Mercy And Justice
So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." John 20:21-23
This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. 1 Timothy 1:15-17
The basis of our judicial system is not only whether a person is guilty or not guilty of a crime but the reason he did the crime. Hence we have terms as reckless behavior, negligent behavior, first degree manslaughter, second degree manslaughter, justifiable homicide and acquittal. The Court usually considers the evidence in a light most favorable to the accused. The elements of the crime of manslaughter in the second degree, each of which the state must prove beyond a reasonable doubt, are that at the time and place alleged: 1. The defendant caused the death of person. 2. The killing was reckless. 3. The killing was not excusable or justified.
A person is reckless with respect to circumstances when the person consciously and unjustifiably disregards a substantial risk that such circumstances may exist. The difference between reckless behavior and negligent behavior is primarily measured by the state of mind of the individual Any reckless killing of one human being, including an unborn child, by the act or procurement of another is neither murder nor manslaughter in the first degree, nor excusable nor justifiable homicide, is manslaughter in the second degree.
A person can be charged with a crime and be acquitted because there was not sufficient evidence to sustain a conviction. It doesn’t mean he wasn’t guilty but just that he could not be proven guilty. In the court of law it has been established “Where a person commits an act without being conscious thereof, the act is not a criminal act even though it would be a crime if it had been committed by a person who was conscious.” But when evidence has been given to to show that the defendant was conscious at the time and place of the commission of the alleged offenses for which he has been put on trial and committed the offenses he must be found guilty and sentenced accordingly. God’s word is unchanging:
For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. And again, "The LORD will judge His people." It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Hebrews 10:26-31
Because the earth’s government is on God’s shoulder (Isaiah 9:6, Romans 13:1-4) and has been patterned or the copy and shadow of the heavenly things (Hebrews 8:5) in judging things we must consider is not only whether a person is guilty or not guilty of a crime but the reason he did the crime. Each one who has been born again and filled with the Spirit of God has been made a king and priest unto our God. As a king we execute authority and judgments over things including people. As a priest we show mercy and intercede on behalf of others. And not all sins are forgiveable by us even though many Christians believe in unconditional forgiveness and forgive people unconditionally for anything and everything. But the bible tells us that woe comes to those who don’t repent:
Then He said to the disciples, "It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! "It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. "Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. "And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him." Luke 17:1-4
And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 1:12-14
If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death. 1 John 5:16-17
Apostle Paul received mercy and forgiveness because he did things it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. He also received mercy and forgiveness because Christians lovingly prayed for his conviction and salvation. And that in Him first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life
Love is the new and greatest commandment that God has given us today. And we are now commanded to love one another. Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. We are commanded in the Word of God in Romans 13:7-9 to Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. or the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not bear false witness," "You shall not covet," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." We are also told in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 that Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. We are also told in 1 John 4:8-11 that He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. Most offenses that we do to others result from the lack of love, including the fact that we don’t love ourselves, don’t love others and don’t believe that God loves or cares for us. As a result we kill or murder people with our words and or deeds. God’s word is unchanging:
"You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. John 8:44
Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 1 John 3:15-18
Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us. If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also. 1 John 4:15-21
The lack of God’s love in our hearts and lives and to others through us, is a major cause of many of our sins and offenses to others for which we need to repent and receive love from God because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us (Romans 5:5). Otherwise we shall know the judgments of God just as Jesus promised:
"For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.' "But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire. "Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, "leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. "Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. Matthew 5:20-25
"And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. Matthew 23:12
In dealing with others who have caused us offenses we must loose the love of God upon all our enemies and adversaries who don’t know what they are doing. We must forgive and release them from their sins. But for those that consciously sin against God's will, we must pray for Holy Spirit conviction upon them that they would turn and repent. Otherwise we should loose God’s righteousness and judgment of psalm 59 and 109 upon them as per the Word of God in Matthew 18:15-20. If we don’t loose righteousness and justice on unrepentant ones, then they will continue causing unrepented offenses to others and we will be guilty for their sins and share in the judgment of God that follows. God’s word is unchanging:
Now it came to pass at the end of seven days that the word of the LORD came to me, saying, "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me: "When I say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die,' and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. "Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul. "Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die; because you did not give him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. "Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man that the righteous should not sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning; also you will have delivered your soul." Ezekiel 3:16-21
"And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Matthew 16:19
But all this doesn’t change the fact that God overlooked times of ignorance, but now commands all men everywhere to repent. His word is unchanging:
"God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. "Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. "And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, "so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; "for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring.' "Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man's devising. "Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, "because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead." Acts 17:24-31
WALTER KAMBULOW
EXTRACT FROM Called To Inherit A Blessing
http://walthope.tripod.com/called.htm
http://walthope.wordpress.com/
http://walthope.tripod.com/
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