This is a picture of one of the holes in the temple grounds around the temple. These holes were there to catch the blood from the many animal sacrifices that were done. Hebrews 9:22 says without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins. Jesus blood was shed for our forgiveness yet there are money changers who would refuse the forgiveness purchased with the blood of Christ to the people of God.
The picture above reminds us of a Saviour who died for us "...while we were yet sinners..." (Romans 5:8). Paul told the Ephesians "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace. (Ephesians 1:7) I call those who deny the people of God forgiveness moneychangers for they exploit the House of God.
In the last writing I indicated that I would try to give reasons why moneychangers would fail the fallen by refusing to allow them forgiveness.
(1) One reason a person might deny a child of God forgiveness is because that person lacks the knowledge to understand the subject of forgiveness. A charlatan is a person who falsely claims knowledge or skill and is a self-acknowledged expert. A Christian who is a spiritual charlatan is a danger to the House of God. And this is especially true when the judgment of other men's lives is based in ones charlatanism.
The charlatan operating in the church today is an abusive force not completely fathoming the degree to which God will go in forgiving men their sins. If he did understand I can only hope that he would not be so hard hearted and mean and if he understood, (we will discuss this later) that his forgiveness depends on his attitude in this respect towards other men, he might be inclined to be less charlatan in his views.
We call a charlatan in the medical field a quack and one is no less a quack in the spiritual field. For he exploits mens' lives at a terrible cost to those men and they do not receive expert spiritual attention when they need it.
Sometimes folks are voluntary charlatans. They deny what they know or should know. An example of this occurred when Peter and John were preaching the Gospel in Jerusalem. They were on their way to preach when they were confronted by a lame man. On our recent trip to Israel we witnessed such beggars on the temple grounds in Jerusalem. The lame man was healed . Peter and John went on to preach the Gospel and we learn that to this point 5,000 men had heard the Word and "...believed..." (Acts 4:4). It is here that the quacks of the day began to operate. They were so bound up in their traditions and their own ideas about the kingdom of God that they could not conceive of what the Apostles were doing. These men were preaching a gospel of forgiveness. So the scriptures say that these charlatans were "...greatly disturbed that (Peter and John) taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead." (Acts 4:2) Of course they were disturbed because it would upset their powerful positions and the money they were receiving because of their positions. So they simply told the apostles to quit preaching "...in the name of Jesus..."(Acts 4:18) It is here that we see moneychanger tactics because this preaching being kept from the people would have in effect denied the people the results of preaching in the name of Jesus. That was the purpose of His coming."...you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." (Matt.1:21)
Please bear with us and continue to read about the greatest story ever told. The story of a man who came and died so that we might be set free from our sins and the guilt of those sins. Indeed He removes them, as He said as far as the East is from the West and He remembers them against us no more. Too bad the charlatan will not educate himself to that fact.
The never ending story, I will pick this up tomorrow. Good nite.................................
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