| doesn't match the portion that their proponents think it does. I'm sure that in their hearts these preachers are convinced that they are doing God's work as he would have them. But by their fruits ye shall know them. They are preaching, that if you admit you are a sinner, that Jesus is the Son of God, was virgin born, died on the cross for our sins, and three days later was resurrected; and pray a 'sinners prayer', that He will come into your heart and save you. That, they say, is all you have to do. What happened to repentance and calling on the name of the LORD? They, the preachers, surely know about repentance, and service, and sacrifice, but in this day of 'cover- ups' it gets lost or loses emphasis to popularity. Oh, for a few Elijahs who are willing to proclaim the word of God, even though unpopular, to the point that they are the only ones left proclaiming that word, and still continue! Psalm 51, which David wrote after he had gone in to Bathsheba, describes the heart attitude that Jesus requires of us before we can accept the gift he gave us on the cross, "Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving kindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. Behold I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones that thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O 43 ______________________________________________________________________________ God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem. Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.". Even though David was looking ahead to the cross, all of the elements that Jesus described, are in David's prayer. It is obvious, what David's heart attitude was at this time. Every fiber in his body sincerely meant what he said. He was serious to the point of total surrender to God's will! Let's further explore what Jesus had to say about salvation. First, we will look at John 3:1-8, "There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do the miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mothers womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.". With this one passage, Jesus has taken man back to the garden of Eden and told him what needs to be done for restoration to the image of God for man that God intended. Ever since the fall of man in the garden of Eden, God has been calling, 44 _______________________________________________________________________________ |
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