“I have loved thee with an everlasting love…”

“The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” Jeremiah 31:3

We sometimes, or most all the time do not understand God. In this flesh our understanding of God is as our faith in this flesh, it is not perfect. Why God would love a single soul after what Adam and his wife Eve did to God is beyond my imagination. Why God elected to love the Nation of Israel after they failed Him so many times. And even we Gentiles have failed God, churches have failed God, every one of God’s elect have failed God in so many ways. But God has an everlasting love for both His chosen Nation Israel, and His chosen people called His elect, even though we continually fail Him. The word “everlasting” means – a length out of mind, practically eternity – it is “a space of time or of unmeasured time” -Vines. In other words, our mind cannot comprehend the limitless amount of time because we are limited in everything. But to make it simple, there was never a time God did not love His elect Nation or His elect people. This was written to His chosen Nation but also to His chosen people, "The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: (8) But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. (9) Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;" Deuteronomy 7:7 - 9 No matter were in life the Lord puts us, or the valleys that God sends us through, or that happenings of life we just cannot figure out what God is doing. But be assured that He has us in His hand and He will never turn us loose because of His eternal love for all of His elect. However, as a believer in Jesus Christ and an elect child of God His love is unmerited, “The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:” God loves by His own choosing and with an eternal love, without beginning or ending. It was out of this eternal love that God elected before the world was ever created that He would love a remnant of people and redeem them and call them sons. “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. (10) Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1 John 4:9 – 10 This is our blessing in life, no matter of anything or anyone else, God loves His children with an unending love. It is through this love that we ought to dwell in this life in God’s love that the Holy Spirit gifts us all with when we are saved. “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.” 1 John 4:16 Here is the love from God to every elect child, “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: (5) Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, (6) To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” Ephesians 1:4 – 6 Beloved, we are accepted to God as a child thru Jesus Christ because He loved us and chose us to be His. That is true Lord, that is God’s eternal love.   

The real sin of death.

1 John 5:13, 17 “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. (17) If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.”

Sometime the bible gets very complicated to read and understand. Sometime there are such passages that even the great minds whom we read and study their commentaries disagree or they refused to write about that passage. This is one of those passages of scripture where God says in verse 13 “…that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” The word “know” means that you may be sure of, that you may be sure that you have eternal life through Jesus Christ. However, in verse 17 the Lord said, “There is a sin unto death” If there is a sin unto death then verse 13 contradicts verse 17 and the haters of the bible looking for contradictions are happy. Sometimes the Lord says things that are confusing on the surface and requires much study to understand, but do not forget that the bible is a revelation which means the Holy Spirit must tell you the meaning. The problem with preachers and teachers is we are all human and sometimes we (even though we agree on much) disagree on some things. We must understand that we are not infallible in biblical interpretation. At time’s men must “agree to disagree” but I think that time has changed this thought and that is in the past for a lot of bible thinkers. Nowadays our disagreement has turned into almost, if not hate, as though some believe they are infallible. I have never met another Pastor or bible teacher that we agreed 100% in God’s word. Oh, how we all wished that God would give all infallible knowledge of the scriptures, but He does not in fact He says, “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 12:4 This means that God has given men different Truths to understand, and this is why we are not infallible because God has not given us infallible biblical knowledge. With being said let me explain my thoughts on this passage that includes “There is a sin unto death”. The context of this passage is speaking about both the saved and the lost. Since our Saviour is Jesus Christ and His blood cleanses us from all sin, and because of this we “that ye may know that ye have eternal life”. Therefore, it must be concluded that to the believer in Jesus Christ, whom He has shed His blood to cleanse “all their sins” then it would be contradictory to say there is a sin unto death. Just because the Lord said “There is a sin unto death” does not mean it is to the Believer and contradict His own words. The truth is, unless you know you have eternal life in Jesus Christ and know that all your sins are cleansed in His blood, then you have no way of knowing. The fact is that to the believer we have no uncleansed sins at all, all our sins are cleansed by the blood of Jesus, He took our sins to Calvary and died for them. Therefore, it must be concluded that it is impossible for us to account for one single sin, therefore it must also be concluded that to the true believer there can be NO “sin unto death”. There is only one sin unto death and that sin is both to the body and soul and it is unbelief in Jesus Christ as Saviour. John 3:18 “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” Some people say it is because people reject the gift of the Holy Spirit, but there is no gift if the Holy Spirit doesn’t offer it, and there is no rejecting His gift of salvation. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” Romans 8:14 Folks, to me it is simple, sin is the reason we have death and sin is the deliverer of death and the only reason for death. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” Romans 5:12 The only “sin unto death” is the sin of never knowing Jesus Christ as Saviour, period. I know some will disagree, but I cannot answer for them, to believe that there is a “sin unto death” for the believers in Jesus Christ, who should know that they have eternal life in Jesus Christ is contradiction of the scriptures. God did not say this “sin unto death” was to the believers, He just said “There is a sin unto death:”.  “Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. (32) And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.” Matthew 12:31 – 32 If you reject the very gift the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ which the Holy Spirits delivers to every child of God, then the “sin of death” is your sin of death.   

Is Jesus Truly Going to Return?

"And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. (10) And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; (11) Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." Acts 1:9 - 11

The quick answer is yes, the only remaining question is when? God, who cannot lie promised that Jesus will return one day in a cloud surrounded with angels, saints of God, and much glory to welcome those on the earth to their new life, and to raise the old bodies of the saints with him as new glorified bodies. Ever saved soul on this earth will be caught-up to meet the Lord Jesus in the cloud. At this time our glorification as saints will be complete. Our life of sin in this life and our life of having to live with the sinfulness of this world will be gone. Not only will our bodies be changed but our entire life will be changed. For those Believers who will be here at this time, they will see this same Jesus that was crucified for our sins for the very first time, not by faith, but with our very eyes. We will see His markings of the crucifixion and be reminded of what our Saviour has done for us. We will forever be with our Saviour and our Heavenly Father for all eternity, free from Satan and his workers of sin, forever. This is something every Christian should be looking for every day of our life. Our life should be spent on our preparation of meeting the Lord, making sure our lamps are fully trimmed for the Master’s return. If we are not ready, it will be our own fault.

I believe a lot of Believers have lost faith in the Lord’s return; I believe some believers doesn’t believe He will return in our lifetime. I believe that some Christians doesn’t concern themselves with the Lord’s return at all, almost to the point they no longer believe He is returning. This is the Lord’s promise, "But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. (2) For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night." 1 Thessalonians 5:1 - 2 No person on earth knows when Jesus will return, but God’s promise is He will return and He will come as a thief in the night, or you will not expect Him. When the Lord returns is in the predetermined will of God as everything is, “And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;” Acts 17:26 Jesus promised us with these words, “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.”   Matthew 24:42 The watching is on us to be constantly ready for Jesus to return. Are you ready? The Lord said two will be grinding in the mill, one will be taken the other left, two will be working the field one will be taken the other left, and so on, allowing us to understand that the Lord will not give notice of His return. I personally believe that all the signs have been fulfilled, with the last being apostasy or a falling away from the truth and churches. “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;” 2 Thessalonians 2:3 This “falling away” is known as the apostacy which is “a great defection from the faith and churches” which we are seeing today. Satan has truly gained a great hold on a lot of Christians and is squeezing them as hard as God will allow him to cause this “a great defection from the faith and the churches”. The churches of truth are getting smaller and smaller almost to the point of being eliminated. The Prophet Danial wrote these words, "And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed. (36) And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. (37)  Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all." Daniel 11:35 - 37 Some bible experts will say this is not about our time, I’m no “bible expert” but it sure looks like it fits our time. The question is, are you ready for the Lord’s return, do you still believe He could return at any time? Folk’s reality is this, there are a million ways you may die before the sun goes down, people die every day, all day. Your life is in God’s hands, and you can be called into glory at any moment. The truth is Jesus could return at any moment and if you are not ready it will be your loss. The Lord is coming, and He is not waiting on you to be ready, it is your job to be ready, are you?