GOD’S WORD FOR  MARCH 5

We are reading from a daily devotional  called “Running To Win” written by Erwin Lutzer  and the late, great D.L. Moody.   Erwin Lutzer is a light in our day as D.L. Moody was in his.  Besides his many ministries, and many books, Pastor Lutzer was Senior Pastor at Moody Church in Chicago for 36 years and now serves as Pastor Emeritus there.  He is  Chancelor and a former professor at Moody Bible Institute, where he taught Theology and Ministry, and now has numerous radio teachings.

UNBOUND SIN

Acts 2:36-38

““Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”   Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”   Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

D.L.MOODY

One thing I have noticed is that some conversations don’t amount to anything: that if a man professes to be converted without conviction of sin, he is one of those stony ground hearers who don’t bring forth much fruit.  The first little wave of persecution, the first breath of opposition, and the man is back in the world again.  Let us pray that God may carry on a deep and thorough work, that men may be convicted of sin so they cannot rest in unbelief.  Pray this conviction and confession may begin in our own church.  I would a great deal rather see a hundred men thoroughly converted, truly born of God, than to see a thousand professed conversions where the Spirit of God has not convicted of sin.

ERWIN LUTZER

It has been my belief that the reason we have so many who turn away from the faith after professing to be converted is because they got saved when they didn’t even know they were lost!  And so like Judas, they professed faith in Christ and appeared to fit in with the church but were never really converted.  Judas represented  humanity, showing the deception of the human heart without restraints, without the intervention of God’s grace, and without repentance – human nature in all its contradictions.

Judas reminds us that the gate to hell is right next to the gate to heaven.  For three years he was able to be with Jesus to learn from Him, to become a part of the family of His disciples.  Yet, for all that, his heart was unchanged.  He walked past the gate of heaven and yet ended in hell.

PRAYER

Father, please grant me a genuine faith; a faith that knows my great need and comes to Christ in repentance to have that need met.

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Matthew 4:17

From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

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Acts 3:19

Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.

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Acts 2:41

Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.

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2 Corinthians 7:10

For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.

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Matthew 9:13

But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.

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Matthew 3:8

Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance.

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James 4:10

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

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Psalm 25:8-9

Good and upright is the Lord;

Therefore He teaches sinners in the way.

The humble He guides in justice,

And the humble He teaches His way.

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