Pleading for Mercy and Offering Gifts For the Pleasure to Sin Again?! God Forbid!
Proverbs 15:8- "The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is His delight."
Well there's the reality of emerging Antinomianism among the false Christians in these days. One thing is for sure, no true Christian safe and secure in Christ, as backslid as they can get could ever think of ever using God's grace as a license to sin, rather they ask for God's grace they may not sin again and there is that huge difference. But quite different is the one who begs for mercy in order for the pleasure of sinning again- God's grace is absent in that for the grace of God, in itself is not to allow sin to prosper but it was devised that man may sin no more (Ephesians 2:8-10, Titus 2:11-15). Jesus didn't say "sin some more" but said "sin no more" to the woman caught in adultery (John 8:11). Why? Obviously the new nature in Christ desires not to sin and cannot sin, though the Christian will still fall into sin because the old man is still there... yet the new nature cannot sin because it is born of God. Now I would like everybody to take their attention to this real issue is that there are people who plead for mercy just so they can sin again. Oh wow, what kind of a plead for mercy is that? If the other party does not stop sinning, how can there be peace? None. Mercy was meant to teach others to do good, not to continue in their evil!
Now I would like to take you all to this familiar story in the Bible- the story of Jeroboam in 1 Kings 13 which focuses on the sin of this man. So a reminder that Jeroboam was in fact, the son of Nebat. Some of you may be familiar with him. Now I would like to focus on the key verse of today which is 1 Kings 13:4-5 which talks about King Jeroboam's situation which I will use as for this exposition to relate to my message of pleading for mercy to sin again. As you see, in 1 Kings 12:28-33 we can see the obvious rebellion. Two golden calves, priesthood not after the tribe of Levi, he ordained his own feasts and which was obvious that he was really going against God. Now we go back to the key verse. So here, we realize this that Jeroboam the son of Nebat as he tried to cut the ribbon of his new idolatrous temple, his hand withered. If one continues to read, he at first begged for mercy that his hand may be restored but however he continued in his wickedness until the day of his death. What a tragedy it was for Jeroboam. He wanted his hand restored but not his character renewed. God already promised him way ahead that if he keep the Law, his dynasty will be preserved but alas, he was far worse than Saul was. But listen, the problem did not end with Jeroboam son of Nebat, in fact the problem continues until today.
Now I'd like to quote the favorite preacher of almost every Baptist in the 1800s, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, as he preached in "True Prayer, True Power" saying these strong words, "But do not go to God, and ask for mercy with thy sin in thy hand. What would you think of the rebel, who appeared before the face of his sovereign and asked for pardon with the dagger sticking in his belt, and with the declaration, of his rebellion on his breast? Would he deserve to he pardoned? He could not deserve it in any case, and surely he would deserve double his doom for having thus mocked his master while he pretended to be seeking mercy. If a wife had forsaken her husband do you think she would have the impudence, with brazen forehead, to come back and ask pardon for leaning on the arm of her paramour? No, she could not have such impudence, and yet it is so with you—perhaps asking for mercy and going on in sin—praying to be reconciled to God, and yet harbouring and indulging your lust." Or perhaps this, "Some people say, when they get anything, that they get it because they prayed for it, but if they are people who are not spiritually minded, and who have no faith, let them know, that whatever they may get it is not in answer to prayer, for we know that God heareth not sinners, and the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord." which is taken from "Prayer, the Forerunner of Mercy". In fact, true repentance results to real change, not a ground to abuse God's grace.
True forgiveness and pleading for mercy results in the change of character NOT an abuse of God's mercy! In fact, I have seen an example of how many people who received God's forgiveness changed for the better. Think of Zaccheus and Matthew who while they started out as publicans, became philanthropists of sensible character. Zaccheus' conversion was in fact remarkable, no doubt he that day got the gift of eternal salvation. Matthew when Jesus called him left his job as a dishonest tax collector and became a true disciple. For Mary Magdalene, she was from an adulteress and a prostitute, she later became a decent woman. For every harlot and publican that came to the Lord for forgiveness, they became true followers. Once a person receives eternal security, it starts and ends with a changed life on Earth and ends with eternal life in Heaven, not just living the way they want. In fact, a person begs for forgiveness not only to receive pardon but also because he or she has repented. They were so sorry for their sins, they know they do not deserve forgiveness, they get it and in gratitude they no longer live like the world. Oh how great indeed is that forgiveness from God that not only abundantly pardons but also changes persons for the better! Also, true faith in Christ is a persevering faith, not just a one time act of faith, no it is one that goes on (1 John 2:19). There is no reason for me to believe that Judas Iscariot is a Christian either. He never had Christ's forgiveness because he never asked for it nor did he want it. If he did ask for it, he was only pretending to ask for it. Likewise, Judas was never saved to start with again defending the idea of the perseverance of the saints.
It's like how true forgiveness will teach us to forgive others, not be self-centered, ask for mercy and still not forgive others. Remember the parable of the unforgiving servant? It could be an illustration of false conversion. A Christian may sometimes choose not to forgive but they do not remain unforgiving but God's grace always makes them forgive sometimes against their will then they learn to forgive, not of their own fleshly nature that refuses to forgive. As said, forgiveness is a powerful weapon but some people just pretend to be seeking for mercy in order to deceive. Now what is this feigned asking for mercy? Note the strong words that Charles Haddon Spurgeon had used as "while he pretended to be seeking mercy..." which means this, the rebel was not sincere or sorry about his pardon from his rebellion, thus he deserves to have double damnation for what is deception. Who can remember the treachery that actually destroyed many? Who can remember how Hitler's softspoken words were nothing but insincere words used to hide the commanding autocratic despot he was? Who could remember how many people continue to do the same offense, give an apology in order for them to commit the same mistake all over again? Think of the husband who cheats on his wife, apologizes and does it all over again proving he had not repented nor has he really received his wife's forgiveness. He pretended to receive his wife's forgiveness but only to splatter it back on her face - what an insult it is!
Likewise, this is how false religion works and I am about to use the example that many will hate me for preaching against such a lie system. Works salvation is nothing more than a balancing of good and bad which is in contrast to the Law of God. The perfect righteousness of God is in fact, not a matter of doing more good than bad- in fact it shows man's utter helplessness. How was it that Martin Luther while he was a devoted Pharisee of Catholicism, spent his time in prayer and going to confess to higher authorities even the minutest of sins one day while he opened the Bible which was forbidden to the public found how deceived he was. Martin Luther said, "That expression 'righteousness of God' was like a thunderbolt in my heart... I hated Paul with all my heart and when I read that the righteousness of God is revealed in the Gospel (Romans 1:16-17). Only afterward when I saw the words that follow, and in addition consulted Augustine, I was cheered. When I learned that the righteousness of God is His mercy, and that He makes us righteous through it, a remedy was offered to me in my affliction." That is Luther showed how God's mercy not human effort makes men righteous. It is quite Biblical and the opposite of what the Pharisees of Rome dare say that works are needed for salvation yet their system was nothing but dead men's bones- literally. How many dirty secrets do their synagogues and chapels hide like the bones of dead infants that are there to hide the illicit sexual activities that were done by men who were supposedly celibate? Truly a doctrine of demons that Paul warned Timothy would happen in the latter days (1 Timothy 3:1-4) it was. Sadly works salvation does become a license to sin- think about making up for bullying your classmate by giving to charity- what a mockery of the real purpose of good works which is to glorify God and not to save one's own skin!
A good example is the dreaded confessional box of Catholicism has become more of a license to sin than a channel of God's grace- SO MUCH for teaching works salvation and accusing fundamentalist Baptists and Protestants of teaching a license to sin by saying salvation is not by the works of man. In fact, it is not a channel of God's grace. If it were truly a channel of God's grace, it would have brought true conversion. A former Catholic priest turned Christian who had gone into glory named Charles Chiniquey, wrote the book "The Priest, the Woman and the Confessional" to which described the confessional box as a licentious box. Martin Luther in his experience would even confess the minutest of sins yet he saw so many people emerge sinning more and more. It was in fact just plain hypocritical how Catholicism teaches one must work for their salvation yet they have become by action as Antinomians. The confession box is no tool of God, it in fact denies the forgiveness of God insisting the priest must forgive the sins. Now the churchgoer goes into that box and says, "Bless me father for I have sinned..." and the priest now asks for the person to say their sins. Now the person says, "Okay I have committed adultery, I have cheated on my wife. I have viewed tons of pornography. I stole money... and the list can go on. Then the priest says, "Say the Act of Contrition." The person then recites the prayer and later the priest says, "Say X Our Fathers and X Hail Marys, go and sin no more." Sadly, after confession the penitent may go and sin all he wants. That truly is prayer of the wicked, asking for forgiveness but only to commit it again- not taught in doctrine but really applied in action! The same went for the indulgences that Martin Luther had fought against because they were really changing God's grace into licentiousness. So why is it so? In the first place 1 John 1:19 says to confess the sins to God and He will be faithful and just to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. See? God in fact does more than forgive, He removes the iniquity that the person will sin lesser and lesser as the days go by. Not so much with the priest who is but a lost sinner in need of being forgiven by God and start all over has claims to forgive the sins of man much more to dare claim God forgives through them- folks that is serious blasphemy! Nowhere in the Scripture can Peter be seen hearing confession, no he was the first pastor not the first Pope! One thing must be certain, the days of priestly mediation are over. No more are the animal sacrifices to when people sin, they bring it to the priest to offer as a sin offering. Those days are over.
Perhaps may I also speak of how the prayers of the wicked are in the first place not to God either. I have seen various people of various religions that go against the God of the Bible in their devotion. It could go as this like how for example many Roman Catholic patrons though not all would be known to attend Mass every Sunday, pray the Rosary a lot, attend every religious days and yet in their lives would be as bad examples for the households, homewrecking whores, involved in sexual sins like pornography and prostitution, tax collectors worse than Zaccheus and Matthew prior to conversion, corrupt politicians and savage dictators like Hitler and Franco, and what Jesus would call making the converts twice worse than Pharisees (Matthew 23:15), while they believe their religiousity can make up for their sins. Take to how many cheating businessmen in the Orient are devoted Buddhists and Taoists, again both religions demand you work for your salvation and indulged in idolatry. A great example too is Islam, the religion of death and war. Just think of how many Muslims follow their Koran faithfully in doing acts of violence to spread its religion just as its prophet Muhammad was no prophet but a fraud. I say this not out of hate but out of love, preaching to every unbeliever that the Lord Jesus Christ still has His arms open wide. But alas, how long will you dwell in your pride, thinking you can still work your way up and end up pleading for mercy only for you to sin again?