"The Why" -Too

"What will ye see in the Shuiamite? As it were the company of two armies." (S.O.S. 6:13b)

  Now, regarding those questions about 1 John 1:9, which says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." About that pastor's assumption of who this was written to: "We," is not used to represent those that are not of the faith, it is to speak to those that have the Light, that walk in the Light, and that have the Truth within them. This Truth, of which John is speaking, is that we do have sin; I sin, you sin, we all sin! If we do not think we have sin, we are calling God a liar, because He says throughout His word, "All have sin!" Yes, the blood of Jesus washed away all my sins, but I still step into it, almost every hour of every day! Sin is falling short of God's holiness and righteousness! Examine yourself, see if you are there yet, and then ask yourself where you stand. 

  There is a strong misrepresentation of God's grace, yes I said grace, being put forth in the teaching of any pastor that might teach his congregation that they no longer need to ask for forgiveness. Mercy is how God's does not give us what we deserve; the blood of Jesus cleanses us from every sin, so we no longer are under judgment and headed to hell. But grace is how God gives us that which we do not deserve, the right to come asking for more mercy, again and again! And just in case we might be over our quota, He has given us an Advocate, His Son! He always wins His case before the Father! That's Grace! 

  Besides that, the woman who asked if it was so, she should have known already; because she was taking the time to call and ask, she shows promise in knowing the Truth, yet she doubted what the Holy Spirit had shown her. I am not saying she did wrong, because there are many good saints that get things wrong all of time. But when it comes to sin, we must know that it cannot be something that we are able to hold onto! I was quite aware of this by my second or third day, after I asked Jesus into my heart. There were plenty of sinful things around me, having other inmates nearby. I happened upon a sinful magazine, decided it was okay to take a look, and then felt terrible afterwards for doing so. It was not a question of if I needed to ask for forgiveness, but my question was more about where I could find a place to kneel down and cry! 

  Now we need to look upon this, "Shulamite," and what we shall see! It is here only where we find this name given; twice it is used: once by the Young Women of Jerusalem, as they want her to return so they might look at her, and then again by the Young Man as He asked, "What will ye see." What this word means, is, "the perfect" or "the peaceful." Both of those meanings are products of God's grace: we are the perfect, because the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from every sin; we are the peaceful because we know and understand that our sins are forgive, past, present, and future sins; every sin is removed and thrown away! 

  This great grace is given to us freely, without any work, or practice, or ritual, or any other single thing! As a matter of fact, we have no other thing to do, but simply receive His forgiveness and abide in the grace that is freely given. It is by grace that we are saved, because grace gives the right to be called the sons of God; inheritance into the Kingdom of God is where we find peace! There is no other way to get there, and there is no other way that we are assured to remain there: Abiding in Christ Jesus is the only way! What that means, is that you are going there because you abide in Christ, and that you remain there because you abide in Christ! What is so complicated with understanding any of that? 

  Does that then give us the right to sin? No Way Hosea! We gave up that right with mercy! What is it that you think mercy gives? The right to live, to have peace, to know joy, to love, and to be free from sin! Mercy gives us a second chance! Grace is the second chance! "As it were the company of two armies," is the dance the dancers dance in the camp, the encampment of this thing we call salvation!

  As Mathew Henry puts it, "As it were the company of two armies," in the case she might be the one speaking: "Or it may denote the constant struggle that is grace and corruption in the souls of believers; they are in them as two armies continually skirmishing, which makes her ashamed to show her face." Or if it be He speaking: "'I tell you what you shall see in the Shulamite; you shall see as noble a sight as that of two armies, or two parts of the same army, drawn out in rank and file; not only as an army with banners, but as two armies, with a majesty double to what was before spoken; she is as Mahanaim, as the two hosts which Jacob saw (Gen. 32:1-2), a host of saints and a host of angels ministering to them; the church militant, the church triumphant.' Behold two armies; in both the church appears beautiful."

  Now you ask me again what we are looking at, because my answer remains the same...

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith." (Romans 1:16-17)