In the Bible, after King David sinned with
Bathsheba and had her husband Uriah killed, David lived in sin for a season. God
gave the prophet Nathan a story to tell David. Nathan told King David about a man in
his kingdom who had only one possession ... a little ewe lamb whom he raised
and loved like his own daughter. Then a rich man who had flocks of sheep
entered the poor man's house, stole his little lamb, killed it and served it to
his rich guests. David had been a Shepherd, so this story enraged
the king. He said, "The rich man deserves to die." Then Nathan
stuck his finger in David's chest and said, "You are the man." This
story broke David's heart. It brought David to the point of repentance.
There are times in every man
and woman's life when God will allow someone to come along side and stick a
finger in our chest for godly correction of something “wrong” in their life
(wrong in the eyes of the Lord). This is the prerequisite for true repentance (Real
penitence; sorrow or deep contrition for sin, as an offense and dishonor to
God, a violation of his holy law, and the basest ingratitude towards a Being of
infinite benevolence.) This is called evangelical repentance, and is
accompanied and followed by amendment of life. In Psalm 51, David recorded his
prayer of repentance ... be gracious unto
me O Lord, according to your loving kindness and tender mercies. Blot out
my transgressions and create in me a new heart O Lord." When we
repent we understand that the Lord, our God loves us not because of what we've
done, but because His nature is grace, mercy, and love.
The unforgiven heart is an
unforgiving heart. Jesus Christ has given us something that we did not
deserve – grace; the free unmerited love and favor of God, the spring and
source of all the benefits men receive from him combined with Divine influence
or the influence of the Spirit, in renewing the heart and restraining from sin.
The good news of the gospel is that Jesus
Christ, who was without sin, became the perfect sin sacrifice on our behalf
that we may be made the righteousness of God in Him. Because we have
been forgiven, we can give grace to others towards renewing their heart and
restraining from sin. We can give to others from a heart of love because God
has created within us a new and godly heart. The good news of the gospel
is that we've been called as His living epistles (letters from God) known and
read of all men and women. They may not hear what you say but they'll read what
you do in thought, word and action.
An old hymn was written by
John Wesley to teach his biblically illiterate congregation the Christian
doctrine. He wrote "O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing" to celebrate
God's salvation. This is the song of a heart on fire for the Lord as his living
epistles:
Oh, for a thousand tongues
to sing my great Redeemer's praise, the glories of my God and King, The
triumphs of His grace! My gracious master and my God, Assist me to proclaim, to
spread to all the earth abroad, The honors of thy name!
May this be our prayer and
our anthem to ignite our hearts to share the God’s gospel of the grace in a
lost and dying world that so desperately needs it.
May God richly bless you!
Your brother in Christ, Michael
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