In Gal.2:16 the apostle says that salvation is not of works 3x and in many other places in the Bible we are told either that salvation is not works or of our wretched condition and that is because we will always hold on to our supposed goodness until, by the work of the Spirit, we are shown our deplorable condition. Many will say "I am a sinner" and at the same time, I fear, are still holding on to the idea that they are not that bad. On one side you have those who are morally upright and economically secure who look down on those who are lower on the social latter and then on the other side you have those who may have fewer things materialisticly speaking who look at those who are higher on the social latter and judge them as the problem and then you may have those who are in the middle who judge both, which may be the greater majority of us, who look at the politians and those who are financially influential and say that they are all crooked and they also look at the people who are "down and out" and call them loosers. What a pathetic situation the unconverted man is in with his miscalculations of himself and his hatred of his fellow man that is so evident in how we are so quick to condemn without a willingness to help with the solution. My brothers I find it in my own heart. As eager as we are to expose false teachers and to point out sin, as we ought to be, we ought to be just as eager to point people to Jesus Christ. I fear often we point out error and sin with little or no intention to see that person turned to Christ. Let it not be in our hearts, yes let us expose the false teacher and point out sin where necessary as the scripture commands, but let us do it in order to see men brought to repentance and faith in Christ. And as we share the gospel with the lost let us always have in our minds that this person is self-righteous and let us through the preaching of the law bring it to their attention in order that they might be brought to Jesus Christ.
Older
Top
