Thoughts on Christian Living Book #2 by Dr. W. A. Dillard - HTML preview

BLESSED TO HAVE NO SIN IMPUTED

Show me over two million people as the ancient Hebrews in their wilderness wanderings, whether or not bound together by a common ancestry, and I will show you a people where sin is making its awful appearance in many forms: lies, lust, robbery, theft, rape, murder, etc. These things are as old as the earliest families of earth because all are sinners. Is it wrong to suppose or assume some of these things were going on among the ancient Hebrews who vociferously complained about the provisions of God for them in their wilderness wanderings? I think not!

Yet, when Balaam lifted up his voice to curse this people, by which he would earn the proposed bag of Moabite gold, he first laid the groundwork that he could only say what God put in his mouth to say. Then with the intent to curse Israel, he instead pronounced a blessing on them because that is what God gave him to say.

As Balaam lifted up his voice over the valley where the Hebrews were camped, he said, “How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the Lord not defied?” Num. 23:8. In anger, the king of Moab took him to another vantage point where he was to view and pronounce a curse on the nation, but bound to speak what God gave him to say, he said, “Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it. He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.” Num. 23:21.

What is recorded here is indeed God’s view of those people. Yes, they were afflicted with sin as are all men, but they were chosen, and precious to God. Now consider this! In speaking of the spiritually correct lives of New Covenant saints, Paul said, “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.” Rom. 4:7-8.

There is a way to live, a faith to receive and practice that comes directly from God Himself. It is perfect, and though we have this treasure in earthen vessels, God looks upon the spiritual correctness of His people who are in covenant relationship with Him. He is pleased to not impute “missing the mark” (sin) to them, but sees them as mature sons hitting the mark of His plan for human life on earth.

FOR THOUGHT: Initial salvation leaves one’s spirit sealed with the Holy Spirit. It then equipped one to live correctly according to the teaching of the

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