ON THE VANGUARD

THE SHADES OF SIN part 2
"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
II Chronicles 7:14

If you mix blue and yellow, then you will get green. If you beat heavy whipping cream long enough, then you will make butter. And if I drive 43 miles per hour in a 30 mile per hour zone, then I will get a speeding ticket. All these statements have been proven correct. Yes, even the speeding statement was proven in my life just a few weeks back.
When last I wrote I shared with you my decision to steal the lemon and the affects that were a result. Not only did I swell up with guilt, but as Ezekiel 39:24 states, God hid His face from me and handed me over to my enemies. The cost of a simple lemon resulted in distance and death (Rom 6:23). Was it worth it?
Webster's defines an if / then statement as: a statement that proves if something happens then something else will happen. Thank you Webster for those wise words. However, I can think of no greater if / then statement than the one found in II Chronicles 7:14. If God's people will take the steps outlined concerning sin, then God will do what He promises concerning forgiveness. Perhaps we should break down the shades of black and red outlined in this verse with the help of the Strong's.
From the start, God addresses us as His people, or tribe, and under His authority. He spoke directly to us that humility, prayer, seeking of His face and turning from our sin, all composed the IF portion. It is only in doing these things that we can expect the statement, and the outcome, to be promising. And promising it is indeed, for in the THEN portion God tells us that He will be attentive to us, pardon us, and mend us. In breaking down all the words from the Hebrew for this verse, it would read something more like this:
IF My tribe, those I have addressed in my authority, will come under subjection and be judged through intercession and supplication and strive for My face and return to the starting point instead of their naughty and wretched ways, THEN will I be attentive to their voice from heaven and will pardon their offensive penalty and will mend, as a physician, their land.
Black is a stubborn color. When painted on a wall, it seems to take many coats of the next color to hide the black. I have tried it before. Whether with primer or with the next color alone, the black is stubborn to leave. Sin is also stubborn. Looking back at my thievery, the decision to steal was not made on a whim. I contemplated for days. I knew they were there and were ripe. I knew also that a lemon was tart. But the temptation continued to nag at me until finally I gave in. The temptation and desire was stubborn.
But red is also stubborn, and maybe even more so when it flows from Jesus Christ over our sin. As a Christian we have three points of utmost power: the Word, the Name, and the blood. It is when we do take these words in II Chronicles to heart, and humble, pray, seek, and turn, that we find His blood covering our sin and allowing us to be heard, forgiven, and healed.
As I shared last time, the shades of sin are truly only two colors, black or red. The question is, has God hid His face from you because of your sin? IF so, THEN the answer is clear. Follow the instruction He has provided. Let us be judged through intercession and supplication and strive for His face and return to the starting point instead of our naughty and wretched ways. Let Him be attentive to you, pardon you, and mend you. Then come, and join me ON THE VANGUARD!