Who is God trying to save?

"There will be no place of suffering. God's goodness will consume it."

THE WORD should never be used as a weapon for destruction. But is, instead, judgment, preferring mercy. This is Jehovah’s way. Even His wrath, pictured in the Old Testament, was first met with mercy. His longsuffering gave men time to repent. Final judgment, as destruction, only came when sin was complete. We should read of the violence of Noah’s day, the immorality in Sodom and Gomorrah, and the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira as being sin in its completion. They, in effect, despised righteousness and all the things of God. It is not that He couldn’t change them but that He wouldn’t.

He knew of the end of death spoken of in John’s Revelation. There will, one day, be no more of it, neither in hell nor on this earth. As there was none in Genesis, but all things were “very good,” all things on the new heavens and the new earth will be free of death and decay which comes from it. There will be no place of suffering, else death would exist. It will not exist. God’s goodness will consume it.

Ananias and Sapphira died in a different cultural environment than today. God does not support murder. He does not condone flagrant breaking of law. The fact is, their deaths came at no political cost to the church. But notice, the church and the apostles frequently suffered arrest because of the gospel, so arrest was not the issue. Also, Paul instructed the church to pray for governments, for all in authority (1 Timothy 2:2) No one was trying to encourage what is clearly stated as wrong by God in Israel’s 10 Commandments.

In that instance, husband and wife, Ananias and Sapphira, asked the Spirit of God to lie with them. They “tempted” the Spirit (Acts 5:9), a word meaning to “entice to sin (Thayer’s).” We know from James 1:13 that God cannot be tempted with sin. Did He react to them in this manner because He lacked mercy? Certainly not. It was that their sin was complete. They “kept back,” words from Acts 5:3 meaning to embezzle part of what they sold. This was their right to do, as Peter stated, but in the same verse, it says Satan had “filled” their heart with this sin. Here is the completion. They were overflowing with sin and even tempted God to sin.

We do not know how many have done this, except for Judas, who betrayed the Messiah, having known the power of God to save and deliver. We also have the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, who were filled with disgustingness. I won’t take the time to give details but remind you the men of the town desired the angels who visited Lot (Genesis 19:5). We also have the violence (chamas) of Noah’s day, which is stated as being complete (Genesis 6:5). God did not desire to destroy His creation but there was no saving any except Noah and his family. Our perspective should always be from this point-of-view.

Who was God trying to save, to protect? We need to settle the end of John’s vision in this same manner. God will not participate in war causing death at His hand, nor endorse the fighting of men against each other. So that IS NOT what will happen in Armageddon. What will happen will be seen clearly in rearview. Until then, we must trust Him and walk upright before Him in the power of the Holy Spirit. Filled with God’s Presence, we can handle everything He prophesies for we are told in 1 Corinthians 14:3 that prophecy is for our encouragement and is only a warning in the positive sense. It is never meant as fear. He is not the spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7), but is love and Resurrection power, the power to live, and a sound mind full of wisdom to live well.

“But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.” (1 Corinthians 14:3 KJV)

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9 KJV)


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Suzanne D. Williams, Author
www.suzannedwilliams.com
www.feelgoodromance.com