Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Ps 28 3 Do not drag me away with the wicked,
with those who do evil,
who speak cordially with their neighbors
but harbor malice in their hearts.
4 Repay them for their deeds
and for their evil work;
repay them for what their hands have done
and bring back upon them what they deserve."

Most religions focus on mans attitude in repentance. Men think that the bible puts repentance in the context of the spirit of fervency. They will say that sin is one one side and repentance is the proof of the evilness of sin. In two line we are taught that repentance is a gift of God but under sanctification it is a work.This is the problem with two line. It says that repentance through grace is one line and repentance through works is the other line. These two are in direct opposition to one another. We are taught that this is a contradiction. This can influence everything that is taught. Its sort of like Bob Carol Ted and Alice.Its ok to commit adultery as long as you talk about it with your marriage partner. If they both cancel each other out then there is no real repentance. Its not settled ...it is outside of Gods work. This is why I have never written in the fashion of faith that is contradictory. Because I believe that pragmatism is the last man centered focus that dies. I actually put the curses back into the doctrines of grace.
So here in this Psalm the Psalmist is teaching that when we are saved we are given a gift. It is the gift of knowing that we are sinners. Do you realize that the repentance that was preached in the Nation of Israel was to comfort Gods elect? Because anyone who did not see themselves as a sinner could care less about the call to repentance. It was only the elect that set the standard of acceptable citizenship under the law of God. It was a confession that would eliminate lawlessness from the world through a legal war. Why would the Psalmist express his human wishes in this Psalm instead of coming to God through the repentance? Why would the Psalmist blame the wicked for being a road block to eliminating judgement from Israel? He is saying dont let me go where my neighbor is going. Instead please send him there so we can enjoy national unity.
We must understand that the Psalms teach that if we know that we are sinners then we can show our faith by appealing to God for being unfair in treating us like the wicked when we struggle with pain from our weakness. That our sin as Gods elect is looked on as weakness and not a curse. You see the reason that we are gifted with the ability to know that we are sinners is because we cannot be deceived when we pronounce the curses. We cannot be consumed in human hate. The thing that seems to be the most vulnerable to us is to our most advantage.The motive to use everything negative about us as fuel in our prayers and worship is denied by focusing on the fervor and contradictory ideas about repentance.

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