Who Will God Cleanse?

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Please consider this question with me ”“ who does God the Father cleanse? The scripture states that there are certain ones the Father is not willing to cleanse and the implication is sobering. One of the first occurrences of God’s stated unwillingness to cleanse is found in the Ten Commandments. The Lord states that He will not cleanse anyone who takes His name in vain. Jesus revealed the true nature of what it means to take the Name of the Lord in vain when He quoted Isaiah ”“ "These people draw near to me with their mouths and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; their worship of me is in vain.” Taking the Name of the Lord in vain should be understood as claiming to be God’s people, professing to have God as our Father with our words while our hearts are not filled with a genuine love for Him.
\tIt is worth noting that the warning against taking the Name of the Lord in vain follows the statement ”“ "the Lord visits the sins of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of the ones hating Me, but doing mercy unto a thousand generations of the ones loving me and guarding My commandments.” In the Septuagint, hate is μισέω ”“ (to esteem less), whereas loving is translated from ἀγαπάω (to place supreme value upon). When we allow the supreme love for God to diminish into a profession of devotion from distant hearts, we are taking His Name in vain and He warns that He will not cleanse those who worship Him this way. \tOur Lord affirmed this same principle in John 15. "I am the true vine and My Father is the grower. He takes away every branch in Me that does not bear fruit and every branch bearing fruit He cleanses in order that it should bear more fruit.” We learn from this passage the key to abiding. "As the Father has loved Me, so I have loved you, abide in My love. If you keep My commandments you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” It was the love Jesus had for His Father that produced in Him the heart to keep every word of the Father and only this love working in us will affect the same obedience. Then Jesus added ”“ "These things I have spoken unto you that My joy may abide in you and your joy may be full.”
We know that the joy of our Lord was rooted in loving the Father and keeping His commands. We also know that God is not able to take pleasure in men who disregard Him and ignore His commands. When men walk in a way that is grievous to God, He cannot take joy in them. Jesus was exhorting the disciples to keep His commands and abide in His love so that He could take joy in them and thus make their own joy full. John the apostle wrote ”“ "I have no greater joy than to hear my children walking in the truth.” Paul wrote ”“ "for now I really live since you stand firm in the Lord.” However, when anyone leaves this first love, despite all the service they may be rendering, the Lord has this issue against them. Those who leave this first love are fallen from a great height and are descending into the self-deception of taking His Name in vain. We must learn that neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any power, only faith working through love. When faith working through love is subtly replaced by religious precepts taught by men, the Lord has lost what He desires most ”“ our undivided hearts.

This is the reason that Jesus revealed Himself to the disciples and not to the world. When asked by the disciples why He did this, Jesus answered ”“ "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and the Father will love him and we will come to him and we will make our abode with him. The one not loving Me does not keep My word.” An undivided heart full of the love of God is a gift of grace not to be underestimated. We know that the heart can hardened by the deceitfulness of sin, and thickened to the point of unfeeling by the cares of this life and the deceitfulness of riches. God can cleanse the heart of this corruption and our Lord said ”“ "the cleansed in heart shall see God.” The heart that has been cleansed, has been cleansed through keeping the word ”“ "how shall a young man cleanse his way, by taking heed to Thy word.” Jesus said ”“ "You are cleansed because of the word spoken to you.” Sadly, too many are allowing the cares of this life and the deceitfulness of riches to choke out the cleansing power of the words of the Father.
Jesus warned His disciples of the dangers that were coming into the world. The greatest danger of all is already at work and has been since the days of the New Testament. Lawlessness is increasing and having its devastating effect upon the hearts of men, causing their love to wax cold. As love cools, more and more men draw near to God with their mouth and honor Him with their lips while their hearts are far from Him. Genuine love for God descends into taking the Name of the Lord in vain, and all who fall into this sin, and are overcome by it, will not be cleansed. This is why believers are warned ”“ "See to it that there be in none of you and evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.” Men can depart from sincere love for God while continuing to draw near to Him through keeping the commandments taught by men. This is why so many will say to Him, "Lord, Lord” and be shocked to hear Him declare ”“ "depart from me, you who practiced lawlessness, I never knew you.”
Out of our Lord’s mouth, flowed the pain of His heart ”“ there was no true relationship, only a form of godliness without the power of faith working through love. Mankind was created in God’s image and likeness for one reason ”“ "for Thy pleasure, they were created.” God takes no pleasure in the blood of bulls and goats ”“ but in the One who "delights to do His will”. Religious zeal without the genuine love of God being shed abroad in our hearts only causes a commotion that God grows weary of. The worship in spirit and truth that He longs for can only be found in the life and spirit of our Lord of whom it was written ”“ "I delight to do Thy will.” Only when we are strengthened with power through His spirit in our inner man, will the Life and Spirit of Jesus fully dwell in us. Then, being rooted and established in love, we will be enabled with all the saints, to grasp how long, and wide, and high and deep is the love of God that surpasses knowledge, in order that we might be filled to all the fullness of God.
None of this will make sense to the man without the Spirit, to that one it is foolishness. Only someone who has received a revelation of the love of Christ will count the things he once thought gain to be lost, even rubbish compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus. The world does not receive the spirit who is from God; the Holy Spirit is given only to those who hear and believe. We have received the Spirit who is from God that we might understand all the things having been given to us in Christ Jesus. "Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, neither has it entered into the hearts of men, the things God has prepared for the ones loving Him.” God is infinitely wise, and would never give His fullest blessings to those who do not love Him. The one who lives in love, lives in God and God in Him. Only the person loving God seeks the things of God for God and not for himself. The eyes of the Lord run back and forth throughout the whole earth, to show Himself mighty on behalf of the one whose heart is perfect towards Him. May the Lord cleanse us from the corruption of a divided heart, and save us from taking His Name in vain with hearts that are far from Him.
Here is a promise for all who desire to have God cleanse our hearts. If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we will have genuine fellowship with one another and the blood of His Son Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. God will cleanse the hearts of those who walk in the love of God ”“ even to a thousand generations.

makrothumia

I must say that I was grieved when i read from your post "One of the first occurrences of God’s stated unwillingness to cleanse is found in the Ten Commandments"

Why was it so grievous to me well because I am a man forgiven for much; the God I know is merciful.

When I say mercy it is not say God overlooking our sin. It is the loving redirection of the judgment of that sin to another. It is the very essence of the new covenant; Christ’s blood secures mercy for us.

Then I saw why it was so grievous your quoting from Septuagint Ex 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord thy God will not acquit him that takes his name in vain.

Vey clearly the Septuagint says "God will not acquit him that takes his name in vain"

King James Ex 20:7 - Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

While the King James clearly says it a sin as you won't be held guiltless, but does not mention of never being able to be forgiven (cleansed).

So a huge difference one holds you guilty of a sin; the other makes it unpardonable. Having looked to the root word Hebrew Strongs 5352 naqah to be empty or clean.

So it seems that Strongs concordance agrees with KJV and not the Septuagint.

The Septuagint has errors and is inaccurate...

Colin it seems Mak is using a more specific idea of what it means to take God’s name in vain. Most people think it means "swearing” using a variation of God’s name or Jesus’s name. There is forgiveness for this sense of taking the Lords name in vain.

But if a person goes to their grave taking God’s name in vain, in the sense Mak means, they indeed will not be held guiltless.

I was saddened to read your response to my article. Sometimes our attempt express what we hope to communicate falls short. At other times, the enemy seems to intercept the attempt between the transmission and the reception.

Only the word of the Lord is like silver refined in a furnace of clay, cleansed "Katharidzo" seven times. The word katharidzo (to cleanse) has the basic meaning of removing the mixture in order to make pure.

I long for my own communication to have every mixture of my own humanity removed from His words of spirit and life. I seek Him for this specifically and continually. Too many times my own personality has tainted the attempt to share what I have come to understand. I am forever grateful to our Father for His mercy toward me in this.

I saw the beauty of the Lord's heart in the declaration that He would not cleanse (katharidzo) those who take His Name in vain. He created mankind and endowed them with the ability to come to know and love Him. He longs for the relationship for which He created man and He will never settle for vain religious rituals from men who neither know Him or love Him.

I see the same heart in the Lord Jesus when He declares to those who practice lawlessness - "I never KNEW YOU!"
Jesus came to make the Father KNOWN. To restore men to the genuine relationship with the Father. He came to establish the covenant where everyone would know Him from the least to the greatest. Everyone would have their own personal knowledge of Him to the extent that they would no longer need anyone else to tell them to know the Lord.

This is God's heart. The reason God forgives sins and hearts are cleansed is in order that we may come into His presence and fellowship with Him. He desires us to KNOW Him, not simply to take His Name in vain like Israel did by claiming to be the people of the Lord, descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. His greatest judgments were for the people who claimed His Name and walked in the stubbornness of their evil hearts.

His longsuffering is proven over and over again throughout the prophets. They pled with His people for years. God's people eventually provoked Him to act by stiffening their necks against His every attempt to turn them back to Himself. God reached the point after years of pleading, when He was provoked to act, even forbidding the prophets to plead with Him or pray for the people. God even expressed weariness in holding back His wrath from a people who callously spurned His kindness year after year. When He became provoked, He withheld His mercy and pity and would not even allow men like Noah, Daniel, or Job to persuade Him to withhold judgment. His severest judgments were for those who took His Name in vain. They were the people He described as "rejected silver" - despite the fire of the bellows - the led was not purged out - (not cleansed - katharidzo).

By the Lord's mercy and kindness, I have learned to read the Koine Greek. Thanks be to God for the many men throughout the centuries who devoted their lives to preserve, study, and explain the treasures to be found in the languages in scripture. We are all forever indebted to their devotion and work.

I have come to love the Septuagint and the treasures it contains. It is from the Septuagint that the writers of the New Testament drew their choice of words to describe the spiritual concepts they wrote about. Eighty-five percent of every Old Testament quotation found in the New Testament is from the Septuagint. Please consider that their view of the Septuagint was likely very different from your own. I believe they used it extensively and having studied it for years, I can see why.

As to objection of translating "Katharidzo" as "to cleanse", let me encourage anyone to do a word study on the use of this word throughout scripture. I believe you will be greatly edified by what you discover.

mak

Quote: But if a person goes to their grave taking God’s name in vain, in the sense Mak means, they indeed will not be held guiltless.

Of course they won't but that's not what he is saying - he is saying who can be cleansed?

Who can be cleansed if God will not cleanse the sin of taking Gods name in vain.

Septuagint Ex 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord thy God will not acquit him that takes his name in vain.

Using the Septuagint it clearly states it makes this sin unpardonable..

So who can be cleansed from an unpardonable sin - no one.

Quote: I saw the beauty of the Lord's heart in the declaration that He would not cleanse (katharidzo) those who take His Name in vain.

But let me ask have you ever taken the Lords name in Vain?

Have you been cleansed of this crime?

Is God a liar or does the Septuagint contain errors.

Thank you for the opportunity to clarify.

I understand taking the Lord's Name in vain to be claiming to be His people. Another way to say it would be to call yourself by His Name, or to "name the name."

Jesus described "vain" worship as "These people draw near to me with their mouths and honor me with their lips but their heart is far from me. They worship me in vain."

I do not understand the Lord's warning to be for a one time act, or even a period of time, but a persistent refusal to be corrected.

Everyone who refuses the love of the truth but instead is persuaded by unrighteousness will be condemned. Not because God did not attempt to save them, but because they preferred the lie instead of the truth.

Persistent unrepentant sin is always unpardonable. If we sin willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth there remains no sacrifice, only a fearful expectation of judgment and raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.

Israel experienced this. God turned and became their enemy, not because He did not love them, but because they spurned His loving correction so long that He was provoked to jealousy. The New Testament warns believers against following this same example.

My beloved has acted like a lion in the forest, she roared at Me; therefore, I hated her." This describes not a single incident but a persistent defiance and rejection of every mercy God displayed.

We are to consider the longsuffering of God to be salvation. We are to learn that He desires mercy. He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked.

God's warning is to those who make a life choice of taking His Name in vain. Those who have walked in this sin and repented can still enjoy the mercy and grace of forgiveness.

If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with God and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us (katharidzo) from all sin. If we say we know Him and do not keep His commandments we are lying and not doing the truth. We are taking His Name in vain and all liars will have their place in the lake of fire.

I am not sure where you are going with the last question.

mak

" If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we will have genuine fellowship with one another and the blood of His Son Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin”

What is this "light” we are to walk in?
Is it not the light of His presence...
As we enter in and abide by faith, do we not become partakers of His divine and Holy nature ?
Is this not the fellowship of the saints, communion...
As we commune, are we not a body/His body...
Where love of the truth/Jesus is the bond, would not the grace of God abound....
If we mix the grace from God with the faith (gift) from God, do we not walk in the spirit,...
If we walk (together) in the light of His presence (where the saints assemble) do we not have fellowship,.. and if we are in corporate fellowship together while in personal communion with Him, do we not form His body...
Was not His body covered by His blood on Calvary’s Cross ?

Therefore,
IF we walk in the light, as He (Holy Spirit) is in the light, THEN we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus the Son of God cleanseth us from ALL sin.

Or said another way...
" 16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.”