“This great tragedy has happened, simply because we haven’t followed the Biblical example of sharing the law with the unsaved. We are to preach law to the proud and grace to the humble. Whenever Jesus approached a proud arrogant self-righteous person with the gospel, He gave law before grace, always.  With the law He broke the hard heart, and with the gospel He healed the broken heart.” The moral law shows them they are sinners and God’s grace shows them how they can be saved.

That is why the scriptures say, The law is a schoolmaster that leads us to Christ (Gal 3:24) and once we are led to Christ His Goodness leads us to repentance (Rom 2:4) They both work together. First you need the Law with those who think they are good enough to make it on their own merits but then God’s goodness can lead them to repentance.

Why did He Jesus share the moral law? “Because He always did those things that were pleasing in the Father’s sight, He did those things that God approved of. And our Father God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. We see this so often in Scripture, the rich young ruler, the arrogant self-righteous lawyer that stood up and tempted Jesus. Both times, Jesus gave the Law. He gave the Ten Commandments. But when they came to Him with humility, with a knowledge of sin by the Law, that is the Godly Jews, he gave them grace.”

Once the law humbles you God can give you grace and save you as you repent, trust and follow Him.

“Paul says in Romans 7:7, “I had not known sin except by the Law.” Charles Finney said, “Evermore the Law must prepare the way for the gospel.” And Finney had an 80% retention rate. He said, “Evermore the Law must prepare the way for the gospel. To overlook this in instructing souls is almost certain to result in false hope, the introduction of a false standard of Christian experience, and to fill the church with false converts.” 

I hope today you will come to Christ knowing you are a sinner because you know you have broken the moral law. Yet, He came to save sinners, that’s all of us. Won’t you humble yourself today and say God please forgive me of my sins I know I am a sinner and in need of your grace. Make me into the kind of person you want me to be. A loving follower of Jesus. I trust you to be my Savior today. Amen

He will then save you from a certain eternal destiny in hell and give you everlasting life with Him. 

Attribution to words in quotes: True and False Conversion by Ray Comfort https://www.livingwaters.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/TrueAndFalseConversion.pdf True and False Conversion is non-copyrighted. www.LivingWaters.com – Living Waters Publications, P.O. Box 1172, Bellflower, CA 90706 

Three nearby churches on a hot summer day had their windows open and were trying to outsing the others. The Baptists were singing, “Will There Be Any Stars in My Crown?” Then the Presbyterians began singing, “No, Not One. No, Not One.” And the Methodists began singing “Oh, That Will Be Glory for Me.”

All humor aside it’s not fun to be put down or criticized.  When we are criticized and maligned our natural inclination is to do the same. As Christians, however, we are instructed to do the opposite. When provoked, we are not supposed to talk about someone behind their back. Instead, we are to bless them.

The word “bless” literally means “speak well of”. We ask God to bless people, but did you know that you yourself can actually bless a person? You can bless people by the way you talk about them. When someone ridicules you and puts you down, speak well of them. George Washington Carver said, “I will never allow another man to belittle my soul by making me hate him.”  

While we can’t control what others say about us, we can control what we say in response. That’s what God will hold us accountable for. When somebody criticizes another, the other person shouldn’t go around bad-mouthing him. Instead, bless him. Find something you can approve of in their life. To find a reason to criticize is easy–anyone can do that. To find a reason to affirm can require a bit more creativity.

It is my prayer that God would have His way but we also have a part to play.  Please, get out and vote your heartfelt values this November. And remember to keep God in the equation and be thankful for how God has blessed us!

Years ago before seat belts you could always tell what kind of relationship a man had with his sweetie by how close she sat by him in the car.

How close are you sitting next to God on this journey called life?

There was a man named Enoch who was taken to heaven alive because he walked with God for 300 years. Enoch’s walk pleased God.

In order to please God you must first believe that He is personable and knowable. Because if you are not sure that He is knowable you cannot be sure that He can be walked with.

To walk with God means God is part of your decision making, thought processes, schedule, and your relationships. God wants us to include Him in all the steps of life.

If you only talk to Him when times get tough He is just an acquaintance you visit from time to time, not someone you go on a daily walk with.

But God wants a relationship with you. He doesn’t want visitation rights, he wants full custody of you.

In addition, our lives ought to be a public walk not just a private walk. It was public for Enoch and it should be for us. Why? Because God cares about everyone and he uses us in public to reach others for Him.

Now, you may not be used to walking with God but even if you make the effort to start, you will begin to pick up on what God is pleased about and what He is not.

Begin this journey by simply putting your faith and trust in the finished work of Jesus (His death and resurrection), confess your sins to God and simply follow Him by taking heed to what the Bible is saying to us as His people.

I will guarantee you this: if you choose to put God in every facet of your life and really walk with Him, it will be the best investment you will ever make.