IF MY PEOPLE
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 I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
This verse has been quoted by thousands of well-meaning pew-warmers & preachers for many years. Very sadly, it has been misquoted by almost all of them, I just heard the Lt. Governor of Texas speak a few of these words on live TV recently, and I cringed with deep grief. I would urge you with the deepest sincerity, to take some time in understanding just what this passage tells us.
Yes, there are three promises from God here. But, like all of His promises, there are also some conditions that must be fulfilled. Most times this passage is referred to or misquoted, the speaker assures the listeners that God will hear their prayers, forgive their sins, or heal their land. Each of those outcomes is completely dependent on the same conditions being fulfilled.
Firstly, we must humble ourselves.
Secondly, we must pray.
Thirdly, we must seek His face.
Fourthly, we must turn from our wicked ways.
I am sure you all know what ‘humble’ means, so I have no need to say anything about that. Likewise, you all know what ‘pray’ means, so we’ll leave those two alone.
However, when God speaks of seeking His face, He describes this action in several places through His inerrant word. It is not a light or easy task. Here is the wisest man who ever lived telling us how this ought to happen.
My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you,
turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding—indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding,
and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure,
then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. Prov. 2:1-5
Solomon was using ‘wisdom’ as a synonym for God’s name in this chapter of Proverbs. This is how he instructs us to seek God: how to get to know Him: how to seek His face.
Jeremiah also gave us some insight into how we ought to seek God.
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity. Jer. 29:11-14a
This is another message from God that has been adulterated for eons. Preachers and pew-warmers love to inform us that God has plans for us: plans for our good and not for harm: plans to prosper us etc. But, sadly, like the promises we just looked at, this one has conditions. God informs us that if we seek Him with all our hearts, He will reveal Himself to us. I have no need to inform you that when you do something ‘with all your heart,’ it means that everything else is of zero importance to you. You are fully focused on that one issue. This promise is for freedom from captivity. God could not fulfill His plans for these Jews while they were in captivity by their enemies. So, they needed to do something in order for God to reveal His great plans and purposes for them. They also needed to be back in the Promised Land.
The Jews being in captivity is always a metaphor for all those living under the New Covenant, who sin. They are all under the influence and control of Satan, and need to be set free from that ‘captivity.’ We in this New Covenant, have a promised land as well. It is abundant life here on this planet. We find this described by John really well in his first letter.
Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.
But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin.
No one who lives in him sins. No one who sins has either seen him or known him.
Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.
The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.
No one who is born of God will sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot sin because they have been born of God.
This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.1 Jn. 3:4-10
The one who does what is sinful is of the devil. Jesus came to set us free from the devil: to destroy his work in our lives. If you sin, Jesus has not done that for you, obviously. The rest of John’s teaching here assures us that children of God do not sin. They live in Christ where there is no sin.
I like to say that all of scripture fits together like a beautiful jigsaw puzzle. This passage in the New Testament fits with those we have looked at way back in the Old Testament. God does not just suggest we stop sinning. He demands that of all His children. In fact, we cannot be a child of His if we sin. Solomon heard God tell him that these Jews would not be forgiven for their sins, their prayers would not be heard, and their land would not be healed until they turned from their wicked ways. That was how it was under the Old Covenant, and it is exactly the same under the New Covenant.
"I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right." Acts. 10:34-35
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38
We know that the fear of God stops one from sinning.
Through the fear of the LORD evil is avoided. Prov. 16:6
Moses said to the people, do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of the Lord will be with you to keep you from sinning. Ex. 20:20
Peter taught the exact same truth. The fear of God enabled the Christians to ‘do what was right.’ You know that Jesus assured us that nobody gets to heaven unless they ‘do the will of God.’ Mat. 7:21. That is another way of saying, ‘doing what is right.’ That is what makes anybody righteous in God’s eyes. It is not imputed to anyone. It cannot possibly be. We each must earn that attribute.
For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. Rom. 2:13
Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes. Rom. 10:4 [remember what the Greek word from which ‘believe’ came from means] Trust, have faith in, with the implication that actions based on that trust or faith will follow.
If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him. 1 Jn. 2:29
Just as the Jews of the Old Testament had to repent [turn from their wicked ways] so that God could relate to them or do anything for them, such as forgive their sins, so do we who live under the New Covenant. One cannot be a Christian without receiving the Holy Spirit, and we see clearly that He is not given to anyone unless they repent. God gave us a clear description of repentance.
Therefore, son of man, say to your people, ‘If someone who is righteous disobeys, that person’s former righteousness will count for nothing. And if someone who is wicked repents, that person’s former wickedness will not bring condemnation. The righteous person who sins will not be allowed to live even though they were formerly righteous.’
Therefore, son of man, say to your people, ‘If someone who is righteous disobeys, that person’s former righteousness will count for nothing. And if someone who is wicked repents, that person’s former wickedness will not bring condemnation. The righteous person who sins will not be allowed to live even though they were formerly righteous.’ Ez. 33:11-16
I have heard preachers tell us to keep repenting. That is simply not possible, because repentance is a one-off event. Once I repented, I received the Holy Spirit and began that awesome journey of living in Christ where there is no sin. It is absurd to believe that the Holy Spirit is likely to pop in and out of humans’ lives, depending on how pure or holy they are. John described that life in the passage above. That is promised to all. I really do not see the likelihood of anyone who lives in Christ ever wanting to step outside of Him. When you fear God’s ability to shut heaven’s door to you due to sin, it gives you a huge incentive to stop sinning. Common sense, really. And yet so many professing Christians just cannot get their heads around ‘fearing God.’ This is simply due to their ignorance of God’s word.
Just as righteousness meant doing what is right in the Old Covenant, so does it in the New. God never changes like shifting shadows. Js. 1:17
Luke commended the Bereans for making a serious study of God’s word because, as he said, it enabled them to determine who was teaching the truth, and who wasn’t. Acts 17:10-11 This is the saddest thing in churches today. The pew-warmers sit there and swallow everything the pastor tells them. Many of these pastors are worshiped more than God, by their attendees. And these attendees NEVER spend time studying God’s inerrant word. Today’s gospel is nothing but some means to which one can feel better about themselves. They ‘believe in,’ or ‘trust,’ or ‘have faith in,’ or even ‘accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior,’ and believe they are ready for heaven. They have to struggle for the rest of their lives to try to live how God demands they live. They ‘lean on their faith’ in times of trouble and truly believe that this ‘faith’ has helped them. But God assures us that faith is totally useless and dead in the absence of works/actions/conduct/behavior. James taught this very clearly in chapter two of his letter.
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.
If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?
Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?
You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.
And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.
You see that a person is justified [considered righteous] by what they do and not by faith alone.
In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?
As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. Js. 2:14-26
So, God has assured us that it is what we do that makes us righteous, not faith alone. Our faith allows us to step out and do what is required for God to accept that we have done what is just and right. When we have got to know God, which is essential for salvation, we will learn to fear Him. That will allow us to repent and receive the Holy Spirit so that He takes control of our thoughts, attitudes, and actions from then on. That is what living in Christ is all about. It’s the Holy Spirit who stops us from sinning. We no longer have to fight Satan. It’s a truly wonderful, amazing, and miraculous journey. I have experienced it for decades and highly recommend it to all of you.
I want to strongly encourage each of you to make your absolute top priority, getting to know God. Hell awaits you if you never successfully do that.
He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might. 2 Thes. 1:8-9
Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. Jn. 17:3
Can you believe what Paul told you in his letter? Obeying everything Jesus told you is light-years away from believing in Jesus or trusting Him or having faith in Him. I challenge you to read the gospels carefully, taking note of every command Jesus gave you. You will find that you are heading for hell. That’s how serious this is, folks.
After spending nearly two decades in the USA researching Christianity. I returned to my home country broken-hearted. I sat down and wrote a book which clearly details God’s plan for bringing healing to America. I also predicted that America would soon be unrecognizable as a free democratic society. That was back in 2013 Please get a copy and read it with a hungry heart and open mind. Amazon and B & N have ‘A Nation Broken.’