Heart Surgery

 Heart Surgery

Jer. 17:9; Ps. 51:10; Ezek. 18:31 and Jer. 4:3-4

SUBJECT: Evangelism and Personal Work

THEME: It is vital we maintain a correct attitude toward God and His work. We must keep our hearts respectful, clean, compliant, and obedient towards the duties, tasks, and responsibilities of evangelism.

INTRODUCTION:

Even though the Word of God is incredibly clear on the Great Commission and personal evangelism, there is still a great deal of reluctance among believers to invest, involve themselves, and share their faith. 

Jeremiah 17:9, says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” You see our human nature is so fallible, broken, and deceptive…it cannot be trusted to respond to God or His priorities appropriately! We need to maintain or obtain the correct ‘heart’ posture to become responsive to the Lord. 

MESSAGE:

As God’s Servant, Look to Him to Help You Fix Your Heart

God can fix us with some much-needed heart surgery! We must humble ourselves before Him surrendering to His attention in the areas of inner cleansing, meaningful change, and holy sensitivity. Each of us must make this decision to avail ourselves entirely to the Lord. This may be more difficult for some of us, but it is an act of real faith in the forms of trust, commitment, and sacrifice. In such surrender we have these encouragements:

A. SPIRITUAL REJUVENATION IS WHAT DAVID PROVED

Ps 51:10, Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

We must surrender to deep cleansing and real internal scrubbing! This is a plea for total inner transformation, recognizing that only God principally can forgive our past sins, fundamentally change our sinful nature, and restore our spiritual strength and vitality.

David wrote this psalm of repentance after being confronted by the prophet Nathan about his adultery with Bathsheba and his role in the death of her husband, Uriah. David reveals his realization that his outward sins were symptoms of a much deeper, internal problem—sin in the heart.

Please reflect on these leading ideas: 

• “Create in me a clean heart”: To “create” (bara in Hebrew) is to make something out of nothing—a power uniquely ascribed to God alone. David acknowledges his fantastic moral corruption and is requesting of the Lord God radical spiritual surgery! He is far beyond needing just a quick fix or a patch-up.
• “Renew a right spirit within me”: David asks God to restore and sustain his correct inner heart. Lord, please wash away inner guilt, wrong motives, and moral failures (Ps. 51:11-12, & 17). A “right spirit” is a steadfast, loyal, and willing attitude that aligns perfectly with God’s program and requirements.

Beloved, we can renew a right spirit within ourselves by humbly asking God to forgive us for our serious sin and by turning away from wrongdoing in the future. David is proof God acknowledges this type of approach to Him.

B. SPIRITUAL REJUVENATION IS WHAT EZEKIEL PROMISED

Ezek 18:31, Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

We must surrender ourselves to meaningful change and significant regret resulting in a God-honoring course of action—expressive revolution! We have a divine plea for repentance. It urges us to turn away from sin and embrace spiritual renewal to avoid spiritual death.

Understand this is God’s requirement and promise issued by His servant Ezekiel: 

• “Cast away from you all your transgressions”: The Lord is calling upon us to actively and completely reject past sins and rebellion. No excuses…full responsibility for our failures! This is not just feeling bad about our sin, or regretting the fact that we got caught or even mourning messing up our reputation or that of our family. God wants us to physically and spiritually put our sinful behavior away. That is the first condition.
• “Make you a new heart and a new spirit”: God wants a total inner transformation—heart surgery. Because out of the heart come our actions, a “new heart” entails a complete change in desires, thoughts, and attitudes, allying them with God’s ideas instead of sinful idolatry and wickedness. We must embrace God’s own power to help us live the right way!
• “For why will ye die, O house of Israel?”: God is expressing a heartbreaking, loving appeal to free will. He makes it clear that we do not have to face ruin in this life, and that our chastening or destruction is a result of our own choosing, not His desire. 

Beloved, all of this highlights the deep tension between human responsibility and divine grace. While a person cannot physically create a completely righteous heart on their own, God places the responsibility of choosing to repent and seek Him on us as individuals. Later God reveals that He will ultimately provide the power to achieve this transformation (Ezekiel 36:26). This is God’s promise to the repentant individual; a promise always demands our faith—believing God’s promise!

The very next verse (Ezekiel 18:32) emphasizes that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, underscoring that His ultimate desire is for people to turn away from destruction and live. (Unknown)

C. SPIRITUAL REJUVENATION IS WHAT JEREMIAH PERSCRIBED

Jer 4:3-4, For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns. 4, Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

We must surrender ourselves to God-wrought holy sensitivity to God’s guidance and leadership. No longer indifferent, complacent, stubborn, or passive about God’s priorities! Meaningful advocacy, leadership, support, and involvement are now characteristic of such believers! God calls His people to perform inward spiritual renewal. He warns that unless we break up the hardened, overgrown “fallow ground” of our hearts and “take away the foreskins of your heart” or ‘circumcise’ themselves to remove inner spiritual uncleanness, God’s judgment will burn like an unquenchable fire because of our wicked motives and behavior.

God’s imagery carries a rich, historically based significance:

• “Break up your fallow ground”: In agriculture, “fallow” ground is hard, unplowed soil that has sat untilled for a long time. Spiritually, this represents a hardened, unreceptive heart that has grown complacent towards the Lord. God is saying to actively till the soil of our souls so we can receive His word. Plow it up! Plow your souls!
• “Sow not among thorns”: If you plant good seeds in overgrown areas, weeds will choke them out. God warns the people not to try planting good seeds of obedience or worship while leaving sinful distractions and worldly desires in our lives, as these will ruin any spiritual fruit.
• “Take away the foreskin of your heart”: Physical circumcision was an external sign of the covenant between God and Abraham’s descendants. Cutting away the heart’s “foreskin” applies that physical imagery to the inner person. So, God uses it here as a metaphor for an inward, spiritual transformation. This involves stripping away the pride, stubbornness, and evil intentions that shield our innermost being rendering us sensitive to the Lord’s will.
• “Lest My fury come forth like fire”: Because God is just, He cannot ignore wickedness. He issues a stern, urgent warning that sincere repentance is mandatory; if they refuse to change their hardened ways, His judgment will be an unstoppable, devastating fire.

Beloved, God-wrought spiritual sensitivity is still the unvarnished and undiminished requirement. The need is deep, internal change of heart rather than merely relying on external religious rituals is what the prophet Jeremiah prescribes to us.

CONCLUSION:

Beloved, we must humble ourselves before God surrendering to His attention in the areas of inner cleansing, meaningful change, and holy sensitivity.

“Heart surgery” is a powerful metaphor for divine revitalization, where God cleanses us of our sin and replaces a stubborn, sinful nature with a spiritually obedient heart. The scriptures repeatedly emphasize this transformative, spiritual work God performs in our lives:

• Ezekiel 36:26, A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
• Psalm 51:10, Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
• Romans 2:29, Paul talks about that sacred "circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter".
• Acts 16:14, Paul noted that the Lord gently opened the heart of Lydia so she could attend to the things Paul was preaching.

These passages use medical and surgical imagery (like removing a heart of stone) to symbolize the inward change that happens deep within us through faith in the Lord and His Word.

In Christian evangelism an service, it is vitally important that we maintain a correct attitude concerning the work of God. It is necessary to keep our hearts clean and tender to what God would have to be done. Our Lord Jesus wanted the will of God and sacrificed Himself to see it done (Luk. 22:42; Matt. 26:39; Mk. 14:36; Matt. 6:10; 1 Pet. 2:15. 1 Thess. 5:18; 4:3)

This is how we can hear with our hearts and do again what is pleasing to God!

A Strong Anchor II

 

A Strong Anchor II

 

Lamentations 3:22-23, It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, Because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: Great is thy faithfulness.

Theme: God’s loving mercies never run out, and He offers us a fresh start and renewed strength daily. 

Relevance: A ‘leaving of the old situations behind’ is reason to hope again, even in the middle of our seriously painful experiences God’s compassions reach out to us still (Lam. 3:21–23). We all have been tempted to ‘bottle up’ our experiences… ‘bottle up’ our emotions…suppress or hide our true feelings instead of expressing or processing them with God’s eternal truth.

Introduction:

Continuing this thought we must now consider the key concept in these verses and then the implications in everyday experiences. Let's begin with our basic outlook or perspective and spiritual posture. 

Lesson:

Approach Life with This Conviction—that God is GOOD!

Beloved, this idea will demand your faith like nothing else will. Many people have walked away from ‘Christianity’ because they failed to value the truth that God is good! I urge you to use your faith to believe this communication from the Holy Spirit through the Word. We can start each morning with gratitude towards the Lord, leaving yesterday’s failures behind through serious confession, and trusting God’s steady compassion during hard times...emotionally desperate situations. Circumstances we may even deserve....

      1.    Start renewed each morning: Thank God every day for a clean slate. Do not let past mistakes or yesterday’s heavy stress ruin today. God’s mercy resets with every sunrise (Rom. 12:1-2). Explore new opportunities!

2. Release guilt and shame: Remember that God’s great love stops you from being overwhelmed by your flaws. Believe me we all have serious quirks and personality problems. When you feel unworthy, after your confession, accept His forgiveness instead of punishing yourself (1 Jn. 1:5-8). It is correct to embrace His very real forgiveness towards yourself; I have more times than I can count now. 
3. Be honest in tough times: Allow yourself to feel grief or pain no matter how unnatural this experience may feel, just as the prophet Jeremiah did in Lamentations. Bring your honest struggles, raw painful confusion, and broken heart to God in prayer rather than hiding them, pretending it does not matter, or burying them under business, work, and distractions.
4. Show mercy to others: Pass on the same love, compassion, patience, and kindness you receive from the Lord. Please do NOT allow yourself to stall because people do not deserve your understanding. Forgive people who wrong you, treating them better than they deserve because God does the same for you and me (Eph. 4:30-32). Our job is not to be the judge; that is God's department...He will see to the fairness of it all. Be merciful because you belong to Christ, He reigns over your heart, not what other people 'deserve.' 
5. Build sturdy trust: Rely on God’s unchanging character when life feels unpredictable (2 Pet.1:19-21). This is your chance to steadily show goodness, love, compassion, empathy and patience! Anchor your hope and confidence in His faithfulness rather than in changing human circumstances. It is always right to trust God even more.... 

Remember, everything in us and everything around us will scream that God is NOT good. You must believe the Bible statements and not your feelings, thoughts, philosophies, or the counsel of well-meaning people! Yes, God permits our suffering and pain…He allows wars, earthquakes, diseases, murder, death, sorrow, devastation, and utter chaos! Why doesn’t He prevent this if He really is all powerful and truly good? We feel justified in asking this because we are convinced we 'deserve' better conditions. All of it feels wrong and unacceptable! Again, you must use your faith with great tenacity! People commonly place their own views ahead of God’s revelation to their own detriment. Especially when our pain is so pronounced and relentless! You must believe God instead of yourself or what you feel! Give yourself permission to trust what the Holy Spirit is saying from the Bible…God is Good!!! The awful circumstances of people reveal just how good God really is while forcing us to realize just how awful our sinfulness is.  

Incorporate this Truth into Your Prayers!

Prayer points based on Lamentations 3:22–23 focus on God's unfailing mercy, daily renewal, and steadfast love in times of trouble. 

          1.    Be Grateful for His Preservation

• Thank God that His steadfast love keeps you from being completely overwhelmed or consumed by your current trials.
• Declare that His grace sustains your life despite past mistakes or heavy burdens. 

     2. Receive His Fresh Mercy Each Day

• Ask God to wash away yesterday's guilt, failures, and anxieties with His brand-new morning mercies. Make the choice to confess and forsake any known sin.
• Pray for the mental and emotional capacity to let go of past regrets and embrace a clean slate today. 

     3. Trust in His Unfailing Compassion

• Pray against feelings of abandonment, reminding yourself that God's compassion does not run out or end.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to comfort your heart when facing uncertain circumstances or deep pain. 

     4. Declare His Faithfulness Boldly

• Praise God for His unchanging character, noting that His faithfulness does not depend on your own strength.
• Communicate stability and peace to your family, work, and future, anchored in His reliable promises. 

Conclusion:

The prophet, pondering his bitter afflictions, realizes how they have humbled his soul. He knows that God remembers the humble and afflicted, and so he expresses hope. Verses 22-39 speak of the poet’s reassurance in Jehovah’s goodness and his resignation to His sovereign ways. 22-24. His compassions fail not. The loving-kindness (ḥesed, “steadfast love”) of Jehovah is unfailing. It is daily renewed (like the manna of old); hence his people are not consumed, and a remnant remains as a seed for a new beginning. Great is thy faithfulness (v. 23). “Jehovah is my dearest treasure,” declares my soul, “therefore I do hope in him” (v. 24).^[1]

We have an Anchor that keeps the soul focused and productive! God’s steadfast love and mercy (His goodness) are everlasting, thus providing us fresh hope and a clean slate every single morning even during occasions when we deserve the worse…when we are getting what we have really earned. While facing the devastation of divine chastening, and in times of deep misery, God’s faithfulness remains as our undiminishing hope. This ‘anchor’ guarantees heavenly support in Christ to cope with the burdens we observe and feel so incredibly deeply.

Will your anchor hold in the storms of life,
When the clouds unfold their wings of strife?
When the strong tides lift, and the cables strain,
Will your anchor drift or firm remain?

We have an anchor that keeps the soul
Stedfast and sure while the billows roll,
Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,
Grounded firm and deep in the Savior’s love.

--Priscilla Jane Owens (1829-1907) and William James Kirkpatrick (1838-1921)

In the final analysis we must remember or reflect on the idea that God is good.

·        Psalm 100:5, For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

·        Psalm 106:1, Praise ye the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

·        Psalm 145:9, The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.

·        Nahum 1:7, The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.

·        Psalm 34:8, O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

This is your personal invitation to experience God directly! Encounter His life-giving ‘goodness’ by actively trusting this reality claim when life hurts the most rather than pridefully/blindly pushing through on your own power or merely mentally consenting to its accuracy.

---

^[1] Charles F. Pfeiffer, The Wycliffe Bible Commentary: Old Testament (Chicago: Moody Press, 1962), La 3:19.

Our Toleration of Evil

 

“Our Toleration of Evil”

Prov. 28:13-14; 3:12; 1 Pet. 1:14-15; Isa. 59:1-2 

SUBJECT: CORRECTION ADVERSITY COMPELS US TO MAKE

THEME: Examine Your Attitude Toward Evil and Sin When Trouble Invades Your Life. 

RELEVANCY: God Desires for Us to Correct Our Attitude Toward Evil and Turn Away from the Practices of Sin. Sin usually leads to even more sin; it is certain that the “hardened heart shall fall into mischief.” God desires to compel all of us to engage in periodic self-examination so we may face up to our own sin and to do the difficult work of changing our beliefs and our behavior. Once more we want to encourage you to, look at your own heart and life to see what you may need to correct when adversity comes your way. Our goal is to live in total harmony with what Jesus would believe and do.

INTRODUCTION:

The Scriptures tell us, God is a God of absolutes. We are either evil or righteous, based upon what we have decided to do in response to Jesus Christ and His shed blood on the cross. If we accept that what Jesus did on the cross was for us and for the remission of our sins, and we receive Him as our Savior, then we move from the classification of sinner to the classification of saved.

Sin is the Worldwide separation of people from God.

 Romans 3:9-10, What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; [10] As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

Paul uses these verses to show that humanity in general, in its present sinful condition, is unacceptable before God.

Have you ever thought to yourself, ‘Well, I'm not too bad.’ I'm a pretty good person?

Have you ever lied? Have you ever hurt someone's feelings by your words or tone of voice?

Are you bitter toward anyone? Do you become angry with those who strongly disagree with you?

The Bible tells us the world stands silent and accountable before almighty God. No excuses or arguments are left. Have you reached the point with God where you are ready to hang up your defenses and await his decision? If you haven't, stop now and admit your sin to him.

MESSAGE: 

WHY DO WE CARELESSLY TOLERATE SIN AND EVIL?

We answer this question by asking another one.  What does the Bible say about God's holiness? Our view of sin is directly related to our view of God’s perfect holiness.  With a low opinion of God’s holiness we tolerate and harbor more sinful attitudes and actions.  When we have a high admiration for God’s holiness, we are far less passive regarding our sin.  The following are some principles that help us quickly grasp the infinite holiness of God.

A.  WE DISMISSED GOD’S HOLINESS WHICH IS BEYOND COMPARISON.  

1 Peter 1:14-15, As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: [15] But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;

Being holy in the sense of superior moral qualities and possessing certain essentially divine qualities in contrast with what is human—‘holy, pure, divine.’^[1]

We are called to abandon our former, sinful lifestyles and align our daily behavior with the perfect holiness of God. This radical transformation as followers of Christ replaces worldly ignorance with active obedience and moral purity.

The moral excellence of God that unifies his attributes and is expressed through his actions, setting him apart from all others. Believers are called to be holy as God is holy. —Systematic Theology

    1.  God Sets the Standard of Morality.

The God of Israel and of the Christian churches is holy—he sets the standard for morality.

The believers’ living hope based on their new birth should lead to a lifestyle of holiness. Those chosen for new birth are also called to be holy. Peter exhorted his readers to prepare to meet the challenge of obedience by adopting a new mind-set. The price paid for a believer’s redemption calls for reverence and obedience. Obedience involves purifying oneself and practicing holy living, while offering spiritual sacrifices as a royal priest.^[2]

Unlike the Roman and Greek gods, God is not warlike, adulterous, or spiteful. These ancient gods acted like spoiled, jealous, and powerful humans; many ancient religions featured immoral and unethical gods and goddesses. They supposedly had superpowers but also bad habits like stealing, lying, and cheating. Unlike the gods of the pagan cults popular in the first century, Jehovah is not bloodthirsty or promiscuous. He is a God of mercy and justice who cares personally for each of his followers. Our holy God expects us to imitate him by following his high moral standards. Like him, we should be both merciful and just; like him, we should sacrifice ourselves for others.

    2.  God's Holiness Is Our Universal Standard for Pure Living.

God is holy; He is utterly unique, distinct from all of creation, and entirely perfect in moral purity. It is the defining characteristic of His nature; His absolute purity—He is completely unstained by sin or evil. There is no darkness or falsehood in his thoughts, statements, and activities—He is perfectly good and just.  

After people commit their lives to Christ, they usually still feel a pull back to their old ways. Peter tells us to be like our heavenly Father -- holy in everything we do. Holiness for us means being totally devoted or dedicated to God, set aside for his special use, and set apart from sin and its influence. Rev. 15:4, says,

“Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.”

We’re to be set apart and different, not blending in with the crowd, yet not being different just for the sake of being different. What makes us different is having God’s qualities in our life. Our focus and priorities must be his. All this is in direct contrast to our old ways (1Pet. 1:14). We cannot become holy on our own, but God gives us his Holy Spirit to help us obey and to give us power to overcome sin. Don't use the excuse that you can't help slipping into sin. Call on God's power to free you from sin’s grip.

Commonly God’s standard of holiness is trumped by the “new morality” which is a wide-ranging cultural and ethical shift from traditional, Bible-based absolute moral frameworks toward bases centered on individual self-fulfillment, situational ethics, and bodily self-government. That is moving in favor of flexible, context-driven ethical notions—from God-centered to human-centered ideas! (See Christianity Today). These modern principles emphasize living an authentic, personally rewarding life, prioritizing happiness and emotional well-being over self-denial. Current morality relies increasingly on psychological and observed characterizations of right and wrong. It is closely tied to required concerns for others' welfare, fairness, and justice, driven by secular humanist philosophies rather than traditional biblical views. Our society is presently feeling the woes of that mistake!  

B.  WE DISMISSED GOD’S HOLINESS WHICH CANNOT ALLOW SIN.

Isaiah 59:1-2, Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: [2] But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

God is always willing and able to save His people, but our willful sins create a spiritual barrier. Instead of God losing His power or ignoring prayers, our iniquity breaks fellowship, causing Him to withhold His deliverance until repentance occurs.

There is widespread perversion of justice and dishonesty. People conceive evil and bring forth crime. Their activities are as dangerous as vipers’ eggs and as useless as a spider’s web. Sin controls every area of their lives—what they do, where they go, what they think. They care nothing for peace and justice, preferring what is crooked. What was true of Israel is also true of the entire human race (Rom. 3:15–17).^[3]

God's inability to tolerate sin is mentioned in Habakkuk 1:13, saying. "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity..."

Sin prevents prayer from being answered (cf. Ps. 66:18). Those sins included murder, lying, injustice (cf. Isa. 59:9, 11, 14–15), and planning evil (vv. 3–4). Their actions were like those of deadly poisonous snakes (vipers and an adder), for they were harming each other. ^[4]

God is absolutely holy. In fact, his moral perfection is so vast that He cannot look upon sin with approval or tolerate its presence. Psalm 5:4, says, “For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.” This embraces the concept of God’s zero-tolerance policy toward sin and wickedness.

    1.  There Is a Colossal Problem with All of Us Before a Perfect God—our sins have cut us off from any relationship with Him. Because of our sinful attitudes and actions, he has completely turned away from us and utterly refuses to listen.

    2.  Sin Offends Our Holy God and Separates Us from Him. Because God is holy, he cannot ignore, excuse, or tolerate sin as though it didn't matter. Sin cuts people off from him, forming a wall to isolate God from the people he loves.

No wonder this long list of wretched sins makes God angry and forces him to look the other way. People who die with their life of sin unforgiven separate themselves eternally from God. God wants them to live with him forever, but he cannot take them into his holy presence unless their sin is removed. Have you confessed your sin to God, allowing him to remove it? The Lord can save you if you turn to him.

    3. Beloved, this is God’s Second Correction—the Purging Away of Sin from Our Lives. Proverbs 28:13, He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

There is a stark contrast between two responses to sin—concealment versus confession—and their ultimate outcomes.

1. “Covereth” (this is hiding/excusing sin). Trying to hide, deny, or justify wrongdoings. God warns that this approach “shall not prosper”. Hiding sin requires constant energy, leads to inner turmoil, and ultimately blocks spiritual success or peace.
2. “Confesseth” (relates to admitting/owning our sin). Honestly acknowledging faults to God and taking responsibility for those wrong actions.
3. “Forsaketh” (is turning away from sinful behavior). True repentance involves not just saying sorry, but actively abandoning or changing that sinful behavior.
4. “Mercy” (refers to God’s forgiveness and compassion). The reward for complete repentance is God's grace, pardon, and compassion.

1)    Choose Transparency with God over denial. God already sees everything, so attempting to hide sin is foolish. Admitting fault brings peace and breaks the hold that the secret has on your life.

2)    Engage the two-step path to forgiveness. Genuine repentance requires both confession (admitting it) and forsaking (turning away from it).

3)    Take the biblical promise to heart. Align yourself with 1 John 1:9, where God promises that if we confess our sins, He is “faithful and just to forgive us”.

Admitting our faults and actively turning away from these behaviors are the only path to forgiveness and grace. Remember God will never admit a sinful, arrogant soul, into his kingdom. But if we confess our sin, with a broken heart, forsake every evil way, and we give proof that we are serious with God. The sincerity of the confession is proved by our forsaking sins (Job 34:31-32). Then mercy is guaranteed to such a soul (Ps 32:5; 1 John 1:8-10).

     4. God deals with our Shame effectively in Salvation!

These two previous discussions bring us to the unavoidable subject of shame. This is a painful relational consequence of sin that causes a person to feel worthless, exposed, and alienated from God and others. While guilt is about breaking a rule, shame is about feeling that your core identity is irreparably flawed—a valid moral conviction.

Spiritually, shame is often viewed as a heavy burden on the soul rather than a mere character flaw. It is defined as an internalizing force that attacks your core identity, whispering that your whole self is flawed and unworthy of love.—Unknown

Shame causes individuals to hide their authentic selves from God and from their community (like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden—Gen. 3:7-10). It emerged immediately after the Fall when Adam and Eve realized their nakedness, felt exposed, and hid from God. Again, shame is not just an internal feeling; it is a degraded, defeated, or outcast state within a community (e.g., poverty, barrenness, or disease). Experiencing brief shame can motivate a straying believer to repent and return to godly standards.

Practice God's Solution for Shame!
God seeks to remove our shame. Through Christ, God replaces our disgrace with honor, grace, and a new identity.

• Isaiah 54:4: Assures us we will no longer remember the shame of our youth.
• Romans 10:11: says, “For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed” (this persistent theme is also promised in 1 Peter 2:6).
• Hebrews 12:2: Highlights that Jesus “who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” to secure victory over sin and restore us to fellowship with God.

Guilt is judicial in character; shame is relational. Though related to guilt, shame emphasizes sin's effect on self-identity. Sinful human beings are traumatized before a holy God, exposed for failure to live up to God's glorious moral purpose. The first response of Adam and Eve to their sinful condition was to hide from God, and consequently from one another (Gen 3:7-8; 2:25). Christ's unhindered openness to the Father was both a model for life and the means of removing humanity's shame. Christian self-identity is transformed "in him."

When one confesses Christ and openly rebels against him, however, the work of Christ is publicly shamed (Heb 6:6). Christians must be diligent to renounce shameful behavior, though tempting because of its hidden character (2 Cor 4:2).

Shame is a godly motivator. A virtuous life shames the ungodly, providing a context for evangelism (Titus 2:8; 1 Peter 3:16). A believer's shame for past sin is a spur to forsake sinning (Rom 6:21), to renounce disobedience (2 Thess 3:14), and to minister the gospel (2 Cor 4:2).

Shameless people flaunt their unholiness, calloused to God (Zep 3:5) and glorying in their shame (Php 3:19). Yet no one is shameless ultimately. "Shameless Acts" receive the judgment inherent in the act (Rom 1:27). Also, at the final judgment the nakedness of those not clothed with Christ' righteousness will be exposed (Rev 3:18; 16:15).—Bradford A. Mullen

 

---

^[1] Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 744.

^[2] Roger M. Raymer, “1 Peter,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 842.

^[3] William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 984.

^[4] John A. Martin, “Isaiah,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 1114.

Some Evangelism Essentials

Some Evangelism Essentials

Theme: In evangelism, the Holy Spirit uses the Gospel shared by Believers.  

The Gospel is Vital. The “good news” of Jesus Christ is the message that the Son of God, died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day, offering eternal life to all who believe. It is a “grace” gift and is not earned by religious efforts. Such salvation is rooted in faith, repentance, and obedience to the gospel. Evangelism involves our presence as we win a hearing, our proclamation as we share the gospel message, and our persuasion as we convince others to place their trust in Christ.

The Holy Spirit is Vital. The gospel certainly is the “power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth” (Romans 1:16), which God uses alongside the Holy Spirit to open repentant sinners’ hearts, rather than relying solely on human education, eloquence, or persuasion. The Holy Spirit is the driver of evangelism in that he brings about conviction (Jn. 16:8; 3:18; Rom. 3:23), conversion (Eph. 2:1; Jn. 3:3), and guidance into truth. Without His divine work, the sinner would never appreciate the gospel message nor become convinced of the simple message of salvation through Christ. While it is true the believer must witness and proclaim Christ, the work of saving a sinner—conversion—belongs to the Spirit of God using the gospel.

Believers are Vital. The ministry of evangelism is carried out through people as Paul stated in Romans 10:14, “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?” Believers are ordained as active instruments, in God’s hands for evangelism, tasked with sharing the message of reconciliation to make disciples. As ambassadors for Christ, we are responsible for sharing our faith in daily life, guided by the Holy Spirit, while relying on the power of the gospel itself to save, not just our personal talents, skills, or abilities. It is our responsibility to take the life-giving message to the lost encouraging them to turn to Christ in faith. As personal workers we may not be called to full time ministry, but we are called to win souls to Christ. The specific call of evangelism is for the specialist in gospel preaching and witnessing, but all believers are commissioned to proclaim the gospel on a person-to-person basis (Matt. 24:18-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48). People are important to this effort. It takes saved people to win other people to Christ.

Techniques are Not Vital. People are essential to evangelism while certain approaches, methods, and techniques are incidental. In the grand scope of God’s redemptive plan, people are the central conduits for the task of promoting the gospel. This viewpoint means that while practices (such as special programs, events, or approaches) are not fundamentally wrong, they are secondary to the foundation of the message itself and the work of the Holy Spirit through believers. Furthermore, evangelism should be an organic, spontaneous overflow of a believer’s life, rather than a fixed, mechanical, or overly managed program. God has no other means of sharing the hope of salvation through Christ except through born-again people. God primarily uses people as messengers of salvation and not merely techniques to communicate the gospel. With many modern methods there is pressure to get an immediate decision, in contrast true evangelism often involves a process of fostering the right conditions in the soul of a potential convert rather than a single event. The gospel message has been watered down, streamlined, rendered non-offensive, and sanitized to make it more palatable to the modern sensibilities. Also, different methods work for different personalities, and sticking to one “formula” can hinder individual, God-given motivations, gifts, and strengths. Method will vary with people and times, but the Holy Spirit uses the gospel of Christ proclaimed by believers as a standard.

Conclusion: Our function is to focus on the steps a person takes in becoming a believer. We must use our spiritual gifts, personality, and abilities to accomplish the task of evangelism–to bring people to the point of a decision for Christ. We are to share the gospel in such a way the unsaved can understand and are enabled to respond to Christ—we create an environment of receptivity and responsiveness to the message. Ultimately, Christ is really trusted for salvation, and this is a new beginning to an extraordinary journey of faith for the new believer. This is far more important than merely counting another pressurized ‘conversion’ at the end of a special event.

Repentance in the Bible

 

“Repentance in the Bible”

Luke 24:47 & 2 Pet. 3:9

SUBJECT: REPENTANCE

THEME: An Appreciation of the Doctrine of Repentance Help to Ensure a Genuine Salvation Presentation, and Provides a Vital Step in Christ-centered Living!

RELEVANCE: the neglect of a biblical teaching does not eliminate its significance. Repentance has become a lost doctrine in fundamental circles in this positive thinking, high self-esteem generation. Unfortunately, churches and Christians have adopted a weak gospel presentation to avoid offending people. Not even the average preacher has a sound biblical understanding of this great doctrine anymore. 

INTRODUCTION:   

SO, HOW PROMINENT IS REPENTANCE IN THE BIBLE?

The prominence given to the Doctrine of Repentance in the Scriptures can hardly be overestimated and we downplay this teaching to our own determent.

The Word correctly conveys the just nature of God issuing in His holy decision to hold mankind accountable for their failures to live up to His standards and man’s unrepentant sinfulness. The justice of God can be seen in his judgment of Noah’s Flood, the destruction of the Sodom communities, and the removal of Israel from the Land of Promise. He is a just God who holds people accountable for their unrepentant hearts.

Repentance is witnessed as God changed his direction with mankind deeply pained in his heart for the destruction he must visit upon them (Gen. 6:5-7). There was God’s deeply felt grief over king Saul’s failures and incomplete obedience to the requirement to kill all the Amalekites (1 Sam. 15:11, 35). We also witness God’s repentance in David’s sin of pridefully numbering the armies of Israel and God stopping His angel from plaguing and destroying Jerusalem (2Sam. 24:15-17). In all these instances we see God repenting which involved a change of mind, heart, and will! Repentance, biblically speaking, should be the same for us except in our case we are guilty!

 MESSAGE:

John the Baptist began his public ministry preaching a message of repentance. Jesus Christ was also a preacher of repentance and He sent out His Apostles to preach repentance not only to Israel but to every nation. Luke 24:47, And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. Some have the idea that the preaching of repentance ended with the Jews, but it was preached throughout the Apostolic Age, and the same message was to be preached around the world!

The genuine burden of the heart of God is that all men come to repentance; he does not cherish the idea of anyone being lost to the Lake of Fire. 2 Pet 3:9, The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. This is significant because a sinner can never be saved without repentance. And more generally speaking, a believer can never please God by experiencing victory in their life without repentance.

A. GOD PLACED ETERNAL SIGNIFICANCE UPON REPENTANCE IN THE SCRIPTURES

Acts 17:29-31, Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. ³⁰ And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: ³¹ Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

Because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the appointed day of judgment is coming, all people in every part of the planet must repent or face these consequences. God previously tolerated humanity’s ignorance but now firmly commands everyone to repent because of their sins. Jesus Christ provides the proof of this because God has raised him from among the dead. We can only be saved by trusting Christ while abandoning a lifestyle of sin and rebellion against God choosing a life of submission and cooperation with God’s plan. It is true some people don’t understand the holy and just nature of God, accountability to anyone is foreign to them, and owning up to one’s sins seems strange, but none of this changes God’s just expectations. People must repent or face a holy God with their sin.

B. A REVIEW OF GOD’S HOLINESS IS APPROPRIATE

Revelation 15:4, says, “Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.”

Leviticus 19:1-2, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, ² Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy.^[a]

Isaiah 6:2-3, Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. ³ And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. ^[b]

God is utterly pure, morally perfect, and completely set apart from sin and creation, distinct in His being and worthy of awe and inspiring our worship. This holiness encompasses His intrinsic nature—His absolute separation from evil—and His moral guiltlessness, establishing a foundation that fills all His properties and demands a distinct astonishment from us. 

John 20:27-28, Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. ²⁸ And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

This declaration of the Apostle Thomas affirms the resurrection of Jesus the Messiah, and his belief in Jesus’ divinity and resurrection. This exclamation is a profound confession of faith, acknowledging Jesus as both his sovereign Lord and his personal God, signifying submission and worship. 

Repeatedly God is portrayed as sacred, holy, the holy One, and set apart! Then the Lord Jesus is clearly revealed to be that same God, not a denial of the Trinity. God is holy in His very essence/nature and so is the Lord Jesus and this fact demands a unique reverence for Him! It helps us to remember this fundamental concept of God when declaring the gospel. Essentially, “God is holy” His unparalleled nature and absolute moral integrity set Him apart from everything else. 

C.  THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS REQUIRED REPENTANCE

The book of Judges records a pattern of disobedience, rebellion, and repentance of the Nation of Israel. We have a record of Israel’s failures to live up to God’s high moral standards delineated by Moses. After each phase of spiritual apostacy, idolatry, and finally repentance, God would mercifully answer their cries for deliverance through a judge. A call to repentance was often issued by God’s prophets.

       1. The Preaching of Jonah Brought About Genuine Repentance in Nineveh - Jonah 3.

Luke 11:32, The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.

Our Lord’s generation, despite witnessing His power and ministry, was more accountable than the Ninevites who repented at Jonah's preaching. They will therefore face more severe judgment for rejecting the Savior, “a greater than Jonah,” who was literally in their presence. This condemnation of those who demand signs but reject God’s message can be contrasted with Israel’s greater privileges and greater condemnation with those who received less revelation.  But please do not miss the fact that “they repented at the preaching of Jonah”!

       2. The Preaching of Jeremiah Leveled this Requirement to Repent.

Jeremiah 18:8, If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.

The prophet required Israel to change their minds about sin evidenced by a change in their activities. God’s willingness to withhold judgment and offer forgiveness when a nation repents from its evil actions, illustrates that true repentance can change a divinely planned outcome. God’s power to judge and his future for a nation are dependent upon their actions of repentance.

       3. The Preaching of Ezekiel Called the Jews to Repentance During the Captivity.

Ezek 14:6, Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.

Ezekiel’s message from the Lord to the elders was God commanding the people of Israel to abandon their false gods and detestable practices, which were a stumbling block separating them from Him. God instructed them to actively turn away from all their idolatrous practices. God was again calling Israel to make a choice: to either continue in their rebelliousness or to fully return their allegiance to Him. 

These hypocritical elders came to the true God for answers while having another “god” in their hearts. God asked Ezekiel, Should I let them inquire of Me at all? God was not obligated to answer them when they refused to acknowledge His sovereignty. So instead of giving these elders the information they desired, God instructed Ezekiel to give them the information they needed—God’s attitude toward their idolatry.

God informed the elders that when any Israelite came to God while harboring idolatry in his heart, God would deal with the idolatry. God would do this for the ultimate benefit of the nation, to recapture the hearts of the people. The message Israel needed to hear was not some oracle about Jerusalem or the Captivity. The urgent message was, Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!^[c]

Beloved, this emphasizes how genuine faith and repentance requires a wholehearted (concerning our love, worship, and service), internal shift away from anything that occupies the place of God in our hearts and lives. True repentance, not just outward actions, requires separation from destructive idolatry seeking a sincere relationship with God. Are there unchecked desires occupying our hearts in the form of pleasures, power, or worldly success? Are we approaching God with divided hearts or loyalties like a mere fortune teller? God is still calling individuals, households, churches, cultures, and nations to identify and renounce counterfeit gods that can take the form of materialism, careers, or other pursuits, and to find life and security in Him alone. 

D.  REPENTANCE IS A PART OF THE GOSPEL MESSAGE

Lk. 13:3, 5, I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

Again, it may be necessary to spell out exactly what repentance is for some, but generally when we are confronted with the guilty weight of our sin, we naturally repent of our sin to trust Christ as our personal Savior. Sometimes people don’t feel guilt for their sin, they may be ignorant of God’s requirements in the 10 Commandments, they may have never accepted accountability for their actions, or they may have a twisted way of perceiving repentance. May God help us to know enough about the subject of repentance so we can help them repent of their sin and live victoriously after trusting Christ as Savior.

      1. Repentance is the heart of the Great Commission (Lk 24:47). 

Luke 24:46-48, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: ⁴⁷ And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. ⁴⁸ And ye are witnesses of these things.

Christ’s suffering and resurrection coupled with the message of repentance and forgiveness in His name are to be preached to all nations. We are commissioned to be witnesses to these truths. The gospel message cannot be complete without a call for genuine repentance. This is implied when it is not explicitly stated in the text. It makes no sense to call people to God without those individuals first acknowledging their sin, failures, guilt, responsibility, or faults. God has never changed, and he does hold people accountable for their sin against Him. In the modern ‘easy-believism’ movement there is little if any stress on this aspect or even respect for the holy nature of God. Thus, we end up with so called casual ‘Christians’ whose lives never really change and who treat God extremely nonchalantly. 

      2. Many Preachers and Evangelistic Programs Carefully Avoid Dealing with the Fact That Men Are Sinners Who Must Turn from Their Sin of Unbelief to a holy God.

ILLUSTRATION: During our pre-field ministry years ago, we visited a ‘church’ in Gary, Indiana who held to and taught ‘easy believism.’ The ‘pastor’ showed me his method of soul winning, and since I received his name and location from a ‘reliable’ publication, I tried to pay close attention. What was described to me was nothing more than easy believism’ salvation on steroids. I even went out in the community with the pastor as he demonstrated his method and message. I was shocked, appalled, surprised, disappointed, and confused! “You just simply have them repeat a prayer, don’t deal with man’s sin problem, just simply ask Jesus to come into your heart” …without the heart of the sinner being prepared to truly receive Him as Savior. The idea was “don’t worry about informing the sinner that he has greatly offended and extremely holy God. Just have them repeat a prayer and ask Jesus into their heart.” Beloved, this is a spiritual lie! This is not the Gospel of Christ, the good news of the grace of God proclaimed in our New Testament.

                a. John the Baptist Preached Repentance—Matt. 3:1, 2, and 8.

                b. Jesus Christ Preached Repentance—Matt. 4:17

                c. The Apostles preached Repentance—Mk 6:12, Acts 2:38; 26:20

         3.  From Theses Verses We Understand That Repentance Belongs to the Human Side of Salvation and That it Is Man’s Response to the Preaching of the Word of God.  Repentance is the negative aspect of that response while faith is the positive response!

In our day we don’t like it when the preacher deals with the negative, we want him to accent the positive!  But God has always used negative messages to bring about positive results just ask the people of Nineveh and the 3,000 Believers on the Day of Pentecost. The Ten Commandments are filled with “Thou Shalt Nots” but they work a positive work in the heart of the sinner showing him he is a sinner that he may be saved by Jesus Christ! 

QUOTE: “There are some people who do not like the negative. “Give us positive doctrines!” they say.  “Forget about negative warnings and admonitions!” But the negative warnings and commands grow out of positive truths of Christian doctrine. No amount of positive talk about health will cure a ruptured appendix.  The doctor will have to ‘get negative’ and take out the appendix. No amount of lecturing on beauty will produce a garden. The gardener has to pull weeds! The positive and the negative go together, and one without the other leads to imbalance.” -W. W. Wiersbe

We need to balance our teaching of Faith in Christ’s finish work on the cross for salvation with the truth concerning repentance from sin. We need to get back to addressing our sinfulness.

CONCLUSION:

Mark 1:14-15, Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, [15] And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

For a person to be saved they must repent of their sin and turn unto God in faith for salvation. In the life of the believer, there should be a healthy understanding of the Doctrine of Repentance and when sin is in our lives God expects us to turn from it and have victory over it. If believers refuse to repent, then we have automatically invited the chastening of God upon our lives to correct such folly.                                                                                                          

If John the Baptist preached a message of repentance, then we should be also. Easy Believism has no place in God’s economy. We need to get back to real Biblical teaching and Biblical living if we are going to have God’s blessings on our lives!

“GIVING UP FOLLIES”

“Well, Jack, old fellow” said a man to his recently converted friend.  “I hear you have given up all your pleasures.”  “No! No!” said the friend, “the fact lies all the other way.  I have just found all my pleasures and have given up all my follies.”

1) Are you saved? Really? How do you know for sure?  

2) Has your life changed since you professed Christ? In what ways?

3) Is your life consistently changing and becoming more pleasing to God?

4) Is God trying to correct you?  Are you being chastened by God?

5) Is repentance a part of your everyday life?

6) Do you by the power of Jesus Christ forsake sin and refuse to live in it anymore?

7) Are you comfortable doing your own thing?

8) Are you accountable to God? To his Word?

9) Do you treasure executing God’s will for you?

---

^[a] The Holy Bible: King James Version., electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version. (Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1995), Le 19:1–2.

^[b] The Holy Bible: King James Version., electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version. (Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1995), Is 6:2–3.

^[c] Charles H. Dyer, “Ezekiel,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 1253.