Sunday: Let Him Who Boasts. . .
In Jeremiah 9:1-26, the prophet began his lamentation because he saw the inevitable catastrophe coming to his country and people. God pronounced judgment over Jerusalem, and when God says something, He does it.
Image © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com
What they would face wasn’t something fortuitous, not just one of those terrible and inexplicable things that happen from time to time. No, what they would face was going to be the direct judgment of God. And it was this realization that was causing Jeremiah such sorrow. His sorrow, though, was only a small reflection of the pain that God must have felt.
Though the context is different, this quote captures the idea so well: The cross is a revelation to our dull senses of the pain that, from its very inception, sin has brought to the heart of God. Every departure from the right, every deed of cruelty, every failure of humanity to reach His ideal, brings grief to Him. When there came upon Israel the calamities that were the sure result of separation from God,-subjugation by their enemies, cruelty, and death,-it is said that ‘His soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.’ ‘In all their affliction He was afflicted: . . . and He bare them, and carried them all the days of old.’ Judges 10:16; Isaiah 63:9.
-Ellen G. White, Education, p. 263.
Read Jeremiah 9:1-26, the prophet’s sorrowful lament. Focus especially on Jeremiah 9:23-24. Why are those words so relevant even to us today?
It has been said that when it comes to death, we are all like an unwalled city.
Wisdom, might, and riches all have their place, but to rely on these things, especially amid catastrophe, or when death looms, is fruitless, meaningless, and empty. Amid all the warning about the doom, the people are told what really matters, and that is to know and to understand for oneself, at least to the degree that we can, the loving kindness, the justice, and the righteousness of God. What else is there, what else alone can give us hope and comfort when everything earthly, everything human, including our own flesh, fails us?
What does the Cross tell us about the loving kindness, the justice, and the righteousness of God?
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Shall the Christ-like believer delight in judgment? Yet Jehovah says He delights in judgment, as well as lovingkindness and righteousness (Jeremiah 9:23-24). Though some are disgusted by talk of judgment it is actually a good thing, proceeding from a loving God. Only the unrighteous need be offended by judgment, and understandably so; for Jehovah made the first move to prepare all those who desire righteousness.
Jehovah had first chosen the seed of Abraham to be His own (Deuteronomy 7:6-9; John 15:16). The favored people mistook the selection as something in which to glory (John 8:31-33), but this was not the only choosing which mattered. Otherwise it is like gathering stones (Matthew 3:8-9).
The initial calling required a response, an enmity with the world and a choosing of friendship with God in turn by those who were chosen (James 4:4). It was based on this that the Redeemer would make the final election. This was the example or pattern for the whole world. Many are called (whosoever), but few are chosen (elect), based on their response (Matthew 22:14).
The second choosing covers only those who get to know God and are known by Him (Jeremiah 9:24), those who submit to His will. Those who are content to bear the name of the remnant by church membership may rejoice in the first choosing or calling, but may end up with a greater disappointment than the people of Judah. Many will stumble, not at the initial calling, but at the final election (2 Peter 1:10-11).
The Savior is preparing a place in His Kingdom only for those who make the final cut, the elect who wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb (Revelation 7:13-15) and whose names are written above (Revelation 20:15).
Have you answered the general call? Is your name written in the church books as a first step? How about the second selection, the one which requires your particular cooperation? Is your name written above?
Amid all the warning about the doom, the people are told what really matters, and that is to know and to understand for oneself, at least to the degree that we can, the loving kindness, the justice, and the righteousness of God. What else is there, what else alone can give us hope and comfort when everything earthly, everything human, including our own flesh, fails us?
1). When we go through adversity of the highest magnitude and we realize that we are still living and breathing, that should give us hope that God has a special regard when we see all around us death, persecution and destruction and desolation. When your inheritance, source of income, love and hope is taken away from you.
2). That insight that God cares should preserve us and give us courage to persevere to the end for better or worse.
What does the Cross tell us about the loving kindness, the justice, and the righteousness of God?
1). He cares to approach us through His Holy Ghost to woo us to him.
2). He takes the initiative to relate to us in our state of sinfulness
3). He forgives us on the Cross whether we like it or not.
4). He already is in heaven before we were born to be our Attorney and finally our Judge
5). Right now He is justifying us on giving us as a gift Eternal Life
6). He is coming back to take us home of which we don't deserve
7).we don't have to work out our salvation, justification sanctification, and finally our glorification
Finally it is there as a gift Christ's righteousness whom the Holy Ghost puts it on for us now that culminates with the renewing of our mortal body to a body as glorious and immortal like Christ's. That should be enough and okay with me and i am content with it despite my poor state right now in every aspect of earthly aspirations for they are dross to me compared to the 8 things above as a gift to me by my Good Lord Jesus Christ.
Xariete, regarding point 3, there is no doubt about His desire or ability to forgive us. His desire was demonstrated as He prayed that the Father would forgive those who crucified Him, including me because my sins added to His death. His ability to forgive and save was confirmed by His resurrection and His becoming our High Priest (Acts 2:33,38).
At the same time, forgiveness is not granted unless the conditions have been fulfilled. We read in 1 John 1:9 the promise of forgiveness and cleansing, along with the condition of confession. That we must repent and confess our need is also plain in other passages, such as 2 Chronicles 7:14 and Acts 2:38. This condition we also read about in the following from The Desire of Ages, pages 744-745:
"Had they known that they were putting to torture One who had come to save the sinful race from eternal ruin, they would have been seized with remorse and horror. But their ignorance did not remove their guilt; for it was their privilege to know and accept Jesus as their Saviour. Some of them would yet see their sin, and repent, and be converted. Some by their impenitence would make it an impossibility for the prayer of Christ to be answered for them. Yet, just the same, God's purpose was reaching its fulfillment. Jesus was earning the right to become the advocate of men in the Father's presence.
That prayer of Christ for His enemies embraced the world. It took in every sinner that had lived or should live, from the beginning of the world to the end of time. Upon all rests the guilt of crucifying the Son of God. To all, forgiveness is freely offered. "Whosoever will" may have peace with God, and inherit eternal life."
I praise God that, after coming to Him and (with His help) fulfilling the conditions, we can have full assurance of forgiveness and can be cleansed from sin.
John Gilmore, I agree with you but was just concentrating on God's Unconditional Grace and Mercy, but sure it depends on one's response to it, but God has completed the Gift's free offer in Jesus on Calvary John 3:16.
John, I think it's more than "His desire and ability to forgive us." Perhaps Xariete was thinking of Christ's prayer to forgive those who knew not what they were doing. Do you suppose His prayer was answered?
Paul writes that "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them." (2 Cor 5:19) Christ reconciled "the world," not just those who had confessed their sins. He also wrote that "when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son." (Ro 5:10) While "we were enemies," we had not yet confessed our sins.
Christ's death was enough to reconcile and pardon every human being.
But a pardon must be *accepted* to be effective. Even the United States Supreme Court ruled that it must be so.
The wonderful Good News is that, in Christ, we are already pardoned and reconciled to God. All we need to do is to *accept* this precious gift!
Of course, in order to accept a pardon, we must first admit that we need it, don't we? That's where confession comes in. The admission of guilt is called "confession." And this confession of our need constitutes acceptance of the pardon already written, so to speak. It is what erases the record of our sins, providing we *keep* accepting the pardon. The wonderful thing about a US Presidential Pardon is that the person thus pardoned stands as though he had never committed the crime of which he was convicted. It's the same with the pardon Christ procured for us at the cross. When we accept it, we stand as though we had never sinned, because Christ stands in our place in the judgment.
Thank you Inge, I had that in mind.
I wish it were true that all the world was reconciled to God. The work of the gospel would then have been completed.
Please consider the tense in 2 Corinthians 5:19, "present participle", meaning a currently ongoing process. Christ always was and still is the medium through whom the Father communicates His love. Yet, reconciliation is defined to be "put (someone) into friendship with God" (Barclay-Newman Greek Dictionary on "katalasso", the word translated "reconciling" in many English Bibles). And we know that the world was not then, and is still not, friends with God (James 4:4).
Yes, His death was sufficient. And thank you for the reference to the Supreme Court decision, as it does agree with the Biblical idea of forgiveness.
John, it *is* true that from God's side, the pardon is signed and offered to all. The citizenship papers for the Kingdom of God are signed by God with the blood of Christ. The *only* thing left is for us, for anyone and everyone to *accept* what is already accomplished in Christ, as I wrote above. (Reconciliation is only one metaphor. Citizenship in the Kingdom is another.)
As for the tense in 2 Corinthians 5:19, yes, indeed, Paul refers to Christ's work on this planet as an ongoing process in the past. "God *was* in Christ reconciling the world to Himself." And in Ro 5:10 he uses the past tense to refer to believers having been reconciled *while they were yet sinners.*
Our job is to tell this Good News to all the world as ambassadors of the kingdom. But it's hard to do if we disbelieve the efficacy of the accomplished work of Christ. It's like having signed citizenship papers to deliver to all who want them.
The US presidential pardon was signed and offered to a prisoner on death row in the US. All he had to do was to accept it to live. The same is true for us. We are all on death row until/unless we accept the pardon that is already signed for us.
I have seen the reconciling as an act from God for sinners IF they will accept it. It was a promise only(Acts 2:38,39), but a sure promise and adequate for all who have sinned. Yet, Jesus states clearly in John 8:24 that "if you do not believe that I am [he (Light/Lamb/Son)], you will die in your sins".
Faith accepts the promise, unbelief rejects it. Either way, the propitiation in Jesus' death is infinite and sufficient for all, but is realized only through faith (John 1:12; 3:15,16,18, Rom 1:16, Eph 2:8).
Thanks @Xariete for the comment. I'm riding on the phrase "we don't have to work out our salvation" How can we relate this to the verse in Philippians 2 vs 12 "Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling."
Xariete l'v been inspired by your comment. Can you help me reconcial yo ur last point (NO 7) with Phil 2:12
John Dube, you are most welcome and receive your suggestion with Phil 2:12 and it is my favorite book of Saint Paul and my sincere thanks
Add verse 13! (Phil 2:13) God works - I allow His work!
I thank God for the whole study on the book of Jeremiah in the light I never saw before,I must say am quite helped especially now when am having struggles on balancing what I need and what really matters.
In our normal life, we glory in these three things, the wise men glory in their wisdom, the mighty man glory in his strength, and the rich man glories in his riches; but he that glorieth let him glory in that he understands and knows me (Jer. 9:24)
King Solomon says that ‘how dies the wise man? As the fool, and the rich like the poor’ – Ecc. 2:16. So these thing s in which men glory are temporal things. They are all very passing. And therefore we should glory in the fact that we understand and know God, because that’s eternal and has eternal value to it. The rest may only give me advantage for a time. Glory that you understand the ways of God.
God delights in loving kindness, true judgment-Jeremiah 9:24. Fairness is what our Almighty God wants us to do. We should love one another. “Be ye kind to one to another, tender-hearted , forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven us (Ephesians 4:32).Do the right thing and God will be pleased.
My point of view from the cross: His death shows his loving kindness. When man sinned, God through Christ showed love and kindness to man. Man was not blotted out of existence, was give a chance to reflect his sins and make amends be in harmony once more with his Creator.
The justice of God: by the death of Christ, God will no wise condone sin. Wages of sin is earth, but the gift of God is eternal life. There justice is shown. Man will get what is due to him.
His righteousness: all through, our God is righteous.His government is based on right doing- fairness etc A righteous God will do what is right and best for His creator. A rigtheous thing for God to send his Son to die for man to show how offensive sin is to Him, them will man make a choice, be for the Creator or against, the justice of God will be vindicated. 1John 1:9
When it comes to God's justice,He does not only have to be righteous but He has to be seen to be righteous that is what was demonstrated on the cross at Calvary.Even if God is merciful His level of Divine Justice and righteousness is not compromised.Hence the cross serves as a lightning conductor through which God's anger towards sin could be expressed.Christ's death also served as a financial bargain against the devil in order to redeem the lost soul,that is why Paul says we were not bought out of the corruptible but we were bought at huge a price.
Samedi Amba, you asked me to reconcile my point no.7 to Philippians 2:12 "So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;". Would you please just read onto the next verse 13 "for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." Samedi to me this is all God's work in our godly repentance, then the new birth which He gifts us and also in our obedience by the empowering of the Holy Spirit who is working in us to both "will and to work for His (Christ's) good pleasure. So our only part is the willingness or giving our heart, decisions and whole life to God's wooing and leading after all Saint Paul stated in Hebrew 8:10 "“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel After those days, says the Lord:
I will put My laws into their minds, And I will write them on their hearts.
And I will be their God, And they shall be My people." By the way the context in this chapter 8 is on Christ in a better ministry then the earthly priesthood system of ceremonial laws but now with a New Covenant or as succinct I can get Earthly Priest Ministry in the Earthly Sanctuary & Individual strive to obey by their own will versus New Ministry of Christ as The Antitype Priest and High Priest & The Holy Spirit Writing the Laws or Decalogue in our Hearts, see Hebrew Chapter 10 as the Theme here is One Sacrifice is Sufficient as compared to the numerous and countless sacrifices offered by priests day in and day out from the Pentateuch period until Jesus sacrifice at Calvary; Hebrews 10:14 For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. 15 And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying, 16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them After those days, says the Lord:I will put My laws upon their heart,And on their mind I will write them,” He then says, 17 “And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” 18 Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin.
So Samedi Philippians 2:12 to work out our Salvation with fear and trembling or reverence is due mainly to respect the work of the Holy Spirit in completing His work of Repentance that led one to be baptized,then to allow the Holy Spirit to write His Law or the Decalogue or to instill in us God's character or Decalogue, and i believe that is our work to allow the Holy Ghost to do His will in us in whatever way He wants it to.