When God Goes Against His Will

But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for it was the will of the Lord to put them to death. (1 Samuel 2:25)

The sons of Eli the priest would not obey their father when he rebuked them for their sin. There are three implications of this text for our lives.

1) It is possible to sin so long and so grievously that the Lord will not grant repentance.

That is why Paul said that after all our pleading and teaching, “God may perhaps grant them repentance” — not, “will grant them repentance” (2 Timothy 2:25). There is a “too late” in the life of sin. As it says of Esau in Hebrews 12:17, “He found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.” He was forsaken; he could not repent.

This does not mean that those who truly repent even after a whole lifetime of sinning cannot be saved. They certainly can be, and will be! God is staggeringly merciful. Remember the thief on the cross. Jesus said to him, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).

2) Sometimes God does not permit a sinning person to do what is right.

“But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for it was the will of the Lord to put them to death.” Listening to the voice of their father was the right thing to do. But they would not. Why? “For it was the will of the Lord to put them to death.”

The reason given for why they did not obey their father was that God had other purposes for them, and had given them up to sinning and death. This shows that there are times when the will of God’s decree is different from the revealed will of God’s command.

3) Sometimes our prayers for God’s revealed will to be done will not be done because God has decreed something different for holy and wise purposes.

I suppose that Eli prayed for his sons to be changed. That is how he should have prayed. But God had decreed that Hophni and Phinehas not obey, but rather be slain.

When something like this happens (which we do not ordinarily know ahead of time) while we are crying out to God for change, the answer of God is not: “I don’t love you.” Rather the answer is: “I have wise and holy purposes in not overcoming this sin and not granting repentance. You do not see these purposes now. Trust me. I know what I am doing. I love you.”

John Piper 

The Dangers of Drifting

“Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.” REVELATION 2:5

 

PONDER THIS

What is a backslider? A backslider is not an unsaved person. No unsaved person can be a backslider. When Christians use the term backslider we’re not talking about the lost, we’re talking about the saved. You must go somewhere in order to slide back; that is, you must have known the Lord before you can backslide away from Him. A lost person is just lost. The backslider is a saved person who’s out of fellowship with God.

If there was ever a time when you loved the Lord Jesus Christ more than you love Him at this moment; if there was ever a time when He meant more to you, when prayer was sweeter to you, when worship was more real to you, when your service was more effective for the Lord Jesus Christ; if there was ever a time like that when it was more than it is now, you may be backsliding.

What might be some evidence that you are backsliding in your fellowship with Christ?

What are some ways to guard against this each day?

PRACTICE THIS

Spend dedicated time in prayer, asking God to reveal where you might have backslidden and to renew your fellowship with Him.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Teaching Children the Path to Repentance

“Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.’ And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.”

MARK 10:13-16

 

PONDER THIS

When a child disobeys his parents, do you know what that child has done? He’s sinned against God. It’s not primarily you he’s sinned against; he’s sinned against God. We are making a mistake if our primary goal in disciplining our children is to make them sorry for what they’ve done to us. We are missing an opportunity for discipleship. We should say, “Listen, Daddy’s (or Momma’s) heart is broken because God doesn’t want us to behave that way.” Now, be careful. You cannot be the Holy Spirit. You can pray for repentance in that child’s heart, you can try to lead that child to repentance, but remember the Holy Spirit must do that. But you should continually pray for and guide that child to repentance.

What is the danger of only drawing your children’s attention to human hurt but never to the hurt they cause God?

What are some ways you might make the connection to repentance for your children?

PRACTICE THIS

Spend some time writing out ideas for how you might effectively communicate the idea of repentance to your children (or children close to you) in ways they might understand. Help them receive correction according to God’s grace.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Find Restoration in Returning

“By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.” 

HEBREWS 11:20

 
PONDER THIS

Isaac loved God in his youth but got away from God. He messed up his family, and then came back to God. There are two lessons here. Number one: Never mistake the moment for the man. This is what we see with Isaac trying to bless the wrong son. This was not the true Isaac. The true Isaac was the one we read about in Hebrews 11. When God came to write about his life, God did not write about his life through the lens of his failures. Aren’t you glad God remembers our iniquities against us no more? Aren’t you glad God does not mistake the moment for the man? God knew Isaac loved Him, and Isaac came back to God. That can happen to you too. You can be a person of God and get away from God and mess up your family, but you can also come back to the will of God. Where is He calling you back today?

What are some moments from your life that you hope aren’t taken as “the whole story” about you?
Where is God calling you back to Himself today? How will you respond?

PRACTICE THIS

Take some time to journal about a low moment in your life that God used as a means of redemption over time.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Five Purposes for Suffering

For those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

We seldom know the micro reasons for our sufferings, but the Bible does give us faith-sustaining macro reasons.

It is good to have a way to remember some of these so that, when we are suddenly afflicted, or have a chance to help others in their affliction, we can recall some of the truths God has given us to help us not lose hope.

Here is one way to remember: 5 R’s (or if it helps, just pick three and try to remember them).

The macro purposes of God in our sufferings include:

Repentance: Suffering is a call for us and others to turn from treasuring anything on earth above God. Luke 13:4–5:

“Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

Reliance: Suffering is a call to trust God and not the life-sustaining props of this world. 2 Corinthians 1:8–9:

We were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.

Righteousness: Suffering is the discipline of our loving heavenly Father so that we come to share his righteousness and holiness. Hebrews 12:6, 10–11:

“The Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” . . . He disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Reward: Suffering is working for us a great reward in heaven that will make up for every loss here a thousandfold. 2 Corinthians 4:17:

This light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.

Finally, Reminder: Suffering reminds us that God sent his Son into the world to suffer so that our suffering would not be God’s condemnation but his purification. Philippians 3:10:

. . . that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings.

So, it is understandable that the Christian heart would cry out in suffering, “Why?” since we don’t know most of the micro reasons for our suffering — why now, why this way, why this long? But don’t let that ignorance of the micro reasons cause you to overlook the massive help God gives in his word by telling us his macro purposes for us.

“You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful” (James 5:11).

John Piper 

Saved… and Now “Advertised”

“Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’” ACTS 2:38

 

PONDER THIS

I read somewhere years ago about a little boy who got saved in the children’s church service. The pastor of the children’s church service said to the little fellow, “Now you need to go over and tell them at big church that you’ve been saved, and you need to get baptized.” Well, the boy didn’t quite understand what he was being told, so he went and told the pastor, “I’ve been saved, and I need to get advertised.” This is a funny mix-up, but his words were true. Once you get saved, you get advertised. You’re saying, “Here I am, and I belong to Jesus Christ. I want everybody who sees me to know that I have been buried with Him by baptism into death and raised to walk in newness of life. I am identifying myself with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

Why is it important to identify with Jesus—to advertise ourselves for Him?

Read Matthew 10:32-33. What did Jesus say about our identification with Him?

PRACTICE THIS

Do one thing today to “advertise” for Jesus.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

No Room for the Devil

“‘Be angry, and do not sin’: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.” EPHESIANS 4:26-27

 

PONDER THIS

Do you know what the word malice means? Malice is a desire to hurt somebody. Have you felt that way before? Someone has made you so mad you want them to hurt. You may not know you’ve just let the devil in. The devil can take no place except what you give him. You have gone from valuing another’s life to specifically wanting to hurt that person.

The next right response is repentance. There’s one thing God will not accept for sin: an excuse. You may feel like you’ve got rights. You don’t have any more rights than a dead man; you’ve been crucified with Christ. You’re not your own; you’re bought with a price. You’re to glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. There must be repentance—not just being broken over your sin, but being broken from your sin. Put it away; be done with it.

What are some ways you might be giving the enemy a foothold in your life?

Why is repentance such an important part of our faith? What are some reasons we avoid it?

PRACTICE THIS

Ask God to reveal any areas where you have given the enemy a foothold and repent of that sin.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

When God’s Hand is Heavy

Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” PSALM 51:8-10

 

PONDER THIS

Some people believe, “If we sin, God just tosses us away.” They’ve got it absolutely wrong. God doesn’t toss you away if you’re His child. When you sin, God puts His hand on you and squeezes. David said, “Your hand was heavy upon me.” In Psalm 51, David spoke of his bones being broken. He was speaking poetically. If God has words of rebuke, if God has arrows of conviction, if God has a hand of pressure on you, respond with “Thank God. He loves me too much to let me go on this way.”

The most miserable man in the world is not an unsaved man. The most miserable man in the world is a child of God out of fellowship with God. If you’re a child of God and you’re living in sin, God’s not going to let you go. You’re not going to get away with it.

David’s sin wearied him. The thing David had done in his heart continued to weary him in his mind. He couldn’t sleep. A clear conscience is better than any sleeping pill. Unresolved guilt will sap the strength out of your life, strength that ought to be given to productive purposes. But God uses these moments to draw us back to Him.

When have you been weary from sin? How did you respond?

Do you regularly make space to listen for God’s conviction? How could you make this space?

PRACTICE THIS

Consider the areas of life where you need to repent. Pray and invite God into the areas you have sought to close off to Him.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Loving Someone Right into Hell

In our foolish attempt to be loving to a sinner, we opt for just saying nothing of their blatant sin. As a sinner we know that we do not like to be told of our own sin. It's uncomfortable, it brings us to examination of our lives . We identify because we also are bent toward sin! So, what do we do? We stay quite. We are commanded to make disciples, give biblical instruction to the lost, pray for conviction of the lost, help the poor, help the sick, care for orphans and so own.  

Lord. make us bold. Give our hearts convicting words with no arguments, just plain talk of consequences to sin. Lead the lost to repentance. Amen  

 

Matthew 28:18-20

[18] And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. [19] Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Ezekiel 33:8-10

[8] If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. [9] But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul. [10] “And you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, Thus have you said: ‘Surely our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we rot away because of them. How then can we live?’

Ezekiel 33:14-17

[14] Again, though I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ yet if he turns from his sin and does what is just and right, [15] if the wicked restores the pledge, gives back what he has taken by robbery, and walks in the statutes of life, not doing injustice, he shall surely live; he shall not die. [16] None of the sins that he has committed shall be remembered against him. He has done what is just and right; he shall surely live. [17] “Yet your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just,’ when it is their own way that is not just.

1 Timothy 4:16

[16] Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Acts 20:28-30

[28] Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. [29] I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; [30] and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.

James 5:19-20

[19] My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, [20] let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

Regret, Remorse, and Repentance

“For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.” 2 CORINTHIANS 7:10

 

PONDER THIS

Many people are baptized pagans. They have united with churches like they have joined country clubs, but they have never been broken over their sin. Repentance is the missing note.

What is godly sorrow? It is not mere regret. Many of us have done things that we regret, and we're sorry. When I was a child, I did many things I regretted. When my dad found out about them, I would receive consequences, and I immediately regretted what I had done. I knew my mistake was not worth the hard consequences. But regret is not godly sorrow.

Regret is primarily in the mind. Remorse goes past the mind to the heart. But both of these, compared to repentance, are dead-end streets. Repentance is a highway. Remorse looks at the sin and its consequences and cannot see past them. Repentance looks beyond the sin to Calvary.

A person filled with remorse is one who loves his sin and hates himself at the same time. A person who has repented hates his sin because he loves his Savior. That's the difference. Many people waltz down our church aisles with regret, and others come with remorse. But the only true way forward is repentance.

When have you recently practiced repentance? Why is it important to keep a posture of repentance?

What is the difference between repentance and regret or remorse? Which one comes most naturally to you? How can you take those things to God in repentance?

PRACTICE THIS

Speak to God honestly about where you are struggling with sin and seek repentance.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Repentance and Faith on Repeat

“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.”

COLOSSIANS 2:6-7

 

PONDER THIS

The way to live the Christian life is the same way you got the Christian life. It’s just repentance and faith, repentance and faith, repentance and faith. You say, “Well, I already repented.” Well, so did I when I got saved, but I’ve done far more repenting and trusting in Christ after I got saved than I did when I got saved. When I got saved, I gave all I knew of me to all I knew of Jesus, but I knew very little about either one.

You never reach a place in your Christian life where you don’t need to repent. Joyce came up to my study the other day, the sunlight was coming in the window, and she looked at the glass-top table and said, “Look at that dust.” I said, “Honey, if it hadn’t been for that sunlight you’d never have seen that dust.” A person who says, “I don’t need any more repentance,” is not walking in the light. The closer you get to the Lord, the more imperfections you see in your own life. Walk with Christ in repentance and faith. If you’ll do that, you will discover the treasures that are in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance is turning from self; faith is turning to Jesus. And the more you turn from yourself and turn to the Lord Jesus Christ, the more real He will be to you.

When was the last time you repented? Is this something you practice regularly? Why or why not?

What are some of the reasons we neglect to walk in repentance and faith? What needs to change for you to do so?

PRACTICE THIS

Pray and confess to God how you need to grow in repentance and faith.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Do You Have Confidence in Yourself?

“Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?’ Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

ACTS 2:37-38

 

PONDER THIS

I’ve preached enough to know there are services where there is no conviction. My heart grieves and I wonder, “Lord, is it me? Am I the one that has failed to pray and seek your face?” Have you been in a service when you just couldn’t explain why or how, but the people began to weep or tremble, and you have sensed the Spirit of God moving among you? Don’t just saunter in here and sit down without praying, “Oh, God, send Your convicting power.”

We all need that conviction to move toward repentance. To repent means to change your mind about sin, self, and Jesus.

Maybe you think, “I can’t. I don’t have what it takes to overcome this sin.” You have no confidence in the flesh. So, repentance is also a change of mind about Jesus Christ, about God himself. You’re acknowledging you have no hope in yourself. Instead, you’re saying, “He is my only hope. I put my faith where God has put my sins—upon the Lord Jesus Christ.” And that is a conversion. Repentance and faith are the heads and tails of the same coin. You cannot turn to God without turning from sin.

Even after conversion, we sin and turn away from God sometimes. When was the last time you repented and turned toward God?

How has God changed your mind and heart about the way you have seen yourself, Him, and the world around you?

PRACTICE THIS

Share a testimony with someone about how God has changed you.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

We Do Not Measure Up

“But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”

ISAIAH 64:6

 

PONDER THIS

Before Christ, our righteousness is as filthy rags. Do you know what that word “filthy rags” literally means? It described the bandage that wrapped the oozing, running putrefying sores of the leper—that loathsome thing you would burn. God says, “It’s not about what I think about your so-called badness. It’s what I think about your so-called goodness.” An unsaved man is in himself wicked and therefore everything he touches, he contaminates.

Imagine a beautiful fruit salad, but the person who’s mixing that salad for your dinner has open sores on his hands. Do you want it? Of course not. You lost your appetite. There is nothing wrong with the grapes, nothing wrong with the bananas, nothing wrong with the apples. There’s something wrong with the cook.

The worst form of badness is human goodness when that human goodness becomes a substitute for the new birth. What is sin? Sin is the transgression of the law. Sin is failure to do good. Sin is human goodness that keeps us from God’s righteousness. Even our righteousness is as filthy rags in His sight.

When have you tried to do good in your own power?

Why do you think we often depend on human goodness to get to God?

PRACTICE THIS

Repent for ways you have depended on your own goodness before God.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Are You Experiencing Refreshment in Jesus?

PRAY OVER THIS

“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” Acts 3:19

 

PONDER THIS

Do you want a beautiful life? Do you want to be spiritually healed? You need to repent. What does repentance mean? The word for repentance literally means, “a change of mind.” You change your way of thinking. Before you’re saved, you say, “I am boss, and I have no room for Jesus.” But now you say, “He is Lord.” Before you’re saved, you say, “I think I can make it by myself.” Now you say, “I can’t do it by myself. I need the Lord.” You don’t have any hope of Heaven unless you repent.

Has there been a radical, dramatic change in your life, where you say, “I’m sick and tired of the old way. I’m going the new way. I want Christ”? That is repentance. Now that doesn’t mean if you clean up your life, God will save you. You can’t clean up your life without Him, but you must be willing for Him to clean it up. There must be a new heart attitude. Repentance is a change of mind that leads to a change of life. When you repent, Christ comes in and gives you the power to live the life you cannot live on your own; He will refresh you. Refreshing comes from the presence of the Lord, but if there is no repenting, there is no refreshing.

What has repentance looked like in your life?

Why do we often struggle with repentance?

PRACTICE THIS

Pray and repent in any way God is calling you to today.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Whose Job Is It to Convict a Heart of Sin?

PRAY OVER THIS

“Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?’ Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.’” Acts 2:37-39

 

PONDER THIS

A crucial thing that happened to the people at Pentecost was they were convicted by the Lord. I pray repeatedly, “Dear God, let the Holy Spirit of God convict people.” I can’t browbeat anybody into being a Christian. I can’t do a sales job on people. I want us to have such spiritual power in our hearts and in our lives that when the Word of God goes forth, it cuts the hearts of people. They were convicted by the Lord.

Secondly, they were converted to the Lord. Peter said to them, “Repent.” Now, that word “repent” means a change of mind, a turning around. There must be a change of mind about sin. There must be a change of mind about self. There must be a change of mind about God. When I turn to Jesus, in faith, I turn from sin. But nobody has ever been saved unless he or she has been converted. And nobody’s been converted except by repentance. They were convicted by the Lord. They were converted to the Lord. And then, there was a confession of the Lord.

What do you struggle to turn away from that God may be convicting you about?

How has your life changed since you were saved by Christ? How does your life reflect living for Him?

PRACTICE THIS

Pray for a person you know who is far from God and has not been convicted over their sin.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

You Are Never Too Far for God to Reach

PRAY OVER THIS

“Then she lulled him to sleep on her knees, and called for a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to torment him, and his strength left him. And she said, ‘The Philistines are upon you, Samson!’ So he awoke from his sleep, and said, “I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!” But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him.”

Judges 16:19-20

 

PONDER THIS

Many people today find themselves without the power of God but don’t realize it. They were once faithful deacons, Sunday school teachers, and evangelists, but they have so compromised and played in sin that the power of God is gone from them, and they don’t even know it. It is scary to think I could come and stand and preach or minister without that anointing and power of God. It’s scary to think about how many there are who have begun in the Spirit and ended in the flesh. What is beautiful about God is that this point of despair does not have to be the end of the story.

Even in his lowest moment, Samson began to pray to God (Judges 16:28). He began to repent. God had brought him low, but his eyes that were physically blind began to open spiritually. He came to God and pleaded for one more chance. I don’t care what you may have done, our God is a God of mercy. Our God is a God of forgiveness. Our God is a God of the second chance. Don’t believe the lie that you’ve gone too far from His grace.

When have you cried out to God in repentance? How can this serve as a reminder of God’s ongoing grace in your life?

What is your relationship with God like right now? How do you need to respond if you realize you aren’t where you thought you were?

PRACTICE THIS

Talk to a mentor or trusted friend and ask him or her to share areas where you may be depending on your own strength over the Lord’s.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

No One is Too Far for God to Reach

PRAY OVER THIS

“If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For ‘whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’”

Romans 10:9-13

 

PONDER THIS

While I was a pastor in Florida, I had a group of men I would meet with for prayer. We felt the need for revival in our city. We decided to start by praying for the meanest man in our city. And I said, “How do you get the meanest man saved?” We agreed you begin to pray for him and then you witness to him. After a long time praying, I went by his house and knocked on the door. I presented Jesus Christ to him and asked, “Would you like to be saved?” He said he would, and I led him in the sinner’s prayer. He gave his heart to Christ in the same way a little boy would trust Christ as his personal Savior. I’ve never been able to forget that. The man everybody was afraid of became a follower of Christ. God had softened his heart by prayer. There is no man, no woman, no boy, no girl too difficult for God to save.

Who are some people you believe are very far from God? How often do you pray for them?

Why is it important to trust God’s power to transform hearts over our ability to share or persuade?

PRACTICE THIS

Set a daily reminder to pray for someone you know who is far from God.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Do You Have A Crooked Heart?

PRAY OVER THIS

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Matthew 5:8

 

PONDER THIS

I’ve visited a sawmill from time to time, and it’s very interesting to watch them put logs on that cradle and lop off the edges. They’ll take a big log out of the woods that has bumps and knots on it. It may be a little crooked, but they lay it on that cradle, run it through, and lop of one side of that log. Then, they bring it back, turn it, run it through again, and lop off another side. And they repeat this process on the whole log. Finally, it’s perfectly square, and if you stand and look down it, it’s perfectly straight. But if you’ll go and look at the end, the heart is still crooked. That’s the way it is with some individuals.

Some individuals show reform outwardly. But the Bible says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9). That’s the reason outward reformation is not enough. You need regeneration. If a man is a drunkard and quits drinking without getting saved, all that means is he’ll go to Hell sober. He’s still got to be saved. The problem is not on the outside; the problem is on the inside. Let God deal with the sin inside your heart.

When have you been tempted to deal with sin only externally rather than let God work on your heart internally?

What are some sin issues God has revealed in your heart recently?

PRACTICE THIS

Pray and ask God to deal with the sin in your heart at the core level.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Who Meets Your Deepest Need?

PRAY OVER THIS

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

 

PONDER THIS

Do you know why they crucified Jesus? They said, “This man is a friend of sinners.” That’s why they crucified Him. Do you know I’m so glad He is? Where would I be if He were not? Where would you be if Jesus were not a friend of sinners? Jesus did “not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance” (Luke 5:32). He doesn’t love us because we’re good; He loves us by His grace. He doesn’t make us good so He can love us; He loves us so He can make us good. Isn’t that wonderful? Have you received that love today?

Your deepest need is not for physical intimacy but for emotional and spiritual intimacy. The deepest need is to have somebody who understands us—our fears, hurts, aspirations, and disappointments. The human heart yearns for such a friend. His name is Jesus. It’s Jesus you need. What a friend we have in Him.

How has Jesus been a friend to you?

What are some things you look for in human friendship that only God can provide?

PRACTICE THIS

Spend some time in prayer thanking Jesus for being a friend to you.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

God’s Goodness Leads Us to Repentance

PRAY OVER THIS

“Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who “will render to each one according to his deeds”: eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality.”

Romans 2:4-7

 

PONDER THIS

Some people have the idea that if they’re not having any problems, they’re right with God. If they’re healthy, if their bank account is up, if they have no problems, evidently God loves them, and everything is fine. They don’t need to repent—look at all those blessings. But the blessings of God don’t mean you’re right with God. God gives you blessings to bring you to Him. It doesn’t mean you don’t need repentance. The goodness of God leads to repentance.

As a matter of fact, the goodness of God only makes your judgment more severe if you deny your dependence on Him. If you’re being blessed now, let me beg you to come to the Lord Jesus Christ. Don’t get the idea that God’s goodness is an invitation to sin more, because the greater the blessings, the greater the judgment. And I want to remind you that Sodom and Gomorrah were at an all-time high when the fire and brimstone fell. The Bible says one of the marks of Sodom was that the people not only committed abominations but also had fullness of bread and idleness. (See Ezekiel 16:49-50.) In other words, there was so much prosperity that people didn’t even have to work. But the goodness of God did not lead them to repentance.

What is your typical posture before God when you are going through good times?

Where do you consider yourself to be right now—in an easier or harder season? How can you practice repentance regardless of the season you are in?

PRACTICE THIS

Speak with a friend about how your relationship with God changes when you are in a good or hard season.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers