Page 27 - Prophetic Word Newsletter Archive 2011

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The Puritan preacher, Jonathan Edwards became famous for his sermon entitled:

“SINNERS IN THE HANDS OF AN ANGRY GOD”

Today’s cause-driven brand of the gospel is producing Jonah-type Christians portraying an image of:

“SINNERS IN THE HANDS OF ANGRY CHRISTIANS”

Such misdirected, earth-bound zealots are more obsessed with
fighting for capturing the SOIL of men than the SOULS of men.

Jesus saw this angry spirit toward the lost even in His own disciples:

"LORD, DO YOU WANT US TO COMMAND FIRE TO COME DOWN FROM HEAVEN AND
CONSUME THEM, JUST AS ELIJAH DID?“ BUT HE TURNED AND REBUKED THEM,
AND SAID, "YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT MANNER OF SPIRIT YOU ARE OF.

FOR THE SON OF MAN DID NOT COME TO DESTROY MEN'S LIVES BUT TO SAVE THEM."
Luke 9:54-56

We are not here to “save America.” We are here to “save Americans.” Big difference!

3 WE ARE TO MOURN OVER SINNING

“…AND I SHALL MOURN FOR MANY WHO HAVE SINNED BEFORE AND HAVE NOT REPENTED
OF THE UNCLEANNESS, FORNICATION, AND LICENTIOUSNESS WHICH THEY HAVE PRACTICED.”

2 Cor. 12:21

Last, but not least, the apostle Paul shows yet another form of the Beatitude of mourning, this time he
singles out the need to mourn over “sinning saints.” However, if we don’t believe we have any personal
sin accountable before God, then we won’t believe our brethren have anything to account for either. If
God has “pre-forgiven our sins”, then there is nothing to mourn over. However, such is not the case if
we believe the teachings of the apostles. Listen to the arguments the apostle John and the apostle
James present pertaining to brethren who are practicing sin:

“IF ANYONE SEES HIS BROTHER SINNING A SIN WHICH DOES NOT LEAD TO
DEATH, HE WILL ASK, AND HE WILL GIVE HIM LIFE FOR THOSE WHO

COMMIT SIN NOT LEADING TO DEATH. THERE IS SIN LEADING TO DEATH.
I DO NOT SAY THAT HE SHOULD PRAY ABOUT THAT.
ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS IS SIN,
AND THERE IS SIN NOT LEADING TO DEATH.”

1 John 5:16-17

“BRETHREN, IF ANYONE AMONG YOU WANDERS FROM THE TRUTH, AND
SOMEONE TURNS HIM BACK, LET HIM KNOW THAT HE WHO
TURNS A SINNER FROM THE ERROR OF HIS WAY WILL

SAVE A SOUL FROM DEATH AND COVER A MULTITUDE OF SINS.”

James 5:19-20

It is quite evident from the above that the apostles held an opposing view of sin in the life of a believer
than did Charles Spurgeon. According to James, sin can cost the believer. God wants fellow-believers
to watch over one another to “turn a sinner from the error of his way” in order to “save a soul from
death” and to “cover a multitude of sins.” They are not “pre-covered” as Spurgeon suggests. Paul is
mourning over brethren in Corinth that have not repented of their sinful ways ( 2 Cor. 12:21). Read the
context in which these verses are found. These are brethren, not unbelievers.
Lord willing, we will look at the third Beatitude of Matthew Chapter Five in our next newsletter.

Pastor Randy Shupe