Word for Today, Mon, 10 Jan 2004: Opening Our Eyes
Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>
Dear friends,
Today's devotional message comes from Oswald Chambers' My Utmost
For His Highest. Do you believe that you have received something
from Jesus Christ? This message goes into very clear detail
about an issue that many churches are not very clear about at
all. That's what I like about Oswald Chambers. His messages are
always concise, clear, and to the point, even when the language
of the day is somewhat dated. I encourage all of you to read and
seriously consider this message. It is relevant to just about
anything you may be going through right now.
Yours in Christ,
Brian
______________________________________________________________________
The Opened Sight
"To open their eyes ... that they may receive ..." Acts 26:18
This verse is the grandest condensation of the propaganda of
a disciple of Jesus Christ in the whole of the New Testament.
The first sovereign work of grace is summed up in the word -
"that they may receive remission of sins." When a man fails in
personal Christian experience, it is nearly always because he has
never received anything. The only sign that a man is saved is
that he has received something from Jesus Christ. Our part as
workers for God is to open men's eyes that they may turn
themselves from darkness to light; but that is not salvation,
that is conversion - the effort of a roused human being. I do not
think it is too sweeping to say that the majority of nominal
Christians are of this order; their eyes are opened, but they
have received nothing. Conversion is not regeneration. This is
one of the neglected factors in our preaching today. When a man
is born again, he knows that it is because he has received
something as a gift from Almighty God and not because of his own
decision. People register their vows, and sign their pledges,
and determine to go through, but none of this is salvation.
Salvation means that we are brought to the place where we are
able to receive something from God on the authority of Jesus
Christ, viz., remission of sins.
Then there follows the second mighty work of grace - "and
inheritance among them which are sanctified." In sanctification
the regenerated soul deliberately gives up his right to himself
to Jesus Christ, and identifies himself entirely with God's
interest in other men.
http://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/my_utmost/utm.cgi?0110
=====
--
Brian Masinick, mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: http://www.geocities.com/masinick/
__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
The all-new My Yahoo! - Get yours free!
my.yahoo.com