Though your sins be as scarlet...the Wayfarer 2/18/16

Though your sins be as scarlet
2/18/16

Isaiah 1:18 King James Version

¹⁸ Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Todays dissertation is attributable to the necessity that there be no misunderstanding of the essence of my belief; the unshakeable, immovable, and eternal expectation of that belief, and the fact that that belief is not, has never been, and, can never be in any righteousness that is held in and of myself.

Isaiah 64:6King James Version (KJV)

⁶ But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Romans 3:10King James Version (KJV)

¹⁰ As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

Romans 3:23King James Version (KJV)

²³ For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

These passages, as well as others point out that ALL human beings are imperfect, in need of repentance in order for redemption to be given.

Sin, as mentioned in Romans 3: 23 is inclusive of all sin... to include mine as well as those of all others, and the only means for the redemption of that sin, to include my own as well as those of all others is repentance as was preached by Christ Jesus.

I cannot, and will not, preach that any sin short of blasphemy is unforgiveable, as Christ himself gave the answer to that question. 

I cannot, and will not preach any perfection of my own, because it does not yet, and cannot yet exist until it is attained through the promised resurrection.

I cannot, and do not preach the ostracism or condemnation to hell for all sinners, because those redeemed through the blood of Christ  have the redemption given by Him that man may never remove.

I do preach the ostracism of sin itself in all the forms it may take in our life and the necessity to speak out against it in order to allow the need of that redemption to be heard and to take place.

Having said all this, I state to all that my life is a constant battle with sin, in all its forms, and that I may never, knowingly surrender and acknowledge evil to be good, or good to be evil, but must differentiate  carefully the lines that separate them.

As with all men, as with all the descendants of Adam, my own journey is as speckled and pockmarked and dirtied by failures and compromises made in that journey as is any other who would tell the truth.

I have stated before, and state again, that weakness of the flesh, the human body this soul inhabits, cannot escape that sin that is inherent in this body of its own volition, but must rely on the promised redemption given in return for repentance preached by Christ.

This does not give justification or excuse to continue in sin, once identified, nor is true repentance given if that continuance exists.

1 John 1:8-10King James Version (KJV)

⁸ If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

¹⁰ If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Confession is a requirement of repentance, to ourselves, and then to Christ as well. Without that confession, there can be no redemption.

James 5:16 King James Version (KJV)

¹⁶ Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Faults must be confessed before men, and sin must be confessed to God.

The greatest fault that any man has is his very humanity, and I stand as guilty as every other human in that regard.

Without having confessed my sins to God, I would stand as guilty as any before God at the judgment, where the only Judge that will ever judge righteously  makes the final judgment.

Again, I have stated before, and state again, that I may personally judge no man... that is not my job... and I would never desire to have that job. The first that would need judgment is myself, and without the advocate of Christ I would have to find myself guilty.

I may, and do preach the necessity of repentance. I must and do preach the possibility of redemption. I must preach the availability of the promise... I must also preach the other half of that message of promise that is the warning of what my be expected for the rejection of that promise.

I condemn no one... neither does God... condemnation comes only from each to themselves having made choices that bring that condemnation, and with it redemption that is available for repentance, or the choice to assure that condemnation by rejection of the promise, by rejection of repentance.

I cannot choose how people choose for themselves, but I must give them the consequences of their choice, and possibilities available through alternative choice.

Choice has been given. Choice must be made.

There are two alternatives from which to choose, and only two, not many as with a smorgasbord.

The world made its choice long ago when it chose the rejection of Christ and what was offered.

Nations make their choices through the individuals within those nations, and the choices made by them as a majority.

Individual choice remains available to each individual, and may not be deprived that individual by any except themselves.

As for me. I have made my choice, and can make no other than to offer it to all who would also choose it:

2 Timothy 1:12King James Version (KJV)

¹² For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

If that choice ostracize me, if that choice make me "abnormal" so be it!

I will not choose a normality that does not recognize the WAY, TRUTH and LIFE, and I will not preach a normality that would define evil as good and good as evil.

Jesus was born, ministered, taught, died on a cross and was resurrected to give us a choice of eternal life, or eternal death. It is through his blood that any hope of that life is offered, that the crimson be removed and perfection be restored.

His offer of redemption for repentance stands.

Choose for yourself, it IS your choice to make, not mine 

Revelation 22King James Version (KJV)

22 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

² In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

³ And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:

⁴ And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.

⁵ And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

⁶ And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.

⁷ Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

⁸ And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.

⁹ Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.

¹⁰ And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.

¹¹ He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

¹² And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

¹³ I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

¹⁴ Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

¹⁵ For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

¹⁶ I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

¹⁷ And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

¹⁸ For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:

¹⁹ And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

²⁰ He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

²¹ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Again, I would add only my own Amen.

2 Timothy 1:12 King James Version (KJV)

¹² For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

the Wayfarer