260 Who Is On Probation? The Answer Will Surprise You. Part 1

This is part one of a two part series looking at the idea of probation. What does it mean to be on probation? If you are not on probation can probation close on you? We look at several examples of people who thought they were on probation and ended up in exile as a result. Not realizing that the resulting exile was the natural result of their behaviour. The way that Moses wrote led people to believe they were on probation. However it becomes clear that all mankind were intended to be saved and so were never on probation to begin with. We will concude this next episode.

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SHOW NOTES

Who is on Probation? The Answer will surprise you.

Probation is generally associated with courts and punitive decisions. In this presentation we are concerned rather with relational probation between God and man. Has God placed man on probation? We will suggest he has not! Has man placed God on probation? We will argue, yes! For example, every atheist can eloquently explain that if there is a God he is guilty of perpetrating or allowing terrible atrocities. God is thus

judged guilty in the eyes of atheists. He has failed the probation they placed him under.

General Comments:

Probation is the result of expectations in a relationship. These may be assumed or legally stated. In either case there is an understanding of what is expected of the other. Thus probation is related to expectations or more formal cases some imposed law. Since imposed law, as opposed to natural or inherent law, is only as valid as its enforcement, probation has to do with deciding when to enforce a lawful penalty. If there are no enforceable physical or emotional penalties there is no probation.

Examples of probation free or almost probation free relationships:

A newborn baby is not under probation by good parents. Teenage children are sometimes placed under probation as they explore their boundaries. Adult children might be under parental probation but it cannot be enforced by most parents. When we “fall in love” judgment is suspended and probation is nonexistent, at least for a time. It is a wonderful and dangerous time. First grade teachers are generally not under

probation by the children in their classes.

1. Israel, Probation and Exile

After Sinai Israel was under imposed law as recorded by Moses and thus under probation. This is clear according to the Blessings and the Curses which were recited by the nation from Mount Ebal and Gerizim annually (Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28). Disobedience disqualified them from God’s blessings and they were punished by God personally (Leviticus 26:14-39; Deuteronomy 28:15-68). The nation was under

probation and prolonged failure meant exile. Moses warned the people of Israel that they would be delivered into the hands of their enemies if they did not keep the Sabbaths of the Lord (Deuteronomy 28:49, 64; 29:28; Leviticus 25:5-6).

Jeremiah prophesied the period of 70 years of captivity (Jeremiah 25:8-14 and Jeremiah 29:10-14).

Three deportations can be summarized from Jeremiah 52:28-30:

• 3,023 Jews were carried into exile with the first deportation.

• 745 Jews were taken into exile with the second deportation.

• 4,600 people were taken captive with the third and final deportation.

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The two main reasons for the captivity of Israel and later Judah were idolatry and failure to observe the Sabbaths for the land (Leviticus 25:1-7; 26:2-35). However, there was hope of return or mercy after the exile if their hearts softened and they repented (Leviticus 26:40-45).

2. There are many incidents recited by Moses and the Prophets which confirm a time of probation for people.

Adam and Eve were driven out of Eden after eating the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3). The Flood of Noah when all but 8 souls were drowned for their wickedness and violence (Genesis 6). The Amorites were not to be exterminated because their cup of iniquity was not yet full (Genesis 15:16). The 3000 executed by the Levites at Sinai for their idolatry (Exodus 32:25-29). The Wilderness wandering for 40 years because of their lack of trust in God (Numbers 14). Samuel closes Saul’s probation as king because of his disobedience (1 Samuel 13). The bears which eat the disrespectful children in Elisha’s time (2 Kings 2:23- 25). Uzzah is divinely executed for touching the sacred ark (2 Samuel 6:1-8; 1 Chronicles 13:9-12). The destruction of the temple and Jerusalem and the exile to Babylon (Daniel 9:18). The death of the firstborn in Egypt was the end of Pharaoh’s probation (Exodus 11:10,12:31-33). The Ninevites were given 40 days to repent (Jonah 3:4-10).

3. The End of the World as the closing of Probation

is specifically argued for from Revelation 22:11 NLT “Let the one who is doing harm continue to do harm; let the one who is vile continue to be vile; let the one who is righteous continue to live righteously; let the one who is holy continue to be holy.”

However, this is a prediction of the state of humanity at the end of time. Human choices have become final. The cause of this situation lies in human hearts and not in God’s heart. It is describing how all hearts have chosen their final allegiance to Christ or the devil. Severe stress such as being involved in war, tends to reveal the allegiance of the human heart.

4. The angels announced the birth of Jesus as good news for ALL people after 4000 years of rebellion:

Luke 2:10-11 NLT but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.

11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born

today in Bethlehem, the city of David!

Luke 2:13-14 NLT

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of

heaven—praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in highest heaven,

and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

Luke 2:30-31 NLT I (Simeon) have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people.

There are no conditional caveats given by the angels with the birth of Jesus. He was to be a blessing for ALL people with no conditions. This was fulfilled in the miracles and teachings of Jesus. His rejection, torture and death also blessed all people with the understanding of the love of God for them.

5. Jesus’ Parables and Probation

Jesus frequently used parables to illustrate moral probation. For example, the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) illustrates that servants are entrusted with resources during this period, and their faithfulness dictates their reward. AI

Matthew 13:34-35 NLT Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds. In fact, he never spoke to them without using such parables. 35 This fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet:

“I will speak to you in parables. I will explain things hidden since the creation of the world.”

Like jokes, parables are told for their punchline. The probations in parables are to engage the attention of the listener with common understandings and so prepare them for the punchline. This is the same structure used in jokes. If probation is not the punchline, then probation is NOT the point of the parable.

The parable of the Gardener who pleads for more time for the unfruitful tree (Luke 13:6-9) parallels the angel from the east who calls to the 4 angles at the 4 corners of the earth to hold back the 4 winds until God’s servants are sealed

Revelation 7:1-3 NLT Then I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds so they did not blow on the earth or the sea, or even on any tree. 2 And I saw another angel coming up from the east, carrying the seal of the living God. And he shouted to those four angels, who had been given power to harm land and sea, 3 “Wait! Don’t harm the land or the sea or the trees until we have placed the seal of God on the foreheads of his servants.”

This action by the angel from the east reveals God’s desire for all men to be saved. The winds are being held back by God’s angels. This means these winds are evil agencies bent on destroying people. Notice that these angels of God can harm “land and sea” by letting the winds blow. This passage is key in understanding who does the destroying at the end of time.

The following passages demonstrate that God is not destroying people at the end of time but delaying their destruction by holding back evil agencies to extend people’s opportunity for repentance before the “thief” (John 10:10) destroys the people on earth.

1 Timothy 2:4 NLT who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.

2 Peter 3:9 NLT The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed but wants everyone to repent.

6. Was Jesus under probation?

Since Jesus was born under the law (Galatians 4: 4) he was on probation by men and by angels. Satan’s temptations (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-11) meant that he believed Jesus could have failed. Jesus’ life on earth was not a theophany, pretending to be man, but an incarnation, he became fully man subject totemptation and failure (Hebrews 4:15). His death was the result of his having failed his probation in the eyes of man and Satan. His resurrection demonstrated that in God’s eyes and the loyal angel’s eyes he had

more than triumphed over his probation. The praise anthems in Revelation are the evidence (Chapters 4 & 5).

7. Did Jesus teach divine Probation?

Judgment and probation are related since probation means condemnation or justification (innocence). We consider the relationship between Jesus and judgment which will illuminate his relationship with probation. We need to discern between judgement as condemnation or as justification or innocence.

Judgment means one of these two is being referred to. When John claims “the Father judges no one” he means the Father condemns no one.

John 5:22 NLT In addition, the Father judges (condemns) no one. Instead, he has given the Son absolute authority to judge

So, the question then becomes, “What is Jesus’ judgment?”

John 3:17 NLT God sent his Son into the world not to judge (condemn) the world, but to save the world through him.

Jesus clarifies that his salvation is not dependent on obedience

John 12:47 NLT I will not judge (condemn) those who hear me but don’t obey me, for I have come to save the world and not to judge it.

Jesus response to Peter’s question about forgiveness and probation is startling. Apparently, according to Jesus, there is no probation for forgiveness.

Matthew 18:21-22 NLT Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”

22 “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!

Jesus is implying that God never gives up on forgiving since “seventy times seven” is a symbolic number based on unbelievable completeness from Daniel 9:24. This is what the cross revealed. At no point did Jesus say, “This far and no further.” He drained the cup of surering we subjected him to.

The LORD’s prayer appear to be a contradiction to God’s unlimited forgiveness.

Matthew 6:12, 14-15 NLT and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. 14 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Jesus is stating that God’s forgiveness can only be negated by our refusal to forgive others. In plain English this means when we refuse to forgive others, we will eventually be unable to believe that God has forgivenus. Our sins are then unforgiveable in our minds. This is our reality not God’s reality. Here is another teaching by Jesus on this matter.

Luke 15:28-32 NLT “The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, 29 but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. 30 Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’

31 “His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. 32 We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’”

This is Jesus’ story crafted to illustrate his Father’s grace towards us. In the two sons he captures all of mankind. The older son represents those who have some knowledge of God and have some relationship with him. Jesus has the Father beg the older son to come to the party. He refuses with many self-righteous reasons.

This is the problem. The older son has his father under probation. He has expectations of his father that his father has failed in his eyes.

8. Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles will describe the universal grace of God made visible in Jesus Christ as having no probation.

This means there is no probation for man or angels from God’s perspective of

grace. This does not mean there are no inherent consequences for our choices. It does mean that God is NOT punishing men or angels when they do not follow his lifestyle: “Love does not demand its own way “

(1 Corinthians 13:5).

Ephesians 2:8-10 NLT God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Salvation becomes our reality when we “believe” or grasp God’s grace. God saved us before the creation of the world. In his eyes we are saved (Ephesians 1:4-5). Jesus came in part to convince us of this reality.

He created us so he could love us (John 3:16) and serve us (Matthew 20:28; Luke 12:37). He did not create us to do work for him and to praise him ceaselessly under probation.

Titus 3:3-7 NLT Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other. 4 But— When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love,

5 he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. 6 He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. 7 Because of his grace he made us right in his sight (innocent) and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.From the above two passages it is clear God’s Grace has no probation. If ever grace has a time limit or an imposed law limit it is not grace. Because of God’s grace, to be lost one must purposefully and persistently reject grace, and this is not easy (Matthew 11:28-30).

9. The miracles of Jesus which blessed people irrespective of their gender, race, ethnicity or moral performance confirmed grace (love and acceptance) for all people by Jesus Christ.

Ten times in the gospel of Matthew Jesus accomplished mass healings (4:23; 8:16-17; 9:35-38; 10:1, 8; 11:5; 14:14-15; 14:34- 36; 15:30-31; 19:1-2; 21:12-14). These miracles were to give credibility to Jesus’ teachings concerning the grace of God. No one was turned away because their probation had closed. The only ones not healed were those who refused to come.

10. Other grace-based actions of Jesus which confirm the grace of God and the absence of probation are at least the following.

These are in addition to the miracles Jesus performed.

10.1 Jesus restored Peter after he had denied him three times after his arrest (John 21:15-19).

10.2 Jesus washed Judas’ feet when he knew Judas had already initiated the betrayal process (John 13:1-11, 21-30)

10.3 Jesus forgave his executioners who did not demonstrate any need for forgiveness (Luke 23:34).

10.4 When Jesus says to the Jewish leadership,

“Your house is left desolate” (Matthew 23:37-39) he implies that God’s protection has been forced away by the rebellion of his people (Revelation 7:1-4). Jesus was not closing their probation. Many priests became believers after the resurrection which indicates their probation had not been closed (Acts 6:7).

10.5 Jesus’ words to the shame filled, guilt ridden disciples after his resurrection were: “Do not be afraid” (Matthew 28:9-10; Luke 24:36-38) and “Peace be unto you.”(John 14:27; 20:19, 21, 26).

This is evidence that God does not close probation for anyone. The disciples, after living and ministering with Jesus for three and a half years betray him, sleep when he needs them, abandon him and deny him. They are filled with shame and guilt and do not want to see him. But before they can beg for forgiveness Jesus is loving on them. This is evidence for those who have ears that we cannot stop God loving us.

10.6 To suggest that God has a point at which he says, “That’s it. I cannot go on loving these ungrateful people anymore, ” is to claim that God has placed humans under probation. This is a denial of the cross. The human rejection of Jesus Christ, revealed by his torture and execution at our hands, demonstrated that we could not stop God loving us. The worse we treated him the better he loved us. We did our worst and he loved us best (1 John 4:7-9). 10.7 The Resurrection at end of Millennium (Revelation 20:5) indicates that probation has not closed from God’s perspective. This is referred to as a judgment because the accuser, Satan, is there to accuse God. The wicked are raised, not to be condemned since God does not do condemnation (John 3:17; 5:22; 12:47) to experience the love of God. They can then make an informed choice about God. All the false information is stripped away and if anyone repented afterthis second resurrection Jesus would be the first to meet them at a pearly gate (Matthew 6:14-15; 18:22). God never stops loving angels and humans. They may reject him but his love for them is

unconditional. It springs from his heart not from angel or human performance. Parental love for a newborn child is perhaps the closest humans come to this divine arection for saints and sinners alike.

11. Conclusion

11.1 The good Samaritan helped a wounded Jew after 500 years of hatred from the Jews (Luke 10:25-37).

11.2 The prodigal son was welcomed home, identified and loved as a son and treated as if he had never left and squandered his inheritance in wild living! (Luke 15:20). The eldest son was begged to come into the party.

11.3 In God’s eyes he has saved all of us (Romans 5:15-19).

11.4 Jesus came to save sinners not saints (Romans 5:8). It is sinners who are under probation in our eyes but not in God’s eyes as Jesus demonstrated by associating with Prostitutes and Tax Collectors (Matthew 21:31-32).

11.5 If God is for us who can be against us? (Romans 8:31-39).

11.6 God’s love and grace have no probation. They are free, unmerited favour. They are unconditional and unlimited in time and scope (Ephesians 2:1-8; 1 Corinthians 13:5). This is the heart of God (1 John 4:8).

11.7 God’s salvation, as revealed by Jesus, is by God’s grace and not by our performance (Ephesians 2:9).

11.8 God’s forgiveness is extravagant, unilateral and universal (Colossians 2:13-14).

Ian Hartley, July 2026