Original Blog Date: 08-22-2005
THE LAW OF THE LORD is PERFECT in converting the soul. Psalms 19:7
I've been listening to a couple of CD's lately by Ray Comfort who does the 'Way of the Master' series. The first is 'HELL's BEST KEPT SECRET' and the other is 'TRUE AND FALSE CONVERSION'. I'd like to write briefly on the former. The entire cd is talking about how when we witness to people, we must first show a person that they are sinners and have violated God's law before we can start to show them the 'Gospel'. Although this concept is nothing new, I think we often forget to emphasize this and we 'jump the gun' sort of and try to preach Christ's love and acceptance and his death on the cross before we have even shown a person why that's important and why they so desperately need Him and what is going to happen to them on the day of judgement if they have turned their noses up at God and Christ and rejected Him.
We need Christ because we have broken God's laws and commandments. Just as a murderer will have his day in court and be sentenced under our own laws, so we too have a day coming where (without Christ) we will have no reply to the ULTIMATE, RIGHTEOUS JUDGE, God Himself. God has put into every man a conscience (an understanding of His law - Con "with" science "knowledge"). It is a person's conscience, not their intellect, that we must reach out to. This is where God first moves in an unbeliever, because he's made His laws known to them. It's the law that convicts of sin. God's love can then reach the lost persons heart.
Hebrews 8:10-11This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.(NIV)
Romans 3:19-20Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. (NIV)
Romans 7:7What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet." (NIV)
(also look up Romans 1:20 if you get a chance)
So if BY THE LAW, we now KNOW and UNDERSTAND our sin then we must understand that God is a good and righteous judge and He will judge that sin. If He were not good, He would not rightly judge us and give us our just reward, but he IS TRUE and RIGHTEOUS and GOOD, and will most definitely JUDGE SIN very harshly. The penalty for that sin is DEATH.
If you have ever told a lie, then you are a liar. If you have ever put anything above God, then you have made a graven image in your mind. If you have ever looked upon another person to lust after them, you've commited adultery in your heart. If you have ever hated another person (without right cause), you've commited murder in God's eyes.
Now what do you suppose that a true and righteous judge would do to a lying, thieving, adulterer and murderer on the day of judgement? That's right. There would be no hope!
Now, knowing this, the unbeliever has a heart's soil that is ready for the Gospel message. Lay it on them! Tell of what Christ did on the cross, taking our sins and nailing them there if we put our faith in Him. Tell them of the penalty that was paid IN OUR PLACE! Then that person can truly understand the depth of what Christ has done and FULLY APPRECIATE it and come before Christ with a glad and thankful heart.
In 1808, Richard M'Nemar, speaking about the Kentucky Revival, wrote this in what he called a 'preliminary observation':
It will be granted, that God has a particular order and manner of working, in which one thing goes before another. Thus: the law and the prophets were until John, after that the kingdom of heaven is preached. It then follows that all men press into it. The first thing is the law, which convinces of sin. 2. The Prophets who minister the promise and hope of salvation. 3. The kingdom of heaven is preached; the way and method of salvation made manifest in word and doctrine: and last of all we must press into it. This is the order of God, and there is no other.
I would encourage you to listen to this online here:
HELLS BEST KEPT SECRET
And do the study sheet here:
HBKS STUDY SHEET
I hope it will be a blessing and an eye opener.
Kenneth
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