..who do you know who isn't saved? your mother or father? a sibling? a good friend? your spouse? your child? think of their terrible fate if they die without Christ...
..may i ask you a personal question? when was the last time you shared you faith with an unsaved person? when did you last go out of your way to witness to a stranger?..only 2% of american churchgoers share their faith with others...
did you know that if you allow another human being to die when it's within your ability to save him, you are guilty of something called, 'depraved indifference?" they are applicable words. 'depraved means that it's as low as you can get and ' and 'indifference means that you couldn't care less. think now of the terrible neglect of that firefighter. (previous story of a firefighter who arrived at a fire where people were screaming and falling to the ground in flames (they died) while he had his new cd player on and playing..)..
worship is the highest calling of every christian...but when we look back at the book of acts, we don't find the Church consumed with worship. instead, we find it was obsessed with reaching the lost, to the point that they willingly gave their lives to preach the gospel...
i wonder if you have been praying for revival. many are and that's good. but if we make revival sovereign and don't share our faith with the lost, in effect, this is what we are saying:
Lord, i know that You have commanded us to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. but we will stay here and pray. we know that you have chosen the 'foolishness' pf preaching to save those who believe. but we will stay here and pray. and we know that the bible asks us, 'how will they hear without a preacher?' but we will stay here and pray because it sure is easier to talk to God about people than it is to talk to people about God...
...Church tradition tells us the fate of several apostles and early evangelists:
philip: crucified, phrygia, a.d. 54
matthew: beheaded, ethiopia, a.d. 60
barnabas: burned to death, cyprus, a.d. 64
mark: dragged to death, alexandria, a.d. 64
james (the less): clubbed to death, jerusalem, a.d. 66
paul: beheaded, rome, a.d. 66
peter: crucified, rome, a.d. 69
andrew: crucified, achaia, a.d. 70
thomas: speared to death, calamina, a.d. 70
luke: hanged, athens, a.d. 93
...preachers: do they faithfully preach against sin?
do they preach righteousness and judgment (as Jesus did)?
do they speak about true repentance (not simply a change of mind') and warn about the reality of hell (as Jesus did)?
...many of today's preachers fill their churches by teaching legitimate life-changing principles. however, although these principles are helpful for daily living, they fail to unmask sin and self righteousness that keep vast numbers of false converts sitting in a fool's paradise, comfortable in the pews, thinking they are friends with God when they are still His enemies...
...disciples in the book of acts...confronted their hearers as guilty criminals-enemies of God who desperately needed righteousness...
re paul...God said He would show him how many things he MUST SUFFER for My name's sake (acts 9.16)...
..sinners don't equate the promise of a 'wonderful plan for your life' with eternity. they think of the here and now.
i would say that i could never tell those people that God has a wonderful plan for their lives..so, if that popular message isn't appropriate for the people who worked in the world trade center, (on 9.11), who is it for. ...
if those who say, 'God has a wonderful plan for your life' were 'converted' under the same gospel they propagate, and they did not repent, then there may be some truth in what they are saying. if they continue to live in lawlessness, they will not have a struggle with the world, the flesh, and the devil. if they are friends with the world, they will flow with it rather than against it and therefore will not have tribulation in it. if they don't 'live godly in Christ Jesus', they won't 'suffer persecution' (II tim. 3.12), and they will not be hated for His name's sake, because their lives will be no different from those who are of the world. if they continue to live according to the flesh, they won't have to struggle to deny fleshly desires. neither will they wrestle against the devil. in fact, satan will be pleased with what he sees.
those who have come to Christ seeking happiness have 'found religion' and think that by going to church on sunday morning they are all right with God, thereby assuaging their nagging consciences.
they may have joined the fellowship of the church...but they haven't found new life in Christ....
and here's the double tragedy. when the church declares the message that 'Jesus solves problems' or 'Jesus provides happiness', it restricts the field of evangelistic endeavor to those in society who are unhappy and caught up in their problems....
...we live in a 'therapeutic' culture that places a high value on feeling good, self-esteem and self-actualization. consequently, when we see words like 'poor', 'brokenhearted' and 'oppressed', we think of people who are beset by life's circumstances, whether it's poverty, divorce, addiction or disease. Jesus, however, is speaking primarily in terms of spiritual poverty and spiritual brokenness, bondage, blindness, and oppression. in other words, He is offering freedom to those who recognize their sinful state and are broken by the realization that their spiritual poverty and bondage separate them from a just and holy God.that isn't to say that He did not minister to those who were beset by life's circumstances-but His message was not only for those people and the freedom He offered was not freedom from the hardships of life. when Jesus speaks of 'the poor', He is not necessarily referring to those who lack financial resources. (mt. 5.3; ps. 51.17)
when Jesus speaks of the brokenhearted, He doesn't mean those unhappy people whose hearts are aching because they have been jilted by a sweetheart, but those who, like peter and isaiah, are contrite and sorrowing for their sin...matthew henry...'Christ was sent to heal the broken-hearted,...to give peace to those that were troubled and humbled for sins,...and to bring them to rest who were weary and heavy-laden, under the burden of guilt and corruption.
the captives are those 'taken captive by (the devil) to do his will' (II tim. 2.26) the blind are those whom 'the god of this age has blinded...(to) the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ' (II cor. 4.4). the oppressed are those who are 'oppressed by the devil' (acts 10.38).
the gospel of grace is for the humble, not the proud. 'God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble' (james 4.6) the scriptures tell us, 'everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord' (proverbs 16.5); 'He has put down the mighty from their thrones and exalted the lowly' (luke 1.52); God looks on the one who 'is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at (His) word' (isaiah 66.2). only the sick need a physician, and only those who are convinced of the disease of sin will appreciate and appropriate the cure of the gospel.
THE ABUNDANT LIFE still, the question may arise, why not use the fact that Jesus said He had come to bring us an abundant life (john 10.10) to draw unregenerate sinners to the Savior? true, the christian life is full. consider the life of paul. read II cor. 11. 23-8 and see if you think he was bored while being stoned (once), shipwrecked (three times), beaten (three times) and whipped (five times). his life was full. there were also times when he wasn't happy. in fact, at one point he was in such despair that he wanted to die (II cor. 1.8)
the apostle gives the carnal minded corinthians a glimpse of the abundant life. (II cor. 4.4.7-5.9; 6.1-13) he told them that he had been condemned to death. he was hungry and thirsty. he lacked clothing. he was beaten and had nowhere to live. even with his established ministry, he was forced to work with his hands. he was reviled, persecuted, slandered and treated as the filth of the world. what a terrible, uninviting path paul walked down. one would think that he would put up a sign saying, 'don't enter here'. however he did the opposite. he told the corinthians to imitate him (I cor. 4.9-16)
...THE PURPOSE OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS in recent years it has become popular in some sectors of the church to ask the question, 'what would Jesus do/....at first glance it might seem worthwhile to ask what Jesus would do in a particular circumstance, but the question has an inherent flaw: it opens the door to speculation. the answer becomes open ended so that people can make up whatever 'Jesus' they want to fit anything they would like to do: 'what would Jesus do? i'll tell you what He wouldn't do. he wouldn't condemn people because they want and abortion and He wouldn't go around ramming religion down people's throats!' or 'He wouldn't go around judging people and telling them that they are 'sinners'!'
the better question to ask is, 'what did Jesus do?' this confines our answers to the safe and reliable boundaries of the bible.
what did Jesus do when He confronted sinners? as we see from scripture, He made the issue one of righteousness rather than happiness (mt. 5.20) He used the Ten Commandments to show sinners the righteous standard of God (mt. 5.17-37)
in mark 10.17-21 Jesus used the Law of God to expose the man's hidden sin.
...every time we witness to someone, we should examine our motives. do we love the sinner enough to make sure his conversion is genuine?
..martyn lloyd-jones..'a gospel which merely says 'come to Jesus' and offers Him as a Friend and offers a marvelous new life, without convincing of sin, is not new testament evangelism. ..true evangelism..must always start by preaching the Law.
when you use the Law
(note:throughout the book we will be using the term 'the Law' to refer to the Moral Law of God or the Ten Commandments. this is consistent with how Jesus referred to 'the Law' or 'the Law and the prophets' in His teaching (mt. 5.17, 7.12, 22.40, 23.23; luke 1026, 16.16; john 7.19-23). when the apostle paul speaks of 'the Law' in romans 2.20-23 and 13.8-9, he quotes a number of the Ten Commandments, making clear he is referring to the Moral Law. this is also the case with other writers of scripture, including james (2.10-11).
to show lost sinners their true state, be prepared for them to thank you. for the first time in their lives, they will see the christian message as expressing love and concern for their eternal welfare rather than merely proselytizing for a better lifestyle while on this earth. they will begin to understand why they should be concerned about their eternal salvation. the Law shows them that they are condemned by God. it even makes them a little fearful-and 'the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom' (ps. 111.10; prov. 9.10)
..john wesley reconciled the use of the Law to produce the fear of God with love: 'the second use (of the Law) is to bring him unto life, unto Christ that he may live. it is true, in performing both these offices, it acts the part of a severe schoolmaster. it drives us by force, rather than draws us by love. and yet love is the spring of all. it is the spirit of love which, by this painful means, tears away our confidence in the flesh, which leaves us no broken reed whereon to trust and so constrains the sinner, stripped of all to cry out in the bitterness of his soul of groan in the depth of his heart, 'i give up every plea beside, Lord, i am damned; but Thou hast died''.
perhaps you are tempted to say that we should never condemn sinners. however, scripture tells us that they are already condemned-'he that believes not is condemned already' (john 3.18). all the Law does is show them their true state. if you dust a table in your livingroom and think it is dust-free, try pulling back the curtains and letting in the early morning sunlight. you will more than likely see dust still sitting on the table. the sunlight didn't create the dust; it merely exposed it. when we take the time to draw back the high and heavy curtains of the Holy of Holies and let the light of God's Law shine upon the sinner's heart, the Law merely shows him his true state before God. prov. 6.23 tells us, 'the commandment is a lamp and the Law a light'.
you may be familiar with the idea that we should befriend sinners and address their 'felt needs' before speaking to them about salvation. however, it may take weeks, months, or even years before we get around to talking to them about the subject of sin. on the other hand, if we understand sin in its true light as enmity with God and we grasp the urgency of the situation-that our unregenerate friend could die tonight and face God's righteous judgment-would we not be motivated...
let's see how a 'felt needs' approach would work in a court of law with a child molester. take for instance the man who kidnapped a seven year old girl from her southern california home in 2002. he sexually molested her, strangled her to death, set her little body on fire and left her in the desert. imagine the following courtroom scenario when this man is brought to trial: the judge says, 'all the evidence is in. you are guilty. however, i don't want to deal with your guilt at the moment. i want to first address your felt needs. are you happy? do you have an emptiness inside?....52
53 it is an unlawful use of the Law to use it for justification. no one will make it to heaven by keeping the Ten Commandments...'a man is not justified by the works of the Law by faith in Jesus Christ...for by the works of the Law no flesh shall be justified' gal. 2.16 the Law's rightful purpose is simply to act as a mirror to show us that we need cleansing...
neither should the Law be used to produce legalism. we are give incredible liberty in Christ. gal. 5.1 and there are those who would seek to steal that liberty by placing the Law on the backs of christians. 54 obviously, christians refrain from lawlessness. they don't lie, steal, kill, commit adultery, etc. if they fall into sin (as opposed to diving in..), they confess and forsake it, because they know that 'without holiness no one will see the Lord' heb. 12.14 however, a christian's motivation for holy living isn't one of legalism imposed on them by the Law. why do they refrain..to gain God's favor? no. they already have that in Christ. instead,christians live lives that are pleasing..to do all they can to show God gratitude for..incredible mercy..
.,why then would any christian stray into legalism? ...because the law hasn't been used lawfully in the first place...if the spiritual nature of the Law is used in evangelism, it will once and for all rid new believers of any thought of legalism. the Law reveals to them that there is no way they can please God outside of faith in Jesus....guilty sinners see that they are 'by nature children of wrath' eph. 2.3
55 and therefore flee to shelter in Christ from..God's indignation..
true believers are saved knowing that nothing commends them to God. after a lifetime of good works, of reading ding the word, of prayer and seeking the lost, they are still saved by grace and
grace alone.they are 'unprofitable servants' lk. 17.10 who merely do what they should.
however, people who make a commitment to Christ without the law may do so because they are seeking true inner peace and lasting fulfillment. they come to fill a 'God shaped vacuum' in their lives. there is no trembling. there is no fleeing from wrath. there is no fear. to them, god is a benevolent, fatherly figure, not a holy god of wrath. without the Law, they haven't been stripped of self-righteousness. they don'[t truly believe that their just regard is eternal damnation. therefor..as professing christians, they think they are..good.
because of this faulty foundation, these converts are likely to think that they are pleasing god by..doing good works. they are susceptible to..thinking that somehow ..good works commend them to god and...liable to stray into legalistic standards such as 'do not touch, do not taste, do not handle' col. 2.21.
OUR BROKEN BACKBONE 57
..the modern gospel has degenerated into a means of happiness rather than one of righteousness..we have failed to show sinners that they are lawbreakers, that they have violated the law of..God.
the bible says that most people think they are good..'most men will proclaim every one his own goodness..prov. 20.6 ..'all the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes... (16.2) despite america's mountain of sin, most think it's a tiny molehill in God's eyes and they look forward to the reward of heaven...
58..only one half of one percent said they were hell bound..the survey..found that 76% of americans believe in heaven and 71% in hell..64% believe they're heaven bound.
...when the Bible speaks of 'good', it means moral perfection in though, word and deed. only God is good mark 10.18, and His Law is perfect ps. 19.7, holy, just, and good Romans 7.12. sinners don't know that. there is none that understands rom. 3.11 i can't overstate this fact-the world has no idea of the nature of sin, that it is a potent and irresistible magnet for the justice of Almighty God-that they live under the avalanche of wrath...My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge...because you have forgotten the Law of your God...hosea 4.6
59..most of the world realizes that they have broken God's Law-the Ten Commandments, but it's no big deal...white lies...stolen..little things..in the past..
can you see what happens? SIN IS .. TRIVIALIZED and...the person will therefore deceive himself. he is saying that he hasn't actually 'sinned' and the bible warns, 'if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us'. I john 1.8
the truth is, if you have lied, then you are a liar. if you have stolen anything (the value of the time stolen is irrelevant), you are a thief.
what the sinner needs to hear is the judge's ruling for lying and stealing. 'ALL liars will have their part in the lake of fire' rev. 21.8.
60..great tragedy. popular preachers gloss over the issue of sin, because they don't want to offend their hearers or make them feel guilty. ...they deliberately hide the Judge's ruling from them. they refuse to talk about Hell....
..spurgeon...'it is absolutely necessary to the preaching of the gospel of Christ that men be warned..ho, ho sir surgeon, you are too delicate to tell the man that he is ill! ..your delicacy is cruelty; your flatteries are poisons; you are a murderer. shall we keep men in a fool's paradise? shall we lull them into soft slumbers from which they will awake in hell?...
61..why would america's most popular preacher appear on CNN june 20, 2005 ..KING: what if you're jewish or muslin, you don't accept Christ at all? PASTOR: you know, i'm very careful about saying who would and wouldn't go to heaven. i don't know...KING: if you believe, you have to believe in Christ? they're wrong, aren't they? PASTOR: well, i don't know if i believe they're wrong. i believe here's what the bible teaches and from the christian faith this is what i believe. but i just think that only God will judge a person's heart...
here is what the scriptures say:
Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth and the life. no one comes to the Father except through Me. john 14.6
62 whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. he who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. I john 2.9
but i say, that the things which the gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils and not to God: and i would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. I cor. 10:20
why..his message is one of success in life. he is a popular preacher because that is a popular message. who doesn't want God's best for their lives?
but that message puts him into the dilemma..when it comes to the exclusiveness of Jesus Christ. if the Law isn't preached to show the perfect righteousness that god requires, then there is a chance that people from other religions can make it to heaven. they are sincere. they devotedly fast and pry. they crawl up steps of great temples on their knees until blood flows..they will hold up their right hand in sacrifice to the gods for years, until it withers from lack of use. they sacrifice their time, their money and their own lives in the service of god...surely a loving and merciful God sees their sincere heart. He couldn't send them to hell. that makes sense. Jesus can't be the only way to heaven. that would exclude millions who have never been born again. to say that He is the only way to God, despite what scripture says, is the epitome of narrow minded bigotry. no, that wouldn't be a popular thing to say.
63..the Law shows us how deeply in debt to eternal justice. it reveals that the entire human race is not just guilty before before a holy Creator, but that we are desperately wicked criminals with a multitude of sins, standing exposed before the judgment bar of the God of the universe.
in light of the Law, we begin to see that we cannot bribe Almighty God to simply dismiss our case because we become pious...the sincere religious devotee...the Judge is about to pronounce the death sentence. but before he does, he allows the man to speak. he looks the judge in the eye and says, 'i am guilty of the crimes, but on the way into the courts, i deliberately slammed my thumb in the door. therefore you must let me do because i have suffered for my crimes'.
in heb. 10.22, the scriptures speak of being provoked by 'an evil conscience'. guilt drives us to try and cover our sins. immoral hollywood stars often become pious as they grow older. they sacrificially give money and their time to charities.they had a few 'indiscretions' in their youth and now (in their eye they are evening the scales. but the bible tells us, 'the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord. prov. 15.8 the ungodly are deceived because they lack knowledge of God's Law.
64 ...not even the apostle paul understood sin, until he was confronted with the Law. 'what shall we say then? is the Law sin? certainly not! on the contrary,i would not have known sin except through the law. for i would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, 'you shall not cove'...rom. 7.7
66 as i looked at the truck, i noticed two women sitting on the steps of our building. one of them called out, 'is this a christian ministry? i said that it was and asked if they wee christians. one of them said that she was. the other said that she belonged to a certain denomination. i sat down with them and asked the church-goer what she thought happened to people after they die. she said that she believed in haven and in hell. i asked where she would do when she died. predictably ,she said 'heaven'. i said, there's an easy way to make sure of that. it's a four question test-do you want to do it. it's real easy? (do you consider yourself to be a good person? have you ever told a lie? have you ever stolen something? have you ever used God's name in vain?....
67 if God judges you by the Ten Commandments on the Day of Judgement, do you think you will be innocent or guilty? guilty. will you go to heaven or to hell? hell. does that concern you? yes! it should TERRIFY you. do you know what God did for you so that you wouldn't have to go to hell? no. he sent His Son-Jesus Christ -to suffer and die for you. He paid your fine in His life's blood, so that you could leave the courtroom what you must do is repent and trust Him.' i could see from her facial expression that she was deeply moved by the gospel, so i said, do you want to pray now and yield your life to Christ-surrender yourself to God? I've never prayed with anyone before. that's okay. you could pray quietly and then i could pray for you. okay. i don't want to push you into it, but if you are ready to surrender to God, i would love to pray with you. do you want to leave it until another time? no. i want to pray.
68 ...i waited for about 30 seconds and then prayed for her and then gave her a copy of a booklet called, SAVE YOURSELF SOME PAIN, which gives principles of christian growth.
this doesn't happen every time i share the gospel with people. most of the time i see evident conviction, but they are in the category of 'awakened', but not 'alamed'. but although their lack of concern concerns me, i'm not overly concerned because i know that when i share the gospel biblically, i am working with the Holy Spirit. He's the One who brings conviction of sin and He will do so in His perfect timing.
let me address your concerns that perhaps what i am doing is too confrontational. admittedly it is. but there is a reason for this.
imagine you have gone to a restaurant to talk personal business with a friend. you find somewhere quiet and you begin your conversation. after a few minutes, someone you don't know comes up to your table and says, 'may i take your order? do you say, 'EXCUSE ME! i was talking about something personal with my friend and you just walked up and butted in. you are very rude. now go away!' that doesn't happen. the waiter knows it doesn't happen and the reason it doesn't happen is because he knows that he has something that you want. FOOD....as christians we have something that the world wants. every single sane person on this earth has a will to live...they have a God-given fear of death and we have found everlasting life. they just don't understand yet...
69...let me now put you with an experienced waiter for a moment-the apostle paul. let's see if he's bold. let's see if he's confrontational or if he carefully shapes his words so as not to offend his hearers. does he avoid words like, 'Law, wrath, judgment,..sin'? ...paul addresses his hearers in romans, chapter two:
'and do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? but in accordance with 70 your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each one according to his deeds: eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor and immortality; but to those who are self seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the jew first and also of the greek...v3-10
then in v 12, the apostle warns that God will judge humanity by the moral law. he tells them that the work of the Law is written on the human heart and that it concurs with the conscience (v15). then he begins to use the Law evangelistically, personalizing each commandment to his hearers...steal..adultery..idols..blaspheme in vss 21-4.
paul used the Law to bring 'the knowledge of sin'. he was bold. he was confrontational. he PERSONALIZED sin. they he said, 'be followers of me, even as i also am of Christ'. I cor. 11.3
73 MAKING IT HONORABLE when i talk of using the law in evangelism, i don't mean merely making casual reference to it. rather, the law would be the backbone of our gospel presentation because its function is to prepare the heart for grace. ..luther said..'in its true and proper work and purpose it humbles a man and prepares him-if he uses the Law correctly -to yearn and seek for grace'.
the law is the rod and staff of the shepherd ..the net of the fisherman..the plow of the farmer..it is the ten golden trumpets that prepare the way for the king. the Law makes the sinner thirst for righteousness, that he might live...
..the Law is the embodiment of this gospel we carry, but many have 'neglected the weightier matters of the Law' and counted them as worthless mat. 23.23. they have emptied the Law out of the ark, stripping the gospel of its power.
75..the true convert is not like adam, who ran from God in the garden. instead, he delights to do God's will because God's Law is within his heart. ps. 40.7-9
..the Law is like the fiery serpents in num 21.6-9 and Jesus became the curse for us...if we look to Him we will be healed..
79 WHAT DID JESUS DO? His divine commission-to magnify the Law and make it honorable. mt. 5.17-20
80 the pharisees limited the scope of the Laws precepts to mere outward piety. Jesus opened up the spiritual nature of the Law, showing how God 'desires truth in the inward parts ps. 51.6 (mt. 5.21f
81 He concluded this part of His teaching by saying, 'be perfect..5.48..because the function of the Law is 'that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God rom. 3.19
some say Jesus meant, 'be mature but calling God mature would imply that He was once immature. God never changes mal. 3.6 ...if we are not perfect in accordance with the Law, we will perish on the day of Judgment. that's why paul says that we are to '(warn) every man and (teach) every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect' col. 1.28
82 free from their blood eze. 3.17-9
83 Jesus always preached Law to the proud and arrogant and grace to the meek and the humble ( lk. 10.25-6; 18.18-20; john 3.1-17:james 4.6..paul at athens 1st and 2nd commandments acts 17.15-34 and on other occasion rom. 2.22-3
84 without the Law, there can be no knowledge of sin: what shall we say then? is the Law sin? certainly not! on the contrary, i would not have known sin except through the Law...for apart from the Law sin was dead (inactive). i was alive once without the Law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and i died rom. 7.7-9
85 spurgeon..'one..reason why this soil (in the parable) was so uncongenial was that it was totally unprepared for the seed.
...robbie flockhart..'you must preach the Law, for the gospel is a silken thread and you cannot get it into the hearts of men unless you have made a way for it with a sharp needle; the sharp needle of the Law will pull the silken thread of the gospel after it'.
what was Jesus referring to when He said, 'do not give what is holy to the dogs' ? what was He pointing to when He said not to 'cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet and turn and tear you in pieces mat. 7.6? the most precious pearl the church has is 'Christ crucified'. when the cross is preached to the proud and a decision is obtained..it's not long until..new converts fall away from the faith and trample the blood of the Savior under their feet.
86 a 'backslider'usually have their own testimony as to why they turned away from God and it's often accompanied by bitter and colorful language. they know how to talk the talk because they think they walked the walk and because of this, they know how to do damage to the kingdom of god. ...they verbally tear to pieces those who had anything to do with their 'religous experience'. the proselyte becomes a two fold child of hell.
those who make a profession of faith without first understanding their complete depravity before a holy God and who haven't therefore truly repented of their sin, are liable to fall back into their former way of life...II pet. 2.22.
false converts have never 'crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts' gal. 5.24
87..according to peter (II 2.20) 'the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.
evangelistic methods often fail to mention the fact of Judgment Day. acts 17.30-1...wrath to come I thess. 1.10..gospel presented as promoting happiness not righteousness
89 'fall short to God's glory rom. 3.23 we have failed to love God with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength, which is the essence of the Law mk. 12.30-1
90 if my life depends on hitting the target, but i can never hit the target, what hope is there for me?
..the genuine convert, had some things the other hearers didn't have. he had the virtue of 'understanding' mt. 13.23 and he had 'a good and honest heart' lk. 8.15 does that mean that there are only certain people who somehow have understanding and a good and honest heart and we have to keep on sowing until we find them? no. scripture makes it clear that there is no one who understands rom. 3.11 and that the heart of man is not good, but deceitful and desperately wicked jer. 17.9
91 how then did the good soil hearer obtain these necessary virtues? it is clear that something from outside must have given him understanding and brought him to a point of having a noble and good heart. the plow-that is, the Law-turned the soil of his hear, exposing his wickedness and breaking loos the stones of sin. when the stones were removed through repentance, it left the good soil of understanding and a heart that was ready to receive the seed of the gospel.
100..another respected minister, whose evangelism program has exploded across the world, said that his evangelism course attempts to get at the heart of the fall away rate of new converts 'by placing great stress on the follow up'. however, 'following up' with a false convert is like putting a stillborn baby into intensive care....
102..increasing number of converts fail to show evidence of moral change in their lives
perhaps you are thinking, 'but i didn't have the Law preached to me when i cam to Christ.. let me ask you a few questions. when you came to the Savior, did you have a knowledge of sin? you must have or you would not have repented. he who reepents turns from sin and 'sin is the transgression of the law' I john 3.4
what then was your sin? was it lust, adultery, or fornication? if wo, then your sin was that you transgressed the 7th commandment. did you steal (8th), hate (6th), lie (9th), or blaspheme (3rd)? were you covetous 10th? werre you selfish or ungrateful to god? did you realize that God should be first in your life 1st,4th)? or maybe you suddenly discerned that God was nothing like you thought He was (2nd). did you feel bad about your attitude toward your parents (5th)? wasn't it because you knew of the Ten Commandments? someone, somewhere, somehow must have said to you: 'you shall not kill, you shall not steal', etc and your consecience bore witness with the law. like paul, you too can say, 'i would not have known sin except through the law' rom. 7.7.
104 ..so many spurious converts who have left the Church and the multitude of false converts who stay within the Chruch.
105...went through commandments..i realized that i had violated God's perfect Law and i was on my way to hell. i understood for the first time that Jesus didn't come to make me 'happy-happy-happy', but to make me righteous...
110 notice...what happens when the law enters the fast lane with red lights flashing. the speeder's heart misses a beat. he is no longer secure in the fact that other motorists are also speeding.he knows the he is personally guilty and he could be the one the officer pulls over. suddenly, his 'mere' 15 mph transgression doesn' t seem such a small thing after all. it seems to abound
now look at the feeway of sin. the whole world naturally goes with the flow....they know they are doing wrong, but their security lies inthe fact that so many others are just as gulty, if not more so. it seems that God has forgotten all about sin and the Ten Commandments. he 'has said in his heart, 'God has forgotten; He hides His face; He will never see' ps. 10.11
now watch the law enter with red lights flashing. the sinner's heart is stopped. he places his hand on his mouth. he examines the speedometer of his conscience. suddenly, it shows him the measure of his guilt in..the light of the Law...moreover the Law entered that the offense might abound'. without introduction of the law, sin is neither personal nor is it a threat: 'for without the Law sin is dead (the sense of it is inactive and a lifeless thing) rom 7.8.
111...according to scripture, '(the real function of) the Law is to make men recognize and be conscious of sin (not mere perception, but an acquaintance with sin which works toward repentance)' rom. 3.20 AMP
to illustrate this point, imagine if i said to you, 'i have some good news for you. someone has just paid a $25,000 speeding fine on your behalf! you would probably answer me with some cynicism in your voice, 'what are you talking about? i don't have a $25,000 speeding fine!' ...if you don't know that you have broken the law in the first place the good news..won't be good news; it will be foolishness...
112..as you begine to see the seriousness of what you have done...'the law was about to take its course...but...is greeted with joy...
115..you may be tempted, as you go through the Commandments, to say things like 'have you lied? i have. everyone lies...in doing so, you will more than likely dissipate the fear of God...
116 prov. 28.23...sin is like an onion. its outer wrapper is a dry and crusty self-righteousness. it is only when its external casing is peeled away that it brings tears to the human eye. the law peels the onion and allows contrition.
..a child broke his father's antizue vase. it was one that he was forbidden to touch or even go near. it was worth $25,000. however the child in his ignorance thought the vase was worth only $2, so he wasn't very concerned. he thought he could easily replace it...
117...spurgeon..'the law serves a most necessary purpose...they will never accept grace until they tremble before a just and holy Law'.
...many years ago..i told a prostitute of God's love..she immediately began to weep...her tears were not tears of godly sorrow for sin (which i had failed to mention), but merely an emotional response to the need of a father's love...led her in sinner's prayer..she fell away..
118 music can..evoke a tear filled response...
..washington DC..members of a foreign embassy had been issued numerous parking tickets for breaking the law, but because their diplomatic status made them immune..they felt no obligation to pay for their violations..in an effort to force these..to pay their debts. the authorities amended the law so that vehicles that were driven by traffic violators could not be registered. the violators would therefor be unable to drive their cars.
119 ..a similar thing has happened with the Church. because it has failed to preach future punishment for violation of God's Law. sinners have become bold in their lawlessness. they have lost respect both for the law and for its agency, the Church....strip club..large sign..'we didn't create sin, we just perfected it. one tv channel boasted of their adult programming: 'guaranteed to break more Commandments than any other line up. a magazine cover..'teenage sex romps. stuff so bad, it's good. we're so ashamed'.
the secular world has become devoid of the fear of God..they are storing up wrath that will be revealed in the day of wrath. rom. 2.5if on the day they are found in debt, there will be hell to pay.
121..fear the Lord...ps 119.20..lk. 12.5..ps.128.1..2.11..acts 9.31..prov 16.6
123..in His approximately 42 months of public ministry, there ar 33 recorded instances of Jesus speaking about hell. no doubt He warned of hell thousands of times. the bible refers to hell a total of 167 times.
127..if we exalt one of God's qualities over another, we can get a distorted view of god's character...can lead to heresy...more mercy..less judgment
131..Jesus said not to fear him who has power to kill your body and afterward can do no more, but to fear Him who has power to kill the body and cast your soul into hell...lk. 12.4-5
132..the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him,in those who hope in His mercy ps. 147.11
...many feel secure in their sins with no fear or worry of Judgment Day because God is a God of Love and will overlook my sins'.....on Judgment day..all that will be evident then will be God's Holy burning love for absolute perfection.
133..a wise man once said, 'most i fear God. next to Him, i fear him that fears Him not'..in the US alone, there were 200,000 murders between 1990 and the turn of the century.
135 it is the fear of God that should stop christians from diluting the message with which they've been entrusted and thereby trifling with the eternal well being of sinners. their devotion to the truth will be rewarded: 'those who rebuke the wicked will have delight and a good blessing will come upon them.prov 24.25
..paul reasoned of righteousness, temperance and judgment to come, till felix (hardened as he was) 'trembled' acts 24.5...later in rome paul 'explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the law of moses and the prophets, from morning till evening 28.23...how did paul preach? he used both prophecy and the Law of Moses. prophecy appeals to a person's intellect and creates faith in the word of God. as a person realizes that the bible is no ordinary book-that it contains hundreds of indisputable prophecies that substantiate its supernatural origin- he begins to acknowledge scripture's credibility. the Law of Moses. on the other hand, appeals to a person's conscience and brings the knowledge of sin. paul used both, because prophecy alone doesn't bring an awareness of sin.
137..if an angel tells us of a gospel (or a method of gospel promotion) that isn't in line with holy scripture, we should reject it without a second thought..gal. 1.8 'but even if we or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed..
(while many are doing so) we should heed paul's warning against 'peddling God's word (shortchanging and adulterating the divine message)' II cor. 2.17, AMP.
170 ..even though these were godly jews, peter told them that they were 'lawless'-that they had violated God's Law by murdering Jesus acts 2.23 he drove home that fact by saying, 'therefore let all the house of israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ' v36 it was then that they saw that their sin was personal. they were 'cut to the heart' and cried out for help. only after the Law convicted them of their sinfulness did peter offer them grace v38.
173 the constitution has replaced ..scripture as the point of moral reference....it is a 'constitutional right' to produce unclean literature, even if it is morally offencive. however, ask a man who advocates pornographic literature if child pornography is legitimate and he will usually draw his moral line. ask him then at what age 'immoral' child porn crosses the divide and becomes 'morally acceptable'. with a little digging, you will find that the dividing line is often the line of personal pleasure. he doesn't gain pleasure from looking at a 13 year old child, but he does from a 17 year old young woman. his love for sin clouds his moral judgment.
174 story of the police officer (whom ray comfort did not recognize as such) screaming at him to stop speaking...his BADGE got his attention...the Law was the point of Jesus' authority (mat. 5.17-8; 7.12; 12.5; lk. 16.17
181 ron comfort decided to change his airplane ticket. when i called, the reservation agent gave the name of airline, told me her name was fran and asked how she could be of help to me. i explained my situation, made her laugh a little and got to a point where i felt i had the liberty to ask about her spiritual life. is said, 'fran, are you a christian' she answered, 'no. i don't accept the virgin birth. i explained to her that the virgin birth wasn't the issue with her at the moment, but that her big problem was the "Ten Commandments. i asked , 'have you ever told a lie? she said she had. she also admitted that she had stolen. when i explained that Jesus said that lust was the same as adultery in God sight and asked her if she had lusted, she said 'of course. i said, 'fran, by your own admission, you are a lying, thieving adulterer at heart and we have looked at only three of the Ten Commandments. you have to face God on Judgment Day. i then said,'i would like a window seat if possible. she didn't appreciate the change of subject. she said, 'don't leave me like this!
gently i said, 'what's wrong, fran? don't you like being left with your conscience? i went on to reason with her about her salvation, about Judgment day, and then about the cross.
182...fran didn't get angry at me. i wasn't judging her. i wasn't unloving. the reason i brought the subject up was because i cared about her and she was the one who admitted her sins..
it is interesting to note that the conscience doesn't join in with the pleasures of sin. 'their thoughts accusing or else excusing them rom. 2.15
217 if we want to reach the lost, we must stop believing that we have to be intellectual know it alls, stop wasting time arguing over every alleged mistake in the bible and rather think of something infinitely more important-the sinner's eternal salvation. (I cor. 2.1; phil. 2.7 'make ourselves 'of no reputation'.
219..humbling though it may be not to have every answer to every question, learn to relax as you sit on this lowly donkey. trust God. His word is sure and true...they cannot be saved through their intellects. they must be reached through their consciences-driven to the Savior, stripped of their self-righteousness, thirsting for the righteousness of God that comes by faith.
220..spurgeon..'there must be true and deep conviction of sin. this the preacher must labor to produce, for where this is not felt, the new birth has not taken place.
221 ..however, albert proudheart's dilemma is a little deeper than he would have you know. the bible warns us that in these last days men will scoff and say that there is no such thing as the flood of noah (despite the mountain of evidence). we are even told that their motivation for being 'willingly..ignorant' is their love of lust II pet. 3.1-7 no, albert proudheart doesn't really have an intellectual problem with christianity. he has a problem with his own heart. he loves sin. he drinks it in like water. because of this, he has no concern for his eternal salvation. his mind is overtaken by something far more interesting. he's feeding on sin's succulent pleasures. don't panic. don't argue with him. instead, flick the switch that will suck the air from him. learn to do what the Master did. use the law.
223 why are there so few front line soldiers within the body of Christ? there are many who say that they love God, read the word, pray and praise God with a passion, but there are so few who have what spurgeon referred to as a deep 'tenderness'. these are the ones who carry an anguish of soul for the fate of the ungodly. they break out of their complacency and seek by any means to save the lost. 'the love of Christ compels them II cor. 5.14 the greek word translated 'compel denotes that God's love arrests them, preoccupies and presses them to reach out to the lost. they take off their jackets of condescension, put on the armor of light and go to battle for the souls of men. these harvest workers are the ones of whom Jesus said there was a great and tragic lack mt. 9.37-8. He commanded us to pray that God would send more.
224..just as steaks are made tender by being seared...so 'when a sinner comes under the intense heat of the law of god, it has the effect of sealing within him a tender heart...as the spirituality of the Law bears down on him, it shows him the exceeding sinfulness of his heart.it reveals to him that the very core of his nature is vile..a selfish and ungrateful sinner for whom hell is the only appropriate destination...he begins to see that he has loved what is abhorrent to his creator...coupled with the fact that he has greatly angered god by transgressing His Law...
225 such
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