May 7, 2013

• Judgment comes, Pt 3: Harlots, Prostitutes & Adulteresses

  For the next few days I will be reprinting several old posts.  There is a reason for this, and I do feel it necessary to rehash old material before proceeding with new thoughts.  I have done some minor editing, so this is not entirely a rerun.  New thoughts will be in italics.

  In any case, this was originally posted on September 14, 2011 as “Judgment Comes, Pt 3: Harlots, Prostitutes & Adulteresses” and continued an unplanned series of posts which I will soon finish.  Expect Part 4 to be reprinted soon, and then I will finally conclude what was started nearly 2 years ago.

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  All throughout scripture there is found a reference that we glance over with little attention.  The reference usually is from God, Himself, and it generally precedes judgments approach.  In the Old Testament economy, the terminology was “Harlot” or “Prostitute”…. in New Testament times it’s Adulteress.  The reference is simple enough — you’ve left God in favor of following some idol… you’ve become an Idolator, following an Idol in God’s name.  But I don’t think we pause long enough to reflect on the utter disgust the description pictures.

  Harlot = Promiscuous woman.  Someone who spreads her legs for the tiniest bit of sexual satisfaction —- which often enough is really no satisfaction because promiscuity generally breeds discontent with real love and the inability to actually feel anything from the neck down.  In modern terminology we’d call the woman a tramp, a slut, a nympho or a whore.  All four terms carry negative connotations and are not the kind of adjective you would like your friends calling you around your mother.

  Prostitute = Someone who engages in sex for money.  Did you ever think about that.  God is not just saying that you’ve opened your legs to any passing fancy — he’s actually saying that you’re selling yourself for a price.  If the harlot lives for pleasure, the prostitute lives for gold.  Money is the bottom line in the prostitute’s economy.  Modern age has made the prostitute something of a noble profession.  “What happens in Vegas, stays in vegas” (Except venereal disease which goes with you everywhere…. the gift that keeps on giving…) has become something of a “Wink, wink, nod, nod” affair where we think it’s cool and fun and clever.  Pretty Woman epitomizes our modern concept of the whole profession as something worthwhile and glamorous.  That is not how God sees it… and we need to grasp this.

  Adulteress = A MARRIED woman who engages in sex — apart from her husband.  Someone for whom a vow is not a promise.  Who’s promise is not trustworthy.  Someone whom the words “FAITHFULNESS” are meaningless and who clearly cares nothing for the one she said she’d love “In sickness and in health, for better or worse, til death do us part.”  The adulteress is actually the graver sin here…. for while a harlot is merely living for pleasure, and the prostitute is guided by greed for money —- the Adulteress shows little to no concern for those in her life, she’s actually living for selfish pride.   A Thief, who steals to provide food for his family, may find pity in the eyes of society, but the man who takes another man’s wife will N-E-V-E-R live down his shame.  (Proverbs 6:30, 31-32)

  There’s something interesting here, though.

  Israel is called a Prostitute, a Harlot.  Someone who lives for pleasure and money.

  Those in the Church, who turn from Christ — they are called adulteresses, they live for self.

  Israel prostituted herself into slavery to idols — and God constantly paid the price for her redemption to buy her back…. but He time and again warned Israel that there would come a time when his patience would come to an end and judgment would fall… and it did.

  The Church — has one sacrifice and if we spurn that, there only comes judgment.

  Let me give you two fascinating verses from the book of  Hebrews to illustrate my point (strengthened by two similar sets of verses found in Galatians and Romans).  The Hebrew verses are both from chapter 10 — and the point they make are diametrically polar opposites even though they say virtually the exact same thing!!!

  In Hebrews 10:1-17 the writer sets up the “Once, for all” sacrifice of Christ as sufficient to meet our salvation needs.  He then drops this bombshell on the Jewish readers —

  Hebrews 10:17 (for context sake) Then he adds:    “Their sins and lawless acts
     I will remember no more.”

  Hebrews 10:18 And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.

  No longer any sacrifice for sin.
  No longer.  Finished.  Done.  Complete.

  Our needs for a sacrifice where met in the cross.  When Jesus forgave our sins, He did so permanently. 

  Jesus paid it all and we are forgiven and there is no further need for us to seek a sacrifice because His payment was final.

  But wait, there’s another side of this.

  If you are still pressed forward to seek “something more“, inclined to believe that Jesus wasn’t sufficient or that His demands on your life are a bit to cramping to your lifestyle — there’s this warning but a mere 8 verses later.

  Hebrews 10:26-27  If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.

  So ponder this with me.

  Jesus paid it all.  I don’t have to seek further sacrifice

  (i.e. the Roman Catholic Mass which is a repeated re-sacrificing of Jesus cause they say his death was not enough.  I’m not making this up, you can read it for yourself. There are two links there, one to the Roman Catholic answer and another to a Christian apologetic response with citations from official Catholic doctrine.)

  and there is glorious freedom found in knowing that Jesus delivered us from our sin.  (Here are the Galatians & Romans counterparts:  Galatians 5:1 & Romans 8:1-2 … now see next note below).

  No sacrifice remains… it’s done.

  But — if we keep to sinning after we’ve embraced Christ… if we separate ourselves from the body of Christ, the Church (Hebrews 10:25 put it in that context) — then no sacrifice for sins remains for us because we’ve effectively abused Grace.  We actually show that we live for OURSELVES and not for our Lord, our Savior, our Master.  (Galatians 5:13, 19-20; Romans 8:6-8)  We do not enter into the Kingdom of God!  (Galatians 5:20)  We actually show ourselves to be the enemies of God, not His children….. even though we are found in Church.

  If you come to Christ so that you can have guilt-free sinning —- you’ve missed to point entirely and His sacrifice DOES NOTHING FOR YOU!!!  You are not saved, worse, judgment comes.

  You are the adulteress — who cares nothing for her husband, but only for her foolish selfish desires.  You’d rather keep your sins than let them go.  You are an enemy of God by James accounting.  (James 4:4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.)

  For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?  (1 Peter 4:17)

  Judgment BEGINS with the family of God.

  Our land is full of adultery.  Do you think that God has not noticed how it’s even become a part of His Church?  If Israel was judged for harlotry and prostitution — how much more so will we be for turning our backs on the very one who died to save us?

  Judgment comes.  “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God.”  (Hebrews 10:31)

  Here’s that quote in full

  Hebrews 10: 28-31 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.  How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?  For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.”   It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

  And Judgment begins…. with those who “CLAIM” to represent God… those who take upon themselves His name, but live only for themselves.  With those who falsely represent God in all that they do, living like God doesn’t see their hearts, their sins, their lives.  When the land is full of adultery — with people taking Jesus name on their lips but who’s hearts are from from him…. judgment comes.

  But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne.  All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.

  “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.  For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home.  I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’

  “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing?  When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

  “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’

  “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons.  For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink.  I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’

  “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, (Matthew 7:22-23) when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’

  “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’

  “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”  (Matthew 25:31-46)
  

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