Rectification needed after repentance and confession
Now then make confession to the LORD, the God of your fathers and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives.”
Ezr 10:11
While I was reading this verses in the Bible, Holy Spirit started moving in me. What a great reform this is? Every sin committed has 2 impacts.
- The evil impact on in the individual who commits
- The evil impact on the society in which he lives.
Repentance and confession of sins only will not solve problems created by sin.
It needs rectification.
Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.
Mat 3:8
The reforms brought forth by Ezra, demanded two kinds of rectification by the people.
- Separate yourselves from the people of the land
- Separate yourselves from the foreign wives
First one could be done easily. Let us come to the second one.
The Lord had strictly warned them not to take wives from foreign nations. But they did and desecrated themselves.. This may look little hard to do but the command of the Lord remains unchangeable.
Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Mat 3:10
His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
Mat 3:12
The Lord separates “the woman’s seed” from the “serpent seed”.
He does this without any respect for persons. The winnowing fork (Word of God) does this separation. It will separate the harvested grain into 2 varieties.
- The wheat – will be gathered into the barn (Jesus’ Kingdom)
- The chaff – will be thrown into the unquenchable fire. (Hell)
In Old Testament the selection was by bloodline and genealogy. But in New Testament it is by Faith in Jesus Christ.
Faith in Jesus Christ requires obeying His Commandments.
Today the winnowing fork He used for separation is “The commandments of the Lord”.
Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
Joh 14:23
Let’s be careful that no impurities which needs rectification enters into the camp of AOJ?
Can you imagine the after effects of separating husbands from the foreign wives they took? What would have happened on the day of sending these wives back from their families?
What would have happened to the children?
Every time we repent, let us bear fruit in keeping with repentance
Sr. Angelica AOJ