The Path of Repentance is Only Withheld from a Person by His or Her Own Mind and Deceitful Heart
The bible references something called a “spirit of error.” You may have heard this used to talk about a false teaching or improper doctrine, but there is much to say about this “spirit of error.” This is actually a translation of the Hebrew, “ruach shtut.” The “spirit of error” is the opposite of the “Holy Spirit.” The Jewish Talmud says,
A person commits a transgression only if a ruach shtut enters him (Sotah 3a)
The Hebrew word for “spirit” is “ruach” and could also be translated as “wind.” “Spirit of error” is a fine translation of “ruach shtut” but it could also be translated as “spirit of nonsense” or even “crazy wind.” A person knows that all things are open and visible to the Creator, and yet we continue to sin and even commit vulgar acts. We hide our deeds from family and friends while humiliating ourselves before the Judge of all the world. To avoid the influence of this insanity, a person must create a dwelling place within themselves which is suitable for Holy Spirit and is protected, to a greater degree, from this “crazy wind.”
A Christian does not rely on personal merit for eternal salvation. A Christian recognizes that no man or woman apart from Christ is “deserving” of eternal reward. We trust in God’s grace, alone. Unfortunately, this is only half of the story. Contrary to popular imagination, the bible says that God will not judge a person until the time of the resurrection. A question which should be asked is, “what happens till then?” Are people just asleep in the ground? Jesus tells a parable which is helpful here. He said,
There was a rich man clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. At his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus (God is my help), covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.” But Abraham said, “Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. Besides all of this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us. And he said, “Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house—for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, “They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.” And he said, “No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.” He said to him, “If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.” (Luke 16:19-31)
The story above employs figurative language to describe the suffering and or euphoria experienced by those who have passed on from this world. Nevertheless, this is not actually the experience of divine judgment, but rather the consequence of action.
What’s the difference?
Imagine you wake up in the middle of a huge field. As you look around and try to gain some sense of where you are, you realize that you have a pile of building supplies which never seems to end. There are other people in the field as well, each of them has an unending supply of materials. Some of those in the field begin to build homes, plant gardens, and cultivate fields. Others, unsure about the whole experience, just lie around. They make themselves comfortable and spend their time enjoying life in the field. They do nothing with the supplies they have been given and can see no reason to work. Men are sent through the field announcing that in only a short while each participant will be left with whatever they have made for themselves. Those who have built homes will enjoy them and those who have built nothing will have nothing. Some, who were previously loafing around, heed the words of these men and get to work, quickly trying to make up for lost time. Others continue to do nothing. They don’t believe it. They tell themselves that life in the field is to be enjoyed and not spent laboring each day.
This life is that field, now is the time to build our future dwelling. After death, the experience is one that we have made for ourselves. The Psalmist says it simply,
Those who sow with tears will reap with shouts of joy! (Psalm 126:5)
Eternal judgement by God, is something which will come only with the resurrection. The bible says that the dead will be raised,
Those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
The quality of our experience in death is something which has been placed into our hands. Get to work. Moses and the Prophets have told us all we need to know. God has even raised up Christ from the dead to inform us of what is coming.
Understand What it is We Need to Work On to Build the Future
On day 3 of repentance, we created a list. Our goal has been to understand where we are succeeding and where we are failing, to confess our transgressions and stop those behaviors. Everyone that repents and asks God for forgiveness of past mistakes is awakened to God. The essence of faith starts with the decision to leave the ordinary routine of life, and to follow God. Confession of sin is the first step on a journey towards God (Leviticus 26:40-42). The book of Deuteronomy says,
“Do what is right and good in the Lord’s sight, so that it may go well with you and you may go in and take over the good land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors”. (6:18)
Moses is confident that all people are fully capable of doing what is right, in making even an attempt, God will support us! This is His will and wisdom. Sin only comes from a “ruach shtut” a “crazy wind” that destroys everything in its path.
Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it”.
The first step in the process to build the future is making a choice to turn from evil and choose the good.
Proverbs 28:13 says, “Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.”
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