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. The spirit of error is the opposite of the Holy Spirit (spirit of truth) as referenced in 1 John 3:24-4:6. 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 word “ruach shtut.”
The Rabbis says,
A person commits a transgression only if a ruach shtut enters him (Talmud – Sotah 3a)
The Hebrew word for “spirit” is “ruach” and could also be translated as “wind.” Spirit of error is a good translation of “ruach shtut”, but it could also be translated as spirit of nonsense, or some Rabbis refer to it as crazy wind. A person knows that all things are open and visible to God, and yet we continue to sin and even commit vulgar acts knowing this. We hide our sins from family and friends while humiliating ourselves before God.
To avoid the influence of this insanity, a person must create a dwelling place within themselves which is suitable for the Holy Spirit who can protect us 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 belief, the bible says that God will not judge a person until the time of the resurrection. A question which should be asked is, “when a person dies what happens until 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 the euphoria experienced by those who have passed on from this world. We will experience the consequence of our actions, as Paul explains in Romans 2:5-9, God will render to each one of us according to our deeds.
We Get the Opportunity to Build Our Future
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.
Our life is that field, and 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 with the resurrection. The bible says in John 5:28-30 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.
As stated in Hebrews 11:35, we can obtain a better resurrection. Our experience in the resurrection is something that has been placed into our hands. We get the opportunity to work and prepare for it.
Understand What We Need To Have A Better Resurrection
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 makes a choice to repent, who asks God for forgiveness of past mistakes, and puts in the work to know God is awakened to the Kingdom of 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. It says in Leviticus 26:40-42,
But if they will confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors—their unfaithfulness and their hostility toward me, which made me hostile toward them so that I sent them into the land of their enemies—then when their uncircumcised hearts are humbled and they pay for their sin, I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land.
In Deuteronomy 6:18 it 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”.
Moses was confident that all people were fully capable of doing what is right in making an attempt to follow God. This is God’s 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”.
Make 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.”
Back to Day 4 | Continue to Day 6