Frank Broom
Member
I was reading Jeremiah 3 and the grace and love of God, the heart of God is so amazing. After the children of Israel had done such evil as forgetting and forsaking God to worship idols and other kinds of evil the heart of God was still more toward showing mercy than judgement and condemnation. Yes, God is gracious and merciful, but He is gracious and merciful to deliver you from sin and not for you to stay in it and enjoy it. God wants you to turn from it not stay in it. After they had been doing their evil practices for a while God's heart was more than willing to show mercy.
Jeremiah 3:1 KJV
They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the LORD.
Jeremiah 3:12 KJV
Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever.
Jeremiah 3:14 KJV
Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:
Jeremiah 3:20-22 KJV
Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD. [21] A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and supplications of the children of Israel: for they have perverted their way, and they have forgotten the LORD their God. [22] Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the LORD our God.
1 Timothy 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. God is not looking to turn people away. Sometimes people think they are out of God's reach of mercy and grace, but God is always there with his arms open to receive you. Someone might be a backslider, but God still says return and I'll take you back. And if God was that gracious and merciful under the old covenant, the scripture says we have a better covenant. Jesus brought us a better covenant, not one of being changed by rules, but one that changes your heart. God puts his nature in you and his spirit. Rules don't change your heart, rules are designed to keep you in line. God doesn't use something outside to change you, no. God puts it inside so that you are more inclined to do what's right than what's wrong. Under the old covenant God gave them rules to follow, the law, that's living from the outside-in. Now, the believer in Christ Jesus lives from the inside-out, God empowers you to live right. Rules don't empower you to live right they just tell you what to do and what not to do.
Notice, what it says in 2 Corinthians 5:17,18 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation. Notice, what God imparts into you when you receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior, He imparts his very nature into you. When you had a sin nature it was natural to sin, it was easy. So, He put his nature of righteousness in you so that you would be more inclined to do what's right. When you were a sinner you had your roots in Adam a sinner so you produced fruits of that nature, sin. But, when you are born again you get new roots, your roots are now in Jesus. And with the new roots there will be new fruit, fruits of righteousness. In the new covenant you live from the inside-out, not outside-in.
It is not God's will that any should perish. And I wouldn't want to end this article without giving someone the opportunity to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior. It's very easy just pray: Dear God- I know I have sinned and I now turn from them and I invite Jesus to come into my heart (Revelation 3:20). He died for my sins and you have raised him from the dead and I now confess Jesus is my Lord and Savior (Romans 10:9,10). I thank you for saving me, Amen
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name (John 1:12). 1 Timothy 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. Romans 5:8-10 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. [9] Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. [10] For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 2 Peter 3:9 King James Version 9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Jeremiah 3:1 KJV
They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the LORD.
Jeremiah 3:12 KJV
Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever.
Jeremiah 3:14 KJV
Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:
Jeremiah 3:20-22 KJV
Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD. [21] A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and supplications of the children of Israel: for they have perverted their way, and they have forgotten the LORD their God. [22] Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the LORD our God.
1 Timothy 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. God is not looking to turn people away. Sometimes people think they are out of God's reach of mercy and grace, but God is always there with his arms open to receive you. Someone might be a backslider, but God still says return and I'll take you back. And if God was that gracious and merciful under the old covenant, the scripture says we have a better covenant. Jesus brought us a better covenant, not one of being changed by rules, but one that changes your heart. God puts his nature in you and his spirit. Rules don't change your heart, rules are designed to keep you in line. God doesn't use something outside to change you, no. God puts it inside so that you are more inclined to do what's right than what's wrong. Under the old covenant God gave them rules to follow, the law, that's living from the outside-in. Now, the believer in Christ Jesus lives from the inside-out, God empowers you to live right. Rules don't empower you to live right they just tell you what to do and what not to do.
Notice, what it says in 2 Corinthians 5:17,18 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation. Notice, what God imparts into you when you receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior, He imparts his very nature into you. When you had a sin nature it was natural to sin, it was easy. So, He put his nature of righteousness in you so that you would be more inclined to do what's right. When you were a sinner you had your roots in Adam a sinner so you produced fruits of that nature, sin. But, when you are born again you get new roots, your roots are now in Jesus. And with the new roots there will be new fruit, fruits of righteousness. In the new covenant you live from the inside-out, not outside-in.
It is not God's will that any should perish. And I wouldn't want to end this article without giving someone the opportunity to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior. It's very easy just pray: Dear God- I know I have sinned and I now turn from them and I invite Jesus to come into my heart (Revelation 3:20). He died for my sins and you have raised him from the dead and I now confess Jesus is my Lord and Savior (Romans 10:9,10). I thank you for saving me, Amen
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name (John 1:12). 1 Timothy 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. Romans 5:8-10 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. [9] Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. [10] For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 2 Peter 3:9 King James Version 9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.