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Devotions from Gospel Chapel Ministries HOME SERMONS SERMON NOTES
OUR GREATEST ENEMY
"Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity," ACT 8:22-23.
Our Saviour has compassion on those who have become burdened by their load of sin. We must not only come before Him to acknowledge our sin, but we must turn from it. Sin becomes so grievously sinful unto us. Sin becomes the greatest enemy we have, and we want to turn from it.
If we can comfortably live in sin, if we can cherish and enjoy sin, if we can live with a heart filled with bitterness against our brother when Jesus highest command is to love one another as He has loved us, then we had better take a sober look at the word "IF" in JOH 15:14. "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
"If" you do not qualify as one of Jesus' friends on such an account, I must admonish you as the Apostle Peter cautioned Simon in ACT 8:22-23, "Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity."
If you know the loving touch by the compassionate hand of our loving Savior who has such pity for repenting sinners, then sin is truly grievous. Therefore we must not only come before Him to acknowledge our sin, but also forgive those who have sinned against us.
See what we read in JER 3:13-14, "Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD. Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion." The Lord wants us to acknowledge and confess our sins. Do not be like the person who can sit and moan over his sins and miseries, but be highly insulted if anyone names one; then you'll be a lifetime enemy. There is no acknowledging of anything in such a case. It is nothing but the whitewash of hypocrisy. When we acknowledge our sins and iniquities, it means we are willing to name them one by one. We are willing and able to acknowledge that we have transgressed.
Where the Lord complains, "thou hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice," He is saying we have sinned against the Lord at every opportunity; we have not obeyed the voice of the Lord. We must come to the point where we acknowledge our sins and not attempt to defend them. The Lord is pleading, condescending so low, saying we are His bride; stop spotting your wedding garments with such iniquity. "Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you."
Our Saviour has compassion on those who are enslaved by the things of death. There is no check list or recipe that fits everyone. There is no formula of this experience first, then that one, etc. You see, the Lord comes to each person in exactly the place that person is, in that station, to be redeemed and brought back to the Lord. One has seen his ignorance, another his blindness, and another has learned to see the leprosy of his sin. We see in MAR 5:2-6 one who was taken captive by the things of death. That is where he, in his weakness, fell in sin.
"And when [Jesus] was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him," MAR 5:2-6.
That was a case that was incurable. Some people become so enslaved to the things of this world and in sin that they cannot be reached. It would not make any difference what you might say to them; they would never acknowledge how illiterate and stupid they were for they were too preoccupied with consuming themselves over the things of this life. You could not bind them with the Word of God or with any form of love. It would not make any difference how you talked to them, they are so enslaved to the things of death. Telling them the letter of the law will not bind them.
The love of God, the compassion of our blessed Saviour is the only thing that can reach such a one! "But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him." When we confess we are taken under the power of the things of death, when we feel our need of Him, then He has compassion on such a one . When such a one turns their eye unto Him, He will deliver them.
After Jesus shows this compassion in our heart, we are commanded to show compassion to his praise with our feet as well as our mouth. It is our walk of life that must be a preaching of compassion. We are to walk in the Spirit of Christ, a spirit of compassion. Our walk as well as our talk, must show forth His praise for His compassion to us.
MAR 5:18-20 says, "And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him. [It was this maniac who had been so connected to the things of death that was set free. Now he wanted for his own blessed consolation to be with Jesus.] Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends [Doesn't that show that he had friends?], and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel."
Jesus set this mad man free, but He did not let him stay there. He was to go to his friends and tell them of the wonder of Jesus' healing. Yes, he had friends. Now he could go fully clothed and in his right mind, (or attitude where he could sit at Jesus feet) because he was delivered from all the Satanic power of serving the things of death.
He had been delivered and wanted to be with Jesus, but that was not the will of Jesus. You see, Jesus also had compassion on this man's friends. "And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel." This man was to go forth as a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ to show how the Lord had compassion on him. He had to share with others the fame of that blessed compassion and inner soul of the Lord that yearned with such love for His people. Jesus wanted others to know they could come to him for deliverance.
That lunatic saw all of a sudden what a fool he was, "But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him," MAR 5:6. He realized he was possessed with many devils, in other words, many wrong attitudes and spirits. All of a sudden he wanted to be delivered from them. He wanted to sit at Jesus' feet to be His servant. However, he had to serve Jesus by going forth with his changed attitude and walk of life and ministering to his friends. He had to minister in the Spirit of Christ, and he had to go forth to tell what great things the Lord had done. He had to go out and preach to them about the compassion of the Lord Jesus Christ and His blessed love for His church. "And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel."
Take notice; it matters not what it is that has taken us captive, or the circumstances that trap us. It might be a heart full of bitterness, or the power of sin in any other form. It does not matter where we are trapped, when our eyes are taken off of ourselves and lifted to the Lord Jesus Christ, we find that He has compassion on us. He is moved. We are delivered. It changes our attitude, and all men will marvel. Amen.
Search me, O God, and know my heart today;
Try me, O Savior, know my thoughts, I pray.
See if there be some wicked way in me;
Cleanse me from every sin and set me free.
I praise Thee, Lord, for cleansing me from sin;
Fulfill Thy word and make me pure within.
Fill me with fire where once I burned with shame;
Grant my desire to magnify Thy name.
Lord, take my life and make it wholly Thine;
Fill my poor heart with Thy great love divine.
Take all my will, my passion, self and pride;
I now surrender, Lord in me abide.
O Holy Ghost, revival comes from Thee;
Send a revival start the work in me.
Thy Word declares Thou wilt supply our need;
For blessings now, O Lord, I humbly plead.
These on-line devotions are a ministry of Gospel Chapel located in Conrad, Montana. We also have a daily devotion. See also our sermon notes. We pray this devotion has been a blessing to those who read it. Thank you.