Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

Feb 16th, 2019 Cleaning House – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Passage – Numbers 5 – 6 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Acts 7 – 9; Proverbs 16; Psalms 81 – 85)

Read the “0216 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Command the children of Israel, that they put out of the camp every leper, and every one that hath an issue, and whosoever is defiled by the dead: Both male and female shall ye put out, without the camp shall ye put them; that they defile not their camps, in the midst whereof I dwell. And the children of Israel did so, and put them out without the camp: as the LORD spake unto Moses, so did the children of Israel.” (Numbers 5:1-4)

Good morning. God told Israel to remove every leper, every one that has an issue, and whoever is defiled by the dead from the camp. Why? That they defile not their camps where God dwells.

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” (2Corinthians 6:14-18)

It may seem unfair for a loving God to have these people removed from the camp, but God is not willing that any should perish. If their condition changed, they would be allowed back in camp. Leviticus chapters 13-14 instruct the priest and the leper in how to spot leprosy, and how to tell if it was cured. Chapter 14 explains what the leper must go through and the sacrifices that need to made for him to be pronounced clean. Leviticus chapter 15 explains about he who has an issue from his or her body. And Numbers chapter 19 gives instructions for anyone touching a dead body. The leper, the issuer, and the toucher all had a chance to come back into camp. What about us today. Where would we be?

“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” (Isaiah 64:6)

We are no better than those outside the camp. In our natural state there is no way we can get into the camp, or in our case Heaven.

“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:4-6)

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” (John 3:16-17)

You can try and clean your own house or body, but look what happens…

“When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.” (Matthew 12:43-45)

You may be able to clean up your act for a little while, but without Jesus, you’ll return to your old ways and the end result will be worse than at first. Without Jesus you can do nothing.

“He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (1John 5:12-13)

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matthew 7:21-23)

“And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” (Matthew 25:46)

You can clean your house, or you can receive Jesus as your Saviour, and allow the Holy Spirit to clean your house from the inside to the outside. Not only that He will seal you and keep you until the day you enter into heaven. The choice is yours.

“And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” (Matthew 8:2-3)

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

Peace.