SOFT HEARTED
The religion of Jesus Christ emphasizes that it begins in the heart so we should be very careful that we have hearts that are softened to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Solomon wisely said, "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." (Proverbs 4:23) We certainly should not close our hearts because then we could not be converted. Isaiah taught this about Israel and it was repeated often in the New Testament. Jesus said, "And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which said, By hearing ye shall hear and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people’s heart is waxed gross and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. (Matthew 13:14, 15) Jesus also put it this way in John 12:40 : "He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted and I should heal them. Using the Israelites as an example the Hebrew writer said, "Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness." (Hebrews 3:8) We often speak of people who are tender hearted to the pleas of people for help as soft hearted. When it comes to Christ and the gospel of Christ we all should keep the soft hearted attitude. This lesson has to do with ways to be soft hearted. 1. Think of the goodness of God. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16) This shows the deep love that God had for sinful people who were not able to save themselves. Our God is a giving God in many ways. "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." (James 1:17) And "God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more than being justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him." (Romans 5:8, 9) We need to deeply appreciate the great salvation Christ has provided in his death and listen carefully to every word that God says to us as how to accept it and be blessed by it. 2. Think of the supreme sacrifice Jesus Christ made for us all. Philippians 2:5-11 shows that Christ was in the form of God but emptied himself and was made in the likeness of men. As such he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. He dreaded the awful trial and being nailed to the cross. It was shameful and degrading to the sinless Son of God. But as the Holy Spirit put it, "For he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (II Corinthians 5:21) His judgment was taken away and he was beaten with the Roman whip. He was made to bear his own cross with a little help from Simon. His hands and feet were nailed to the cross with Roman spikes. (A very painful process) The crowd jeered and asked him why he didn’t come down from the cross. About the ninth hour Jesus said, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46) Since he was bearing the sins of the world the Heavenly Father, on whom he wholly depended, turned his back upon him and let him die for the sins of the world. WHAT A SACRIFICE! This made him the author of eternal salvation to all who obey him. (Hebrews 5:8, 9) Soften your heart, sinner friend, have a heart, accept and obey him! 3. Appreciate the twenty seven books of the New Testament as given to the writers by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. In these last days God has spoken by Jesus Christ. (Hebrews 1:1, 2)The Holy Spirit received the words of Christ and revealed them to the chosen writers. (John 16:13, 14) He taught them the exact words to put in the New Testament. (I Corinthians 2:13) "Therefore we should give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard lest at any time we should let them slip." (Hebrews 2:1) "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him." (Hebrews 2:3) Receive these words not as the words of men but as the works of God because it will effectually work in you that believe. (I Thessalonians 2:13) 4. Think of the glorious church that Jesus presents to himself. He loved the church and gave himself for it. (Ephesians 5:25; Acts 20:28) He washes and cleanses it with the washing of water by the word. (Ephesians 5:26) He adds the saved to it. (Acts 2:47) He is the head of the church which is his body. (Ephesians 5:23) The church consists of the sanctified in Christ Jesus (I Corinthians 1:2) He is coming for it one day. "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God: and in death Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." (I Thessalonians 4:16, 17) 5. Keep your eyes on heaven and how wonderful it will be to go there. It is the tabernacle of God which will be with men, and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. (Revelation 21:3, 4) Won’t it be wonderful there? Because Jesus died for me, and sent his word to direct me, I can keep his commandments and go to this beautiful place. (Revelation 22:14) It is beyond us to comprehend such a place but we can dream of it and "every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." (I John 3:3) 6. Be warned of the fact that it is a righteous thing with God to render vengeance on all who know not God and obey not the gospel. (II Thessalonians 1:6-9) To love Christ is to keep his words and when we do that the Heavenly Father loves us and comes into us making his abode with us. (John 14:23) Instead of punishing us he says, "If God can be for us who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31) We don’t have to go to everlasting punishment but can have everlasting life. "Hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. (I John 2:3) |
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