God Will Not Recognize a Bastard

Sometimes, the things God says seem harsh.  In my studies this morning, He said to me, "I will not recognize a bastard" and then He told me to make that the title of a post.  I said, "REALLY God?  You want me to put that as the title of a post???"  I thought, "Man, that is kind of raw."  Yet His thoughts and ways are higher than our own (Isaiah 55:9).

This type of word from God just does not mix with the tolerant, accepting, non-confrontational, nonjudgmental type of [false] God presented in most churches these days.  Yet, there is goodness AND severity in God (Romans 11:12).

Imagine being the Creator of all and yet the creation made originally in your image becomes marred and eternally separated from you through sin.  To rescue them from themselves, you send your Son to give His life for them - being viciously tortured & dishonored - so that they may be reconciled to you and saved from the wages of sin.  Would you take the rejection of that sacrifice of love lightly?  Would it be a "small thing" for people to then still reject you so that they could stay in sin?  I figure that God is entitled to be as raw as He wants to be.  He will not pull punches nor will He mince words.  His desire for our reconciliation with Him is the motivator and it is just that serious.  He loves us enough to tell us the cold, hard truth. 

"A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the LORD." Deuteronomy 23:2

bastard: mamzer, meaning: bastard, child of incest, illegitimate child

How does one become a bastard?  By being the offspring of an illegitimate union.

illegitimate: born of parents who are not married to each other; born out of wedlock; unlawful; illegal 

We know that those born outside of the holy union of matrimony are considered illegitimate in the world.  Instead of bringing forth fruit from the loin of your husband, you conceive from one to whom you are not married.  Instead of raising up seed from your husband, you produce seed from another.  This is what happens when we are led by a spirit of whoredoms.  We prove ourselves to be unfaithful, an adulterer, a fornicator, a harlot.  In such, we become "joined to" the one who is not our husband (I Corinthians 6:16).  It is the same in the spirit.

"For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ." II Corinthians 11:2 

We are born again by the seed of life planted within us from the Holy Spirit (Mark 4:14-20).  However, if we start to fornicate with the world, being led by the lusts of our own flesh, we pervert that seed (James 4:4; I Corinthians 9:11; I John 2:16).   God espouses us to Christ so that we can bring forth a Godly seed (Malachi 2:15).  Instead of bringing forth fruit from the one to whom we are betrothed, we conceive from the serpent's seed and bear forth fruit that is defiled (Matthew 13:24-30, 15:13; Hebrews 6:7-8).  Not only do we fail to produce righteous fruit, the very life we possess no longer reflects the character of God, but the one to whom we have joined ourselves, Satan (Hosea 4:17).  God will not receive that type of life because He did not birth it.

"And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice." Genesis 22:15-18

In the above text, the Lord tells Abraham that because he did not withhold his son, the Lord will bless him, his seed, and all the nations of the earth.  Notice that the Lord refers to Isaac as Abraham's "only son".  However Abraham had earlier fathered another son with his wife's maid Hagar, named Ishmael (Genesis 16:1-4).  God did not acknowledge Ishmael in this discussion.  It was as if Ishmael didn't even exist.  God was still righteous towards Ishmael, and he could even experience earthly prosperity, but he was not recognized as a son (Genesis 16:10).  The only son in God's eyes was the one HE had called forth.

"For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed." Hebrews 12:6-13

The Three R's of Rebellion

Here me on this.  God chastens "every SON" whom he receives.  Who is the Lord speaking of in this text?  His sons.  He receives us as a son and then He starts the chastening.  If we (His sons) endure the chastening, then God will continue to deal with us as sons.  If we (His sons) do not endure chastening, then we become bastards and not sons.

Some claim that this text about being a bastard is not directed to the sons of God.  It most certainly is.  Another way in which we know this is because God puts forth a justification for why it is only reasonable for us to submit to His chastening (and not become bastards).  If we could understand why it was right & just for us to submit our earthly fathers for correction, then we should surely understand why it is important to submit to His correction.  God does not expect the sinner to submit to His correction because they have no ability to (Romans 8:7).  It is only by God's Spirit that we can yield to Him, and in submitting to His correction we will find life and become partakers of His holiness.  Contrarily, in not submitting we become bastards and are "turned out of the way", finding death and becoming partakers of Satan's unrighteousness.

Why are so many bastards when they have been called to be sons?  They will not withstand chastening.  They receive with joy the word when it is first received, but when the correction of the Lord comes, they cannot receive it.  As Matthew 13:21 states, such persons have "no root" or discipline in themselves.  Therefore, when tribulation comes because of the word which has been sown in them, they are offended.  Yet the Lord says that tribulation works patience, and patience experience, and experience hope that is not to be ashamed of (Romans 5:3-5).  God's correction is the way that His love is shed in our hearts.

In order to be a "chaste virgin" we must go through a "chastening".  These are the times for us to cut ties with everything which defiles (if we have not already).  These are the times to submit ourselves to the FATHER of Spirits so that we may live!  Don't draw back from God's correction because He is trying to produce righteous fruit in you so that He may give you life.  We must have the love for God as a Father (a Disciplinarian) in our hearts in order to be recognized by Him as His own.

"But if any man love God, the same is known of him." I Corinthians 8:3

Also recommended: The Three R's of Rebellion