May 6, 2019
Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven. Luke 6:37
The apostle Paul, writing to the church in Ephesus, reminds them that at one time, before they came to Christ, they were “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1). Sometimes Christians look at people who have committed adultery or murder and compare themselves to them. They may even say, “They’re dead in their trespasses and sin.” I want to tell you something.
They are no more “dead in trespasses and sin” than your sweet daughter or precious parent who has not received Jesus Christ’s gift of salvation. There may be degrees of corruption, but there are no degrees of deadness. All lost people need Jesus Christ.
You may think you don’t have a testimony to share because you didn’t get a Ph.D. in sin before you were saved. Perhaps you were saved as a little child. Well, it took as much of the grace of God to save you as it did to save a murderer on death row. Never forget that, precious friend.
Dead people need to stop comparing themselves with other dead people. Do you tend to size people up based on your understanding of goodness and badness? Remember, the ground is level at the foot of the cross.
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”