David's Sin In Numbering The People

 I am currently studying the book of 1 Chronicles. When one arrives at chapter 21 the Bible says Satan stood up against Israel and tempted David to count Israel. The reason this occurred is because the same account is in 2 Samuel 24 where it declares the anger of the Lord burned against Israel (We are not given the reason why the Lord was angry). David gave the command to Joab and his leaders to count Israel from Beersheba to Dan so he could know the size of his army. (From north to south). Joab objected to this command because he knew David’s motive behind the numbering – to boast in his military might rather in the power of God who had given him every victory through the army He (God) raised up for David. The Bible says David’s word prevailed over Joab, so he counted all the men that carried the sword. Only the tribes of Levi and Benjamin were not counted because the command of David to number the people was an abomination to Joab his military commander (1 Chronicles 21:6). David’s conscience was smitten after the census. He immediately confessed his sin to God and pleaded for mercy. The Lord took away David’s sin as He did when David committed adultery and murder, but there were tragic consequences to follow. 

The prophet came to David and told him the Lord told me to tell you that you have three choices of what the Lord will do to you. 1) three years of famine in the land. 2) three months of being pursued and defeated by your enemies with the sword. 3) three days of the sword of the Lord a plaque sweeping across the land (1 Chronicles 21:10-13). 

David distressed by the choices offered, “said let me fall into the hands of the Lord for His mercies are very great.” The Lord sent a plaque through an avenging angel that killed 70,000 people in 3 days! Once the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the Bible says God relented or repented of the evil and said, “It is enough!” To be clear God, was sorry for the evil that had to befall the people because of the sin of David. The punishment was very severe and just, but I believe in some sense very regrettable to the Lord. Remember. God is a tender loving Father. He does not take pleasure in punishing His children, but to teach David a most costly lesson, He sanctioned the punishment.  

 The Lord commanded the angel to put his sword away. When David saw the angel with the sword in hand, he asked God, why do these innocent sheep (the people) have to die? Wasn’t it I who commanded the people to be counted? I am the one who committed evil. David preferred that God’s hand be upon him and his family, not against those who committed no sin (1 Chronicles 21:17). 

The writer wondered the same thing David did. Why didn’t God just punish David? My theory is the Lord wanted David to witness the devastating effects of his sin on others which God knew would be a much more painful judgement against David than God punishing him directly. The other important matter that had to be resolved was God’s anger had to be appeased. Remember, God was gracious in giving David three choices on how he was to be punished for his sin. The Lord was under no obligation to even consult David on how he would punish him and the people. I believe God did it this way because of David’s willingness to repent quickly. He realized he had sinned greatly. 

 

In order for the plague to end, David was commanded to build and altar on the threshing floor of Ornan (or Araunah) the Jebusite (2 Samuel 24:16; 1 Chronicles 21:18). David bought the threshing floor and the materials and sacrificed there. This is what stopped the plague. 

This is a valuable lesson to learn. Even when we confess our sins, God forgives us of our sins, but the result of that sin can bring painful consequences. Mainly punishment of some sort. At the worst, death of innocent people. Sin infuriates God Almighty. He requires payment for sin. And understand the price is always high to appease his anger. We must be willing to confess sin quickly and often to remain in God’s favor and not incur His wrath.

Was Judas a Believer in Christ?

Judas was one of the twelve original disciples of Christ (Matthew 10:2). He is known as the betrayer. He is the one that sold Jesus out for thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:15) – which at that time was the price of a slave. Judas is the prototypical person who begins with enthusiasm with following the Lord, but when their personal expectations are not met, they are disappointed, they decide it is time to bail out and join the enemy. That is exactly what Judas did.  

You see Judas ultimately did not follow Jesus because he loved Him. He was a thief and was in it for the money (John 12:6). Do we not see that same mentality today with many who are claiming to be leaders in the Church? They fleece the flock, all in the name of Jesus.  

So, the question was Judas a believer in Christ? Absolutely at some point! How do I know? Judas was an eyewitness to the teaching and miracles Jesus did for three years. He was even given power to do miracles himself along with the other eleven apostles (Matthew 10:8). So, what was his problem? Judas gave into his wicked evil nature. When Jesus revealed to all at the last supper who was to betray him when he gave Judas the morsel of bread, the Bible says Satan entered into Judas (Luke 22:3; John 13:27). 

The point of me describing Judas’ dilemma is to prove that a person can go to hell due to any unrepentant sin, and not just unbelief. Judas was a believer in Christ. So why did he go to hell? Not because of unbelief. He went to hell because he was never remorseful enough to go to Jesus in godly repentance and confess his sin of betrayal. His guilt was so great that it drove him away from the Lord instead of to Him. Judas believed, but not unto salvation. 

As I mentioned in my previous article a person doesn’t only go to hell due to unbelief. Any unrepentant sin will condemn a person to eternal destruction. For all sin is rebellion against the commands of God. This is what Revelation 21:8 says, “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable (or abominable), for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death. This verse proves all sin condemns people to hell if not given over to God by trusting in Christ. 

By necessary repetition, if you’re in Christ all of your sins have been forgiven. If you die in your sins, none of them were forgiven. For you will pay for them yourself in a Godless eternity. 
 

Some Crucial Questions To Answer

 

Yesterday my daughter let me hear a segment of a sermon she was listening to that concerned her. The minister declared in his message that, “A person does not go to hell because of sin because they are covered by the blood of Christ. A person goes to hell due to unbelief!” 

While it is true that a person will go to hell due to unbelief, the way the minister presents his case is misleading. How? Any unforgiven sin against the Lord can send a person to hell – not just unbelief. Judas Iscariot was a believer in Christ, yet he went to hell. Why? Not because of unbelief. But because he never repented of his sins to God. He committed suicide due to his sin of betrayal of the Lord Jesus for money (Matthew 27:3-5).  Another problem with his logic is that he is implying that all sin is forgivable except unbelief. Is not unbelief in the atonement of Jesus a sin too? Yes, it is. All sin is forgivable, including unbelief.  As long as a person does not die in unbelief, the word of God is powerful enough to the convert the soul of the unbeliever and make them a believer in Christ.

Another question I need to present is this one. If a person dies in unbelief, were their sins forgiven? Many Christians would reply with a resounding yes! My answer is no. Why? How could anyone go to heaven if their sins were never forgiven? They cannot. Sin is a debt owed to God. When one believes, Jesus takes away their sin debt making them free. From a judicial-forensic standpoint, their sin is gone. Their sins will never be held against them. So, if person goes to hell, that means their sins were never taken away and they died in an unforgiven state. The condemned person will be ladened with their sins forever separated from God. All sin MUST be paid for – either by Jesus for those of us who are saved, or by the sinner themselves who never repent.

To say that Jesus forgives us of all sin, and one dies in their sins and goes to hell means that Jesus’ atonement was ineffective to save. Because in the final analysis the person went to hell anyway. This is a form of double jeopardy – Jesus paying for sins at the cross and the sinner paying for their own sins in hell. The Bible never teaches a double payment for sins. Either Jesus pays your sin debt, or the sinner pays it themselves in hell.

What many are teaching is that Jesus has already forgiven the sins of all men before they even repent and believe the gospel. While the atonement provision is available, it does not apply to anyone savingly unless they fulfill the necessary condition – one must believe (John 3:16). The already forgiven-of-sins-prior-to-repentance doctrine is the proverbial putting the cart before the horse.

Here is the sum of the matter: Once a person places their faith in Christ’s sacrifice alone for the remission of their sins they are forgiven – forever. They are a new creation in Christ (2 Cor 5:17).

Once a person willfully rejects Christ, they are condemned. If they die in that condemnation, they will be eternally lost (John 3:36). They have died in their sins (John 8:24).  You see, it is one or the other. If Christ is your sin bearer, all of your sins have been removed. If Christ is not your sin bearer, all of your sin is yours to bear. Translation, your sin remains (John 9:41).

A good article to read below: 

https://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/piper/piper_atonement.html

Temporal Sins Eternal Punishment

This article is the negative balance of the prior one. The question has been asked, “Why should someone suffer eternally for a temporary life of sins?” That is a valid question. When we sin, it is ultimately against an infinite being – God Almighty. He requires eternal punishment for a life of unrepentant and unforgiven sins. God is completely holy and in His perfect wisdom decided it would be this way. The Lord will not allow evil men to rebel against Him and not suffer the just penalty for that rebellion. The reality of eternal punishment should strike us with fear to the point that we cry out, “LORD WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED – TODAY” (Acts 16:30; 2 Cor 6:2)!  

Think about it, God forgives those eternally who trust Jesus Christ as their sin bearer. It only makes sense that He would punish those eternally who do not believe that Jesus is the only way truth and life (John 14:6).  Why do men reject the truth after hearing it explained to them? Jesus said it perfectly, “Men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil” (John 3:19).  The Bible also says that the natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit, for it is foolishness to him; and he cannot know them for they are spiritually discerned (1 Cor 2:14).  That word foolishness in the Greek is where we get our English word moron. To the unbeliever, it is stupid to believe in Jesus. And in their mind if it is stupid why believe? To the unbelieving world to be a Christian is to be an idiot. So as far as they are concerned, it is wise to reject Jesus. Who wants to be called a fool for following a Jewish man who claimed to be God some 2000 years ago and then dies naked on a cross like a criminal!  What kind of God does something like that? Why do so many people believe such a bizarre report? 

Okay, no more playing devil’s advocate. 

All one needs to know about how to be saved is contained within the pages of Holy scripture. God has clearly laid it out. If one truly wants to know the Lord, God will reveal himself to them (Deut 4:29; 1 Chr 28:9: 2 Chr 15: 2; Jer 29:13). 

Once someone is willing to hear the truth, God will open their heart like Lydia (Acts 16:14), flood them with His love of the gospel (Rom 5:5). The grace of God poured on them will be too irresistible to deny and they will trust in Jesus Christ for their soul salvation. To deny God’s love will only leave His judgment on that person. If they die in their sins, that means they were not forgiven. They rejected the truth. And now they must pay for their own sins eternally in hell/lake of fire. The blessed invitation is extended to all men to come to Christ so that He can pardon their sins forever with His blood. That means you are covered. To reject Christ is the ultimate blasphemy. To turn your back on God proves your hatred of Him. That person proves why they deserve eternal punishment – they have denied the only way they could ever be saved.  

John the apostle wrote the same thing twice. Once in the gospel bearing his name, and the other time in 1 John 5:12, “He that has the Son has life. He who does not have the Son does not have life.  The New American Standard (NAS) version says it like this, “He who has the Son has the Life. He who does not have the Son does not have the life (italics added for emphasis). John 3:36 adds this fearful warning, “but the wrath of God abides on him.” 

Eternal Forgiveness Temporal Punishment

The word of God is replete with scriptures that make it clear we have eternal life abiding on the inside of us if we are Christians. What that means is that we can never lose our salvation although many believe we can. If we can lose eternal life, then it is not eternal is it?  

Eternal life along with eternal forgiveness are inextricably linked. God does not save a life forever and not forgive that life forever too. God saves who He forgives and forgives who He saves. Why do I belabor this point? Because you have many that tragically believe and teach that a sinner that Jesus shed His blood for on the cross and saves can somehow void the power of the atonement through sin and nullify the grace of God once given to that person. What that means is that the person has allowed their feelings to override the authority and truth of God’s word. Saying it another way, the person does not have faith in the word of God; they have more faith in their vacillating feelings of doubt toward God and His word. 

That is a sin. 

We must not base our salvation on our feelings. They often betray us. We must base our salvation on the immutable word of God – only! If we hear and read the gospel to ourselves daily, the more faith will come (Rom 10:17), and the more confidence we will have in the promises of God. Doubt will disappear. Take rest in the fact that our salvation is secure. We can also take comfort that our salvation does not depend upon us to keep it. God is the one that saves us and preserves us in our salvation. So, what is the believer’s responsibility? We are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling knowing that it is God who is working in you both to will and to work His good pleasure (Phil 2:12-13). I heard one preacher say it this way, “We have to work out what God has worked in.”  Saying it another way, we must develop our salvation daily. That is what sanctification is all about – conforming to the image of Christ.  

Now I want to switch reels. When there is unconfessed sin in the lives of believers, that is when doubt is at its highest for many. Meaning that is when people began to lose faith in God and His promises. Guilt overrides faith. The word of God is still as powerful and present as ever, but the person who is in sin loses assurance of their salvation and relationship with God. The guilt one feels is a good thing. That is the Holy Spirit convicting one of sin (John 16:8-11). The point of this is to drive the person to repentance so that they can be cleansed of their present unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Even as believers we need to confess our sins to God – not so that we can be saved for we already have salvation, but so that we do not break fellowship with the Lord. Confession of sin keeps our inner man clean. It clearly shows the love of God to chastise or punish us in this way.  

It would be wise for us to keep this truth in mind. The greater the offense, the greater the punishment. Just as our natural parents punished us when we got out of line so that we could 

get back on the right path, our heavenly Father does the same thing. It is all motivated by love of the Father to His children. We are not to despise the chastening of the Lord. Just because discipline is often needed; does not mean He no longer loves us. It is because God loves us that He disciplines. 

We are never going lose salvation if we sin. But be warned, if we persist in unrepentant sin, then God as an act mercy may decide to end the life of a wayward son or daughter (1 Cor 5:5). They are in a habitual sin state. Currently they are of no use to the kingdom, and are an embarrassment to themselves, the body of Christ, and to the outside world. When the righteous behave like the wicked, they are being hypocritical. This is one of the main reasons unbelievers despise Christians and the church and God. We must represent Jesus Christ far better. We will never do this perfectly. 

But, if we are walking in the Spirit, we can do this faithfully. Allow our light to shine so that men can see our good works which will give glory and honor to the God we profess to believe in, love and serve (Matt 5:16).  

So, rest assured that if we are truly saved, we cannot lose our salvation and be forever punished. We can be severely punished as Christians if we continue to disobey the Lord. That is why I titled the article Eternal Forgiveness-Temporal Punishment. The tragic opposite of this would be Temporary Sins –Eternal Punishment. I will discuss that matter in another article.