If any former Reading students of mine come across this image today, I’m pretty sure they are chuckling to themselves about now.

I used to project this on a screen on the first day of class each year as a ‘simple’ Reading test to gauge their skill level. Invariably, most failed the test on the first several attempts, as I had them read it aloud, together. It was after I pointed out the repeated word, ‘the’, to them, which most failed to catch when reading the sentence, that their ‘eyes were opened’ as they realized their mistake.

We do that a lot when we read God’s word.

We ‘think we know’...what we are reading, or what something is saying; and it’s only after we go back and the Holy Spirit ‘opens the eyes of our understanding’...do we really ‘see’ what is being said. Trust me...I know what I’m talking about here.

If you have dropped in here from time to time to read my daily posts, and have come to the conclusion that all I seem to ‘rant’ about is ‘sin, law, and wrath’...then let me assure you: You are not ‘seeing it’. And until God ‘opens your eyes’ (Luke 24:31-32,45), it will remain hidden to you. I know that sounds extremely arrogant for me to say, but I don’t know how else to phrase it. And if you do fall into that category...may I encourage you to just humble yourself and ask the Lord to ‘show you’ what you might not be ‘seeing’, if indeed you find yourself growing calloused to these lessons because they sound like the same old ‘fire and brimstone message’ that does more to discourage you than anything else.

So what have we ‘missed seeing’ when it comes to understanding God’s word and what He is trying to awaken us to in this hour? I would submit to you that the ‘law’ has been lost, just as it was back in the days of King Josiah, who I mentioned the other day and promised to follow up with. (2 Kings 21-23)

And let me be clear as I emphatically state, ‘for the record’, and want all to know... God did not send Jesus into this world to ‘condemn the world, but that the world...through Him might be saved...for he who does not believe in Him...is already condemned...” (John 3:17-18,36). These are the words of Jesus, who also reminds us that: “...the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives...He came to save them” (Luke 9:56)

Jesus let it be known that people whose lives were being ‘destroyed’, did not suffer in such a manner because they were ‘worse sinners’...than anyone else. But He also made it clear that “unless we repent...we would all likewise...perish” (Luke 13:1-5). And why did God say “His people...were destroyed”? (Hosea 4:6)

Let us not forget Peter’s strong admonition in one of his earlier sermons as he pointed out how Moses foretold of a future day when God would raise up a ‘Prophet’ (Jesus)...and that we ‘shall hear Him in all things...whatever He says to you...and it shall be that every soul who will NOT hear that Prophet (Jesus)... shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.” (Acts 3:22-23)

Suppose for a moment...that I offered to sell you a special laminated card for $1000; and this card was ‘special’ because it would grant you full immunity for any crime you might ever commit, for the remainder of your life. And when I say ‘crime’, I mean everything from a parking ticket to mass murder, or worse. So in the event you did commit any and such crimes, when authorities came to arrest you, all you would need to do is ‘flash that card’ to them and you were ‘good to go’. Would I have any ‘takers’?

Well...that is pretty much what many in the church world have bought into when it comes to this message of God’s ‘grace’. Whenever they ‘sin’, which most will admit they do ‘regularly, daily, and even multiple times a day’...they are convinced all they need to do is ‘flash their Jesus-Grace Card’...and they are ‘good to go’. It might help if they feel a bit of remorse, and then promise, of course... to try harder to do better next time. And it’s because of this misguided understanding of God’s grace...that they fail to ‘see’ what God’s word really has to say when it comes to His law, sin, and His wrath, which is what Jesus came to ‘save’ us from (Rom. 5:9).

Jesus came to set us free from the grip of the enemy and the power of sin, so that we could ‘go and sin no more’ (Luke 4:18; John 8:32-36; Acts 26:18; Rom. 6; 1 John 3:6, 5:18). But it came with a warning that ‘something worse’ might happen to us if we continue to practice sin. (John 5:14)

And for all the warnings Paul gave to us, warning like the ones found in Eph. 5:5-6, Gal. 5:21; and Rom. 1:18...it’s the one in 2 Cor. 7:1 that I want to draw your attention to.

“Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from ALL... filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” ....and...”for without holiness, no one shall see the Lord.” (Heb. 12:14)

So what does this have to do with the law and King Josiah? Well join me tomorrow and we will dive into that story; and if you have time, read over 2 Kings 21-23 beforehand.