating lack of faith in Him as God.  He said, "I have done all those things."  Jesus didn't argue with the man, and the fact he was asking Jesus this question showed he lacked assurance of salvation, for righteousness cannot come through the Law.

God spoke to Abraham and told Him to leave his homeland and family and go where God told him.  Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness.  Abraham believed God and his faith was demonstrated by obedience.  Jesus commanded the man to do something beyond the rigorous demands of Mosaic Law.  This rich young ruler was unwilling to do the one thing Jesus told him because he did not believe in Him.  Because he was rich, it seemed he had much to lose.  He did not believe, and therefore did not obey.  Perhaps he was unwilling because he could not see how giving his stuff could generate eternal wealth.  The invitation Jesus gave to follow was too great a sacrifice because he did not believe Jesus could deliver.

What a hindrance unbelief is to the abundant and eternal life God invites us to enter into by faith!  Praise the LORD He is faithful, for Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  IF Jesus is a good teacher, than He is God and worthy of our faith.  And if we believe Him we should obey Him, even if His answer means it will cost us.

Receiving All Jesus Paid For

For years I have had my eye on a Weber smoker, and this week I finally bought one.  One of the big selling points for me is Weber quality and customer service.  The first grill I bought after arriving in Australia was cheaply made (though not cheap in price), and rusted quickly as it was clearly unsuited for the humidity.  The quality components and strong warranty Weber actually honours is a big selling point.  It's true in this case:  a buyer gets what he pays for.

When you pay full price, it makes sense to expect to receive all the products and benefits promised.  As I have been studying the book of Galatians I am struck with the high price Jesus paid for salvation by giving Himself, and how far short we can fall from realising the indescribable benefits He has provided.  Through the Gospel Jesus has redeemed sinners from the curse of the Law and provided the blessing of Abraham, the "promise of the Holy Spirit through faith." (Gal. 3:10-14)  For the Galatians and many believers through the years it is like Jesus paid full price for the smoker, fuel, meat, thermometer, and cookbook, but all they took from this divine transaction was the owner's manual - a framework of belief, some "dos and don'ts."  They have mailed in the form to register their product of salvation, so to speak, but the grace of God hasn't been experienced.

How liberating is the grace of God, that salvation and justification are received by faith in Jesus alone.  I don't know it is possible for humans who cannot know the depth of their own wretchedness to understand and appreciate fully the kindness God has shown us by His grace.  We receive the Holy Spirit by the hearing of faith, and then we are called to abide in Christ as we walk in faith led by the Spirit.  The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus.  Since God has delivered us from the ultimate results of the curse of the Law which is eternal death and separation from God in hell, Jesus has also redeemed us from every curse of the Law.  The next time you read a curse under the Law, you can know with all confidence the blood of the Son of God Jesus Christ has redeemed you from it.  Praise God for His salvation by grace through faith, and let us walk in the righteous freedom Christ gave Himself to provide!