Coming to Mount Zion (2): the difficulty in forgiveness of sins

Series 16

Episode 3

Prologue

Brothers and sisters, today’s topic of Treasures for the Soul is “Coming to Mount Zion (2): the difficulty in forgiveness of sins.” It is extremely difficult for God to forgive sins. First, He abhors sins. Second, sin has deeply hurt man and kept them separated from God. Third, the Infinite God has to consider all things - He can't just forgive sins, because He wants man to understand the seriousness of sin. Fourth, God also needs to ensure those who will be born in eternity will not sin. It’s so precious that God is responsible to the end. Therefore, through the salvation on the cross, He has completely solved the problem of sin, so that our sins can be forgiven. Through eternity, the Lord’s government and peace will have no end.

Message

Although we are not under the laws, we will be condemned if we don’t believe in the Lord. We shall be fearful. Some people might even consider God in the Old Testament different from God in the New Testament. This is not true. However, Hebrews describes God as a blazing fire, so we should be fearful of God. It is extremely difficult, almost impossible, for God to forgive sins. However, not only our sins have been forgiven, the Lord has become our true Beloved. The immense grace upon us is far beyond any words can describe!
Sin is the most serious problem for men. All wickedness comes from sin. Satan became Satan because of sin. In order for you to know how horrible sin is, you need to know God. God’s hatred of wickedness is beyond what we can describe. Psalm 45:7 says, “You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore God, our God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.” The Old Testament says the Lord will by no means clear the guilty (Nahum 1:3). God is righteous and holy. Sin has hurt man immensely, and caused man to be separated from God. The greatest harm to us is our sins, even after we believed in the Lord. If we do not sin, Satan has no power over us. Even Moses, the closest person to God at that time said in Exodus, that he trembled with fear. People wanted to hear God’s voice. But when God spoke, they begged no further words be spoken to them.
Sin is against God’s righteousness and holiness. Sin hurts everyone and is against our conscience. Sin is totally unreasonable. The nature of sin is very horrific so it is very difficult for God to forgive sins. Many angels sinned but none of them have been forgiven. Is it because God doesn’t love them? There were so many, likely one-third of them sinned. Can you imagine the number of evil spirits in this world? They can’t be everywhere, yet so many people in this world are tempted simultaneously by them. None of these angels who sinned have been forgiven. Forgiveness of sins is by no means a simple matter. The Lord has His reasons for becoming a Man. Because of the severity and consequences of sin, it’s indeed extremely difficult for God, who is holy and righteous, to forgive sins. It is almost impossible. Only God can do it. These sinners also sinned against Him. Sin also brings forth chain-effects. The infinite God needs to consider all things before He could forgive our sins. As written in 1 Corinthians 13:6, “Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing.” No one who truly loves you would want you to sin. God’s love is not to spoil us. Allowing someone to overindulge is not true love. This is not the love God has for us. God needs to consider so many things. As sin affects so many, He can’t allow even one person to take for granted the forgiveness of sins, and regard sins lightly.

God needs to consider the future generations in eternity. These people are real humans, who have flesh and free will. They will continue to multiply, yet, they will not sin. Had it not been the cross, people might commit sin. We will share with them the love of God and the love of the cross. God will receive glory in the Lord and the church through all generations, forever and ever (Eph. 3:21).

People who commit no sins during the Age of the Millennium will continue to multiply during the Millennium. We will be kings with the Lord and govern them. He will restore all things. Even fierce animals like lions will become gentle. At the end of the Millennium, Satan will have one last rebellion, and lead many to rebel against the Lord. They will face the final judgment of the Great White Throne. The Lord will create a new heaven and a new earth, and New Jerusalem will descend on the new earth. (This is our dwelling place, the place the Lord has prepared for us). Those who remain and have not sinned will move to the new earth and live outside of New Jerusalem. They have physical bodies like what we have now, and they will continue to multiply. They will become the nations that walk in the light of New Jerusalem, including the Israelites. The Lord will wipe away every tear of their eyes, and there will be no more death, mourning, crying and pain (Ref. Revelation 21:4). Don’t be mistaken that those are our tears. Our tears will have been wiped away when the Lord comes to receive us in the cloud. These people are very blessed, but our blessings are far beyond what they will gain. All these generations will continue to multiply in eternity. The worlds of love will fill the universe. The future generations will have good health. They will not see death and will continue to multiply. Therefore, the population will grow without an end.

What we are doing today on earth is very important. The Lord says those who are faithful in a very little will have authority over much. Finishing God’s will on earth might seem little and small in extent, when compared with what we will do in the kingdom of the Father. The Bible says, “Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end…” (Isaiah 9:7). His kingdom will have no end. It will be so awesome. The Lord will grant us much work to do. We will govern the nations. We surely need a resurrected body to govern them. The Bible says flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. It is very precious that we will have a resurrected body like the Lord. The Father has prepared an enormous and ever growing inheritance for us. This universe has already shown God’s infinite power. We know that God will be able to create many more habitable planets for the future generations. God has His plan. He causes all things to work for us. He will allow nothing to harm us. That is the reason why the forgiveness of sins is truly extraordinary. Even the slightest act of sin in the future would taint God’s kingdom. God has to be responsible. However, He’s not responsible for our sinful actions. We can’t blame God for our act of sin. Satan is very evil. The more we know about this, the better we’ll understand how hard it is for God to forgive sins.

Series 16

We Have Come to Mount Zion and the Heavenly Jerusalem

Message Date: 2020-03-20

We should mind the things above, look upon the Lord in glory, and live to Him. It’s very precious that Hebrews 12:22-24 lets us understand about things in heaven in a concrete way. By the Lord’s salvation, today when we draw near to God, we are not coming to Mount Sinai (which represents the law), but we have come to Mount Zion (which represents grace). To obtain forgiveness of our sins is almost impossible! However, God’s grace is tremendous. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit have paid the highest price, endured the greatest pain, and made us see God’s holiness and righteousness. God also manifested His great love. So, by the Lord’s precious blood, our sins are forgiven, and we are united with the Lord forever. God desires us to draw close to Him. Hebrews mentions multiple times “having come” before God, to the throne of grace, and lastly to Mount Zion, that is, the heavenly Jerusalem. When we pray and draw near to God, we have come to the heavenly Jerusalem, and we are living in grace. In heavenly Jerusalem, there are many joyful things: the festal gathering of innumerable angels, the assembly of the firstborn, God the judge of all, the spirits of the righteous made perfect, Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. All these express God Himself, and His heart towards us. The Lord indeed has opened His heart to us through this series of messages, causing us to understand His purpose better.
1

See that the Lord is at the right hand of the Father

2

Coming to Mount Zion (1): the meaning of Mount Sinai

3

Coming to Mount Zion (2): the difficulty in forgiveness of sins

4

Coming to Mount Zion (3): to Live in Grace

5

Having Come to the Heavenly Jerusalem

6

What is in the heavenly Jerusalem (1)?

7

What is in the heavenly Jerusalem (2)?

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Introduction

01 Introduction of Treasures for the Soul

Series 1: Being Heart to Heart with the Lord

1.1 The Most Blessed Generation
1.2 Message from John the Baptist
1.3 Abide in the Lord Always
1.4 Abide in the Lord’s Love at All Times
1.5 The Lord Speaks to Us and Helps Us in Our Hearts

Series 2: Being Heart to Heart with the Lord Throughout this Year

2.1 God’s Greatest Work Starts in Our Hearts
2.2 To Be Heart to Heart with the Lord Throughout the Year
2.3 Our Spirits can Feel God and Have Fellowship with Him
2.4 The Importance of Peace
2.5 Our Spirits Need the Words of God
2.6 Give the Lord Time and Space to Speak in Our Hearts

Series 3: Let Our Hearts be Influenced

3.1 The World Needs People Who Deeply Experience God
3.2 Just as His Anointing 
Has Taught You, 
Abide in the Lord
3.3 Be Influenced 
by the Lord Throughout 
this Year

Series 4: The Importance of Peace

4.1 Enjoying God’s Peace in Your heart
4.2 Let Not Your Hearts be Troubled, Neither Let Them be Afraid.
4.3 How Should Our Spirit Respond to the Lord?

Series 5: Our Spirit Being Able to Enjoy the Lord

5.1 Our Spirit is Satisfied Only When We Worship God and Deeply Experience Him
5.2 How to Worship God with Our Spirit
5.3 Looking at the Lord with our Inner Eyes
5.4 Our Spirit Needs to Enjoy the Lord Himself
5.5 The Song of Solomon Often Mentions About “Eyes”
5.6 Realize Being Heart to Heart with the Lord in Singing and Worship

Series 6: Live out the Life of being Heart to Heart with the Lord

6.1 Living a life of union with the Lord in a stable pattern every day
6.2 Enjoying the Lord and not being disturbed
6.3 The Importance of Seeing Him with Our Spiritual Eyes

Series 7

7.1 Learn to Protect Our Spirits From Virus Prevention
7.2 Our Spirit Can Hear, Think, and See
7.3 How to Live a Life of Faith
7.4 The Importance of the Mind
7.5 David’s Eyes Beheld the Lord Always

Series 8: During the last supper, the Lord spoke about the essence of the blessings of the new covenant.

8.1 The Lord established with us the eternal love covenant by His blood
8.2 The Lord Treasures the New Covenant and Break-Bread Meeting the Most
8.3 Love Encounters
8.4 Before His Crucifixion, the Lord clearly explained the essence of the blessings of the new covenant: the fourth blessing
8.5 Before His Crucifixion, the Lord clearly explained the essence of the blessings of the new covenant: the first blessing (1)
8.6 Before His Crucifixion, the Lord clearly explained the essence of the blessings of the new covenant: the first blessing (2)

Series 16: We Have Come to Mount Zion and the Heavenly Jerusalem

16.1 See that the Lord is at the right hand of the Father
16.2 Coming to Mount Zion (1): the meaning of Mount Sinai
16.3 Coming to Mount Zion (2): the difficulty in forgiveness of sins
16.4 Coming to Mount Zion (3): to Live in Grace
16.5 Having Come to the Heavenly Jerusalem
16.6 What is in the heavenly Jerusalem (1)?

Series 9: Being Heart to Heart with the Father

9.1 Being Heart to Heart with Abba (Part 1)
9.2 Being Heart to Heart with Abba (Part 2)

Series 10

10.1 The Love Desire in the Depths of Abba and the Lord’s hearts
10.2 Fruit of the Lord’s Crucifixion: Eternal Life
10.3 The Lord Came to Manifest the Father’s Name
10.4 The Father Sent His Only Begotten Son
10.5 Reminders on enjoying heart to heart with the Father
10.6 The Father’s Desire for Me is Forever Steadfast

Series 11

11.1 The preciousness of the Letter to Philemon
11.2 The most profitable; the most accepted.
11.3 Charge That to My Account
11.4 The Father made the Lord our eternal High Priest by an oath (1)
11.5 The Father made the Lord our eternal High Priest by an oath (2)
11.6 We are the Lord’s darling love

Series 12

12.1 The Lord’s Words at the Last Supper
12.2 Apart from the Lord, we can do nothing.
12.3 What is true faith?
12.4 Look upon the Lord in glory
11.5 Trust and Peace (1)
12.6 Trust and Peace (2)

Series 13: The Lord’s Gentleness and Humility

13.3 The Lord’s Gentleness and Humility (Part 2)

Series 14: Manifold evidence

14.1 How does the infinite Lord see us?
14.2 We are the ultimate and final love of the Lord
14.3 The Lord is forever a Man; He once died for us
14.4 The Lord’s manifold love evidence (Part 1)
14.5 The Lord’s manifold love evidence Part 2

Series 15: Understand How Our Spirit Works And Be Heart To Heart With The Lord Continuously

15.1 We Can Only Enjoy God By Faith
15.2 His Words Abide In Us
15.3 Live With The Lord
15.4 Seek The Things That Are Above
15.5 Understand How Our Spirit Works: Will, Mind And Feelings
15.6 Guard And Uplift Our Mind

Series 17: Know that the Church is the Firstborn

17.1 Know that the church is the firstborn
17.2 The Blessing of the Firstborn (Part 1)
17.3 The Blessing of the Firstborn (Part 2)
17.4 The Lord redeemed us to be the firstborn (Part 1)
17.5 The Lord redeemed us to be the firstborn (Part 2)

Series 18: The Blessings to be the First Born

18.1 Israel is God’s Firstborn Son (Part 1)
18.2 Israel is God’s Firstborn Son (Part 2)
18.3 To be united with the Lord and become the Firstborn
18.4 The Lord is the Firstborn
18.5 The Blessing of the Firstborn: Kingship
18.6 The Blessing of the Firstborn: a Double Portion of the Blessings

Series 19: Coming to Mount Zion to Appear Before God

19.1 The Lord is the way, and the truth, and the life
19.2 Live in Grace. Enjoy the Father and the Lord
19.3 Mind the things that are above (1)
19.4 Mind the things that are above (2)
19.5 Appear before God in Mount Zion

Series 20: The final destination of our spirit and eternity is the heavenly Jerusalem

20.1 The Lord Desires Most for Us to Draw Near to Him (1)
20.2 The Lord Desires Most for Us to Draw Near to Him (2)
20.3 The Lord Becomes the Way so that We can Come Before God with Confidence
20.4 The Heavenly Jerusalem, Destination of Our Spirits and Eternity (1)
20.5 The Heavenly Jerusalem, Destination of Our Spirits and Eternity (2)

Series 21: Live Out the Life of the Firstborn: Be A Priest

21.1 The Father made the Lord the High Priest
21.2 Priesthood: One of the Blessings of the Firstborn
21.4 The Precedents of Priests in the Bible (2)

Series 22: When Believers Die, They Will Go to the Heavenly Jerusalem

22.1 The Heavenly Jerusalem is paradise (1)
The Heavenly Jerusalem is paradise (2)
The Spirits of the Righteous Made Perfect

Series 23: New Jerusalem is a real city

God has prepared a heavenly home for us
Is the heavenly new Jerusalem a real city?
Satan causes man not to be clear and assured about the things in heaven
Are physical substances not spiritual?
New Jerusalem is a real city (1)
New Jerusalem is a real city (2)

Series 24: God prepares for us

Genesis 22: Father and Son went together
Genesis 22: For us, the Father gave His only Son
Genesis 22: The Lord will provide
24.4 God’s preparation for us

Series 25: The Father and Son Affection

25.1 The Lord Came to Make Known the Father
25.2 The Father and Son Affection (Part 1)
25.3 The Father and Son Affection (Part 2)

Series 26: We are a royal priesthood

26.1 God who alone does wondrous things
26.2 The Lord is the High Priest
26.3 We are a royal priesthood (1)
26.4 We are a royal priesthood (2)