The Mercy Seat

[Alive]

 

I believe that from God's point of view, there is no broken or improper fellowship--because we are 'In Christ' and when He sees us (typically and in reality), He sees the perfect Lamb of God and the completed work of atonement.

When we who are 'born again' sin, because of our weakness and lack of faith, our conscience condemns us and we have a 'sense' of improper fellowship (your meaning)--so we confess our sin and we find that Grace and solace that heals our soul. This is also His Grace and Mercy to His children as we grow up.

The reality, from God's perspective is that we were already forgiven and never fell from that place on the Mercy Seat between the two cherubim. This is where He meets us.

I woke up the other day thinking about the mercy seat and it came to mind again.

Ex. 25:17   “You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold; two and a half cubits shall be its length and a cubit and a half its width. 18 And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work you shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat. 19 Make one cherub at one end, and the other cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim at the two ends of it of one piece with the mercy seat. 20 And the cherubim shall stretch out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and they shall face one another; the faces of the cherubim shall be toward the mercy seat. 21 You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you. 22 And there I will meet with you,

This is where the Lord meets us. Where the 'blood' was sprinkled and atonement is made. Its interesting what Mary Magdalene saw when she looked into the tomb where Christ lay.

John 20:11   But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.

To me this hearkens back to the Mercy Seat and the two cherubim.

He became the atonement and propitiation for our sins and a once for all high priest to boot. A once for all propitiation and there is now no longer a need for a priest to continually sprinkle the blood between the angels.

Rom. 3:21   But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

[steve morrow]

EVERY  WORD  OF  GOD

 

2 CORINTHIANS 5:9  wherefore we labor that whether present or absent ---we may be accepted of  HIM---

--5:10-- for we must ---all appear before the judgement seat of CHRIST--- that we may receive the things done in  HIS  body according to that he hath done  ---whether it be good or bad---

 

PSALM 25:10  all the paths of  THE  LORD  are mercy and truth ---unto such as keep  HIS  covenant and  HIS  testimonies---

LUKE 1:50  and  HIS  mercy is on them that fear  HIM  from generation to generation

 

TITUS 2:11  for the grace of  GOD  hath appeared --to all men---

--2:12--  teaching us --- that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts  --- we should live soberly --righteously-- and godly -- in this present world 

 

PROVERBS 10:2  treasures of wickedness profit nothing  ---but righteousness delivereth from death---

PROVERBS 11:4  riches profit not in the day of wrath ---but righteousness delivereth from death 

PSALM 119:155  salvation is far from the wicked for they seek not thy statutes

 

LUKE 4:4  and  JESUS  answered him saying it is written that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word of  GOD

 

LOVING  THE  LORD  JESUS  CHRIST 

[Dennis1209]

I have had similar thoughts and a question? 

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

A Christian goes a period of time without confessing their sins and asking forgiveness. The Lord calls him or her home suddenly. What is the status or results of those unconfessed sins? I assume they are still covered under the blood of the lamb. But I don't recall anywhere in the Bible that addresses that particular question?

[Alive]

24 minutes ago, Dennis1209 said:

I have had similar thoughts and a question? 

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

A Christian goes a period of time without confessing their sins and asking forgiveness. The Lord calls him or her home suddenly. What is the status or results of those unconfessed sins? I assume they are still covered under the blood of the lamb. But I don't recall anywhere in the Bible that addresses that particular question?

The short answer is yes they are covered. Otherwise you get into a works based salvation.

The longer answer does not change that, but gets into the realm of each ones personal walk of sanctification.

Perhaps when I wake up, the Lord will allow me to expound on that.

[Heleadethme]

Wonderful insight about the two angels, praise the Lord.

Just some rambling thoughts this morning.  I agree that consciousness of sin can cause us to fall from grace.  Sometimes it's a battle to remain in grace when the accuser is trying to get a person to have their eyes on themselves instead of on Jesus, or people sometimes have trouble forgiving themselves for a sin or shortcoming and become discouraged.   Different people have different temperaments, some tend to be prone to too much self accusation while others tend to be too much the opposite, too cavalier.  So we need to take to heart all the admonitions and instructions and warnings in scripture and apply whichever we need at any given time.  There are those who use grace as a license to sin...I've come across some unfortunately.  And the word says if we judge ourselves we will not be judged with the world. 

It seems from scripture that there are two sides to this coin....it is possible that we can grieve the Holy Spirit.  We have the example of Israel grieving the Holy Spirit to such a degree that He (His glory, His Spirit) departed the temple, as in "Ichabod".  The wages of sin is death.  Sin separates us from God.  These are not truths to be taken likely.

But none of us are perfect....we all sin inadvertently and have shortcomings that we may not even be aware of in ourselves.  James wrote that "in many things we offend all".  This is why we're told to examine ourselves before partaking of the Lord's supper.  After having the bath we still need to wash our feet periodically.  We are to be seeking righteousness....David prayed "Search me and know me o God and see if there be any wicked way in me".  So it is part of what we are to do as Christians, in a spiritually healthy way.

 

 

[Heleadethme]

6 hours ago, steve morrow said:

EVERY  WORD  OF  GOD

 

2 CORINTHIANS 5:9  wherefore we labor that whether present or absent ---we may be accepted of  HIM---

--5:10-- for we must ---all appear before the judgement seat of CHRIST--- that we may receive the things done in  HIS  body according to that he hath done  ---whether it be good or bad---

 

PSALM 25:10  all the paths of  THE  LORD  are mercy and truth ---unto such as keep  HIS  covenant and  HIS  testimonies---

LUKE 1:50  and  HIS  mercy is on them that fear  HIM  from generation to generation

 

TITUS 2:11  for the grace of  GOD  hath appeared --to all men---

--2:12--  teaching us --- that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts  --- we should live soberly --righteously-- and godly -- in this present world 

 

PROVERBS 10:2  treasures of wickedness profit nothing  ---but righteousness delivereth from death---

PROVERBS 11:4  riches profit not in the day of wrath ---but righteousness delivereth from death 

PSALM 119:155  salvation is far from the wicked for they seek not thy statutes

 

LUKE 4:4  and  JESUS  answered him saying it is written that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word of  GOD

 

LOVING  THE  LORD  JESUS  CHRIST 

Amen.  EVERY word of His.

[Heleadethme]

1 hour ago, Dennis1209 said:

I have had similar thoughts and a question? 

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

A Christian goes a period of time without confessing their sins and asking forgiveness. The Lord calls him or her home suddenly. What is the status or results of those unconfessed sins? I assume they are still covered under the blood of the lamb. But I don't recall anywhere in the Bible that addresses that particular question?

We none us even know all our sins and shortcomings so it is hard to confess and repent of what we aren't yet aware of.  But I believe from scripture that willful sins are another matter.  If we keep on willfully sinning there is no more sacrifice.  But ultimately God is the judge...we sometimes are looking for a black and white answer when ultimately only God can judge everything that is going on in a person's life and heart, all the ins and outs of the individual.  What we can count on Him to do is to judge justly and righteously.  If we have any fear of God at all we wouldn't want to die in a state of having been deliberately sinning in some way without a care...it would be very scary for such a one, at least in most cases, in my opinion.  God is not mocked.

[Alive]

Rom. 8:1 (NAS20S)   Therefore there is now no condemnation at all for those who are in Christ Jesus. ² For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. ³ For what the Law could not do,   weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴ so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. ⁵ For those who are in accord with the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are in accord with the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. ⁶ For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, ⁷ because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, ⁸ and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Rom. 8:9 (NAS20S)   However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. ¹⁰ If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. ¹¹ But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

[Heleadethme]

1 hour ago, Alive said:

Rom. 8:1 (NAS20S)   Therefore there is now no condemnation at all for those who are in Christ Jesus. ² For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. ³ For what the Law could not do,   weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴ so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. ⁵ For those who are in accord with the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are in accord with the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. ⁶ For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, ⁷ because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, ⁸ and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Rom. 8:9 (NAS20S)   However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. ¹⁰ If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. ¹¹ But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

Yes.  We can't overcome the flesh by the flesh.  It is by the Spirit.

The rest of the first sentence of Romans 8:1 is missing in the translation you quoted.  It should read:

"There is therefore no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit."

And this agrees with where it says elsewhere if we sow to the flesh we will reap destruction but if we sow to the spirit we will reap eternal life.

I find this is a subject that is hard for me to parse in my own mind, but I like the word that Steve Morrow brought....we live by EVERY word of God...some of His word reassures us when our hearts condemn us, while some of it warns us....we need it ALL and want to be careful we don't emphasize one at the expense of the other.

 

[Alive]

3 minutes ago, Heleadethme said:

Yes.  We can't overcome the flesh by the flesh.  It is by the Spirit.

The rest of the first sentence of Romans 8:1 is missing in the translation you quoted.  It should read:

"There is therefore no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit."

And this agrees with where it says elsewhere if we sow to the flesh we will reap destruction but if we sow to the spirit we will reap eternal life.

I find this is a subject that is hard for me to parse in my own mind, but I like the word that Steve Morrow brought....we live by EVERY word of God...some of His word reassures us when our hearts condemn us, while some of it warns us....we need it ALL and want to be careful we don't emphasize one at the expense of the other.

 

I am aware of this. Either way, Paul completes this thought in verses 9-11. That is what makes this all work. We need 9-11 to understand the whole of his argument. Chapter 8 is the answer to the problem of chapter 7.