The 11th Commandment

As the Hebrew new year approaches I find myself reflecting on the past twelve months of my life and scrutinizing society as a whole. Of course my spotlight is always drawn toward the Christian church because it has been a foundational source of who I am today. It is the christian church that introduced me to the Holy Hebrew Bible, the word of the Most High Creator God, at a very young age. It is the christian church that planted the seed which has lead me to seek truth, not your truth, not my truth, but the Most High Creator God's truth. The truth that transforms, absolute, supernatural, unchangeable, sanctified truth. That is what the church used to stand for and it aligned itself with scripture, giving me something to hold on to, something to strive for. But it appears that the church of today's theological application of scripture is based on world politics and changes with the direction of the wind. One example of this is the concept that "God's children are ALL loved the way they are" which is not only unbiblical but filled with emotional coddling, without substance. If it is the Most High Creator God's purpose to sanctify us and make us holy, one can logically deduce that this would involve some type of change which means that in our sinful state we are not the way the Most High wants us to be. The christian church that I now refer to as ancient, the church that would allow it's spiritual leaders to preach and quote all scriptures from the holy word of God, the Bible without filter has now been muzzled. It appears that the worldly politically correct wokeness that I am drowning in, has squelched and saturated the church and organized religion. In my quest to understand why this is happening in the church; this tsunami of apostasy as the world darkens around us, I noticed some disturbing themes, behaviours and viewpoints. I noticed the misinterpretation of scriptures, the ignoring of scriptures, the cherrypicking of scriptures and the downright throwing out and removal of scriptures from the Holy Hebrew Bible. The most deranged and concerning motif is the emergence of the 11th commandment in religious circles that has spread all throughout christianity like a cancer, a commandment that I will never keep; "Thou Shalt Not Call Evil Evil". I challenge you to break this commandment too.

The Consequences Of Sin

Many people often wonder why we still suffer from the consequences of our sins if Christ our Saviour and Messiah has already paid the price for them. Believing that experiencing the consequences of sin is an indication that one has not been forgiven can hinder spiritual growth and become an obstacle to forgiveness. This is the situation within which someone is confusing the natural, organic repercussions and consequences of their behaviour with the Most High Creator Gods punishment; but they are very different. Sometimes physical and emotional pain are consequences of our actions, but punishment for sin is much more permanent and that is what Christ died to shield us from. Ephesians 1:7 highlights the fact that Christ died for our sins for which the punishment is death, {Romans 6:23}. Romans 5: 9 - 10, says that our Heavenly Father saves us from His wrath because we have been justified by the blood of Christ. So although we may feel the temporary consequences of our sinful behaviour while on this earth, we can rejoice in the wonderful gift of forgiveness. Forgiveness that saves our soul from eternal damnation. I encourage you to worship and praise the Most High Creator God for allowing us to experience temporal consequences, instead of eternal ones.

Obstacles To Forgiveness

When exploring forgiveness I came across some very interesting research which highlighted the many barriers that prevent us from truly forgiving. Fighting to make sure that guilt, shame, bitterness and resentment do not consume you is only half of the battle. For many of us reconciliation with the Most High Creator God can be difficult, even after confession. Some of us can recite scripture from memory such as 1 John 1:19 , which says; “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”. But, even though we know Christ’s death atoned for our sins, some still feel stained and unworthy inside. That darkness from the things they have done can hover around them, walking before them and weighing them down, affecting their social interactions. We as believers need to identify these tools of the adversary so that they do not interfere with our process of ultimate heart change. Spiritual transformation into the person that the Most High wants us to be, as members of His kingdom. So the next few blog’s will focus on a few obstacles to forgiveness.

Let’s begin with obstacle #1; “I can’t forgive myself for what I have done”. Many of us feel that the grace and mercy of Christ has let them off the hook for their immorality, lapses in judgement and/or wrongdoings, a bit too easily. But, contrary to popular belief, this mindset is not justifiable for the believer in the Most High Creator God and His holy word. When one refuses to forgive themselves, they are in essence positioning themselves and their level of discernment above that of the Most High Creator God. If you are feeling like you cannot forgive yourself, I challenge you to reflect on this question; “What right do I as a mere mortal have to hang on to past mistakes when the Creator of the Universe has already let them go. Critically unpacking scripture you will find that it does not convey the premise that we must forgive ourselves. It is actually the morally justifiable responsibility of the individual who has been wronged to bestow forgiveness on the person who has wronged them. Once this gift of forgiveness is imparted, the offender is to accept it freely. Since God is the one who, has been wronged, it is His choice to forgive or not. The Most High wants to forgive us so much that He sent Christ to be the ultimate sacrifice, so that we can be forgiven. Once we are forgiven our sins are gone. Micah 7:19 states “ He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea”. If the Creator can forgive you, you can forgive you.