2/04/2013

One of my Favourite Texts




One of my favourite texts in Scripture was spoken by enemies of the Saviour. 

In Luke 15v2, we're told: 

"The Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, 

'This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them'."

Do you hear what they said of Christ? He receives SINNERS and He eats with them. I want to punch the air and whoop with joy when I read these words. 

I guess the reason they affect me so much is because I know they are true. I am one of these sinners that Christ received. Oh, I know we are all sinners. Every single person born since the fall of Adam has been a sinner. Noah, that man of obedience who built the ark and preached faithfully to those around him, even though he saw no encouraging conversions; Abraham, the father of the faithful; John, the beloved disciple, who loved his Saviour so much. I know they were all sinners too. 

But I was a great sinner. I knew, and was convicted of this, that I was one of the greatest sinners who'd ever lived. And what was my greatest sin? 

It was my rejection of Christ - day after day after day. You see, unlike Stalin, that murderer of millions, I knew about Christ. Unlike Hitler, that murderous man who wished to wipe out God's chosen people of old, the Jews, I had grown up with the Gospel all around me. I knew the Bible was true. I knew that one day I was stand before the judgement seat of Christ and have to give an account of everything I'd ever done, said and thought. Yet still, I rejected Christ, and the life God's Word would have me lead. I rejected Him and the life of the Believer because I loved the life I had. It's a simple as that. I loved the life I was living more that the life that was promised me if I repented and came to Christ.

Christ promised me Eternal life ... yet I chose the temporary pleasures of the life I was living. Day after day. Month after month. Year after year.

And so, do you wonder that Christ receiving sinners is such a wonderful truth to me? I thought I'd sinned any chance of salvation away. I thought there was no way I'd ever, ever find pardon. I thought I was too great a sinner.

Sinning against light is a terrible sin. And that was my sin. 

Imagine if I had to end the story there. What despair! 

But because of this text: 'He (Christ) receives sinners', that is not the end of the story, and I speak not of despair but of joy and of wonder and of praise and of thanksgiving.

Twenty-five years after that first time that He received this sinner, I am still amazed at this text. He receives sinners. He received ME!

I will never, ever stop praising my Saviour for receiving me, and eating with me. Throughout the endless ages of eternity, I will never cease wondering at what He did for ME. 

Psalm 40 says:

I waited for the Lord my God,
and patiently did hear;
At length to me He did incline
my voice and cry to hear.

He took me from a fearful pit,
and from the miry clay,
And on a rock He set my feet
establishing my way.

He put a new song in my mouth,
our God to magnify:
many shall see it and shall fear,
and on the Lord rely.

                                                  (Scottish Metrical)

What a Saviour He is!



4 comments:

  1. What a glorious Friend we have indeed!! Praise Him for His beauty, for His infinite, matchless grace, and that as far as the heavens are above the earth, so far has He removed our transgressions from us! How patient and kind He is.
    Thanks for sharing!
    -Kris

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  2. Oh precious friend, I do believe this is one of my favorite posts that you have written. I celebrate HIS loving kindness with you! I am singing a stanza from Anna's favorite hymn in my heart as I write this comment:

    He saw me ruined in the fall,
    Yet loved me notwithstanding all;
    He saved me from my lost estate -
    His lovingkindness, O how great!
    Lovingkindness, lovingkindness,
    His lovingkindness, O how great!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yeah! Praise the Lord! Thank you for your testimony. "And they overcame him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony and they loved not their lives unto death."

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  4. Thank you so much for this. It makes my day!

    ReplyDelete

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