BiblicalInsights.net

The knowledge of God is essential to peace and joy.  The knowledge of God produces fear of the Lord which is the equivalence to obedience to God’s commands.  Where there is no knowledge of God, there is no fear of the Lord.  The fear of the Lord gives hope.  “Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy. To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.  Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name. Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in thee” (Psa. 33:18-22).  God’s mercy and our fear of the LORD produce hope.  Without the knowledge of God, there is no hope!
An Old Testament Precept
“They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy” (Jonah 2:8).  Lying vanities are idols.  When we give up our knowledge of God, we are subject to idolatry.  Idols are lifeless, powerless, vain, and ultimately nothing (I Cor. 8:4).  To trust in idols is to abandon God. God is merciful, good, slow to anger, and gracious. When we abandon God, we forsake our own mercy because mercy comes from God.
New Testament Application
In Rom. 1:28-32, Paul shows some of the consequences of abandoning God.  “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind to do those things which are not convenient.”
The first consequence that follows abandoning God is that evil abounds.  A reprobate mind is one that cannot stand the test of righteousness that comes from God.  Thus, it fails and is rejected by God.  But, such a mind produces all manner of evil.  The five verses that follow v. 28 contain 23 sins named by Paul.  When men abandon God, they abandon all restraint from sin.  Instead, they indulge in sin and take pleasure in them that commit sin (Rom. 1:32).  Hosea declares, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee…” (Hosea 4:1-6).  Sin is always destructive.  Here is the list of sins enumerated by Paul:  filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity, whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, and unmerciful.  While this list is not exhaustive of every sin, it is representative of all types of unrighteousness.  When we abandon God, evil abounds.
The second consequence of abandoning God is impenitence.  Paul states, “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasures up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God” (Rom. 2:4-5).  The human heart, hardened by sin, manifests unbelief.  Consider these words of inspiration, “But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin” (Heb. 3:13).  Sin hardens the human heart against the goodness of God.  No wonder Jonah said, “They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.”  Unbelief produces impenitence.  The human heart will not turn away from sin.  Impenitence results in being unforgiven.  When we abandon God, we forsake mercy.
A third consequence of abandoning God is condemnation.  Paul writes, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness” (Rom. 1:18).  To “hold the truth” is to suppress the truth.  When we abandon God, truth is suppressed and lies abound. When we abandon God, we abandon truth.  “And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (II Thess. 2:10-12).  When we abandon the truth, our unbelief will result in condemnation before God. “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:16).  Our unbelief is a self-inflicted wound that will lead to self-destruction.  When we abandon God, we are hopeless!
When we abandon God, evil abounds, we are unforgiven, and without hope.  “Those that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy!”

“Dying in Sin” is an expression of horror that is greater than all other horrors–a horror of horrors!  To die impenitent and unforgiven is the supreme spiritual disaster.
Dying in sin is a phrase first encountered in the Old Testament.  It is found in Ezekiel 3:18, “When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.”  And, in Ezekiel 18:18, “As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, spoiled his brother by violence, and did that which is not good among his people, lo, even he shall die in his iniquity.”  Both passages express a finality regarding one’s spiritual condition at death.
Jesus Used The Phrase, “Die in Your Sins.”
In John 8:21-24, Jesus used the phrase under consideration.  “Then said Jesus again unto them, “I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in hour sins: whither I go, ye cannot come.  Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself? because he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come.  And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.  I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.”
Who Said It?
Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees and the Jews.  Jesus intimately knows the hearts of men.  John affirms this in John 2:25, “And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.”  Indeed, Jesus searches the hearts of men and knows what characterizes the human heart.
To Whom Did He Say It?
While Jesus was in the temple area, specifically the area where the treasury was located, he had a conversation with the Pharisees (v. 13, 19, 20).  While He addresses them, He also broadens His speech to include the Jews (v. 22-24).  This would include the religious leaders among the Jews and those that they were able to persuade.  This group is commonly presented as the enemies of Jesus.  Their unbelief and disobedience was known by Jesus and His disciples.
What Did He Say?
Jesus said plainly, “Ye shall seek me and ye shall die in your sins” (v. 21).  In v. 21, Jesus states emphatically that they were in spiritual peril.  Jesus indicted them, “ye are of this world.”  He did not mean that they were humans living on the earth, but that they were worldly in their hearts.  They did not believe that He was the Son of God and would later charge Him with blasphemy because He claimed to be the Son of God.  They did not obey His teaching.  Their unbelief and disobedience were at the root of Jesus’ statement, “ye shall die in your sins.”  Dying is a reference to the end of their physical lives upon the earth.  Death is defined biblically as the moment when the spirit leaves the body (James 2:26). There is a finality to death regarding our ability to affect our spiritual status before God.  Once death occurs, there are no second chances to change our spiritual status. Dying in sin involves a state of unbelief and disobedience or a state of rebellion against God.  They were both impenitent and unforgiven.  Consequently, they would die without hope (I Thess. 4:13-18).  Their spiritual end is described in II Thess. 1:7-9, “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels. In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.”   Such an end to human life is a horror of horrors!
Why Did He Say It?
Many among the Pharisees rejected Jesus as the Son of God and the Messiah.  Many of the Pharisees were able to persuade others of this same erroneous view (John 12:42).  Their unbelief and disobedience led to their spiritual ruin.  Jesus knew their hearts.  He knew how they had hardened their hearts against Him.  He warns them of the impending peril of their souls. Later, many of these same religious leaders led the charge of blasphemy against Jesus and demanded that He be put to death (Matthew 26:57-68).  Their hardness of heart led to a hatred that is unmatched in human history.  Only the love of God can pierce a human heart so full of hatred and so hardened by unbelief.  The reality of sin and how it affects the human heart is laid bare by the Lord.  Some human hearts are not able to be penetrated by the most powerful force on the earth–God’s love!  Indeed, there is a  solemn warning to all of us in these words: “Ye shall die in your sins!”  “Except ye believe that I am he, ye shall die in your sins” (John 8:24).

Knowing God is the ultimate quest of the human heart.  God has revealed Himself in the following ways:  (1) Through His Creative Acts (Rom. 1:20); (2) Through Special Revelation (His Word) (Ex. 34:6-7); and (3) Through His Son–Jesus Christ (John 14:9).  We can know the heart of God.
In II Peter 3:9, the Holy Spirit reveals, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”  There are four affirmations in this text.  First, the veracity of God’s Word.  Second, the long-suffering of God.  Third, the desire of God to save.  Fourth, the call to repentance.
The Veracity of God’s Word
The promise referred to in this passage is the promise of the Second Coming of Jesus.  Jesus promised His disciples that He would come again.  “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.  In my Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:1-3).  The word of God is true and faithful.  God cannot lie (I Sam. 15:29; Heb. 6:18; Titus 1:2).  The fulfillment of this promise is future (II Pet. 3:10-11).  The time of Christ’s return is not known by us (Matt. 24:36).  In regards to this promise, some men mock God (II Pet. 3:3-4).  However, there is a historical precedent–the Flood–that demonstrates the veracity of God’s Word and and His punitive power.  God is not slack (slow) concerning His promises.  God is not delaying or neglectful.  But, God is long-suffering.
The Longsuffering of God
The word lonsuffering (makrothumia) means “to demonstrate self-restraint in the face of provocation.”  Our sin provokes God’s wrath.  However, God is merciful and does not desire that any should perish.  God’s longsuffering is a function of His love and mercy.  God holds Himself back from punishing us immediately because He wills the salvation of every person. God’s long-suffering was functioning in the days of Noah.  Noah was a preacher of righteousness (I Pet. 3:20). God used Noah to proclaim repentance to the people in his day (Gen. 6:3; II Pet. 2:5).  After a period of 120 years, God brought the flood upon the earth. Behold, the heart of God!  God is long-suffering, but the period of His long-suffering ended and His wrath was poured out on the ungodly.
The Desire of God to Save
Paul confirms God’s desire to save.  In I Tim. 2:4, he writes, “Who will have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”  The scheme of redemption proves God’s desire to save from the ravages and eternal consequences of sin.  The cross of Jesus Christ proves it.  The gospel of Christ proves it.  Rom. 1:16 states, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”  Paul affirms, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief” (I Tim. 1:15).  Because God desires that all be saved, He calls all people to repentance.
The Call to Repentance
Repentance describes the ultimate reversal.  It signifies the complete about-face of heart, mind, and thought and life that triggers conversion and initiates the transition from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light (Col. 1:13).  The Greek word metanoia literally means “to perceive afterwards.”  In other words, “to see afterwards” is to repent because we see that the way we thought or lived before was wrong and needed changing (see Os Guinness, Fools Talk, p. 43). Repentance involves turning away from sin and turning to God.  The call to repentance tests the hearts of men.  God has revealed His heart in His desire to save.  We reveal our hearts in whether or not we will repent.  The Judge of all men is coming again (II Pet. 3:10-11).  In view of this fact, we have to take advantage of the opportunity for salvation that God’s long-suffering creates.  “And account that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation…” (II Pet. 3:15).  The Day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. The world will end.  The Judge of all the earth will be manifest.  All will be judged by Him (Acts 17:31).  God’s long-suffering is our opportunity to be saved before the great and notable Day of the Lord when His punitive power will be unleashed on the ungodly and they will perish eternally.
Obey the Gospel
Every accountable person must obey the gospel (II Thess. 1:7-9) or face God’s wrath.  Peter said to those on the Day of Pentecost, “…repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38).

What is worship? Wiliam Temple makes the following comments, “Worship is the submission of all of our nature to God. It is the quickening of conscience by His holiness, nourishment of mind by His truth, purifying of imagination by His beauty, opening of the heart to His love, and submission of will to His purpose. All this gathered up in adoration is the greatest of all expressions of which we are capable” (quoted in Cries of the Heart by Ravi Zacharias, 207).
Worship is adoration of deity. There is only one God and worship is to be directed to Him. God is a spirit and must be worshipped in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).
What are the Elements of Worship?
In Malachi chapters one and two, the prophet addresses the sins of the people of God who had perverted worship. Perverted worship is a sign of perverted hearts. He calls God’s people back to pure devotion and adoration of God. He calls them back to holiness. Adoration of God in the spirit of holiness is needed today.
It is impossible to worship God without love. God loved His own people, but they failed to love Him back. Malachi 1:2. Love for God is manifested by keeping His commandments (John 14:15). Disobedience to God is iniquity. Love rejoices not in iniquity but rejoices in truth (I Cor. 13:6).
It is impossible to worship God without reverence. Malachi states, “A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name…” (Mal. 1:6). The priests corrupted worship and so despised God’s name (authority). Reverence for God involves listening to God’s authority in Scripture.
It is impossible to worship God without sacrifice. Malachi continues his rebuke of the priests. “Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible. And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts? (Mal. 1:7-8). God deserves the very best that we can offer. Our sacrifices must reflect our love and reverence for Him.
It is impossible to worship God acceptably with the wrong motive. Malachi chastises the people because they had profaned the sacred (Mal. 1:12). They were more intent on pleasing themselves than pleasing God. Worship demands God pleasers.
It is impossible to worship God without instruction in truth. Malachi offers some strong words in 2:7, “For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.” Honorable worship is guided by truth. Pure hearts are guided by truth. Vain worship is defined by teaching the doctrines of men rather than of God (Matt. 15:9).
It is impossible to worship God without obedience. Malachi addresses the desparity between the everyday lives of the people and their approach to God. They mistreated the wives of their youth by divorcing them (Mal. 2:13-16). What they did in their family life had an impact on their worship. They failed to honor God in their daily lives. Corruption has a way of permeating all of life. They failed to maintain the sanctity of marriage as God had commanded. Their corrupted hearts led to perverted judgment (Mal. 2:17).
Malachi cries out against the sins of the priests and the people. He calls for repentance that will lead to a renewal of the love of the sacred. Pure hearts will lead to pure worship. Corrupt hearts find worship wearisome. The pure in heart delight in the presence of God. Don’t measure your worship experience by externals. Measure it by your own heart.

Consider the following words from the Holy Spirit through the apostle Paul, “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds” (Rom. 2:4-6). The word impenitent means “without a change of mind.” The impenitent will not turn away from sin to serve the true and living God. Repentance is a change of heart that affects a change of life. This change is in God’s direction and is always for the better. Repentance is a universal command of God (Acts 17:30). Failure to obey this command results in a state of hardness and impenitence.
There are several features of impenitence that Paul reveals. The first is ingratitude. The impenitent despise God’s goodness. The goodness of God is seen in many ways, but especially in the unspeakable gift of His Son (John 3:16). When men refuse to repent, they manifest ingratitude for redemption through Jesus Christ. God’s forbearance and longsuffering provide opportunity for man to repent. However, the impenitent do not take advantage of this opportunity. Second, there is hardness of heart. The human heart can be hardened through unbelief and the practice of sin (Heb. 3:12). A hardened heart resists God’s Will. The hard hearted rebell against God. Third, there is contentiousness and disobedience (Rom. 2:8). The impenitent fight against God and refuse to obey the truth. Impenitence produces an antagonism against God. The impenitent become the enemies of God.
Notice some causes of impenitence. The first cause that we must consider is pride. Pride is inordinate self-esteem. It is unreasonable conceit of superiority. It is thinking of oneself more highly than what should be done. A good synonym for pride is arrogance. Pride is at the root of every sin man commits. When we sin, we are saying that we will do things our way rather than God’s way. Second, impenitence is caused by a lack of godly sorrow. In I Cor. 5:2, Paul reveals the apathy of the Corinthian brethren regarding the sin of fornication that was present in the church. He states, “And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.” Pride and lack of godly sorrow for sin were the cause of the toleration of sin in the church. Godly sorrow produces repentance. Repentance is an essential aspect of salvation (II Cor. 7:10). The impenitent fail to mourn their sins. Another cause of impenitence is ignorance of sin. Ignorance of sin is dangerous because it results in a false sense of security. Paul persecuted the Lord’s church because of ignorance (I Tim. 1:13). The Jews crucified Jesus because of ignorance (Acts 3:17). Closely related to ignorance is unbelief. When we act in ignorance, we often manifest unbelief (I Tim. 1:13). Paul, before his conversion, rejected the truth that Jesus Christ was the Son of God and consequently, he consented unto the death of the saints and imprisoned them. His zeal against the Lord’s church was miguided and wrong. Unbelief causes men to turn away from God and turn against God.”
The cure for impenitence begins with brokenness. Brokenness is the result of a combination of humility, sorrow and pain caused by sin (Luke 4:18). Brokenness destroys pride. It produces godly sorrow. Impenitence can be cured through the knowledge of the truth. Truth destroys ignorance and convicts of sin (John 16:8-9). We must be convinced of our need for Christ. Impenitence can be overcome by faith. Faith involves being convinced of righteousness. The human mind must be informed in the right ways of God or there is no motivation to change. The Word of God provides us with the necessary content of the knowledge of God and produces faith in God (Rom. 10:17). Impenitence can be overcome with hope. Faith and hope go together. Where there is faith in God, there is hope in God. There is a better way to live life than in the pursuit of wickedness. Following Jesus points us in a better direction and gives us a better future–a future with God (Heb. 8:6; 6:18-19). Finally, impenitence can be overcome by considering the righteous judgment of God. God’s wrath and punishment will fall upon the unrighteous. God will render to every man according to his deeds. There is a reward for the righteous and punishment for the disobedient. The impenitent will face the wrath of God. This should be sufficient to turn them away from sin to God (Rom. 2:7-10).
The impenitent heart will never see God. The way of the transgressor is hard. You can choose this path for your life or you can choose to follow Jesus. We can change our lives for the better if we choose to walk with God.

     In Christianity Today, July, 2009 p. 17 an article appeared titled, “What To Do About Polygamy.”  Jacob Zuma was recently elected as South Africa’s fourth president.  He is a polygamist.  He has three wives.  The question that captivated observers has been which of the Zulu traditionalist’s wives would be first lady?  Polygamy, traditionally the practice of men with the land and money to support a large family, is now practiced by middle-class and poor men.  The African church is not united on what should be required when polygamists convert.  Earlier Western missionaries felt a need to confront polygamy at the point of conversion.  Many African church leaders today feel that  treating polygamous marriages as invalid raises a number of serious problems:  what to do about the children; the economic plight of the women involved, and demanding divorce.  
     What is wrong with normalizing polygamy?  What is wrong with normalizing any sin? (gambling, homosexuality, fornication, adultery, etc.).  I think that these questions can be answered by asking three questions:  What is truth?  What is sin?  and What is repentance?
     What is truth?   Whenever we normalize evil we pervert the truth.  Isa. 5:20, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”  Whenever we call evil good, we prevert the truth and distort reality.  Truth is that which conforms to reality as God defines it.  In order to normalize evil, we must prevert the truth and, consequently, we no longer have a correct view of reality.  When we make decisions based upon a distorted view of reality, we are destined to destruction.
     What is sin?  The only intrinsic evil is sin.  Sin is a transgression of the law of God (I John 3:4; 5:17).  “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.”  Jesus clearly teaches God’s will concerning marriage is that one man and one woman come together in covenant relationship for life (Matt. 19:1-9).  Jesus teaches monogamy not polygamy.  Polygamy is a form of fornication (I Cor. 6:9,10).  Polygamy is a sin.
     What is repentance?  In Acts 17:30,31, the apostle Paul declared, “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent.  Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.”  Repentance is a change of heart that affects a change of life.  Repentance means to turn away from sin and to turn to God.  Repentance involves the intent of stopping sin and starting to live righteously and godly before God.  The Gospel call involves a call to holiness (I Thess. 4:7).  We must purpose to cease sinning and begin living according to God’s Will.  Once we become a Christian, we do not continue in sin (Rom. 6:1-2).  We are dead to sin and alive unto Christ!  Repentance demands that sin be confronted at the time of our conversion.  We are saved from sin not in our sins!  (see I Thess. 1:9 for an example). 
     All sin must be confronted at the point of conversion.  A knowledge of the truth, of sin, and of repentance demands it.