*******
My thoughts-
When faced with sure
and certain death a person reacts in a number of different ways. If a person is
facing execution surely they have thoughts different from one dying a natural
death through old age, or health related illnesses and diseases. To take it a
step further, if a person is facing almost instantaneous execution their
thoughts would be different from one given time to deal in their impending
death. Imagine if you will, not that any of ever would want to- in fact not a
single person in the world I would believe- would want to imagine being
unexpected executed. Let's imagine that you are caught up in the temptation of
lust one day, and on this particular day you are unable to contain that lust
and you act upon it, committing adultery in the process. There you are still in
the throes of the sinful passion that has overtaken you and out of nowhere you
are snatched up and thrown to the ground hard only to realize in the horrific
moment that you have been caught. Oh, did I forget to mention that you are
living in Jerusalem, a Jew, under the Mosaic law? Caught now, and you know that the penalty for
your impetuous sin is death by stoning. What do you do? Are you trying to plead
your case on deaf ears? Are you apologizing profusely? Are you petrified? You
know there is no way of escape, the law is the law and you are definitely
guilty. You know there is no case to plead, you are a weak sinning person who
struggled to uphold the law of your people, the royal law of your God. You know
the execution is on its way as you are dragged out of the city to the quarry,
your place of execution. Are you repenting? Are you sorry for the sinning, not
just getting caught in that sin? Are you apologetic towards the God you transgressed
against? The fear of your death is overwhelming you, and you pray to God, you
plead with God to forgive you, to forgive your weakness, your sinfulness. And
then the first rock slams hard into the side of your face and knocks you off
your feet. Ears ringing, face on fire, in those few moments before a hail of
rocks descend upon your body, you are still praying for forgiveness, for
eternal salvation. Then, nothing. Your life is over, you enter the deep, long
sleep of death and your thoughts perish with you while your breath returns to
God who gave it to you.
Are you forgiven, or
will you be judged damned under the judgment and sentences to the second death
from which there is no return, but eternal non-existence?
Of course, I can't
answer with 100% certainty but I want to believe that even under the Mosaic law
where people were killed almost instantly for their transgressions that God
looked upon their hearts for their truth.
How many under that
law who were faced with death such as described above, truly found salvation in
their final moments? I'm not talking about the willful, unrepentant sinner, but
a remorseful, very repentant sinner.
When our Savior came
and the Mosaic law was abolished, the compassion of God was allowed full reign.
God never intended His love to be confused with horror. God wanted to reveal to
His people that their loyalty, their love for Him, and His for them was most
important of all. That sin was something to be abhorred. That sinning which
caused the suffering and separation of mankind from God was evil and to be
completely and utterly despised. With our natural propensity towards sinning
God, even in the Mosaic law set up a system of forgiveness for the sins
committed in ignorance. There were sins committed that were not sins that
warranted death, and those sins could be forgiven. Forgiveness was taught, as
well as the severity of sin, and the penalty for that sin- death.
Do we think sinning
today warrants anything less than death? We can't. If we believe Jesus came to
soften the penalty for sinning, we are misguided. Jesus TOOK on the penalty for
our sinning, God With Us- suffered and died just as we warrant upon sinning.
To tie this together
with the study above-- Sabbath breakers
are guilty of sinning, just as adulterers, thieves, liars, coveters,
blasphemers, dishonorable, murderers are all guilty of sinning. The penalty of sin is death everlasting, not
temporal death. The GIFT of GOD is FORGIVENESS, a gift we must choose to accept
realizing that our guilt was not gone, but placed upon another to bear for us.
May God help any who
read this, and myself writing this blurb, and sharing this study- to realize
the importance of all God's Royal Laws and seek through the Holy Spirit to keep
all of the Ten Commandments given to us. Ten guiding points of God's love magnified,
and all kept by our SAVIOR. Ten Commandments we must seek to embrace as God's
revealed loving principles for our lives, not burdensome heavy stones of
torture we wish were not in existence.
All through the love of our Lord, and Savior, we thank you Father for
your love and grace, your mercy now and forever! Thank you, Lord Jesus for Your
sacrifice!
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