Too Good To Be True?

There’s a mindset that I think becomes ingrained in every heart and mind and a well known phrase describes it, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t.” Once you get stung by this truth through costly lessons in life that mindset can become second nature. Starting from that statement I want to look at a couple verses of the day I have read and studied this morning. The first is from my Tecarta Bible app,

Proverbs 17:17 KJV
A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
https://tbibl.es/9KIo

I read some commentaries about this short verse and Gill’s ties it to the subject of this post best.

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
A friend loveth at all times,…. A true, hearty, faithful friend, loves in times of adversity as well as in times of prosperity: there are many that are friends to persons, while they are in affluent circumstances; but when there is a change in their condition, and they are stripped of all riches and substance; than their friends forsake them, and stand at a distance from them; as was the case of Job, Job 19:14; it is a very rare thing to find a friend that is a constant lover, such an one as here described;
and a brother is born for adversity; for a time of adversity, as Jarchi: he is born into the world for this purpose; to sympathize with his brother in distress, to relieve him, comfort and support him; and if he does not do this, when it is in his power to do it, he does not answer the end of his being born into the world. … he loves when he is forced to it; when the distress of his brother, who is his flesh and bone, as Gersom observes, obliges him to it: but this may be understood of the same person who is the friend; he is a brother, and acts the part of one in a time of adversity, for which he is born and brought into the world; it being so ordered by divine Providence, that a man should have a friend born against the time he stands in need of him. To no one person can all this be applied with so much truth and exactness as to our Lord Jesus Christ; he is a “friend”, not of angels only, but of men; more especially of his church and people; of sinful men, of publicans and sinners; as appears by his calling them to repentance, by his receiving them, and by his coming into the world to save them: he “loves” them, and loves them constantly; he loved them before time; so early were they on his heart and in his book of life; so early was he the surety of them, and the covenant of grace made with him; and their persons and grace put into his hands, which he took the care of: he loved them in time, and before time began with them; thus they were preserved in him, when they fell in Adam; were redeemed by his precious blood, when as yet they were not in being, at least many of them: he loves them as soon as time begins with them, as soon as born; though impure by their first birth, transgressors from the womb, enemies and enmity itself unto him; he waits to be gracious to them, and sends his Gospel and his Spirit to find them out and call them: and he continues to love them after conversion; in times of backsliding; in times of desertion; in times of temptation, and in times of affliction: he loves them indeed to the end of time, and to all eternity; nor is there a moment of time to be fixed upon, in which he does not love them. And he is a “brother” to his people; through his incarnation, he is a partaker of the same flesh and blood with them; and through their adoption, they having one and the same Father; nor is he ashamed to own the relation; and he has all the freedom, affection, compassion, and condescension, of a brother in him: and now he is a brother “born”; see Isaiah 9:6; born of a woman, a virgin, at Bethlehem, in the fulness of time, for and on the behalf of his people; even “for adversity”; to bear and endure adversity himself, which he did, by coming into a state of meanness and poverty; through the reproaches and persecutions of men, the temptations of Satan, the ill usage of his own disciples, the desertion of his father, the strokes of justice, and the sufferings of death; also for the adversity of his people, to sympathize with them, bear them up under it, and deliver them out of it. The ancient Jews had a notion that this Scripture has some respect to the Messiah; for, to show that the Messiah, being God, would by his incarnation become a brother to men, they cite this passage of Scripture as a testimony of it.

I could have highlighted almost the entire commentary. It’s the entire picture of salvation Father God prophesied of when sin entered man in the garden of Eden. Father God sent His ONLY Begotten Son, born of a virgin to become the “brother” every soul needs. Yeshua Jesus becoming Immanuel, “God With Us” showed us that He could truly understand our struggles of life. The shedding of His “Life Giving Blood” bought the final and permanent atonement for sin. All prior blood of animals, no matter how innocent, spotless and pure they appeared to be could only purchase temporary atonement.

Now I want to move on to the verse of the day from my YouVersion Bible app,

Jesus came to this earth to shed His Precious Blood so that it would be the “propitiation” for the sins of repentant mankind. Romans 3:25, 1 John 2:2, 1 John 4:1:10.

The verse of the day from MyDailyBible app is from a psalm that I really believe changed my life. I prayed this psalm many times as a prayer of repentance when the weight of my sinfulness had become fully revealed to me. It’s not that I didn’t know I was sinning while I was sinning, I just didn’t have a consciousness of the grievousness of it when I committed them. When the weight of my sinfulness came to bear on my heart and mind it then became almost more than I could take. Have you ever felt guilty, not for getting caught, but solely because you were guilty? That’s the feeling I’m trying to express.

“To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.” (Psalms 51:1-2 NKJV)
#Bible https://www.mydailybible.org/dv/nkjv/2020-08-18.htm

David lists 3 things, (I like that number) for Father God to remove from his account, his sin debt.
Transgressions – “rebellion” Samuel told king Saul “rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft.”
(1 Samuel 15:23)
Iniquity – Evil, perversity, mischief. Also the punishment and “guilt of sin.”
Sin – an offence (sometime habitual). Also the punishment and “guilt of sin.” It’s related to “missing the mark” and “wandering away from” God’s way that we should conduct our life.

King David knew, once his sin was exposed by Nathan that he “was caught.” I believe that before Nathan confronted him he had already been feeling the absence of fellowship with the Spirit of God for some time. Nathan’s words blew the lid off any doubt in his mind that God may have “excused” him of his behavior because he was king or because of the “familiarity” he had with God’s presence in his life.

There are 2 classes of sins in God’s Eyes. One is described 12 times in the books of Leviticus and Numbers. The word used to describe this class of sin is “Ignorance.”
H7684 – a mistake or inadvertent transgression: – {error} at {unawares} unwittingly.

The other class of sin are “presumptuous” ones. They are done while shaking a fist at God in arrogance and pride.
H2102 – arrogant, proud

If you study sin and the sin offerings, which Jesus came to put an end to, in the books Leviticus and Numbers you will see this principle running through them,

Leviticus 4:27 ‘If anyone of the common people sins unintentionally by doing something against any of the commandments of the Lord in anything which ought not to be done, and is guilty, 28 or if his sin which he has committed comes to his knowledge, then he shall bring as his offering a kid of the goats, a female without blemish, for his sin which he has committed. 

It is NEVER said that a sin committed “presumptuously” had a blood sacrifice offered as atonement for it. ONLY sins done in error could be cover by the blood of the sacrificial animal. Presumptuous sins had ONLY One remedy, REPENT of them, STOP doing it. If you Repented, Stopped committing the sin, atonement came. Other offerings could be made such as “peace offerings.”

Maybe you are wondering where else in the Bible this principle is established. It isn’t only established, it’s Declared and Decreed by our Dear Heavenly Father Himself. Father God spells it out perfectly clear that even a child can understand it. This is the icing on the cake of what Yeshua Jesus, Immanuel – God With Us, came to provide. We all, every one of us needs the Blood of Jesus to cleanse us of the sins we commit but pleading His Blood and continuing in Willful sin won’t stand. God Himself said these Words that from a human viewpoint sound almost “To Good To Be True.”

Ezekiel 18:21-24  “But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 22 None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live. 23 Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?” says the Lord God, “and not that he should turn from his ways and live?

24 “But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die.

Read the entire chapter 18 of Ezekiel and see for yourself. This is Father God speaking. Does it sound too good to be true that a person can be sorry for the sins they committed in their life, stop doing them, ask God’s forgiveness and receive a “Full Pardon” and Live. God is speaking of eternal life here. Does it maybe seem unfair that a sinner can “Just Repent” and receive eternal Life from Father God? Does it seem unfair that a person can live much of their life in a righteous way then finish it living out a sinful, perverted life and not receive eternal life from Father God? The only answer to that dilemma is that HE IS God, not me or you. God doesn’t need our approval for anything He chooses to do or not do.

God’s character is shown in verse 23, “Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?” says the Lord God, “and not that he should turn from his ways and live?”

John 3:16-21  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
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.
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

God’s Word, Yeshua Jesus, became Flesh and lives among us. The Word of God is Alive and Powerful to those who believe it and apply it to their conduct. We all have the choice to believe the “Almost Too Good To Be True” offer  and warnings God spells out to us in His Word. The devil’s lie never changes, just doubt the Word of God. Doubt the warnings of consequences for sinful living. Doubt the Love, Mercy, Grace and Forgiveness of our Compassionate Heavenly Father. Satan wants people to believe God will forever be mad it them for the mistakes and willful sins they have committed. God tells us in Ezekiel 18 it’s not so. He describes in the simplest of terms what He requires of us. We get to choose if we will accept His “Almost Too Good To Be True” Offer.

Choose to Walk in the Light, NOT in darkness.

John 11:9-10 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”

In closing I want to bring up one last evidence that it is Father God’s Will that any of His children who decide to follow His Way’s is offered unconditional forgiveness. We know from reading the Bible that God doesn’t get in a hurry to do anything. A day to God is like a thousand years for us. In today’s devotional reading from MyDailyBible app, it tell of one of the few times that God seems to get in a hurry, actually it says He Ran. Jesus gave 3 (I like that number) parables to make His point,

DailyPlan : one-year-tract : 2020-08-18 #Bible https://www.mydailybible.org/dp/esv/one-year-tract/2020-08-18.htm

Luke 15 – The Lost Sheep

1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”

3 So he told them this parable: 4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

Parables of the Lost Coin 
8 “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ 10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

The Parable of the Prodigal Son
11 And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. 14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.

17 “But when he came to himself, (Lev. 4:28 his sin which he has committed comes to his knowledge) he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ 20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and RAN and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.

25 “Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 28 But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, 29 but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ 31 And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”

Don’e believe the lies of satan and die in your sins. God’s “Too Good To Be True” offer is beyond Good, there are no words that can describe it’s “Goodness.” It HAS to be “True” because it is impossible for God to lie. Satan who has been a liar from the start wants you believe a lie and think God is a liar, that’s his lie that too many people choose to believe.

Did you notice all the 17’s in the scriptures quoted?

Jesus Is The Aleph & The Tav, The Alpha & The Omega, The First & The Last
א ת Jesus Α Ω א ת Jesus Α Ω א ת Jesus Α Ω א ת Jesus Α Ω א ת Jesus Α Ω א ת Jesus Α Ω