A New Reality
Warning: Therefore, will I stretch out my hand against thee, and destroy thee; I am weary with repenting. (Jer 15:6 KJV)
In a recent blog, we addressed the subject of image worship and the importance of the picture language of the Bible. As we look at Calvary, the idea of a King hanging from a cross doesn’t make sense in the natural. However, the Lord’s plan was to make a spiritual impact on His people who understood the image of the Lamb as being a Living Sacrifice.
The portrayal of Calvary was the love of God for mankind and the
extent that He was willing to go in order to save the world. It showed us the faithfulness of God and His continual efforts to get His children into a place of safety. Because of their sinfulness, they were destined for the wrath of God, yet He was doing everything He could to prevent them from judgment.
The Bible tells us that in the last day, powerful spirits will cause blindness of spiritual eyesight and dullness of hearing [understanding]. God empowers the faithful with spiritual insight so that the dispensation of blindness would not affect them. The human heart automatically responds to the needs of those who are suffering or less fortunate. However, when the Gospel of Jesus on the Cross is shared, for some people, it is just a fairy tale. For them,
the suffering of Christ is a distant and far-away Bible story.
NLT Matthew 13:15 For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes– so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’ (Mat 13:15 NLT).
Charles Finney warned America about the backsliding morals of this nation. He particularly addressed the clergy of America about the church. While Charles Finney was historically recognized as one of America’s great revivalists, he was also credited with shaking this nation with the hard preaching known as the “Second Awakening.”
Charles Finney’s words in his article, “The Decay of Conscience”
published in The Independent of New York, Dec. 4, 1873 stated: “Christ crucified for the sins of the world is the Christ that the people need. If immorality prevails in the land, the fault is ours in a great degree. If there is a decay of conscience, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the public press lacks moral discrimination, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the church is degenerate and worldly, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the world loses its interest in religion, the pulpit is responsible for it. If Satan rules in our halls of legislation, the pulpit is responsible for it. If our politics become so corrupt that the very foundations of our government are ready to fall away, the pulpit is responsible for it.”
As the morality of America plummets to a new low, we are reminded of the Biblical prophecy that a spiritual blindness and an alternative message would creep into the church. Today, some messages are no longer compelling men and women to obey the teachings of Jesus Christ. Rather, the emphasis is placed more on prosperity and materialistic wellbeing. God’s Grace is being watered down to a message of acceptance and self-gain. The new message is that there is no judgment nor is their accountability as a believer. Holy living is no longer a requirement to be “saved”. Furthermore, there are no consequences for sin. We hear this statement often by well-meaning religious leaders: “There is nothing that you can do to make God love you more or anything that you can do to make Him love you less. When you sin, all you have to do is repent.” Sadly, this is the same attitude of the people in Jeremiah’s day when they repented to God, but they never changed their behavior.
KJV Jeremiah 15:6 Thou hast forsaken me, saith the LORD, thou art gone backward: therefore will I stretch out my hand against thee, and destroy thee; I am weary with repenting. (Jer 15:6 KJV)
God’s prophets warned us to get it right before judgement in the Old Testament, and again we see warning signs in the New Testament.
NLT Matthew 24:39 People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes. (Mat 24:39 NLT)
Also, in the Book of Luke, we see that Jesus was not giving special treatment to the Galileans because of their religious offerings. There is no such thing as a “worse sinner”. All of us have all sinned and come short of the glory of God. We ALL need a Savior.
NLT Luke 13:1 About this time Jesus was informed that Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the Temple.
2 “Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?” Jesus asked. “Is that why they suffered?
3 Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God.
4 And what about the eighteen people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem?
5 No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish, too.”
6 Then Jesus told this story: “A man planted a fig tree in his garden and came again and again to see if there was any fruit on it, but he was always disappointed.
7 Finally, he said to his gardener, ‘I’ve waited three years, and there hasn’t been a single fig! Cut it down. It’s just taking up space in the garden. (Luk 13:1-7 NLT)
There is good news! God has not cut us off. He has not abandoned His people and especially not those who are resisting the evil one. His faithful servants are rewarded with a victorious life in Christ. Be encouraged, God knows those who are His. Do not give up on your faith and do not become weary in your well-doing.
The glorious vision of Calvary gives us assurance and hope that our 
trust in Him is not in vain. A true believer knows that he or she is an active and on-duty soldier in the Army of the Lord. We are pressing through this present darkness, but our light afflictions cannot compare to the Glory that shall be revealed. It is God’s grace that invites us to be a part of His Awesome Kingdom. We are emphatically joyful when we are moved by the preaching of the simplicity of the Gospel. As our eyes focus on the sacred imagery of Calvary and the all-powerful King who came as a servant, our hearts are stirred to a fresh determination and a renewed faith.
2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.
3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. (Heb 12:2-3 NLT)