How Long will you Sin against His Grace

Jeremiah 31:22 How long wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter? For the Lord hath created a new thing in the earth, A woman shall compass a man.

1. Salvation has always been by grace Jeremiah 31:2 Thus saith the Lord, The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness; Even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest.

2. It was grace that found them in the wilderness

3. It was God and His grace moving to cause them to rest

4. God made them one nation again Jeremiah 31:1 At the same time, saith the Lord, Will I be the God of all the families of Israel, And they shall be my people.

5. It was God loving them even when they didn’t love Him Jeremiah 31:3 The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: Therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

6. Even when He gave them the law, He made it clear that it would be grace

7. He gave law to bring them to Him for grace Galatians 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

8. He gave them a sacrificial system

9. He spoke with them from the mercy seat not the law Exodus 25:21 And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee. 22 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel. Numbers 7:89 And when Moses was gone into the tabernacle of the congregation to speak with him, then he heard the voice of one speaking unto him from off the mercy seat that was upon the ark of testimony, from between the two cherubims: and he spake unto him.

10. The effects of grace

11. It was God that would build them not themselves Jeremiah 31:4 Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel: Thou shalt again be adorned with thy tabrets, And shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry.

12. Grace gives joy because it's an undeserved gift

13. Work earns needs always needing more and better pay, not satisfied

14. Grace produces joy Jeremiah 31:6 For there shall be a day, That the watchmen upon the mount Ephraim shall cry, Arise ye, and let us go up to Zion unto the Lord our God. 7 For thus saith the Lord; Sing with gladness for Jacob, And shout among the chief of the nations: Publish ye, praise ye, and say, O Lord, save thy people, the remnant of Israel.

15. It is God helping the helpless Jeremiah 31:8 Behold, I will bring them from the north country, And gather them from the coasts of the earth, And with them the blind and the lame, The woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: A great company shall return thither.

16. It is God’s grace that He doesn’t abandon His people even when they sin Jeremiah 31:9 They shall come with weeping, And with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters In a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: For I am a father to Israel, And Ephraim is my firstborn.

17. Israel has been divided

18. Ephraim has been given to idols

19. God will bring His children home

20. Humans have never been able to win God’s favor

21. Every time period in history shows us man’s complete failure

22. Man failed in a perfect environment, the garden of Eden

23. When man lived by his conscience before there was law, he became extremely wicked and God sent a flood

24. When man was in charge of his own government, man chose to build a tower to God

25. God calls for Abraham and gives him the promise of great blessing if he will just bless the world but Abraham and his descendants continue with their rebellious living and go into slavery

26. God gives responsibility to a nation, Israel, to take the truth to the nations but they love this world too much

27. Right now, God has given His truth to the church to take to the world but we have become worldly

28. Next He will set up a perfect kingdom but man will rebel once again

29. God has proven that man is a hopeless case, unable to save himself Romans 5:6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

30. It is always God moving towards fallen, failing, sin controlled mankind

31. Grace, God’s promises, and character bring great joy

32. God will not abandon His people Jeremiah 31:10 Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, And declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, And keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock.

33. The God of Israel keeps His Word

34. God may discipline but He doesn’t throw us away

35. He loves us and cares for us like a shepherd does for his sheep

36. God wanted the world to know what kind of God He is

37. God wanted His character declared in the far off countries

38. It was God that had moved in their favor, grace Jeremiah 31:11 For the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, And ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he.

39. What does redeemed mean

40. It means to liberate or rescue from captivity

41. It is to regain a possession that has been lost

42. It is to pay the penalty for

43. What does ransomed mean

44. He paid the debt owed for our release

45. He rescues us from our captor

46. Satan and sin are stronger than us but God is stronger still, we wrestle not against flesh and blood

47. All that God had done caused them to worship

48. They sing of the goodness of the Lord Jeremiah 31:12 Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, And shall flow together to the goodness of the Lord, For wheat, and for wine, and for oil, And for the young of the flock and of the herd: And their soul shall be as a watered garden; And they shall not sorrow any more at all.

49. They are well taken care of, a watered garden

50. They will no longer sorrow

51. Their mourning will be turned into joy Jeremiah 31:13 Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, Both young men and old together: For I will turn their mourning into joy, And will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.

52. God will meet every need Jeremiah 31:14 And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, And my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the Lord.

53. God will pour out super rich blessings on them

54. They will be satisfied with God and His goodness

55. This has not happened yet

56. These are millennial promises

57. God has not finished with Israel

58. We, the church, currently enjoy these promises if we choose

59. We know that He rescued us

60. We enjoy His blessings, we are thankful and express it privately and publicly

61. He has turned our mourning into joy

62. He has given us more than we could ever imagine, satiated

63. We are satisfied, living the abundant life

64. Grace produces sorrow for our sins, they will be broken hearted over their sin Jeremiah 31:19 Surely after that I was turned, I repented; And after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, Because I did bear the reproach of my youth.

65. Sin had cost them their children Jeremiah 31:15 Thus saith the Lord; A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children Refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not.

66. This is a prophecy fulfilled in Jesus time Matthew 2:16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Beth-lehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, 18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

67. They are commanded here not to continue weeping because in Christ we have new life Jeremiah 31:16 Thus saith the Lord; Refrain thy voice from weeping, And thine eyes from tears: For thy work shall be rewarded, saith the Lord; And they shall come again from the land of the enemy.

68. God is going to bless them

69. Their work will be rewarded

70. They will be restored to their land

71. God is at work in them and before it is over, they will see God do great things Jeremiah 31:17 And there is hope in thine end, saith the Lord, That thy children shall come again to their own border.

72. Have you considered that even in your failure, He is working for your good

73. There is hope in your future, thine end, just like He promised Israel

74. It is God’s grace that does all of this for you

75. Just because God disciplines you, doesn’t mean that He has abandoned you or doesn’t love you, just the opposite Jeremiah 31:18 I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, As a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: Turn thou me, and I shall be turned; For thou art the Lord my God. 19 Surely after that I was turned, I repented; And after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, Because I did bear the reproach of my youth.

76. Ephraim has been the idol worshiper

77. God has chastised him

78. He has been used to doing his own will so he's not used to obeying God

79. But God turned him around and he learned

80. But he was still very embarrassed about what he had done when he was young and foolish

81. God wants it to be clear that He loves His son Jeremiah 31:20 Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? For since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still: Therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the Lord.

82. God has never forgotten His own

83. He feels His love towards His people

84. God continues to show undeserved mercy

85. They had to be diligent in living out what God was doing in them Jeremiah 31:21 Set thee up waymarks, make thee high heaps: Set thine heart toward the highway, Even the way which thou wentest: Turn again, O virgin of Israel, Turn again to these thy cities.

86. Set up boundaries and guides to keep you on the right path

87. Set your heart on the things of God

88. Keep turning to the right, you might fall seven times but get back up again

89. Have you been living in sin and rebellion?

90. Are you embarrassed about what you have done in your foolishness?

91. Be glad if God is disciplining you

92. Turn and serve Him, He has never quit loving you

93. Make up your mind, how long will you sin against such love and grace? Jeremiah 31:22 How long wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter? For the Lord hath created a new thing in the earth, A woman shall compass a man.

94. You have no excuse to continue in your sin, pulling away from God, God has given you the power to do right, you have victory

95. It is God giving victory, grace again Jeremiah 31:23 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; As yet they shall use this speech in the land of Judah and in the cities thereof, When I shall bring again their captivity; The Lord bless thee, O habitation of justice, and mountain of holiness.

96. God will bless the weary and give them victory Jeremiah 31:25 For I have satiated the weary soul, And I have replenished every sorrowful soul. 26 Upon this I awaked, and beheld; And my sleep was sweet unto me.

97. God’s people will have all they need

98. Their sorrow will be turned to joy

99. They will have sweet sleep, resting in faith and confidence in God

100. It is God that will rebuild Israel just like He tore them down Jeremiah 31:28 And it shall come to pass, that like as I have watched over them, To pluck up, and to break down, and to throw down, And to destroy, and to afflict; So will I watch over them, to build, and to plant, saith the Lord.

101. God has to break His people so they will look to Him

102. God is at work in our lives in this same way

103. He is calling us to Him

104. How long halt we between two opinions

105. When will we decide to serve God and walk away from sin?

106. God doesn’t want you living in the desert, He has prepared an abundant life for you

107. He wants to restore you, how long will you rebel and live according to your own plans

108. God will make a new covenant with Israel Jeremiah 31:31 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, That I will make a new covenant With the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers In the day that I took them by the hand To bring them out of the land of Egypt; Which my covenant they brake, Although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord:

109. God promises the wildest things to Israel Jeremiah 31:33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, And write it in their hearts; And will be their God, And they shall be my people.

110. These people that have rebelled against God, will be serving Him once again

111. He will write His law on the hearts of the house of Israel

112. In a way we can say that He has done this to us but not like this

113. You must work at learning God’s Word

114. He will bring to memory what you learn but you must work at it

115. We are experiencing the early dew of the rain of this new covenant, like the Old Testament saints did with the cross

116. They will not need Bible teaching classes at all Jeremiah 31:34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: For they shall all know me, From the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: For I will forgive their iniquity, And I will remember their sin no more.

117. All of Israel is going to be saved Romans 11:26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

118. The Word of God will be written on their hearts

119. All of them will be saved, least to the greatest

120. No need to teach any more

121. Israel’s sins and past will be gone

122. God says it is impossible for Israel to be gone or forgotten Jeremiah 31:35 Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light by day, And the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, Which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The Lord of hosts is his name:

123. You will sooner see nature fall apart, the sun and moon than God forgetting the nation of Israel Jeremiah 31:36 If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the Lord, Then the seed of Israel also shall cease From being a nation before me for ever.

124. You would be able to measure all of God’s creation before He would ever forsake His people of Israel Jeremiah 31:37 Thus saith the Lord; If heaven above can be measured, And the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel For all that they have done, saith the Lord.

125. God will see to it that Jerusalem will be built Jeremiah 31:38 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, That the city shall be built to the Lord From the tower of Hananeel unto the gate of the corner. 39 And the measuring line shall yet go forth over against it Upon the hill Gareb, and shall compass about to Goath. 40 And the whole valley of the dead bodies, and of the ashes, And all the fields unto the brook of Kidron, Unto the corner of the horse gate toward the east, Shall be holy unto the Lord; It shall not be plucked up, nor thrown down any more for ever.

126. The city will be built

127. The city will be set aside for God, holy

128. No one will ever destroy it again

129. God will take care of His people

130. God keeps His Word

131. When you understand the God of the Bible and His character, you can trust Him with your salvation

132. He never forgets what He has promised

133. It doesn’t matter how much His people fail Him, He does not fail His people II Timothy 2:13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

134. He promised us eternal life and I believe Him

135. He wanted His people to come back to Him and serve Him just like He wants you to come back

136. What are you going to do with such great truths?