As a young boy of around 10 or 11 years of age, God scared me. The idea that a deity such as God was so powerful and knew everything I ever did or would do was a bit intimidating to a boy my age. I was concerned even more when I learned the 10 Commandments. I assume that most children did as I when they first learned and understood God’s laws and waited in earnest to see which ones they had broken.
1. Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and soul. “Ok, I think I am doing that!”
2. Thou shalt not worship any graven image. “Well, I don’t bow down to an idol.”
3. Thou shalt not use the name of the Lord thy God in vain. “Oooops!...”
4. Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. “This is not difficult for most children”
5. Honor thy father and thy mother. “UH-OH! I think every child has trembled at that one!
6. Thou shalt not murder. “no problem”
7. Thou shalt not commit adultery. “Adulter-what?”
8. Thou shalt not steal. “Oh, wracking the brain on that one!”
9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. Or as we learned “thou shalt not lie “…Hmmm, definitely broken that one.”
10. thou shalt not covet. “I remember my friend Michael had a Nintendo that I wanted when they were brand new.”
And by the time we got to the end of the 10 Commandments, I was feeling pretty lousy because I knew I had broken at least five of the 10 commandments. I was thinking that God was pretty angry with me for having done those things. Then our Sunday school teacher asked us how many of God’s laws we thought we had broken. Hands went up all across the room. And then, God bless him, the teacher that day shared this next piece of information with us that nailed our coffins shut. “10For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” (James 2:10) And with that, my conscience seared with guilt and I began to tremble and see that there is no way I could live up to the lofty expectation of God’s laws and that I had already broken at least five, but since whoever offends at one point is guilty of all, I have really broken all 10 commandments!
What then could be done? My teacher was ready with the solution. “Whenever the Israelites sinned against God, God demanded a blood sacrifice to atone for the evil they had done. Usually a lamb, goat or doves were sacrificed. But God also has a son whom he loves very dearly. And God sent his own son to this earth to die in our place and pay the blood sacrifice once and for all to atone for the sin of those who believe.”When I heard this I was stunned that God would do such a thing and so I immediately wanted to believe this, but I didn’t yet know how to go about it.
And so the lesson went on. And my teacher said, “God requires two things of you so that you may be saved. He requires repentance and faith. You must repent of your sin which means that you tell God that you are sorry for what you have done and that you ask for his forgiveness. And then you must believe and live by faith, ever trusting in God’s promise that he has saved you and living a life that glorifies God.”I was hooked. The idea of Jesus saving was too sweet and too good for me to get out of my head. I repented of my sin that day and believed on the Lord Jesus Christ with all my heart and prayed to receive the Holy Spirit of God.
As I grew in my faith, I later reflected and began to see that it was not I who had brought about my salvation by a free choice, it was God’s Holy Spirit convicting me of my sin and drawing me to Christ. It was no accident or pure luck that I had been saved; it was divine will and providence that God has thus called me unto salvation. Today, when I see how other churches approach salvation, I am disgusted by the weakness of the message. The message of modern evangelism centers round an “acceptance” of Christ. If you pray the prayer as led by the pastor and come down and talk, you will be saved.
There is no mention of the sinfulness and total depravity of humanity. There is no searing conviction for breaking every one of the 10 commandments. There is no sincere feeling of being dead in our trespasses and raised to life by the power of Jesus Christ. There is no explicit command that one must produce works as evidence of a changed heart. No, today’s gospel is so concerned about your conscience that they will not tell you the Lord’s truth regarding salvation.
They wish to be “seeker sensitive” and so they do not want to push anyone away with the offensive truth of the gospel. My friends, if we consider ourselves seeker friendly, we have drastically departed from the truth of God’s message. For Jesus Himself said…“34Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. 37He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. 39He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.” (Matthew 10:34-39)
And with respect to the “seeker sensitive” types, consider what the apostle Paul says in Romans 3:11 “There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.” So, my message for today’s Christians is to return to the truth of scripture and do not be afraid that others might be uncomfortable in their conscience. That is precisely what the unsaved need and that is how the Holy Spirit will work to convert a sinner. It is not by being flattering and sensitive to people’s consciences regarding sin. The conviction of the Holy Spirit brings a sinner to repentance and that repentance is accompanied by faith in Christ Jesus. Salvation cannot work any other way.
I know someone reading this will misunderstand completely what I am saying and so I will try to clear up one issue right now. I am not saying to beat people senseless with the gospel and try to destroy people by condemning them of sin and then not offering a remedy. You must not back down from sin, but must use your good judgment and do as you are led by the Holy Spirit.
SUMMARY and CONCLUSION
The law of God is used as a tool to convict a sinner of his trespasses and lead him unto repentance. It also serves as a restraint against the wicked, who without the presence of the law, would feel free to commit all kinds of evil. The law is a guide to Christ. Salvation comes after conviction from the Holy Spirit where one is convinced of his own sinfulness and the need to repent becomes apparent. Repentance follows as the sinner confesses his sin to Christ and asks for forgiveness and asks to receive the Holy Spirit which, as the apostle says, “13… in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:13-14).
Too many people have the false notion that after one gets saved, then that is all that God requires of them. They feel that they can now go and do something else and rest in the fact that they are saved. But it is not that simple. One must produce good works in keeping with the Spirit that prove one is saved. In short, this means there must be evidence of a changed heart. If someone claims to be saved, yet still practices wickedness and shows no sign of change, are we to believe he has indeed been changed by the Holy Spirit?Some might say, “Well, he’s just a carnal Christian. He believes, but the spirit hasn’t moved in him yet to produce good works.’ What complete nonsense! A man who claims he is saved but does not prove himself to be changed, is a liar.
In the book of James, we learn…“14What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 15If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 17Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 19Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” (James 2:14-20)
Soli deo Gloria!
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