We are told in Scripture to behold both the kindness and severity of God (Romans 11:22). Therefore we are deceived if we know God only as kind or severe. He is not kind at some point in time and severe at some other time. He is perfectly both all the time. Even so, which aspect of God we experience – either His kindness or severity – depends on us, just as it is written: “Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off” (Romans 11:22). For those who fell and incurred God’s severity, “they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either” (Romans 11:20-21). This wasn’t an admonition written to unbelievers but to the church. When we understand this solemn truth, we will not flirt with sin in the name of “grace abounds”, neither will we fall to the deception of the “once saved forever saved” doctrine.
In God’s kindness, He so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, so that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). When we respond in faith to God’s love by believing in Jesus, we enter into His kindness. Even so it is delusion to think that once we have entered God’s kindness, we can do as we please and expect His kindness to continue. We are rather commanded to continue in faith, which is obedience, to remain in God’s kindness (Romans 11:19-22, Hebrews 10:38, Romans 14:23b). This doesn’t mean that we never sin but that we are quick to repent and ask for God’s forgiveness when we fall (1 John 1:9, Proverbs 28:13). But when we, even as God’s children, become arrogant and make a practice of sin without seeing the need to repent, as is prevalent in the last days (2 Timothy 4:3-4; Matthew 24:12 ), we have God Himself to oppose us (James 4:6). But it will be better to have the devil opposing you than to have God Himself resist and oppose you.
If we think that God is so loving to such a degree that we can never receive any hard and severe discipline from Him, then we have not yet known God nor the Scriptures as we ought. And we have only become very familiar with a God we barely know (Bobby Conner). For the believer who chose to go in for His father’s wife and was arrogant about it, he was judged and delivered to satan for the destruction of his flesh so that he may learn to repent and his spirit will be saved. This was done under the authority of the Lord Jesus (1 Corinthians 5:1-13).
Also, this is what Jesus Himself said He will do to the harlot Jezebel as well as her children, i.e. those, including God’s children who follow her in her sin without repentance: “But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. ‘I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality. ‘Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. ‘And I will kill her children with pestilence, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds (Revelation 2:20-23). If we think this is an Old Testament Scripture, we should read again. It is Jesus Himself who carries out the killing and the casting into affliction and tribulation as judgement on those, including members of His church who accept to make a practice of sin and refuse to repent.
Ultimately, to the church, God warns that those who live after the flesh, fulling its desires, will not inherit the kingdom of God: “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19-21). This was an admonishing written to the church! And Jesus Himself teaches that to not inherit the kingdom of God is to have your portion in the lake of fire (Matthew 25:41-46). Friends, let us not be fooled. Jesus said that “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter (Matthew 7:21)”. And we are utterly deceived if we think that we can have any other revelation that trumps what Jesus Himself taught us, including His teachings on the new covenant and of the end of the age. For all the Scriptures, Paul and the early apostles only preached Jesus Christ (Acts 5:42, 2 Corinthians 4:5, John 1:1).
We do not know The Father nor Jesus by who we think He ought to be. We can only know Him by the revelation He has given us of Himself based on His Word – as our loving God but also the righteous Judge (2 Timothy 4:8, 2 Corinthians 5:10, Ecclesiastes 12:14) and as kind but also severe (Romans 11:22).
Dr. K. Omari
February 16, 2020.
A Very Important Message
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16). For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23). Therefore, If you do not know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, I invite you to put your faith in Him. Pray the prayer below to accept Jesus Christ as your Saviour:
“I come to you God in Jesus’ name and surrender my life unto you. I repent of my sins and I ask You to forgive me all my sins. I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord, and I believe with my heart that God has raised Jesus from the dead. I thank you God for saving me, in Jesus name, Amen”.
If you sincerely prayed this prayer, believe and be assured that you are saved, for the Bible says that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:13, Romans 10:10, Acts 16:31). Find a Bible believing church to attend so that you can be discipled to grow in the ways of God. You can also email me ([email protected]) and I will be happy to grow together with you in Christ.