June 18, 2007 8:23 PM

The Truth About Divorce
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How Can I Know God?

April 2002

Don't Confuse Sin With A Covenant

I know that this newsletter is being sent to many of you who at one time or another, read "Till Death Do Us Part?" You became, excited, and began to share this truth with others, and that is when your whole world exploded. Some of you since then have experienced being isolated from former friends; or disinherited by your families; or excommunicated from your churches. (Note: This amazes me: In Jesus’ day He cast out the demons and kept the people. Today, many churches are casting out the righteous people and keeping the demons.) Shocked and staggered, you probably thought, "something just isn’t right here;" "everybody else in the world can’t be wrong." " I had better cool my jets and stand down for awhile." You have given it up.

You found there were many hypothetical questions and situations you couldn’t explain, and the reasonings given to you seemed so logical; so you just gave up! "Life is too short." "There are too many unknowns." "I must have missed some truth that these others know. So now, you probably have some of these books stacked somewhere in your house, and you have given up sharing the truths found in the book with anyone.

Does this sound familiar? Have you crawled away bleeding, and have you given up? You are not alone! Please know how very badly I feel just knowing this is happening. I feel badly because I can’t be there to help you see through the rationalistic, pragmatic, feel good, God’s mercy is sufficient, and you are legalistic, arguments with which you have been bombarded.

Let me share with you some rationalisms I often hear. "Yes, I know that remarriage is a sin because marriage is for life, BUT, life long marriages are God’s perfect will, and we have to be realistic. After all, Jesus was teaching God’s ideal, but we know that real life is not like that however. Yes, remarriage is a sin, but if you don’t believe God can forgive that sin of adultery, then you have found ‘the only unpardonable sin.’"

Have you heard that before: "The unpardonable sin"?

I have had many people present that argument to me. Actually, however, there are several answers to such an argument, and you need to know about them.

One man said, "I have a friend who has been remarried for 25 years to the same woman. Does the permanence of their present, long term relationship make a difference?"

I said, "I’ll answer that if you will answer another question for me first." "How many other sins can you name that tend to die of old age?" Does lying? Sodomy? or Prostitution? Do any of these ever quit being sin if you do them long enough? How does the word of God say that we are to classify those who persist in living with anyone other than their first marriage partner, (Even if it is for 50 years.) while their first partner is still alive? In Romans 7:3, Paul the apostle called it a perpetual state of "adultery?" (She shall be called an adulteress.) I fact, in Galatians 1:8 & 9, Paul, who had supernaturally been given revelation truth directly from Jesus Christ, while in the Arabian Desert; said, "though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be ACCURSED."

If we are talking of any sin, the unchanging biblical requirement for forgiveness is not to let it die of old age, but to repent of it, no matter how long it has been going on. It will never change it’s status; it is SIN!.

Please know that adultery is SIN; but it is much more than sin. It is the violation of a covenant. I can repent of my sin and be totally forgiven, but repentance and saying you are sorry does not affect, stop or change a covenant. You and I must repent of it, and, if possible, reestablish our relationship through complete forgiveness, or live a celibate lifestyle.

In Joshua 9, Joshua was proceeding to conquer the land promised to them, as God had commanded him to do. He was proceeding as directed, to kill all of the inhabitants of that land. In verse 3, when some of the Amorites, (One of the tribes inhabiting the land that God had commanded Joshua to destroy.) who lived in the city of Gibeon (called Gibeonites) heard that Joshua was coming to destroy them, the scriptures tell us that they decided to fool Joshua with trickery. They put on old clothes, took moldy bread, old wineskins, worn out shoes, and covered themselves with much dust. Then they rode their camels over the hill to meet Joshua and told him that they had come from a far away land, having heard of his great army and his God who was conquering all the nations before him. They said they had come to make a treaty with Israel. Please, make note of this important fact: They were lying through their teeth! InVerse 14 it says that Joshua and his men looked at, and were convinced that they were telling them the truth because of their appearance and the condition of their food and garments. The bible says they "didn’t even inquire of the Lord." Instead, vs. 15 says that Joshua and his leaders, " made a peace covenant with them."

Immediately after this, someone found out that they were not from far away, but instead, from just over the hill. Joshua and his men then realized that they had been lied to. You would think Joshua and his men would have risen up and killed all of them for their lies, and for making them look very foolish. You would think they would have said, like many today would say, "We didn’t know what we were doing, they fooled us." But; but, vs. 18 says, "And the children of Israel smote them not, because the princes of the congregation had sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel." These men understood the seriousness of a verbal vow. They didn’t dare touch them. Instead, from then on Joshua not only let them live, but had to protect them from all of their enemies as he and his men had promised they would do in a covenant..

The next time we hear anything about this covenant with the Gibeonites, is in II Samuel 21:1, where it says; "Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David enquired of the Lord, and the Lord answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites." Evidentially, Saul was upset because there were so many of the Gibeonites working all around the tabernacle, and had many of them killed.

Remember now; originally, God had commanded Joshua to kill all the inhabitants of the Land. Now Saul had only killed a few, and the Lord had caused a severe drought to come upon the land of Israel because of that killing spree by Saul. God said the drought was Saul’s fault because he had killed these Amorites. Why would God do that to Israel when He had originally said "kill them all?" It was the COVENANT, and God is a Covenant honoring God!

David asked the Lord how he could resolve the problem and he went to the declared what the Lord had told him. He then asked the Gibeonites how he, as king, could honorably resolve this violation of the covenant with them to make atonement for the ones Saul had killed. In accordance with God’s standard for Israel, ( if a life be taken, a life must be taken.) the Gibeonites told David to give them seven of Saul’s sons that they might hang them. He did, and they hanged them. In II Samuel 21:14c, is a very shocking and enlightening statement: it says; "And after that (after Saul’s seven sons were hanged.) God was intreated for the land." After the covenant was vindicated, God again answered David’s prayer and ended the drought.

Can you imagine how much David must have prayed and wept before the Lord during those three years and had no results, until he had made restitution for the covenant that was devised in deception; but confirmed by God because of the verbal agreement (covenant) that was spoken before God, without seeking His counsel. Once the covenant was stated in His presence, it was acknowledged, confirmed and enforced by God Himself.

How many times have you heard people try to get out of a promise by saying, "I didn’t know what I was saying," or "I didn’t understand the seriousness of what I was saying at that time." To that, God says; "A covenant is a covenant, is a covenant, and I am a Covenant honoring God." Even a covenant that may have been born in deception, or through flippancy..

A FLIPPANT COVENANT:

For another example, look at Genesis 25:29, where we read about Jacob and Esau. Esau had just come in from the field; was very hungry, and asked his brother Jacob for some pottage he was cooking.

Jacob evidently, immediately saw an opportunity to take advantage of a very unique situation. In verse 31, he said to his brother Esau, "Sell me this day thy birthright."

Esau responded by saying, man, I starving and you are worried about a birthright? "Big deal!"

Jacob, wisely responded in verse 33 by saying: "Swear to me this day." (literally: vow to God that it is mine.)

The same verse says; "And Esau swore to Jacob" that he could have his birthright. The end of verse 34 says, "Esau despised his birthright."

Many today might say, "That was just two brothers messing around. God certainly isn’t going to get up tight about a little foolish thing like that. A lot of people say dumb things like that and don’t even think about it. I surely hope you wouldn’t try to make a doctrine out of that."

They would be absolutely right about one thing: There are millions of young people today who are making vows before God and many other witnesses, during their marriage ceremonies who are later on saying, it really didn’t mean anything, we were just dumb kids and we didn’t know what life was all about. "God certainly isn’t going to hold us accountable for the promises we made in the excitement of young puppy love." Before anyone gets too comfortable with those thoughts, turn with me to Hebrews 12:14-17. Here, the writer to the Hebrews, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, spoke "God breathed words," that should haunt every person who has treated past covenants lightly.

"Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. ...vs. 16, Lest there be any fornicator (doer of sexual sins) or profane person, (one who becomes careless about the things of God.) AS ESAU (Let his example be a warning to you.) Who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, (later on when he changed his mind about his birthright.) When he would have inherited the blessing, HE WAS REJECTED: for he found no place of repentance, (it was too late.) Though he sought it carefully WITH TEARS." Verse 25 then says: "See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they (Esau) escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, (Moses) much more shall not we escape, IF we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven." (Christ) Verse 28, 29 says; "Let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. (Literally, awe) For our God is a Consuming Fire."

I am sure that Esau repented and repented and repented telling God how sorry he was for ever saying what he said to Jacob that day; and, I am sure that God in His infinite mercy forgave him for his foolishness and flippancy. God, however, would not; no, could not change the covenant, without violating His own Holiness, Righteousness, and Justice. He heard the words spoken by Jacob, and Esau’s response, and acted upon them.

The Bible tells us that "death and life are in the power of the tongue." (Proverbs 18:21) In Matthew 5:33&37, Jesus said; "Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, (Deut. 23:21-23; & Eccl.5;4-6) Thou shalt not forswear thyself, ( You shall not break your vows to God, but will fulfill them all.) but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:...But let your communication be Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil."

It is of great significance that the Lord said these words immediately after he told His disciples that the only time they could get a divorce was during the time of betrothal. He was clarifying that once a man and a woman vow themselves to each other for the first time each, that He supernaturally glues them together for life, and, " that no man can separate what He has joined together."

Regardless of the arguments you have heard to the contrary by those who are defending immorality and lies, you and I must stand strong for God’s eternal word. Any covenant, whether borne out of a lie or flippancy or ignorance, is still a covenant in God’s eyes. He will forgive your foolishness, or ignorance, but that will not, and does not effect or make void the covenant. It still stands! It stands because it represents "a decision, not a feeling." Feelings can come later, but the decision stands in God’s sight for the duration of the spoken covenant: "so long as we both shall live." Always remember; God does not demand that we marry the one we love, but He does command us to love the one we married. That, by the way is not a suggestion, but a Divine Command.

It is imperative that you and I get this message to the Church before it is eternally too late.

Paul warned us to expect certain visible conditions that would appear in the "Last days." II Timothy 3:1-4

"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come...Without natural affection, (Normal family affection: ie. parents for children; husband or wife for each other.)... trucebreakers; (Vine says this Greek word means: ‘refusing to abide by covenants made.’) ...lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God." Does this seem like it was taken from tomorrow’s newspapers?

Many who call themselves Christians today are "covenant breakers," but the God they profess to serve is a Covenant God. May God help us to get this message to them.

We pray that God will put it into your heart to refuse sitting back and becoming a spectator and to lose your fear of man or rejection by others, and to become laborers together with us, to get this vital truth out. Please, refuse to be intimidated by those who insist on allowing their liberty to become license, and pray earnestly as to what part you might have in this ministry. AMEN?

We cannot describe the thrill we feel every time the Lord speaks to another heart to help us hold our hands up in the battle, even as did Aaron and Hur for Moses. We thank the Lord for our faithful partners who are standing with us in prayer and with their finances to make all of this possible. We know the Lord will reward each one of you in ways you cannot imagine right now. We naturally feel that this is one of the most crucial messages for the Church today. God Bless!