Mercy Triumphs over Judgement

These are four simple words, but without them, we would have no hope. All we could expect would be death, even eternal death.

When we look through God’s Word, there are many laws and ways of life listed. A comprehensive list of blessings and curses was given to the Children of Israel as a physical nation just before they were to end their wanderings and enter the Promised Land. In Deuteronomy 28, the first 13 verses give a list of promises for good and health for the people if they would “diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments…” (Deuteronomy 28:1).

However, in the rest of the chapter, beginning in verse 15 to verse 68, that’s four times as many verses, a list of curses and sickness was given if the people “do not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments…” (Deuteronomy 28:15). They were given two choices, one leading to great physical prosperity, and the other leading to misery and suffering. One way leading to life and good, the other to death and evil (Deuteronomy 30:15).

Even when offering the people (long physical) life if they obeyed, God knew that they did not have the heart required to obey Him. In Deuteronomy 5:29 we read, “Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!”

However, there are many passages, including those in Ezekiel, where we can read, “Again, when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness which he committed, and does what is lawful and right, he preserves himself alive. Because he considers and turns away from all the transgressions which he committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die” (Ezekiel 18:27-28). Here is an example of mercy triumphing over judgement. This wicked man deserved to die because of his wickedness, i.e. to receive just judgement, but because he repented, God promised to show him mercy.

There is a similar provision in the New Testament which is important for us. The conditions are given in James 2:13: “For judgement is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgement.” God is well known to be a merciful God (Joel 2:13), and He wants us to be merciful just like He is, to be developing His character within ourselves. We read this in Luke 6:36: “Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.”

This is a consistent theme both in the Old Testament and the New Testament. In Micah 6:8 we read, “He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?” If we love mercy, we will be merciful. In Matthew 23:23, we read, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.” Here mercy is one of the weightier matters of the law. Something we must always remember.

We understand that we are all sinners in need of mercy (Romans 3:23), because without mercy, the judgement we would have earned would be the (eternal) death penalty. So, knowing our need of mercy from God, then we must show mercy ourselves. And then, as we read in Matthew 5:7, “Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.” Then, as the title informs us, if we are merciful, mercy shall triumph over judgement for us, and this gives us hope for forgiveness of our sins and eternal life.

Christian Membership

Among other things, Christians are called members, and here are some examples: potential member; new member; long-time member; faithful member, active member…

The Bible also has these references about our membership: “…so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another” (Romans 12:5); “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?” (1 Corinthians 6:15); “For in fact the body is not one member but many” (1 Corinthians 12:14); “But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased” (1 Corinthians 12:18); “And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it” (1 Corinthians 12:26).

We have to be called by God to be members of His Church—the one over which Jesus Christ rules! In fact, a person must be selected by God for a place in His Church, as Jesus explained:

“‘No one can come to Me [to become a Christian] unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day’” (John 6:44); “And He said, ‘Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father’” (John 6:65).

Our Christian membership is spiritual, and it must be to be true: “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His” (Romans 8:9).

Our membership with both God and Jesus Christ is the ultimate test, and Jesus prayed about this:

“‘I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me’” (John 17:20-23).

Jesus also addressed the world in this prayer to the Father, and He had earlier warned His disciples that their membership with Him would not be easy:

“‘These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world’” (John 16:33).

Oftentimes, we in the Church of God refer to “former members.” The context may be about those who have died, but, tragically, it may be about those who have forfeited their membership as Christians—having lost the Holy Spirit.

Let me leave you with this powerful admonition—it is a crucially important key for each one of us to maintain our Christian membership in the context of the times in which we live:

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:23-25).

This Too Shall Pass

Time is both a foe and friend.

When we experience the good things in life, the hours, days, months, or years seem to pass by so fast that we barely have the chance to satisfy our appetite for joy. At other times, when we unwillingly suffer through unpleasantries, time feels as though it drags on endlessly. The good times are rarely long enough, and the tough times are relentless. Yet, that same constant quality of time guarantees that hard times will draw to a close, and that there will be good times to look forward to in the future.

Even though time often works against us, we can find relief in knowing that change over time is our trusty friend that offers hope. The most difficult and interminable things in life will eventually come to an end, yielding their grip so that new circumstances will usher in. This fact is true from the smallest scale of time to the greatest. Moments pass just as the years do. When we are able to respect, rather than resist the passage of time, it can help us to both appreciate the fine moments that bring us joy, as well as bear the burden of challenges that we face. If we are willing to adopt the frame of mind that all we can really do is concede to the constant demand of change, time will be our friend.

I had the opportunity to watch my oldest son play in his band concert a few days ago. He is a Freshman in Highschool, and this was the last concert of the year. Even though it seems to me as though the school year just started a few months ago, this concert signifies the certainty that there are just a couple of weeks of school left. But even more, as I watched him play with his bandmates, I reflected on how swiftly my time with him under my parental care has passed. I have seen and shared time with him just about every day of his life thus far. But as I listened to him play the trombone, I felt the reality of his place in time crash down on me like a lead weight. Suddenly, the number of days remaining that we will share before he grows into a man, ready to make an independent life for himself, feel scarce. All of the sudden, every day is not enough. And the only thing I can do is honor that fact and make a point to appreciate it.

In the world we live today, the challenges we face as well as the good things that we enjoy will quickly give way to the Kingdom of God. This we know because the Bible reveals that truth. What we do not know, nor can we control, is the rate at which the Kingdom of God arrives. As long as we have to wait, through days and months and years, we know for a fact that eventually time will bring that perfect Kingdom of God that we hope for. The good times now will give way to the greatest of times. The hard times will turn to endless joy.

We can find evidence for this promise in the Bible, being reminded, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18). Through patience and with the Faith of Christ working in us, we can endure all of the challenges we face today. Through gratitude for God’s blessings in our lives, we can experience fullness of joy that fuels our hope. By remaining steadfast in our commitment to live a life that glorifies God in every moment, our time is well-spent as an investment in our glorious future.

Do We Cause Offence?

In my last editorial on March 19th 2021 in Update 965, I wrote a piece entitled “Free Speech or No Free Speech, That Is the Question!”

One of the problems concerned with speech that many seem to have is that of taking offence.   Any trivial or trifling “slight” seems, with some, to cause hostility, agitation, upset, distress or concern.   Thus, we have the attempt by some in society to try and remove any possible offence, often by the most extraordinary means.   Try this one:

A local councillor wants Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (in the UK) to ditch masculine and feminine terms, because she thinks they are “unnecessary and inaccurate.”   She said that a move to “Mx” is more of a general term that could replace Mr, Mrs or Miss.  Why? The answer given was that “we are just doing our best to avoid any offence.”

There are many more examples that would fit into the same category of absurdity as the example given above.

Of course, the Bible tells us not to give or take offence.  “Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God” (1 Corinthians 10:32) – see also Matthew 18:7; Luke 17:1.

A brief editorial is not the place to review the whole question of Christians not giving or taking offence, but suffice to say that we cannot keep people from being offended; particularly, when they are intent on being “offended”.  As Christians, we should ensure that our attitude, approach and actions are in line with our strongly-held beliefs, irrespective of whether or not this may cause offence to some.   Of course, we must always use discretion and wisdom in all of our dealings with others but we cannot just succumb to the latest linguistic fad in order not to offend those who seem to be offended by almost anything.

In society, it has been taken to a new level.   We have people “cancelled” because their views, which they are allowed to have in a free society, do not conform to those who have differing views.

It should be obvious that today, many people are far more easily offended now than they ever have been.   We can sit on the sidelines and smile at such silliness and stupidity, but we are not going to be able to change the culture, even if we wanted to.

We have a far bigger job to do than try to right the wrongs of a society that is going downhill at a rate of knots [for our non-British readers: “very quickly”].   As society continues in its antipathy to the ways of God, and where offence can be caused by quoting the Bible on a number of topics which oppose the prevailing cultural practice, we know that there will be many who will be offended by what we have to say.

We have over 50 booklets available and a recent one in particular, “God’s Teaching on Sexual Relationships”, is at odds with society throughout the pages of this 133-page booklet.   Another is entitled ”Obeying God Rather Than Men”, and these are available free of charge to anyone requesting them.

We have a job to do and our preaching the news of the soon-coming Kingdom of God may offend some, although most will not be in the least bit interested.   But when the Great Tribulation starts, many attitudes may change as they seek some skin-saving solutions.   We do not seek to offend, but the Truth of God will usually alienate people and cause offence.  Satan will see to that.  But that must not stop us from getting the message out.

Jesus Christ caused offence as did His disciples, and we will get negative responses today.  But that should not deter us.

Do we cause offence?   If we don’t, we will not be doing our job.   It’s not that we are looking to cause offence but the Truth of God offends many people. That must not stop us from doing our job to “Cry aloud, spare not; lift up your voice like a trumpet; Tell My people their transgression, And the house of Jacob their sins” (Isaiah 58:1).

What Does God Mean?

During our regular Bible study, we might come across a Scriptural passage which might at first sight be difficult to understand, requiring further scrutiny, research, prayer and meditation. Peter said at one time that Paul wrote “some things [which] are hard to understand” (2 Peter 3:16). He warned against twisting those Scriptures to one’s own destruction. One fundamental principle to always keep in mind is that the Bible never contradicts itself. Another principle is that God reveals His Truth “line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little” (Isaiah 28:10).

One of these passages which I recently concentrated on is Malachi 1:11, which says:

“‘For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name shall be great among the Gentiles; In every place incense shall be offered to My name, And a pure offering; For My name shall be great among the nations,’ says the LORD of hosts.”

I wondered: Does this passage tell us that in the Millennium or even before, Israelites and Gentiles will bring incense and animal sacrifices and offerings to God wherever they want to, “in every place,” and that God will accept such religious worship?

If so, then we would have been very wrong with comments we made in chapter 8 in our booklet, “Biblical Prophecy—from Now until Forever,” where we explained that at the beginning of the Millennium during the first 3 ½ years of Christ’s reign, animal sacrifices will be given to God by the lost sheep of the House of Israel at a new Temple, but not “in every place” throughout the entire earth. We also pointed out that the third Temple, where the sacrifices will be given, is mentioned only in connection with the House of Israel.

We also said this:

“Physical Israelites will bring animal sacrifices to a new temple in Jerusalem at the beginning of the Millennium. These sacrifices will not be given for the purpose of obtaining spiritual forgiveness, but just to remind the people that they had sinned, and help them to focus on the ultimate Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. As it was the case in Old Testament times, these sacrifices will be temporary and will be administered by physical Levites to physical unconverted people, so as to allow the transgressor to remain within the community of Israel.”

There is nothing in the Bible indicating that Gentiles will bring animal sacrifices to God before the Millennium begins; nor, that they will be brought in every place. Jews (not Gentiles) will bring for a short while sacrifices in Jerusalem, not in every place, but even they will be suppressed by the European beast power. And after the Millennium has begun, we read that Egyptians who want to have fellowship with Israelites, will bring sacrifices and offerings (Isaiah 19:21), but the implication is, in light of all the passages in the book of Ezekiel, chapters 40 – 47, that they will do so at the third temple and not “in every place” they choose.

How then, so I wondered, are we to understand Malachi 1:11? I viewed the context and saw the contrast between the Israelites who profane God’s name, and the Gentiles who honor it. I began to contemplate that this must be referring to spiritual sacrifices, which true Christians are already giving now, and which they will also give in the Millennium. I found that several commentaries came to the same conclusion.

The Benson Commentary wrote:

“Prayers and praises shall be presented before me as incense. For here the prophet describes the Christian sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving…”

The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary added:

“Since ye Jewish priests and people ‘despise My name’ (Mal 1:6), I shall find others who will magnify it (Mt 3:9). Do not think I shall have no worshippers because I have not you; for from the east to the west My name shall be great among the Gentiles (Isa 66:19, 20), those very peoples whom ye look down upon as abominable. Pure offering—not ‘the blind, the lame, and the sick,’ such as ye offer (Mal 1:8). … The ‘incense’ is figurative of prayers (Ps 141:2; Re 8:3). ‘Sacrifice’ is used metaphorically (Ps 51:17; Heb 13:10, 15, 16; 1Pe 2:5, 12).”

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges stated:

“By ‘incense’ and ‘offering’ we are to understand those ‘spiritual sacrifices’ of prayer and praise (Hebrews 13:15)… and self-dedication (Romans 12:1), which all Christians as a ‘holy priesthood’ (1 Peter 2:5) are privileged to offer, and which are ‘acceptable to God through Jesus Christ’. … incense was the symbol of prayer (Luke 1:9-10). The Psalmist saw the same spiritual significance in ‘incense’ and ‘offering’ (Psalm 141:2).”

I also found other commentaries trying to say that the incense offered by Gentiles refers to Catholic rites and worship services. That explanation could be easily dismissed, as Catholics do not pray to the God of the Bible, but to a Trinitarian God, falsely believing that the Holy Spirit is a person. They most certainly do not magnify God’s true name.

And so, Malachi 1:11 speaks of true Christians who give spiritual sacrifices, and refers especially to those of Gentile descent, who are part of the firstfruits in this day and age, signified by one of the two leavened wave loaves which had to be offered at Pentecost (Leviticus 23:17). Paul says in Romans 15:16 that the offering consisting of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit (compare the margin in the new NKJV and the NIV).

The search for the right understanding of Malachi 1:11 just serves as an example as to how we are to study God’s Word. It may need time, effort, patience and dedication to the Truth, without coming to premature and hasty conclusions (Isaiah 28:16). Daniel wondered about a passage and had to wait with patience for understanding until God revealed to him the meaning (Daniel 9:20-23; 10:11-12, 14). Christ opened understanding to His apostles so they would comprehend the Scriptures (Luke 24:45). On the other hand, there were certain prophecies which Daniel would not understand, as it was not yet the time (Daniel 12:8-10). But with Bible study, prayer and meditation, answers will come, if God so wills (Ephesians 1:15-19), and these answers will make sense and add further pieces to our comprehension of the great puzzle of God’s masterful Work—the foundation of knowledge—the Holy Bible.

The Voice of God

Throughout the Bible, we see how God deals with situations in various ways, and He makes it clear that His Law still stands and that He wants us to abide by it.  There are examples where He boldly proclaims His laws and judgments; and when He wants to get His point across, it becomes quite evident that His Will is being done. When He has a purpose for you and me, He will be there to guide us, to test us, and to make us realize what His intentions are for our future.  Just as God is bold, we are to be the same when it comes to His Law, when the situation calls for it.  We are not to be shy in what we believe; we must not be unsteady, doubtful and fearful about what others may think, wavering when being asked about our beliefs. Rather, we are to use our voice with conviction, with confidence, and with boldness.

Of course, we should be mindful of the situation in what we say and to whom we say it. Christ, for example, always had the perfect response in every situation He was in.  He knew what to say and when to say it, when to be bold and when to be quiet.

When there is a purpose that God wants to be fulfilled, He will see to it that it happens.  After Elijah fled into the wilderness and prayed that God would take his life when he heard that Jezebel, the wife of the king of Israel, Ahab, was seeking to kill him, notice how God responded to him (1 Kings 19:9-18).  He showed Elijah His power through nature, just like He explained to Job His almighty power and just how insignificant Job was compared to God.  God responded to Elijah in a supernatural way which really got his attention—with all this might through a powerful wind, an earthquake and a fire, to nothing but a delicate whispering voice.   This also shows us that the Work of God doesn’t always need to occur with dramatic revelation and manifestations (compare Zechariah 4:6).  Noticeable displays of power are not always necessary for God to act.  He knows how to deal with each and every one of us.

There are many different ways in which He proclaims His voice to communicate with His people.  We find throughout the Bible how He communicates through a whirlwind in the book of Job; how He reveals His presence in an earthquake and a fire with Moses and the Israelites in the book of Exodus; and how His voice sounds like thunder in various Scriptures.

When God proclaimed His Law to the Israelites, it was given amidst a tempest of wind, thunder and lightning, attended with an earthquake (notice Hebrews 12:18-24).  But as we just saw in the example of Elijah, God does not always speak in that way.

The world perceives God’s Law as harsh and chooses to celebrate man’s pagan holidays, instead of keeping the weekly Sabbath and God’s annual Holy Days.  Mankind today doesn’t care about God’s Law or want to believe that it is wrong to keep these pagan days. Mankind may just be completely ignorant about these days anyway, but the time will come when God will manifest His power and will declare to the whole world what is right and what is wrong.

Once people understand what God’s Law is all about and their eyes are opened, their perception will be quite different.  They will realize that God gave His Law to protect man from harm—that it is for their own good. Depending on the person and his or her situation, God may speak with a loud voice, or with a “whisper.” As Gill’s Exposition of the Bible puts it in reference to Psalm 89:15, God may speak with “a gentle voice of love, grace, and mercy, of peace, pardon, righteousness, and salvation by Christ.” The commentary continues that God, “by the law breaks the rocky hearts of men in pieces, shakes their consciences, and fills their minds with a sense of fiery wrath and indignation they deserve, and then speaks comfortably to them, speaks peace and pardon… blessed are the people that hear this still, small, gentle voice.”

God speaks to people at different times and in different ways, but only a few actually listen and understand what He is saying. That is why it is vital to keep learning and studying, to build our understanding and relationship with God because the more we do that, the more ready we will be to listen to His voice when He speaks, and the more likely we are to obey and apply what we hear.

The Complete Sacrifice

When looking at the Sacrifice of Christ from an analytical point of view, we come to the conclusion as to how complete it was, covering every base as it were. Blood, the lifeline of any human being, was shed for our sins to be forgiven. Life is in the blood, it is the human common denominator, and loss of it leads to death.

Christ could have chosen a more pleasant way to die, but He did not for a reason. The one thing which cannot be said to Him is: “I suffered more than You.”

We have all gone through painful experiences. For some women it is very painful to have a child, and for all of us passing a kidney stone is very painful also. Crushing-type injuries are particularly painful.

But none of us has been beaten, punched in the face, slapped, scourged (from which, in many cases, the tortured person died with the subsequent loss of blood), hung on a stake for six hours and then being speared in the side to finish us off. Why go through so much physical suffering? A spear through the heart, without the previous excruciating pain, would have been quick and just as deadly in shedding blood and being killed.

Isaiah answers that question. In Isaiah 53:5, we read: “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.”

This is restated by Peter in 1 Peter 2:24: “…who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.”

So there was a reason for all the physical wounding—it was for our physical healing. We can be anointed by God’s ministers and ask God to apply the beating and suffering of Christ to our physical healing.

There are several types of wounds, and Christ suffered them all:

–Contusion:  The medical term for bruising. He was hit on the head with rods and punched.

–Abrasion:  An open wound caused by rubbing against something which breaks the skin. The crown jamming down on His brow

–Laceration: The tearing of soft body tissue from the scourging.

–Avulsion: Chunks of tissue were removed totally. Psalm 22:17, prophesying Christ’s torture, states: “I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me.” Avulsion causes severe bleeding, referring to the scourging and the crucifixion.

–Puncture:  A punctured wound is a deep wound that occurs due to something sharp and pointed, such as a nail. This applied when Christ’s hands and feet were pierced and when He was nailed to the stake.

–Incision: Cuts through the skin and muscles. This describes the moment when He was speared in the side deep enough to cut the artery running down the spine.

So we can see that the wounding of Christ was complete and thus can be applied to our physical healing.

Christ’s Sacrifice was a complete one. He shed His blood for the forgiveness of our sins and He permitted evil men to wound Him for our physical healing. We must therefore appreciate all of His suffering and His death for us, so that, ultimately, all of mankind could be reconciled to God and be given an opportunity to be in the God Family.

Evil Good; Good Evil

In one way or another, most Americans celebrated Easter this year. Around the world, Easter was observed by close to one-hundred nations. By contrast, the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread figured prominently in just one country—the nation of Israel.

While various religious organizations lead the way in Easter observance, only a precious few keep the commanded Holy Days of God falling in this time of the year—those who are members of the True Church of God.

Freely, it is admitted that Easter has been adopted from abject paganism. Yet, people who could and certainly should know better call this a “Christian observance.” But this is nothing less than the proverbial attempt of putting lipstick on a pig and calling it pretty. Making up how God is worshipped is rejected by God, and He condemns those who do so!

God expressed His contempt to ancient Israel and Judah for their pagan worship practices—and His warnings apply today:

“‘Your New Moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; They are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them’” (Isaiah 1:14); and, “‘I hate, I despise your feast days, And I do not savor your sacred assemblies’” (Amos 5:21).

Unless we observe only God’s commanded Holy Days, God will not accept us or our false and useless worship! The one holiday so dear to many nominally professing Christians, Christmas, is based on downright demonic worship—it has nothing to do with the true Son of God! Short of national days of thanksgiving, prayer or even repentance and fasting, God does not hear—He won’t accept evil!

“‘Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!’” (Isaiah 5:20).

Great national punishment is coming from God. Whole nations will go into captivity, war will ravage the earth and life, itself, will come to the brink of total destruction. Why? Because of violence and rebellion against God! Few understand and still fewer are taking God’s warnings seriously.

To escape these terrible times and to have God’s protection, we must submit to His Will for us. That includes obeying Him by keeping His true Holy Days: the Seventh Day (Sabbath) and the Annual Feast Days of God.

Regarding what we who are living in this godless society should be doing, God warns us: “‘Come out of her my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues’” (Revelation 18:4).

What Has Happened to Truth and Justice?

We live in an age where truth is very difficult to find. In many cases it is considered to be relative depending on who is speaking and especially when politicians are involved. There is a reminder of this in John 18:38 when Pilate, who was well known to be very political, asked the question, probably sarcastically, “What is truth?” In actual fact, the truth was standing in front of him as Jesus Christ is the truth (John 14:6).

In some cases, for an educator even to state an obvious truth like the fact that some races generally perform better in education than others can risk that person losing their job. The fact that it may well be true does not matter. Even to agree with such a statement can be dangerous for one’s employment. And this is only one example; there are many others where it is safer to stay quiet than to reject an obvious untruth. In some countries, even quoting certain parts of the Bible is considered hate speech and can be punished by law. This is causing truth to be suppressed at times due to fear. And yet, God explains what He thinks about truth and lying in Proverbs 12:22: “Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, But those who deal truthfully are His delight.”

Justice also can be hard to find today and the outcome of trials can often depend on what kind of lawyers a defendant can afford. In some cases, the result of justice can depend on the color of a person’s skin. But when we read Leviticus 19:15, we find what God decrees about judgement: “You shall do no injustice in judgement. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbour.”

There are many examples today of the lack of truth and justice that we hear about constantly. But in God’s Word, Isaiah 59 is a chapter mostly on the evils of society. While it certainly applied to Isaiah’s time, the last few verses imply that it also applies to our time and to the near future. Verse 20 states: “‘The Redeemer will come to Zion, And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,’ Says the LORD.”

Verse 4 of the same chapter states: “No one calls for justice, Nor does any plead for truth. They trust in empty words and speak lies; They conceive evil and bring forth iniquity.” God condemns them because they do not seek truth and justice.

Isaiah 59:14-15 repeats this theme forcefully: “Justice is turned back, And righteousness stands afar off; For truth is fallen in the street, And equity cannot enter. So truth fails, And he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. Then the LORD saw it, and it displeased Him That there was no justice.” Make himself a prey has the meaning of “a person that becomes the victim of an enemy.”

In Matthew’s Bible of 1537, “makes himself a prey” is rendered as “must be spoyled.” The verb spoyled or spoiled in this instance means to plunder, pillage or rob. In this day, for a person to not follow a crowd to do evil (Exodus 23:2), could be considered a reason for the crowd to do harm to that person. In fact, there is an expression, “Silence is violence,” which is used to criticize or harm those who do not verbally support the crowd doing evil.

The Koren version of 2015, a Jewish translation, renders it as “makes himself ridiculous.” In at least three commentaries, this expression is rendered “is counted mad.” Today it is considered by many that if a person relies on his religion to determine his actions, he is considered mad and he will be ridiculed. This can also be a very difficult trial for someone trying to obey God. To be constantly made fun of because of personal beliefs can be very wearying. It is little wonder that God is greatly displeased.

But we must remember that when we are persecuted or ridiculed for doing what is right, ours is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:10-12).

So, to conclude, we have already read that God delights in those who deal truthfully (Proverbs 12:22). He also instructs us in what He considers good, what He requires: “To do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). Going back to Isaiah 59:18, we read, “According to their deeds, accordingly He will repay, Fury to His adversaries, Recompense to His enemies; The coastlands He will fully repay.” So God will repay for the current lack of truth and justice.

So, to answer the question, what has happened to truth and justice? At the moment they can be quite difficult to find, but when God intervenes, they will be the standard way of life for the whole world. As we read in Deuteronomy 32:4, “He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He.”

Do You Know Who You Are?

In the sermon from last Sabbath by Dave Harris, “God-Who-Forgives”, something was stated at the end that was of fundamental importance. I have thought about this before, but it really stood out in light of the upcoming Passover, the Night to be Much Observed and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

The thought that stood out was this: “ We (that would include all of us who heard the sermon and who read this Editorial, including myself) can affect the whole world by HOW we repent.” That is truly mind-blowing. We, the poor, the weak, whatever we consider ourselves to be, have the power to help the world NOW.

2 Peter 3:10-14 states in the New International Version: “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.”

How often do we take into account that we have the ability to hasten the return of Christ? We pray, or at least we are TOLD to pray, “Your Kingdom come,” but how often does that trickle down into our lives? As we are preparing for the beginning of the Spring Holy Days, what is it that we are focusing on? Hopefully, it is upon what we can do to turn further towards our God! We are told that we have to become without spot; meaning, we have to come to hold the line against sin. We also have to be looking and searching for it.

Once we find sin and we start to root it out, we have to replace it with righteousness. If we are not filling up constantly with God’s Holy Spirit and making gains, then we are in danger of having the same sin, which we worked hard to replace, start to seep back in. We have to be constantly building correctly in our lives. In order to make sure that we are doing this properly, I want to use Paul’s words from 1 Corinthians 3:11-16 where he states in the New International Version:

“For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames. Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.”

The things that we build now will have an impact here and now, but more importantly, in the future. Each of us is the temple of God. Each of us is a vessel for God’s Holy Spirit. The power to overcome and to change is given to each of us because of the great Sacrifice of Jesus Christ and His immense love for us.

The opportunity lies in each of us, though, to carry out something that is larger than ourselves. But we CANNOT lose focus on the fact that each of us is an integral part—contributing to an overall accomplishment.

Ephesians 2:19-22 says in the New International Version: “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”

We are God’s people. We are those whom He has called at this end of the age. Living as a true Christian is not going to get easier. The challenges we face are getting more wearisome and challenging. This cannot dissuade us. This cannot stop us from overcoming and moving forward. Rather, as we are making progress, we must constantly harken back to WHY we are doing this! What is it that anchors us and helps us to get back up and keep moving forward?

As we prepare and move through the next few weeks, we should be very mindful of how much we can grow, change and mature in the coming year. It comes down to dedication and resolution. How willing are we to truly allow the mind of Christ to lead and guide us in ALL things?

1 Corinthians 2:6-16 states in the New International Version:

“We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written:

“‘What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived’— the things God has prepared for those who love him— these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for, ‘Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.”

Do all the quoted Scriptures resonate? Do they find a place in our minds and hearts? Again, we are God’s people and we MUST consider ourselves as such! We have the calling and the opportunities! Let us NOT neglect to find out what is right and proper in God’s eyes and to do those things with all perseverance, courage and speed.

©2025 Church of the Eternal God
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