Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water
Act 10:34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: Act 10:35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.
When God decided to bring the Gentiles into salvation, two things were revealed. One is, God had not forgotten the Gentiles or had abandoned them. Secondly, in accepting the Gentiles, He did not throw out the Jews to bring in the Gentiles. His arms are still outstretched to them. Too often in life, we seek the exclusive and therefore judge beforehand what an outcome should be. For example; if one sees another commit a very bad sin, it has been a tendency amongst many to condemn the sinner. Secondly, we treat them as having no way back to God to re-possess their previous position of righteousness in the same way we ourselves who have not sinned possess.
Many Christians have sinned badly and have failed God and man in despicable ways. As a result, do we who have not sinned throw the baby out with the bath water? This difficult scenario presents itself often these days to the one who must decide on how to handle this. When it involves family members, the difficulty is greater. Recently, I have been convicted by God about His heart for the lost who have in some way been abused in their childhood and some in their adult lives. Destruction of innocence in childhood and offence in adulthood have had severe consequences in people’s lives concerning their walk with God. Many have had their initial salvation affected causing them to backslide and fall into despair, pushing them far from God. I feel the heart of God is grieving for His children and sometimes, it is strong enough inside of me for me to physically cry.
There is a generation of people out there who are suffering the wrongs of society that have been inflicted upon them. Their lives have been disadvantaged because of this and the devil has driven the nails into their coffins with glee over these wrong doings they have suffered in their lives. Yet, God has not broken the bruised reed or quenched the smoking flax. Mat 12:18 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. Mat 12:19 He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. Mat 12:20 A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. When the Jews turned their hearts away from God, He turned to the Gentiles to save them and make them His people also. The loss of birthright by Israel eventuated this change of heart in God. Had they stayed in God faithful, they would have been chosen to bring the gospel to the world. Yet now, the Church has been chosen to do this and also to take the gospel back to the first child (Israel) who is in darkness. Let us not throw the “Israel baby” out with the bath water but rather intercede for them.
When we are faced with difficult situations regarding people that present themselves contrary at home, work and in the Church, we have a decision to make. Do we disconnect with them or do we do something about it in wisdom? Apostle Paul admonishes us strongly not to interact with a fornicator who is a brother but does not say the same of the unsaved people who are in the world. It seems, he has drawn a line between the Christian sinner and the sinner of the world. Yet, he is hopeful that the fornicator who is a brother will return to God. So, what must we do? I believe we must follow the instructions of Apostle Paul concerning the Christian brother or sister and pray for them that they return to God in repentance and be restored. Yet, the choice is theirs. When we do this it puts us in a place of righteousness with God as we have not acted to condemn someone who is still a brother and have loved by not throwing the baby out with the bath water.
Another interesting scenario of a meaty example presented by Apostle Paul to us is as follows. 1Ti_1:20 Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme. Here it seems that Apostle Paul terminated a relationship and actually handed over two people to satan to be dealt with. We then observe in the following verse something that is even deeper and harder to be understood. 1Co 5:5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. It is my reasoning that he is talking about two types of sinners. One type belong to those who are lost who have reached a point of no return and another type that would be better off dead than alive, so that, their spirits might be saved. Wow! Can we actually make such decisions? In such difficult decision making processes only the word can clarify it further through the Holy Spirit. Joh 20:22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Joh 20:23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. It seems that Christ has passed on to us the ability to forgive someone their sins. I thought only Jesus can forgive sins. So, how can we forgive sins? It is really quite simple. Mat_6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: Mat_6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. The Bible teaches us that unless we forgive, we cannot be forgiven. People commit sins against each other and we must forgive them. When they commit sins against God, then God must forgive them on their repentance. This is the equation of forgiveness.
We can go one further in the case of healing and see that we can obtain the forgiveness of sins of a person through the prayer of faith. Jas_5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. All this to say, don’t throw the baby out with the bath water but rather employ the power within us (The Holy Spirit) to act according to the word. This will breakthrough for many who need our understanding and forgiveness rather than our condemnation and judgement. In the days ahead, this particular attitude will be tested in more ways than one. What is coming, is going to be in many cases beyond forgiving and is already so. The Holy Spirit grieves at the ways mankind has decided to live in their free will. He is crying from the smallest of sins we commit to the rather large ones. Sin is sin, the attitude we have toward it is what grieves Him.
Judgement is coming in a big way and the sheep will be separated from the goats and wheat from the tares. We must understand that the reason God judges is, people do not want to listen no matter how much they are forgiven or given chances to change. God cannot let it go on and allow mankind to undermine His authority. His grace extends only for a period of time and then people fail the grace of God. Heb_12:15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; As we reach out to a bitter world, let us not fail the grace of God by becoming bitter towards the ones who are bitter. Let us save as many as we can with the love and power of God. I see a dying world and so do many but what are we doing about it? Are we victims ourselves or are we victors and overcomers?
The days are upon us when we will find many falling away from the faith for one reason or another. Some will be restored but others will not. The Bible teaches us to guard our hearts. If we don’t, we will be carried away with the dissimulation that is upon us. There are times when you will be forced to make choices. These are such times. By being forced, it will be placed upon you by the law of the land as in the case of same sex marriage. What you do with it will decide your relationship with God. Much wisdom is needed so that we do not throw the baby out with the bath water.
Even though same sex marriage is only one issue at the moment, many such decisions will have to be made in the future through what is coming in terms of globalisation and the antichrist’s rule and reign. If we happen to be here, we will have to make choices that have nothing to do with anything other than siding with God on the things He hates. This is not throwing the baby out with the bath water because there are and always will be wicked men on earth whose consciences are seared. They are children of satan. They cannot be changed because they are reprobates. A reprobate is a person who cannot be saved, who is wicked and without a conscience. We are coming across such people daily in the world and the news media reports on their atrocities everyday. Though we see them as human beings, they have become reprobates through their greed and lust for money, power and sex. satan has deceived them into working for him rather than they seeing God who watches them. They may have even heard the gospel once and even given their lives to Jesus but now have found satan’s way more interesting. 1Ti 1:19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: 1Ti 1:20 Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.
The whole point of faith is, to choose wisely at all times. One must never be deviated from the truth by the work of evil. If we do, the mind will give in to the ways of the devil who lost his own position before God forever through a reprobate mind. How long did he have in the presence of God before he decided to rebel? We don’t know but he sure failed God and was retained in chains of darkness for eternity. Hell is a real place and no one should go there but some do. Let us awaken to the saving of the soul and not to condemnation and disregarding of the soul. Yet, let us maintain discipline because evil communication corrupts good manners (morality).
Lots of love
Pastor Noble
29/10/17