BUT IF THE WICKED WITH TURN......
by
Keith Hunt
You say you like to READ God's word - good. You say you like
to STUDY God's word - that is good. You say you like to find new
truths in the word of God - that is also good. You say you like
to dig into the nitty-gritty of the meat of the word of God -
well that is good as well.
You may say you like to study the studies on this Website
and learn many many things you perhaps did not know before, the
word of the Lord is full of surprises - that can be good to have.
You say you like to read the technical articles on this Bible
Study site and receive more knowledge about God and Christ, and
all they want us to understand - yes, that can be good for you
also.
BUT.....it is written that "knowledge puffs up" - meaning it
may make you an intellectual big head, or a vain wind-bag of
technical knowledge, and pretty well nothing else, of real value
to you or any other person for that matter.
Oh, it is not wrong to have knowledge of this or that fact,
God Himself has perfect knowledge of all the truths of His word,
the Bible, and those things that are revealed to us, that are in
God's word for us to come to understand, are there indeed for us
to come to understand. The "secret things" of God are just that
"secret" for now. Paul was inspired to say that for some things
we look through a glass darkly, meaning that in this life time we
cannot come to see everything as clear as crystal, as we say.
Some of the glass we look at is smoky and hard to see through.
Yet some glassy things in the word of the Eternal God are clear -
crystal clear in fact, and God wants us to clearly see them.
It is not then wrong to see and understand the all these
"goodies" of religious knowledge, but we are still in the dug-out
if that is all we have. It is nice to know the technical book
stuff about playing baseball, football, soccer, hockey, or
whatever skill we desire to work at, or just have a love
"knowing" the ins and outs of, but that knowledge by itself does
not get you out of the dug-out or playing the real game and
winning the championship cup final.
The would-be Christian must walk the walk and not just talk
the talk. The Christian must have a REAL and DEEP heart felt love
relationship with the Eternal God and His Son Jesus Christ.
There must be a "connection" with God that goes FAR deeper than
head knowledge. True, to understand God, there must be some head
knowledge, some basics that you can reach out to and connect
with, that gives you a bond so your heart or mind can be on the
same wave-length as the Eternal God and His Son. It is like you
having all the technical knowledge about your mate, but there
must be a heart connection to make that relationship a working
and wonderful experience that really counts for something
special.
God wants you to be connected to Him and His Son Jesus
Christ. He wants a deep and real relationship with you. He wants
you to understand the basics to form that love connection with
Him. Under this section on this Website those basics are fully
revealed to you. You can come to see the clear crystal glass
truths of LAW, GRACE, REPENTANCE, FAITH, JUSTIFICATION,
SANCTIFICATION, HOLINESS, RIGHTEOUSNESS, and the way to
SALVATION.
It starts with you knowing what SIN IS and admitting you ARE
and HAVE BEEN a sinner. This is where many get stuck in the mud.
You may see your sins so clearly, you may see where you have NOT
done the ways of the Lord in your past living. You may have had
some kind of "religious" experience in your life, and then walked
away from God, from Jesus, and from the way and words of the
Bible.
You may now feel so terrible about your sins or
back-sliding. You may now feel it is impossible for God to
forgive you because you are such a huge sinner, or because you
walked away from the Lord for ... well perhaps years, maybe even
decades.
But I want to tell you, there is nothing in your life that
you have done, just nothing, that God will not FORGIVE!! If you
cry out to Him with a deep contrite heart, if you admit to Him,
confess to Him, you are a sinner, that you have sinned, that you
want to be forgiven, want to have a NEW heart, want to serve Him
now with all your heart and mind and life, THEN I CAN ASSURE YOU
GOD WILL HEAR AND WILL FORGIVE YOU, HE WILL COME TO YOU. HE WILL
HOLD OUT HIS ARMS AND RECEIVE YOU WITH LOVE AND WITH JOY!
I can assure you that God and heaven will SING FOR JOY upon
even just ONE sinner REPENTING. It is written that it is so.
God's own word says it is so!
You may think you are the filthiest, vilest, most horrible
sinner. In the eyes and with the standard that your country
holds, you may be looked upon as a horrible vile sinner. Some of
you may be in prison right now as you read these words, for sins
and for evil that you have done upon others in your nation or
community. You may think there is no hope of salvation or
forgiveness for your wrongs you have committed. But I assure you
THERE IS!! God CAN and WILL forgive you if you cry out to Him
and TURN your heart and mind to Him and His way of life. There is
HOPE for ALL AND EVERY SINNER, and it is written also that not
one person who has ever lived (except Jesus the Christ) has been
without sin.
God LOVES LOVE, yes He does. God loves all who will turn
their minds and hearts towards Him, who will desire to walk His
way of life. For anyone, at any time in their life, who will TURN
from the way of the wicked and will walk in the way of the
Eternal God, there is LIFE, such people will LIVE and not die.
Listen friends, it is in God's word, He tells you with His
own mouth, from His own lips comes words of LIFE, eternal
salvation life. Here they are! Read and understand! Lift up your
heads you down-cast, lift them up and take strength. rejoice in
the Lord for He is GOOD!
"But if the wicked will TURN from all his sins that he hath
committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful
and right, he shall surely LIVE, he shall not die. All his
transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be
mentioned unto him; in his righteousness that he hath done he
shall LIVE. Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should
die? says the Lord God, and not that he should RETURN from his
ways, and LIVE? .... again, when the wicked TURNETH way from his
wickedness that he hath committed, and DOETH that which is
lawful, and right, he SHALL SAVE his soul alive. Because he
considereth, and TURNETH away from all his transgressions that he
hath committed, he SHALL surely LIVE, he shall not
die.....REPENT, and TURN yourselves from all your transgressions;
so iniquity shall not be your ruin. cast away from you all your
transgressions, whereby you have transgressed; and make you a NEW
HEART and a new spirit, for why will you die.....For I have NO
pleasure in the death of him that dieth, says the Lord God;
wherefore TURN yourselves and LIVE" (Ezekiel 18:21-32).
YES, TURN YOURSELVES, and LIVE !!
....................
Written May 2006
