RECONCILING THE GOD OF THE OLD TESTAMENT WITH THE GOD OF THE NEW

RECONCILING THE GOD OF THE OLD TESTAMENT WITH THE GOD OF THE NEW

Flip and the "Walk" team are on the other side of Las Vegas, NV. This morning, March 30, 2004 , they are sitting up on a hillside looking down at "Sin City." They said they feel like they are looking down at Sodom itself. This is not a city set on a hill. This is a city set low in a valley, trying to hide, and telling you that "What happens in Vegas – Stays in Vegas." Their hearts are heavy as they see the lie that is Las Vegas - Come find your fortune, have fun and lose yourself for awhile. When in reality, this city leaves broken people strewn in the streets the next morning. This city robs husbands and fathers from their wives and children. This city cries out to God – the same God of the Old and New Testaments. But one thing is for certain – this city has been warned and the true Gospel of Christ has been preached and even though the commercials say "What happens in Vegas – Stays in Vegas," the truth is – God knows. The following is an excerpt from the May 2002 OSA newsletter. These things are going through Flip’s mind again as they make their way through Nevada . - Kristene

Have you ever wondered how the God of the Old Testament squares with the God of the New? Could he possibly be one and the same? The God of the Old Testament wiped out cities, not even sparing children. He had His people destroy everything that breathed, showing no mercy at all! How does this God reconcile with the God who revealed Himself most perfectly in the person of Jesus? The one who was a friend of sinners and children. They loved Him. The only ones who trembled at His presence were demons and Pharisees.

When they were little, my twin boys came up with their own special way to deal with this issue. They told me that the God of the Old Testament was mean and very harsh but that was before He became a Christian. When He became a Christian in the New Testament even little children loved to be around Him. As silly as this sounds, their childlike insight reflects much of the thinking and theology of the church today. It is precisely this kind of theology that leads to a neutering of the Gospel of Christ where the only kind of ministry allowed is that of the "mercy ministry." We are allowed to put back together that which the devil smashes, but we are not allowed to take him on in the Name of Jesus and crush his lying head - that would be too confrontational!

This manifests itself in many ways. At abortion mills we constantly hear this tired old mantra, "Jesus loves me and will forgive me. He would never judge me like you do. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone!" After seeing folks drive into the abortion mill with fish emblems, "I love Jesus" bumper stickers, and carrying Bibles, one begins to ask some questions. Where does one get the idea that he can kill a little child and Jesus will have to forgive him? Where does one get the idea that we can sin all the more that grace may abound? The Apostle Paul debunked this kind of theology in Romans 6:1-2.

At the Metropolitan Community Church (homosexual), the United Methodist Church, the Unitarian Church, and many others, we hear the same old tired mantra, "Jesus loves me and accepts me the way I am. He would never judge me like you do. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone!" After witnessing young homosexual men and women going to the altar of these churches celebrating the Lord’s Supper and their oneness with Christ, one begins to ask some questions. Where does one get the idea that one can be a practicing homosexual and a Christian at the same time? Where does one get the idea that we can sin all the more that grace may abound?

At the National Day of Prayer and Remembrance on September 14, 2001, our nation gathered at the National Cathedral in Washington , D.C., to remember those slaughtered by Islamic terrorists. We honored false gods right alongside the one True God (Jesus). "There are many ways to God, and Jesus happens to be one of them. God is too big to allow Himself to be confined to one religion. He would never be as judgmental or intolerant of other religions as you are." Where does one get the idea that Christians in America should be tolerant of all, even false, religions? Where does one get the idea that Islam, in the words of our born-again President, is a "great religion"? Where does one get the idea that all religions should be one?

It comes from the "seeker-friendly" preaching so prevalent in the pulpit today that cannot and will not reconcile the God of the Old Testament with the God of the New. The mighty Church of Jesus Christ has been reduced to playing with beads in the playpen when it should be engaged in the battle for our culture. "Seeker-friendly" preaching will dispense mercy galore but will not fight the issues for which the world and the devil are contending.

It comes from a church that is far more interested in proclaiming peace than, fighting the devil and his false ideologies. It comes from a church that fears more than anything else, appearing intolerant, judgmental, and manly! In this emasculated state the church has surrendered its prophetic ministry, "Thus saith the LORD!," for a mercy ministry that only allows us to put back together those things the devil robs, kills, and destroys.

It comes from a church that believes, like my twin boys, that God became a "Christian" in the New Testament and accepts everybody, no matter how bad, what sexual orientation, or what religion. We live with a New Testament "god" of grace and mercy and no judgment. This is precisely the reason we see America falling all over herself trying to deal mercifully with an enemy like Yasser Arafat. We turn the other cheek hundreds of times while this murderer, liar, and thief continues his bloodbath. "…but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel." Pr 12:10.

These compromises, however, ultimately become cruel. The "seeker-friendly" preaching that allows a young lady to believe that Jesus will forgive her for every abortion, even ones she will have in the future, because that is what he came here for, is a lie from the pit of hell! He did not come to this earth so that we could sin all the more! This does not bring God’s mercy and grace into play – it brings His judgment! Mercy triumphs over judgment to be sure but mercy cannot be had apart from judgment (James 2:12 -13).

The "seeker-friendly", heretical preaching that one can be a practicing homosexual and a Christian at the same time, is a lie from the pit of hell! The seeker-friendly, syncretistic preaching from the pulpit that there are many ways to God and Jesus just happens to be one of them, is a lie from the pit of hell! These compromises, though on their face appear very accepting and non-judgmental, bring with them death!

In Genesis 15:16 God says that it would be over 400 years before Abram’s descendants would be allowed to enter the Promised Land because the sin of the Amorites (Canaanites, Perizzites, etc.) had "…not yet reached its full measure." God, for 400 years, sought to bring these people to Himself but they became so totally debauched (see Leviticus 18 for a description of their utter depravity) that they had to be completely destroyed (charem) so that they would not lead God’s people astray. The Hebrew word "charem" means the irrevocable giving over of persons or things to the Lord, often resulting in their total annihilation. This doesn’t appear very compassionate does it?

In Exodus 23:22-23 God, in preparing His people to enter the land, told Moses, "If you listen carefully to what he (the angel of the Lord) says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you. My angel will go ahead of you and bring you back into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perezzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites and I will wipe them out." God then warns the people explicitly not to make a covenant or treaty with these nations because they will cause them to fall away from Him. In Deuteronomy 7:1-6, Moses reiterates the above command, "…and when the Lord your God has delivered them (Amorites) over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally (charem). Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy."

Here we see it again! God is going to totally annihilate certain nations, women, children, animals, and everything that breathes. Does this sound like Jesus to you? Would He say, "… show them no mercy?" Seeker-friendly preachers and Christians have great difficulty reconciling the God of the Old Testament with the God of the New?

In Deuteronomy 20:10-18, however, we find a very interesting distinction made. God says that His people can make peace with cities that arefar away but they must show no mercy to cities that arenearby. The cities nearby just happened to be the Amorites. Their sin had now reached its full measure and they had to be utterly destroyed (charem). What was the reason? God had for more than 400 years patiently dealt with this people but they would not turn to him. If left alive they would lead Israel astray:

"But if you turn away and ally yourselves with the survivors of these nations that remain among you …then you may be sure that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead they will become snares and traps for you, whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land, which the Lord your God has given you." Joshua 23:12-13.

Let’s suppose that you had a malignant cancer in your body. Would you be pleased if the doctor informed you that he had removed most of the cancer? Of course not! You would have wanted him to remove all of it. Why? Because that malignant cancer, if left, would ultimately destroy you. This is exactly why God dealt so ruthlessly (charem) with the cities nearby. If left they would lead to the destruction of God’s chosen people.

In the Book of Judges this is exactly what happened. The people of Israel did not drive out the people of the cities nearby and the Lord would no longer drive out these nations from the land but would leave them there to "…test Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the Lord and walk in it…." Jdgs 2:22.

In the New Testament we find that God is the very same. Jesus is the God of the Old Testament, "…the same yesterday, today, and forever." There are disputable areas and good Christians can disagree, like whether or not a person can eat meat offered to an idol. The Apostle Paul called this a disputable matter (the cities far away) in Romans 14:1 and then goes on to explain the principles by which one deals with a disputable matter.

On the other hand, there are indisputable matters (the cities nearby) that must be demolished (charem) or they will result in our own destruction: "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:3-5.

We must totally destroy every argument and pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God or it will result in our own destruction. We must be utterly ruthless, for if we try to compromise with them they will bring our ultimate destruction. Of course I am referring to Abortion, homosexuality, and Islam. They have set themselves up against the knowledge of God and must be totally destroyed (charem). This will require the God of the Old Testament.

Be strong for the task! The God of the Old Testament and the God of the New will help you.
Flip