Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. The Bible says, For all
have sinned and come short of the glory of God. This scripture
reveals a startling truth about men. There is none that doeth
good, no, not one. It simply adds emphasis to the
fact that man in his own self possesses nothing that will give
him a right standing with the Holy God. You would think that
in light of this truth that it would be easy to find many people
who are convinced of this fact. Yet the rarest thing to find
in all the earth is a sinner. In fact, apart from divine revelation,
men will not believe that they are sinners. All men by nature
know that they have committed sin, for the Lord has given us
a conscience. Yet by nature man is not convinced
that he is totally separated from God. He feels God will hear
his prayers and pity him or at the very least overlook any faults
he may have and receive him on the basis of his good works outweighing
the bad. The worst case scenario he expects
is a slap on the wrist or a short season of punishment for evil
deeds. Yet the scripture reveals a much more serious problem.
Isaiah said, But your iniquities have separated between you and
your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He
will not hear. So man of his own self cannot
make himself righteous before God. But the Lord came into the
world to save sinners. And He said, They that are whole
have no need of the physician, but they that are sick. I came
not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. So exactly
what is a sinner? A sinner is someone who is convinced
of his own sin. He does not try to make excuses,
explain it away, or blame it on someone else. Like the woman
taking in adultery, he has no excuse. A sinner is someone who
is convinced of the awfulness of his sin. He has been made
aware that his sin is a crime against a holy God, and as such
is deserving of eternal damnation. A sinner is someone who is convinced
of his own unworthiness. The best example of a sinner
found in the New Testament is the publican in Luke 18, 1. And
the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as
his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God,
be merciful to me, a sinner. A sinner does not proudly converse
with the Almighty God, but humbly pleads for mercy. Joseph Hart
wrote in one of his hymns, A sinner is a sacred thing, the Holy Ghost
hath made him so. The Lord convinces his elect
of sin. A sinner is someone who is convinced
of the absolute righteousness of Christ. He falls upon his
face in worship before this one in whom is all the beauties of
the earth. Like the woman in Luke 7, 37-38,
he washes the feet of the Lord with his tears of repentance.
When the Lord reveals his righteousness, repentance always follows. Like
the apostle of old, when he is asked if he will go away, he
will confess, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of
eternal life. And we believe and are sure that
thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God. A sinner is
someone who is convinced of his absolute need of that righteousness.
As David prayed, so is the prayer of every sinner. Purge me with
hyssop and I shall be clean. Wash me and I shall be whiter
than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which
thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins and
blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O
God, and renew a right spirit within me. A sinner is someone
who is convinced of his need of a continual supply of mercy
from the hand of the Lord. When God opens a man's eyes to
see himself as a sinner, He allows that man to understand that the
only reason that he can continue in the favor of the Lord is to
be kept in that favor by the grace of the Lord. Restore unto
me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with thy free spirit.
Then will I teach transgressors thy ways, and sinners shall be
converted unto thee. For of him, and through him,
and to him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen. With that knowledge comes the
promise, and the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and
will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom, to whom be glory forever
and ever. Amen. A sinner is someone who
follows the Lord. The righteous will follow religion,
tradition, society, and all things that appeal to the flesh, but
those who know themselves to be sinners will follow Christ.
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. Are
you convinced that you are worthy to be destroyed? Do you believe
that the righteousness of Christ alone is acceptable to the Father?
Christ receiveth sinful men. Sound this word of grace to all,
who the heavenly pathway leave all who linger. all who fall. Are you a sinner? For a free
CD containing 15 of these radio broadcasts, send an email to
forthepoor at windstream.net.