BiblicalInsights.net

James writes, “For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.”  Three times the word “mercy” is found in this passage.  The word is a translation of the Greek word eleos. Eleos is God’s attitude toward those who are in distress.  It is the outward manifestation of pity.  Eleos tempers the justice of God by providing a remedy for sin.  The word mercy captures the essence of its meaning.
Getting In Over My Head
The phrase, “getting in over my head” is an idiom.  The phrase means, “to become too deeply involved in or with a difficult situation, beyond the point of being able to control or cope with things any longer.”  The following examples illustrate its meaning.  “I’ve gotten in way over my head with this money laundering scheme.”  Now the mob is threatening my family if I try to back out.”  And, “I think I’m getting in over my head with Amy.  She wants marriage, kids, and a house, and I’m just not ready for any of that” (idioms.thefreedictionary.com).  Every person who sins, “gets in over his/her head” and encounters a situation that he/she is powerless to do anything about.  Only God can forgive sins.  However, God is merciful and has provided a remedy for sin through His Son– Jesus Christ.
Judgment Without Mercy
The greatest fear of any person is to face the justice of God without mercy.  Jesus said, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” (Mark 16:16).  Damnation is the result of unbelief.  Unbelief causes us to face the full weight of the judgment of God.  Through faith and baptism we can obtain the forgiveness of God and be saved from the eternal consequences of sin.  Judgment without mercy is applied by James to those who show no mercy.  Jesus said, “But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matt. 6:15).  Jesus also told the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant (Matt. 18:32-35) in which He taught that the unmerciful will not receive mercy.  Every Christian should imitate the heart of God by showing mercy to his neighbor.
Mercy Triumphs Over Judgment
God’s mercy provides a remedy for sin.  When we transgress God’s law, we sin (I John 3:4). We cannot escape this sinful state by our own power.  The remedy for sin is supplied by God through justification.  Justification is acquittal from sin.  “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1).  “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him” (Rom. 5:8-9).  When we are justified by God through Jesus Christ, we are pronounced “not guilty” because we have been forgiven.  Forgiveness is based upon the sacrificial death of Jesus in our behalf.  Jesus provides atonement for sin.  Forgiveness from God is conditional.  The conditions that must be met by us are: faith (Heb. 11:6); love (Matt. 22:36-39; Mark 12:29-31); Repentance (Acts 17:30); Confession (Rom. 10:9-10); and baptism (immersion in water) (Rom. 6:3-4).  These commands constitute obedience to the gospel of Christ (II Thess. 1:7-9; Acts 2:38; Heb. 5:8-9; Rom. 10:16). When we obey the gospel of Christ, we are justified before God.  Mercy triumphs over judgment!
The Triumph of Mercy
Mercy boasts against judgment.  Mercy triumphs over judgment only through the atoning power of the blood of Christ.  If we do not obtain mercy from God, then, we will face His judgment without mercy!  When we sin against God, we “get in over our head”, but, through God’s mercy we can be justified before Him.

S. Scott Bartchy wrote, Slavery in the First Century and I Corinthians 7:21 as a Ph.D. thesis in 1973 for his doctorate at Harvard University.  Wife & Stock Publishing has republished this scholarly work (2003).  Bartchy gives us one of the most comprehensive works on slavery in the First Century A. D. He also provides a comprehensive analysis of I Corinthians 7.  After a careful exegesis of I Cor. 7:17-24, he gives his own translation of this passage of Scripture. While the reader will need to draw his/her own conclusions based upon an exegesis of I Cor. 7, Bartchy’s work will be helpful as a guide and also to correct some faulty areas of thinking regarding this passage and Paul’s intended meaning.  I have uploaded a book review of Bartchy’s work on my Book Reviews page.  Enjoy!

The friendship of David and Jonathan is one of the purest in the entire Bible.  Friendship is a relationship of mutual affection.  Friendship is a stronger form of interpersonal bond than either acquaintance or co-worker.  Jeremy Taylor defines friendship in the following manner, “By friendship you mean the greatest love, the greatest usefulness, the most open communication, the noblest sufferings, the severest truth, the heartiest counsel, and the greatest union of minds of which brave men and women are capable.”
The Relationship Between David and Jonathan
In I Samuel 13:3; and 14:1-14, there is a depiction of the heroism of Jonathan and his armor bearer.  Together, they destroyed a Philistine garrison of twenty men.  Before Jonathan approaches the Philistines, he establishes a sign that would indicate that God would deliver the enemy into their hands.  When the sign was confirmed, Jonathan and his armor bearer fought and won the battle.  David demonstrates his fearless fighting ability by fighting the giant Goliath and killing him (I Samuel 17).  David and Jonathan were both fearless warriors.  Both men loved each other as friends.  Both men respected each other and trusted each other.  Both men had a strong faith in God.  This spiritual bond played a significant role in their relationship.
The Covenant of Mercy
In I Samuel 20:8 and 14-17, David and Jonathan express a covenant of mercy between them.  David sought the preservation of his life from Saul, Jonathan’s father.  Jonathan sought David’s goodwill toward himself and his descendants.  Jonathan remained loyal to David even as David rose in prominence.  Jonathan should rightly have become king.  But Jonathan accepts God’s choice of David to be the next king in Israel.  Consequently, he does not envy David nor become a rival to him as Saul had done.  Jonathan seeks to preserve David’s life and so preserve David’s place in Israel’s history.  Giving place to David is an act of lovingkindness or hesed on Jonathan’s part.  David and Jonathan have internalized God’s mercy in their own lives.  Both had been the recipients of God’s mercy and now they have internalized it in their own relationship with each other.  Hesed has been defined as, “when the person from whom I have no right to expect anything, gives me everything” (Michael Card).  Hesed is grace, mercy, lovingkindness.  When this principle functions in a relationship and is motivated by love, it unleashes a powerful bond that will last a lifetime and beyond.  This is the key to lifetime friendship.
The Covenant of Mercy and Reciprocity
Once a covenant of mercy is established between two people on the basis of love, there is mutuality.  The one who is initially shown hesed naturally demonstrates hesed in return.  This is not a legal expectation.  It is based upon love which acts freely.  Reciprocity is an indication that both parties in a friendship have internalized the truth of hesed.  Hesed is relational.  Its power in a relationship is increased when it is reciprocated.  It becomes the principle upon which the friendship functions.  If hesed is not returned by you in gratitude, you have not understood the nature of hesed shown to you in the first place.  The failure to reciprocate hesed disappoints the person who has shown hesed.  When mutual reciprocity of hesed is active in a relationship, the relationship endures all the ups and downs and good times and bad times presented by external circumstances.  Even after Jonathan died in battle at the same time as his father, Saul, David continued to show mercy to his descendants.  This demonstrates the power of the covenant of mercy between David and Jonathan (see Michael Card, Inexpressible: Hesed and the Mystery of God’s Lovingkindness).
Hesed and You
When hesed is experienced in our relationship with God, we taste of the heavenly gifts of mercy and grace (Heb. 6:4).  We have no right to expect anything from God, but He gives us everything!  Motivated by love, God gives us every spiritual blessing through His Son, Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:3).  We become heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:16-17). We receive the forgiveness of our sins when we obey the gospel (Acts 2:38, Rom. 6:4 and 17).  We become the children of God (Gal. 3:26-27).  Truly, God is rich in grace and mercy toward us (Eph. 1:7, 2:4). When we internalize God’s mercy and imitate Him in manifesting hesed, we display the divine nature in our relationships with others.  We unleash the power of love and mercy in all of our relationships and we have the potential to form bonds that will last a lifetime and beyond!

“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).

Jesus is the Light of the world (John 8:12).  Jesus taught that His disciples were the light of the world (Matt. 5:14).  Christians derive their light from Christ.  He is our example or pattern (John 13:15).  Christians must imitate Jesus.  The concept of imitation of Christ is a key component of the Gospel of John.  The idea of imitation comes from the Greek word mimeisthai.  We get our English word mimic from this Greek word.  The word mimic can be used in a negative sense in which case it means to mock.  The word mimic can also be used in the positive sense of to imitate closely.  Followers of Jesus imitate closely His mind and life.
The Divine Mimesis
In John 15:9, Jesus states, “As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.”  God loved Jesus.  Jesus loved God.  “But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do.  Arise, let us go hence” (John 14:31).  Jesus manifested His love for the Father through obedience to the will of the Father which involved His death upon the cross.  The love between the Father and Son is a pattern for our love.  This is the love of oneness, i. e. oneness of the divine nature.  God the Father and His Son are one in essential being and will and purpose.   Christians seek to manifest the divine nature in their own lives (II Pet. 1:3-4).  “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”  God is holy and He calls us to be holy.  God is love and He calls us to manifest love.
Discipleship Mimesis
In John 15:9, Jesus said that as the Father loved him, so he loved His disciples.  Jesus loved His disciples (John 13:1, 34; 15:12).  The disciples loved Jesus (John 14:15,21).  Jesus’ love for them became a pattern or example to them.  That love manifested itself as selflessness and a willingness to sacrifice His life in their behalf.  Jesus defined love in the act of selflessness and sacrifice demonstrated at the cross.
Believer Mimesis
The disciples are commanded to love each other as Jesus had loved them.  “This is my commandment that ye love one another, as I have loved you” (John 15:12).  “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another, as I have loved you, that ye also love one another” (John 13:34).  Every disciple of Jesus becomes an example to every other disciple in love.  Every disciple, by loving, increases the power of love in the fellowship of those of like precious faith.  The church is strengthened and blessed by love.  The nature of this love is forever defined by Jesus.
Neighbor Mimesis
Every disciple of Jesus must love his/her neighbor.  “And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Matt. 22:39).  In Luke 10:30-37, Jesus defines who our neighbor is.  The Parable of the Good Samaritan teaches us that our neighbor is “the one who stands in need.”  Love is manifesting mercy to our neighbor.  When we love our neighbor, God’s love is now demonstrated to the world.  In this concrete way, Christians are the light of the world.  They take the light of love shown by Jesus to them and manifest it to those who stand in need.
The Power of Imitation
Jesus is our example (I Pet. 2:21-23).  We imitate Christ–duplicate, replicate and become like Him.  The effect is spiritual and moral transformation.  Jesus defines who we are (identity); what we do (conduct) and what we are (character).  The result is that we bear the image of Christ to the world–“Ye are the light of the world.”  The light of truth and righteousness is now present in the world through every true disciple of Jesus.  The light of love is now present in the world through every disciple of Jesus.  Only true disciples of Jesus Christ bear the light of truth and love to the world.  “As he spake these words, many believed on him, Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32).  When we walk in the light of truth, we become the light of the world!

False interpretations of God’s Word bring a horrendous cost to the spiritual lives of those who teach those doctrines and to those who hear and believe them.  False doctrine cannot save!  However, it does condemn.  Only the truth delivers from the bondage of sin including the lies of Satan (John 8:32).
There are many examples of false interpretations of God’s Word both in the Old Testament and the New Testament.  We will appeal to some of these examples as we consider the spiritual cost to false interpretations of Scripture.

The Cost of Personal Shame
The individual who fails to correctly interpret God’s Word will shrink back in shame in the face of God’s judgment.  Paul declares, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (II Tim. 2:15).  The false teacher bears the shame of failure to acquire the skills necessary to interpret God’s Word correctly.  False interpretations are a personal embarrassment to the one who commits this sin of tampering with truth.
The Cost of Shoddy Workmanship
Have you ever purchased an item that disappointed you in how it looked or functioned?  Shoddy workmanship disappoints no matter where it is found.  False teachers (Matt. 7:15) are guilty of shoddy workmanship.  A workman is someone who claims skill and professes accomplishment.  False teachers often practice to deceive.  Some work for money (II Peter 2:1ff).  They make merchandise of the ignorant and the innocent (weak).
The Cost of Advancing Error
All false doctrine is deceptive and distracts from the truth.  Those who are deceived thereby entertain false hopes. Every false doctrine advances error.  If more and more people believe a lie, the lie grows in its power to deceive.  Consider the following lies.  The life in the womb of a woman is not a human being, but just a blob of cells.  Abortion is premised on a lie (see Luke 1:36-44).  This lie has been integrated into our culture and supported through legislation costing millions of lives of the unborn.  Macroevolution is another lie.  This theory holds that life spontaneously generated and formed a single cell that divided and mutated over time to produce all living things that we encounter today.  This theory contradicts plain passages in the Scriptures including:  Gen. 1 and 2 and Exodus 20:11.  The theory of theistic evolution is also a false theory based on  a misinterpretation of Gen. 1-11 changing historical reality into myths.  Macroevolution is advancing atheism and agnosticism in the world today.
The Cost of Self-Ruin
The false interpreter of Scripture damns his own soul.  False doctrine distorts reality.  It poisons the mind and heart and destroys the soul.  The Sadducees taught that there was no resurrection of the dead (Matt. 22:23-33).  Jesus rebuked them and said that they erred not knowing the scriptures nor the power of God.  Those who do not know God and obey not the gospel will be damned eternally (II Thess. 1:7-9).
The Cost of Ruination of Those Taught
Hymenaeus and Philetus taught error concerning the resurrection and overthrew the faith of some (II Tim. 2:15-18).  Paul said that they made shipwreck of their faith.  Paul had dealt with Hymenaeus before (I Tim. 1:20) delivering him to Satan so that he would learn not to blaspheme.  However, Hymenaeus did not correct his teaching or his ways.  One has to wonder how many people were deceived by these false interpreters of God’s Word.
The Pharisees taught that if someone gave a gift to God that he/she would be free from the obligation to take care of his/her mother or father (Matt. 15:1-9).  This false doctrine led to violating a command of God and vain worship.  The Pharisees also violated the law of God concerning marriage, divorce and remarriage, holding that indiscriminate divorce was commanded by God (Matt. 19:1-9).  This doctrine had a detrimental impact on the sanctity of marriage.
The Cost of Enlargement of Satan’s Kingdom
False teachers always make converts to Satan’s kingdom not God’s kingdom.  As Satan’s kingdom increases, advancing God’s kingdom becomes more difficult.  The way of truth is hindered by false teaching.  When truth is suppressed, iniquity abounds. “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 while advancing error.  Evil cannot redeem itself!  Only Christ, the Light of the Word, can dispel the darkness caused by religious error.  Only Christ can redeem us!
No one should think that doctrinal or moral error is innocent.  Error destroys and damns the soul.