A second selection of Scripture proving Peter wrong. Tuesday, June 20, 2017

I touched on this a few weeks ago but I just ran across some Scripture that I believe backs up what I wrote back then.  What I am referring to is this Scripture by Peter.

2 Peter 3:9(NKJV)

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

And as I wrote before, Peters statement is at odds with what Jesus said.  Jesus said that he spoke in parables specifically so that some people wouldn't get it and would not be saved.

Matthew 13:11(NKJV)

He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 

Now I ran across these verses in Luke. 

Luke 13:23-30(NKJV)

Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?” And He said to them, 

“Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 

When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’ 

then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’ 

But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’ 

There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out. 

They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God. 

And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last.”

Now if God truly wanted everyone saved Jesus could simply open the door back up and let everyone in.  But He doesn't do that does He?  Nope.  Jesus makes perfectly clear that there will come a point where it is too late! 

So where does that leave you dear reader?  Are you ready for when the door closes?  Have you invited Jesus into your life?  There is no better time than now to do it.  Just have a conversation with Jesus.  Let Him know where you are at in life and what you need.  "Dear Jesus…."

Interesting concept isn't it?

Proverbs 20:18(NKJV)

    Plans are established by counsel;      By wise counsel wage war.

There are many who say Jesus is a pacifist.  I say that can't be.  I remind you of the principal expressed by Jesus below.

Luke 11:17(NKJV)

But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls. 

So in the first verse we have God telling the people that when they wage war, be smart about it.  Notice there is no condemnation of war.  Now if Jesus really were a pacifist that would put Him at odds with God and as Jesus Himself said, a house divided cannot stand.

Are we really all supposed to receive an equal outcome?

One of the big focuses of Red Letter Christians is equality of outcome.  It's not fair that some have more than others.  It's not fair that some make more than others, etc.

Really?

Scripture seems to say otherwise.

Proverbs 11:29(NKJV)

    He who troubles his own house will inherit the wind,     And the fool will be servant to the wise of heart.

This made me chuckle for some reason.

I don't know why but this vision made me chuckle.  Imagine the scene.  These people actually ridiculing Jesus to His face.  Wow!  :)

Luke 8:50-53(NKJV)

But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, “Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well.” 

When He came into the house, He permitted no one to go in except Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl. 

Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said, “Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping.” 

And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead.

Mocking the Son of God to His face.  It's a good thing Jesus is big on forgiveness!  :)

Once again, no magic incantation.

Once again I am struck by the difference between Christian doctrine and what Jesus actually said.  We are told that we need to believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths that Jesus is the Son of God, He died for our sins, and rose again on the third day.  In other words there is this ritualistic incantation that we have to say to be saved.

And yet when I search the words of Jesus Himself I don't see that.  Take a look at these verses from Luke and then I will comment further.

Luke 7:44-47(NKJV)

Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. 

You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. 

You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. 

Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”

Luke 7:50(NKJV)

Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

Notice that the woman didn't say the magic words.  I believe she demonstrated them with her actions but she didn't say the magic incantation.  And yet Jesus Himself tells her that her sins are forgiven.  And what was it that saved her?  Jesus says specifically it is her faith!!!! 

Now please understand, I'm not against a profession of faith.  Not at all.  I just don't believe not saying the magic words keeps one out of Heaven.  I believe demonstrating your faith in Jesus continually is what gets you there.  At least that is what I take from the verses above. 

God is….gracious

Once again we find a couple of words that are somewhat interchangeable.  Gracious and merciful.

Exodus 33:19(NKJV)

Then He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” 

Exodus 22:26-27(NKJV)

If you ever take your neighbor’s garment as a pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down. 

For that is his only covering, it is his garment for his skin. What will he sleep in? And it will be that when he cries to Me, I will hear, for I am gracious.

Exodus 34:5-7(NKJV)

Now the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. 

And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, 

keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.”

2 Chronicles 30:9(NKJV)

For if you return to the Lord, your brethren and your children will be treated with compassion by those who lead them captive, so that they may come back to this land; for the Lord your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn His face from you if you return to Him.”

Psalms 103:8(NKJV)

    The Lord is merciful and gracious,     Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.

Let's get the definitions.

gracious

1. pleasantly kind, benevolent, and courteous.
2. characterized by good taste, comfort, ease, or luxury:

gracious suburban living; a gracious home.

3. indulgent or beneficent in a pleasantly condescending way, especially to inferiors.
4. merciful or compassionate:

our gracious king.

5. Obsolete. fortunate or happy.

From <http://www.dictionary.com/browse/gracious?s=t>

merciful

1. full of mercy; characterized by, expressing, or showing mercy; compassionate:

a merciful God.

From <http://www.dictionary.com/browse/merciful>

mercy

1. compassionate or kindly forbearance shown toward an offender, an enemy, or other person in one's power; compassion, pity, or benevolence:

Have mercy on the poor sinner.

2. the disposition to be compassionate or forbearing:

an adversary wholly without mercy.

3. the discretionary power of a judge to pardon someone or to mitigate punishment, especially to send to prison rather than invoke the death penalty.
4. an act of kindness, compassion, or favor:

She has performed countless small mercies for her friends and neighbors.

5. something that gives evidence of divine favor; blessing:

It was just a mercy we had our seat belts on when it happened.

From <http://www.dictionary.com/browse/mercy>

I think the overall message here is that God will give us many chances.  Unfortunately I think there are many in the Christian community who have taken this to mean that we will get unlimited opportunities and even if we never accept Jesus we still get to go to Heaven because after all God is gracious and merciful. 

I think that is an error in their understanding of Scripture. 

"…he departed from Him until an opportune time."

Never for a moment think that Satan has given up on you. 

Luke 4:13(NKJV)

Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.

Just because we successfully resist Satan doesn't mean that he will give up and leave us alone.  It just means he is going to back off and wait for a more opportune time.  So don't let your guard down!