What other scriptures emphasize God's judgment on persistent sinfulness? Psalm 69:27—The Cry for Divine Justice “Add iniquity to their iniquity; let them not share in Your righteousness.” (Psalm 69:27) David’s plea captures a sober truth: persistent, unrepentant sin invites the sure judgment of God. Scripture repeats this warning from Genesis to Revelation. Old Testament Groundwork: Persistent Rebellion Meets Certain Judgment “But the person who sins defiantly, whether native or foreigner, blasphemes the LORD, and that person shall be cut off from among his people. He shall surely be cut off, because he has despised the word of the LORD and broken His command; his guilt remains on him.” “When someone hears the words of this oath and invokes a blessing on himself, thinking, ‘I will have peace, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart’… The LORD will never be willing to forgive him… The LORD will blot out his name from under heaven.” “…their roots will decay… for they have rejected the instruction of the LORD of Hosts and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.” “I am preparing a disaster for you… Turn now, each of you, from your evil ways… But they will reply, ‘It is hopeless. We will continue to follow our own plans…’” Wisdom Literature: The Breaking Point of a Hardened Heart “A man who remains stiff-necked after much rebuke will suddenly be shattered beyond recovery.” “For forty years I was angry with that generation… ‘They shall never enter My rest.’” New Testament Continuity: Judgment Still Stands “Because of your hard and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.” “If we deliberately go on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins remains, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume all adversaries.” “If indeed they have escaped the corruption of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ only to be entangled and overcome by it again, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.” “I have given her time to repent… Behold, I will cast her into a bed of suffering… Then I will strike her children dead, and all the churches will know that I am the One who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.” Threads That Tie the Testimony Together • Defiance against known truth intensifies guilt (Numbers 15; Hebrews 10). • God patiently offers time to repent, yet that patience has a determined limit (Jeremiah 18; Revelation 2). • Once the limit is crossed, judgment is sudden, thorough, and righteous (Proverbs 29; Isaiah 5). • Both covenants—old and new—declare the same verdict: persistent sin without repentance ends in exclusion from God’s righteousness (Psalm 69:27; Romans 2). Living in the Light of These Truths • God’s judgments flow from His holy character; they are neither impulsive nor unfair. • Persistent sinfulness is never merely a private matter; it rejects God’s gracious invitations and invites escalating consequences. • The steadfast love of the Lord is magnified by the very warnings He issues—urging every heart toward repentance while there is still time. |
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