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NASB | Exodus 34:7 who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations." |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Exodus 34:7 keeping mercy and lovingkindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin; but He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting (avenging) the iniquity (sin, guilt) of the fathers upon the children and the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations [that is, calling the children to account for the sins of their fathers]." |
Bible Question: I work with drug addicts and alcoholics. I have known many who accepted Christ and were immediately delivered from the DESIRE for drugs and alcohol (cured of their addictions). But I have known just as many who accepted Christ and WERE NOT delivered from that desire to sin. Why does God "cure" some and not others? Is it a question of submission? |
Bible Answer: It says that when we come to Christ that we are a new creation, and that ALL of our sins are forgiven, and that we are made COMPLETE in Him. Therefore, just because someone has not been delivered from drug or alcoholic addiction does not mean that they have not been made complete through Christ. We are made complete when we receive Christ. I think it is important that people understand that if they are not delivered immediately does not mean that they are not complete because that will make their faith works oriented. They must believe that it is by faith alone that we are justified no matter what they feel like. Therefore, I don't believe that it is a question of submission, I believe that it is a question of belief. There is somewhere within that person that does not believe that they can overcome the addiction. Only Jesus has the key to unlock the door, but we must believe in the power of God's Word to transform our lives. We need to believe that we are worth being loved by God, that He has not forsaken us like all the other people in our lives, that even though there are very black and ugly things within our hearts that He is just to forgive us and we do not have to fear that He will not give up on us no matter what. It is hard to believe sometimes because the cycle of rejection has probably come over and over in their lives embedding this lie that they are not worth it. The Word of God sanctifies us. It is pretty hard that once we decide to really emerse ourselves in the Word of God and BELIEVE what it says about who we are in Christ, and how God views us, and see the goodness of God's never changing character that real deliverance and better yet healing happens. In fact, I believe that just because people are delivered from Alcoholism that they have still the scars of life that caused the addiction in the first place. The real deliverance happens when they experience healing and restoration in their lives. You may want to read Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyers. It's a comprehensive understanding of how what we believe effects our Christian walk. It blesses me that you are in this ministry of love and grace! It takes a man/woman dedicated to prayer and incredible grace and mercy to do this kind of work. He has commissioned us to go to the broken hearted and help people get to a victorious life in Christ, and for them to have the truth for the truth will set them free! It might help you to read my commentary on "How did Moses keep leading difficult people without giving up" in Exodus 34:9. Also, as a note I myself have given up several things in my life one of which is wine. The reason is because we have the devil who is a roaring lion waiting to devour us, and I do not want to put myself into the devil's arena to be weak in my resistance to him. I see that through drugs and alcohol there is a door that gets open to the devil which is unlike any other sins that we do. I believe very much that people must understand that if they don't immediately have deliverance they must try with all their power and might to stop drinking and to sit and embrace the physical and emotional pain to allow the Lord to work in their lives. It says in scripture that God WILL give them a way out of every temptation, and if they blow it that they have a compassionate High Priest who is able to forgive them for every sin when they confess. |
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Questions and/or Subjects for Ex 34:7 | Author | ||
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MsCherokee | ||
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cwade | ||
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gloryrain | ||
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John Reformed | ||
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CKatayama | ||
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cwade |