CONDEMNING THE HELPLESS

PSALM 10:2,8 "...THE WICKED ..." "...EYES ARE
SECRETLY FIXED ON THE HELPLESS..."

While thinking about this blog I overheard my wife reading a little book to one of the grandchildren about sharks. It seems that all sharks are in appearance to some degree like other sharks. A whale shark has 3,000 teeth but it would never bite you. A diver can ride on its back and it never attempts to harm the diver. A great white may have the same appearance of a whale shark but one would never attempt to ride on the back of a great white for obvious reasons.

Throughout the country men in suits and ties are leaders in religious movements. They all look alike in appearance but some are tamed and gentle and would never harm another. However, some would "...bite and devour ..." (Gal. 5:15). The latter are religious charlatans who would condemn the spiritually helpless by standing between the Saviour and the helpless.

In a recent blog we looked at the story of the prodigal son. God freely accepted this sinner with open arms. Moneychangers are much like the older brother who complained about the Father's readiness to accept the boy back. Even to the point that he went to him as he returned. Besides the ripple effect of sin being an excuse for not forgiving others I can imagine another ploy given by the unforgiving. "We don't know whether he has truly repented or not." "We don't know for sure about his sincerity." "Why has he come back when he is not worthy." "Doesn't he know everybody knows he is pretending." The older brother acted sort of that way did he not? He was angry that his father so readily received him and he would not even go to the banquet the father had prepared for the boy. However, the father was relentless in giving his forgiveness to the boy.

It is here that we see the significant and real difference between a loving heavenly Father and a judgmental, unforgiving charlatan. "...We had to celebrate and rejoice for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found." (Luke 15:32;" I offer another retort from God to the moneychangers who attempt to refuse the Grace of God to sinners. In John 8:1-11 Jesus gives us the account. The religious professionals of the day brought a woman to Jesus who had been caught in adultery. Their take was that the sin was so bad that she should be stoned. They asked Jesus what He thought about it. He wrote on the ground as if he did not even hear them. Then He said to them "...He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first." Then he just stooped back down and began writing on the ground again. They simply slinked away, and when they were gone He said to the woman..."Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?" The lady said "No one, Lord." Jesus said to her..."...Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more;"

To think that Jesus condoned adultery or riotous living of any kind would be far-fetched. But to think those sins or any other sin is in a category of unforgiveness is also far-fetched. Jesus did not categorize sin. He forgave it. And He simply admitted that the woman was a sinner and her accusers were sinners when He made the statement "...He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first." I would hope that we all, including charlatans who should know better, would realize that.

The only ploy then that the moneychanger has to keep pentitent sinners from forgiveness and therefore imprisoned in their sins is to impugn the motives of the sinner. I think I know what they are saying about these two sinners, the prodigal and the adulterous woman. "Jesus knew they had truly repented so he forgave them because repentance is necessary for forgiveness." I must tell you here that Jesus still knows the repentant heart even today. And if you say you do you are treading in dangerous water.

I know what you really want from people before you will forgive them. It is repentance, but it is incredibly more than that. You want sins fixed and you want someone to suffer in the process. But you want what God does not require. And no one can fix sins. Can you fix your sins? Can anyone take care of the ripples? You seem to misunderstand about repentance. Don't you know what it is? It is produced by sorrow that is godly and it is a change of mind and purpose and cannot include fixing the results of sins. Jesus did that on the cross. Don't you know that.

The Father did not tell the prodigal to restore all the inheritance. He just forgave him. And Jesus did not tell that adulterous woman to go back and undo her adultery. He knew that would be impossible. He simply told her He did not condemn her and advised her to sin no more. And that is the same advise he gives you, Mr. Moneychanger. Sin no more. Please quit looking for excuses to condemn. Quit putting a yoke around the necks of others that you cannot bear yourself. We are all sinful. God encourages us not to be, but we are. And by His grace He forgives us and saves us because of His love for us and the perfect sacrifice He gave on our behalf.

There is absolutely no way you can look into the heart of an individual and determine the genuineness of his repentance. So please let them have the forgiveness of God without preying on the helpless sinner and condemning him.