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There is this sweet notion in modern sentimental Christianity that when Jesus died everything changed and basically there is a blessing on all flesh now and the standard has been dramatically lowered and that all men benefit from Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection.
This is false.
Only those who believe and are baptized and only those who have been circumcised in the heart have any change. Unbelieving, unbaptized humanity is still just “flesh” literally “meat” like the sinners in the days of Noah. Christ alone makes a difference and He makes a difference only to those who believe and are baptized.
Modern humanistic Christians struggle to believe that God might be unhappy with their churches just like He was unhappy with old Israel.
The Seven Letters that Jesus sent to the Seven Churches are so severe that the average Christian has a spiritual “brain fog moment” and then gently refuses to consider that Jesus would have such a high expectation of anybody.
God’s people often prefer ritual to SPIRIT
20 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, My anger and My fury will be poured out on this place—on man and on beast, on the trees of the field and on the fruit of the ground. And it will burn and not be quenched.”
21 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: “Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices and eat meat. 22 For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices. 23 But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.’ 24 Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but followed the counsels and the dictates of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward. 25 Since the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have even sent to you all My servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them. 26 Yet they did not obey Me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck. They did worse than their fathers.
27 “Therefore you shall speak all these words to them, but they will not obey you. You shall also call to them, but they will not answer you.
” (Jeremiah 7:20–27, NKJV)
God is SPIRIT – Man is flesh
When God sends prophets to speak to Israel, in say Jeremiah, they refuse to believe how high God’s standard is and they berate the prophet that he doesn’t understand God’s love and commitment. If they had at that time chosen the word “covenant love” aka Hessed then they might have realised that God actually promised in great detail in Deuteronomy 28 and many other places that He would execute severe violence against His own people, if they broke the covenant.
Not knowing the covenant is apparently an ongoing weakness
In modern times God’s people, the church, mostly also do not KNOW the covenant. They refuse to believe that Christians might end up in hell and that God might actually stick to the written agreement. This is because the know sermons, but they do not know the scriptures. They trust preachers and do not read and understand the New Testament. A few portions that modern Christians do not KNOW or believe are. Jude 5, 1 Cor, 10:5, John 15:2, Heb 6:4-8, Heb 10:35-39.
The easiest solution is to read and preach textually and not topically. If we were to study the Bible by reading every chapter completely in order we would become used to dealing with the unpleasant and threatening portions alongside the pleasant and encouraging potion. We would also discover close the loving-kindness verses are to the violent destruction verses.
Common Human Trait
This common trait between God’s people in the Old Testament and God people in the New Testament has always been obvious. Christians have the profound mantra “that is the Old Testament, that’s the Old Testament” and then stop their ears. God’s people in the Old Testament also had the same mantra, different words but the same in essence about the fact that God would not stick his written agreement but somehow go soft.
Ironically the New Testament tells us that the Old Testament is an example and admonition to us.
6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. 7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” 8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; 9 nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; 10 nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.
” (1 Corinthians 10:6–12, NKJV)
The notion that God can go soft and will go soft is rooted in failing to comprehend that God is SPIRIT.
As soon as one comprehends SPIRIT, you stop talking and start worrying.
All the precious promises that are yes and Amen in Christ and yes and Amen in the Spirit and THAT is unknown territory.
It’s hard to teach an old dog new tricks and some Christians are extremely difficult to rehabilitate. They cling to Penal Substitution and tithing and sentimentalism with little to no comprehension of SPIRIT.
In the end they will hear the same sad words that Noah’s generation heard and that the foolish virgins will hear.
And the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; (Genesis 6:3, NKJV)
I don’t know you!
He who has ears to hear what the Spirit is saying, let him hear
see God is Spirit
