Tag: God

Reason #2: Why a Sinner Ought to Turn To God Without Delay

Silva

Richard Baxter does us a great service by first reminding us that to turn is to turn to the Blessed God.  We trust in Jesus Christ to save us, govern us, and deliver us.  We do not turn to a system of self-help or self-salvation but to a Person and a Friend.  It is also true that to turn to God means that we are turning from lifestyles that the Puritans equated to the beasts of the field to a life of rational nobility.

Here’s reason #2:

Consider also to what it is that you must turn.  Not to uncleanness but to holiness; not to the sensual life of a beast but to the noble rational life of a man, and more noble heavenly life of a Christian; not to an unprofitable worldly toil but to the most gainful employment that ever the son of men were acquainted with; not to the deceitful drudgery of sin but to that godliness which is profitable to all things….Why a life of holiness is nothing but living unto God; to be conversant with him as the wicked are with the world and to be devoted to his service as sensualists are to the flesh.  It is to live in the love of God and of our Redeemer and in the foretaste of his everlasting glory and of his love and in the sweet forethoughts of that blessed life that shall never end and in the honest self-denying course that leads to that blessedness.

We are truly deceived if we believe that to live otherwise is in our best interests and the best interests of those around us.

Turn now to God and live.

Pastor Gabe

50 Reasons Why a Sinner Ought to Turn God Without Delay

Silva

I’ve been spending a lot of time reading the Puritans lately.  It has been so refreshing to learn more about them and learn more from them.  One of the things I learned is their tremendous heart for evangelism.  For them, gospel-sharing was what they did every time they mounted the pulpit to deliver God’s word.  They knew what we’ve perhaps forgotten: the gospel is the power of God for salvation and preaching was the main vehicle to deliver it.  Of course, now, we have so many delivery vehicles for sharing the redeeming love of Christ that we are richly blessed.  This blog serves as one of those venues (and the links to Facebook and Twitter…).

Richard Baxter

When I browsed Richard Baxter’s many works I came across one titled “Fifty Reasons Why a Sinner Ought to Turn to God.”  As expected, they are common sense, varied, rich, penetrating and useful.  I hope to share one each time I blog on this topic believing that as I do I’d be reminded of the greatness of being a son of God and that maybe a reader would find the same.

Reason 1:  “Consider to whom it is that you are commanded to turn; and then tell me whether there can be any reason for delay.  It is not to an empty deceitful creature, but to the faithful all-sufficient God; to Him that is the cause of all things; the strength of creation; the joy of angels; the felicity of the saints; the sun and shield of all the righteous; the refuge of the distressed; and the glory of the whole world….Why, man, you are every minute at his mercy.  And yet you do delay?  There are all things imaginable in him to draw you.  There is nothing that is good for you but it is perfectly in Him where you may have it certain and perpetual.  There is nothing in Him to give the least discouragement.”

Do not delay: turn to Christ.

Pastor Gabe