Just Because You Repent Doesn’t Mean You Always Get A Free Pass

I love reading the Old Testament and the New Testament together.  I read one chapter from each section each day.  I think it gives me a more balanced view of the Bible.  I think it gives me more insight into God's true and total character. 

I think just reading the New Testament gives us too much Kumbaya while reading just the Old Testament misses the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

Here is my OT reading from a couple of days ago.  Take a look and then I'll tell what lesson I take from it.

2 Chronicles 12:5-8(NKJV)

5Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah, who were gathered together in Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, “Thus says the Lord: ‘You have forsaken Me, and therefore I also have left you in the hand of Shishak.’”

6So the leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, “The Lord is righteous.”

7Now when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, “They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance. My wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. 

8Nevertheless they will be his servants, that they may distinguish My service from the service of the kingdoms of the nations.”

In the NT one gets the feeling that as long as you apologize then everything is hunky dory.  Not so in the OT.  The first part is where God says you guys left me so you are on your own.  Sucks to be you.  Remember, when you reject God, He isn't all Kumbaya, you are now an enemy of God.

When God's people see the trouble they are in all of a sudden they come flocking back to Him.  God acknowledges that they have come back so He isn't going to destroy them.  God in effect accepts their apology.  But that doesn't mean they get a free pass.

Even though they came back and apologized, God still made them pay a price for their rejection of Him.  While God didn't wipe them out, God let them become servants to Shishak.  God was basically saying you think it's tough serving Me?  Go serve this guy and learn how good you had it!

Now how does this apply to our lives today?  At church this weekend Pastor Beth was talking about the kinds of people we don't need in our lives.  To some people that probably seems un-Christian.  I think the above passage offers some guidance. 

It is perfectly OK and acceptable to forgive someone and yet still not want to associate with them any longer.  Forgiveness doesn't mean that you have to accept and or even condone bad behavior. 

Hope that makes sense!