I AM PERSUADED

 

I AM PERSUADED

Jer.20:7 “O LORD, you persuaded me, and I allowed myself to be persuaded. You are stronger than I am, and you overpowered me. Now I am mocked by everyone in the city.” NLT

I grew up in the day in which altars were common in the church, and invitations were frequently given to use them. I can remember very vividly the drawing of the Spirit on my heart as the invitation was given. “Almost persuaded, now to believe….” Standing on the threshold of God’s forgiveness, I was often drawn to my knees to confess sin that I knew was in my heart. I miss those days. I believe the church still needs the altar and the altar call. I believe we still need to stand on the threshold of God’s forgiveness and choose whether or not we will confess our sin.

When was the last time God persuaded you to deal with sin in your heart? When was the last time you paused long enough before God to even admit that you have sinned against Him? Are you even able to hear and recognize His convicting voice?

One of the reasons why I am so strong on declaring our need to be into God’s Word, is that it is there that God exposes sin. It is there that we have to decide whether or not we are going to humble ourselves before God and change our ways or not. It is there that God speaks most clearly to our hearts. It is why God declares that we will be judged by how we have lived in obedience to His Word.

When was the last time you were persuaded that you were guilty of sin? When were you last overpowered by His presence and driven to your knees?

When we see ourselves in the light of Christ’s righteousness and holiness, we gain a much more accurate sense of our standing with God. Christ is our standard for living. When we fall short of His perfection, we are guilty of sin. Knowing that we are not on equal footing with Christ before God ought to cause us to let Him have His way in our lives. Only Christ can deal with our sins. We must have His forgiveness and lordship over our lives if we are going to be with God eternally.

Don’t overestimate your righteous and don’t underestimate your need for a Savior.