Tag Archives: wicked

Does God treat the righteous the same as the wicked?

Understanding the Processes of Revelation: Walking in faith to establish Revelation through our actions

And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Genesis 18:23

God is no respecter of persons, this is the first establishment of Truth and Righteousness that the Scripture presents regarding the Essence and Nature of God.

Wherefore now let the fear of the Lord be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts. 2 Chronicles 19:7

The Law itself had established precepts to teach the people to be no respecter of persons,

Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous. Deuteronomy 16:19

The book of Proverbs denounces that having respect of persons establishes evil in the culture of the people,

To have respect of persons is not good: for a piece of bread that man will transgress. Proverbs 28:21

The apostle Peter recognized that the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven is based on the judgment of being no respecter of persons,

Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: Acts 10:34

And the apostle Paul, likewise, established in his apostolic doctrine that for God there is no respect of persons, this is the establishment of the Justice of the Kingdom of Heaven,

for there is no respect of persons with God. Romans 2:11

Then, if so, why does Abraham differentiate between the righteous and the wicked? And furthermore, why does God endorse Abraham’s request?

Indeed, God is no respecter of persons; in the Gospel of Matthew we read in Jesus’ teaching that God makes his sun rise on the evil and the good, and rains on the just and the unjust,[1] and according to this doctrine introduced by Jesus, being no respecter of persons is the way to be perfect just as the Father is.[2]

However, Abraham discovers a new attribute of God: God does not agree with or tolerate the evil of the people, that there is a limit within the Grace of God that determines how long God will tolerate it,

But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. Genesis 15:16

Furthermore, Abraham’s question to God: Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? It is useful for us to understand two important aspects of the value of a righteous man before the Grace of God.

  • The presence of a righteous person brings to light the judgments of God on a region

The decision to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah had been made long before Abraham’s encounter with Jehovah God. It was on the way to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah that Jehovah God arranged to “discover” Abraham the purpose of His journey there.

And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; Genesis 18:17

This is God’s way of operating on the earth, and the reason for placing righteous people on it to bless it. In the Gospel of Matthew we read in a teaching of Jesus that a righteous person is defined as the light of the world, and that his/her function on the face of the earth is to set course and direction in the midst of darkness,

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Matthew 5:14

This message was established by the Apostle Paul as the Gospel of the Kingdom to the Gentile nations,

For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: Ephesians 5:8; 1st. Thessalonians 5:5; 2nd. Timothy 1:10

Because of this, the prophets established in their proclamations of righteousness that God would reveal His plans to His people through prophets so that they would understand His will and walk in the light of His teachings,

Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. Amos 3:7

Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people. Isaiah 51:4

So, a righteous person is an element of Grace and blessing for the nations, his/her presence is not an antagonistic element for the regions, it is the person that God places in the places to allow that for his/her sake those hidden judgments come to light, to establish in the place the Righteousness, Judgment and Mercy of the Lord.

  • The presence of a righteous person can stop God’s judgments on a region

The second value of a righteous person highlighted in the story, which from here on is presented in Scripture as his/her spiritual function over a region, is that of bringing God’s judgment to a halt, giving the inhabitants of a place the opportunity to proceed to repentance. In the account of Abraham’s encounter with Jehovah-God, we read:

24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? 25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? 26 And the Lord said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes. 27 And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes: 28 Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it. 29 And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty’s sake. 30 And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. 31 And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty’s sake. 32 And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake. Genesis 18:24-32

The presence of a righteous person causes the region to be blessed, and the judgments which weigh upon it to be halted or postponed, not to deliver its inhabitants from judgment for their evil establishments and to set them free, but to give them opportunity for the inhabitants to come to repentance, as the apostle Peter explained in one of his epistles,

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 2nd. Peter 3:9

If there is no repentance in the inhabitants of the place, the judgments of God will fall upon that place irrevocably,

4 and the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. 5 And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: 6 slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house. Ezekiel 9:4-6

The prophet Ezekiel stated in his prophecies that the way of proceeding of Jehovah-God concerning the enforcement of His judgments upon a city or region, before proceeding with them, seeks among its inhabitants at least one righteous person for whom the earth will receive the mercy of the Lord,

And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none. Ezekiel 22:30

In the same way, the apostle Paul admonishes in his apostolic doctrine to the righteous members of every community of faith, to understand what their function is on earth, so that by their presence and intervention the inhabited places may receive God’s blessing,

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 2 for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 1st. Timothy 2:1-3

So, Abraham’s intervention before the Lord that day when the angels were sent to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, is recounted in the book of Genesis not only with a historical value, but above all, to show the spiritual value that a righteous person has before the Presence of the Lord, and his/her function of blessing for the regions and cities where he/she lives.

Understanding this mystery of Revelation, let us walk with patience in our life of faith, knowing that a great cloud of witnesses is benefited by our walk on earth. May God prosper you.

Would you like to collaborate with this ministry by helping us translate it into other languages?

All biblical quotations are taken from the King James Version.

Pastor Pedro Montoya

Twitter: @pastormontoya

WhatsApp 1 407 764 2699

https://earthenwarevessels.com

[1] Matthew 5:45

[2] Idem 5:49

Why is God angry with the wicked?

God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day. Psalm 7:11

God is angry with the wicked because by his deeds, number one, the earth is defiled:

17Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings: their way was before me as the uncleanness of a removed woman. 18 Wherefore I poured my fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land, and for their idols wherewith they had polluted it: Ezekiel 36:17-18

And, number two, because by his deeds the earth is given to the Principalities and Powers to settle therein and to operate with right from there:

But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. 1st. Corinthians 10:20. Read also Revelation 9:20; 16:14.

The wrath of God weighs upon the wicked all the days of their lives, for their lives are in constant disobedience before the Lord, as the apostle Paul declares in his epistle to the Ephesians:

Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Ephesians 5:6

And also in the epistle to the Colossians:

for which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: Colossians 3:6

God’s wrath upon the wicked is so great that He hears none of their prayers, as stated in the Gospel of John:

Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. John 9:31

The wrath of God upon an wicked man may lead him to definitively depart him from His Presence, as established in the books of the prophets:

2I have loved you, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the Lord: yet I loved Jacob, 3 and I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness. Malachi 1:2-3, read also Romans 9:13

And this that God can separate the wicked from His Presence is definitely because God’s Grace also includes “time” to be applied; Grace does not mean indefinite waiting:

And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Revelation 2:21

Now, as to the wrath of God which weighs upon an wicked man, here is a mystery which many ministers do not know as dispensers of God’s Grace. The religion from which many preach leads them to “offer” a radical change for those who avail themselves of Grace, which is false. Why is it false? Because God does not withdraw His wrath from the wicked just because He accepted Jesus (Romans 7:24). For the “wrath of God” to be appeased on the wicked who have taken refuge in Grace, he must act in faith (acts of faith) as soon as he comes to Jesus. There must be an “act” to appease the wrath of God, you can read it in the following texts:

  • But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: Matthew 3:7-8
  • And the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son buried they in the country of Benjamin in Zelah, in the sepulcher of Kish his father: and they performed all that the king commanded. And after that God was intreated for the land. 2 Samuel 21:14
  • And David built there an altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the Lord was intreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel. 2 Samuel 24:25
  • And the Lord said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the Lord against the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel. Numbers 25:4
  • 10And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 11 Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy. Numbers 25:10-11

A minister of God must teach the congregation that God is angry, and that the only way to cancel God’s wrath is through acts of faith:

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:6; read next to this, James 2:20-26

When a person has believed in Jesus but does not “act” in faith, because he did not want or was not taught that this was the way to withdraw God’s wrath, wrath becomes judgment, until all past wickedness is purged:

For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? 1st. Peter 4:17

Is God alone angry with the wicked, or is he also angry with his people?

The references that the writings of the prophets present to us indicate that God is not fully pleased with His people, and it is because of the conduct that pastors – ministries, in general terms – have adopted with regard to what the Word presents,

  • The priests said not, Where is the Lord? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit. Jeremiah 2:8
  • Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ezekiel 34:2
  • Mine anger was kindled against the shepherds, and I punished the goats: for the Lord of hosts hath visited his flock the house of Judah, and hath made them as his goodly horse in the battle. Zechariah 10:3

Anger is not because of “sin” that may be concealed, it is not about that; anger is because of how much we are fulfilling God’s Will for our nations; anger is because of how much of the Holy Spirit’s instruction we are establishing in our faith communities; anger is because of how much legitimacy of the Word we are proclaiming.

A clear example is the well-known reference: “God hates sin but loves the sinner”, is a reference that is not found in the Bible, but is preached as such, we would be surprised to know that who coined such a phrase belonged and preached Hindu philosophy. This reference serves us to understand how philosophy has invaded the church in forms of apostasy, and on top of that, many end up preaching what the Bible does not authorize to establish. There is a lack of knowledge of the Word, how will they have Revelation like that?

The reason many ministers have fallen into that game is because they are accustomed to reading devotionals and motivational writings of men who have based their experiences on positive thinking. The Bible is clear, the Holy Spirit recommends receiving our instruction ONLY from the Holy Scriptures:

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 2nd. Timothy 3:16

Eve fell into apostasy because she attended to a knowledge of the snake that she did not know. When God is going to give us his Revelation, there is no need for other books, everything is in the Holy Scriptures:

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. John 16:13

God reveals according to the work that we develop, the Revelation of God is not pure information, it is to establish the Kingdom of God. If there is a knowledge that we do not need, let us not seek it in sources foreign to God, the only thing we will do is attract apostasy.

You don’t fall for that game. Turn only to Scripture.

Would you like to collaborate with this ministry by helping us translate it into other languages?

All biblical quotations are taken from the King James Version.

Pastor Pedro Montoya

Twitter: @pastormontoya

https://earthenwarevessels.com