For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord . For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Isaiah 55:8-9 KJV
First get your mind prepared by knowing you and God might not live in the same school of thought. Your view of things and methods may not be shared by God. Don't be shocked if what seems to you as the most effective solution method is ignored by God.
there's a way which seem right unto man (Proverbs 14:12) but that is man, and not God.
Settled, we must also know the following.
1. God earnestly wants every sinner back to Him.
not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. [[2Pe 3:9]] KJV
*[[Eze 33:11]] KJV* Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
2. God wants erring saints too "restored".
*[[Gal 6:1-2]] KJV* Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the LAW OF Christ.
so, both the erring Christian and the lost sinner though they are not in the same category, God wants a restoration for both.
Now God does not only "desire that none perish" and fold arms, He has His strategy of bringing them back. Today we see it. What is God's method of achieving repentance?
Romans 2:4 KJV
Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
Oh! God's method of producing a repentant person is RICH goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering!
So according to the clear epistle, God's own repentancy is worked out by three elements:
1. RICH GOODness
2. FORBEARANCE
3. LONGsuffering
Hmmm...
We must stress that word "rich", if it's not rich, it's not God.
In goodness, God works out repentance. Many have said it's in convenience people forsake God most. Another group argue it is more in hard times and in sufferings. Do you remember we started out by cancelling out that the human school of thought isn't necessarily God's? Good!
God has chosen to by goodness save the lost and the erring. Not by scattering their business, or putting sicknesses on them. There's no honour in our respectable King of kings going about pursuing sinners like a wretched man pursues a fellow wretched debtor. God does not need to afflict people to get them to accept Him, otherwise it will be a coercion, not a freewill choice. Salvation must be freewill. You know, you cannot truly love a husband who acquired you by supreme powers. Your heart will always be with whom you truly love. So it is with salvation. Your heart will always be where you wanted to be, while your body is where you're forced to be. Do you remember: "WITH THE HEART man believeth unto righteousness..."
No wonder Peter also said,
And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; 2 Peter 3:15 KJV
To work salvation, God's method is again: LONGSUFFERING. In fact, Peter said this is what all of Paul's epistle is on: How God saves by LONGSUFFERING, LONGSUFFERING, LONGSUFFERING. By not striking the sinner dead for unrepentancy, No! But by the riches of His goodness and forbearance. Paul in fact said this longsuffering has in it the power to LEAD a man to repentance. See, if you have not known this, you have not known all Paul's epistles (according to Peter). You have not known Peter's epistle too . You have thought God is "do me I do you".
Let's see again
How does God make people to have His fear? How can we lastingly instill the fear of God in hearts? By scaring them with God's judgment? No. By speaking of the Riches of His goodness and forbearance and longsuffering in all our epistles (our preachings I mean). Not by tit for tat.
Psalm 130:4 KJV
But there is FORGIVENESS with thee, that thou mayest be FEARED.
Jeremiah 33:8-9 KJV
And I will CLEANSE them from ALL their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will PARDON ALL their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me. [9] And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and an HONOUR before ALL the nations of the earth, WHICH SHALL HEAR all the good that I do unto them: and they shall FEAR and TREMBLE for all the GOODNESS and for all the PROSPERITY that I procure unto it.
By abundance of forgiveness and mercy, God terrifies the sinner to turn to him. Did you also notice how God promised to evangelise the world? By making the nations to HEAR ALL THE GOOD! You'll promote the fear of God more by telling them ALL THE GOOD, ALL THE GOOD. This to God is a honour. This to God is a praise. It is not you dishonouring God or underrating Him. By the abundance of the knowledge of the infinite forgiveness God gives, He will be feared and His repentance will be produced.
You may have had examples around you, of how by patience and much forgiveness people have sworn to serve God or to preach the gospel till their last blood drop. You love God more when you know how He loves you much. But if you have been preaching a tit-for-tat God, a God with forgiveness limits, thinking that will make them fear God, now you see how your ways are not His ways.
In conclusion, you hate sin, so does God. But it is by the knowledge and continual remembrance of your abundant forgiveness bank with God that you will become more and more perfect. People sin because they don't"know" this.
*[[2Pe 1:9]] ISV* For the person who lacks these qualities is blind and shortsighted, and has FORGOTTEN the cleansing that he has received from his past sins.
Hmm.. Unfortunately people want to speak less of grace but more of the hammer on sin and the limit of God's grace. What manner of preacher will you therefore be? On which side will you be?






