“So
that raises for us the question of what exactly repentance is. How do I know
whether I have repented? The details given to us here about what happened in
this city of Samaria tell us exactly what repentance means (Acts 8:1-25)…
So let us look at this passage. First, the people "gave heed" (Acts 8:6). This means they gave earnest heed. They not only heard, they listened. Now this must be examined because it is a vital term. What does it imply? Obviously it implies in the first place a readiness to hear. It is an astounding fact that many people are not Christians because they have refused to hear, and this is because they have been blinded by their prejudices…
So let us look at this passage. First, the people "gave heed" (Acts 8:6). This means they gave earnest heed. They not only heard, they listened. Now this must be examined because it is a vital term. What does it imply? Obviously it implies in the first place a readiness to hear. It is an astounding fact that many people are not Christians because they have refused to hear, and this is because they have been blinded by their prejudices…
It is
possible for you to refuse to hear. You can stop yourself from hearing, from
listening. God knows, many people have done that, and a large number of people
are still refusing to hear the Gospel. They sometimes take this stance because
they feel they know all about it and think it is a lot of nonsense…
Take the man who says, "I'm not a Christian." So you say, "Why not?" And he pours out a whole lot of cliches: "There's nothing in it. Tommyrot. Science has disproved it." Then you begin to ask him about the contents of the Bible, and you find out at once that he does not know anything about it. He has never read the Bible, and he has not the slightest idea as to what the Christian message really is. He may think it is a lot of sob stuff and that Christian people just spend their time singing hymns and choruses and complimenting one another…
Take the man who says, "I'm not a Christian." So you say, "Why not?" And he pours out a whole lot of cliches: "There's nothing in it. Tommyrot. Science has disproved it." Then you begin to ask him about the contents of the Bible, and you find out at once that he does not know anything about it. He has never read the Bible, and he has not the slightest idea as to what the Christian message really is. He may think it is a lot of sob stuff and that Christian people just spend their time singing hymns and choruses and complimenting one another…
My dear
friend, do you have an open mind? Are you really ready to listen to this
message? Have you ever given it a fair hearing? Is it not wrong from every
standpoint to dismiss a message, a teaching, before you have ever listened to
it, when you know nothing about it? But that is the tragedy of the times.
Oh, people may attack the church or a preacher or Christian people whom they happen to know, but that is not attacking Christianity; that is attacking the failure of particular Christians, which is very different. It is quite impossible for anybody to become a Christian without listening to the message. Of necessity the first thing we must do is listen to it, and listen to it fairly, listen to it honestly.
Now let us be frank: you do not like a prejudiced person, do you? What do you think of a man who will not listen to what you happen to believe, your hobby or your pet theory? Perhaps you are a politician, and you hold particular political views. What would you think if, when you went to address a meeting, the people just began singing the moment you began speaking and did not allow you to utter a single word? But perhaps you have been behaving just like that with regard to the Gospel.”
—Martyn Lloyd-Jones. Compelling Christianity (Studies in the Book of Acts)
Oh, people may attack the church or a preacher or Christian people whom they happen to know, but that is not attacking Christianity; that is attacking the failure of particular Christians, which is very different. It is quite impossible for anybody to become a Christian without listening to the message. Of necessity the first thing we must do is listen to it, and listen to it fairly, listen to it honestly.
Now let us be frank: you do not like a prejudiced person, do you? What do you think of a man who will not listen to what you happen to believe, your hobby or your pet theory? Perhaps you are a politician, and you hold particular political views. What would you think if, when you went to address a meeting, the people just began singing the moment you began speaking and did not allow you to utter a single word? But perhaps you have been behaving just like that with regard to the Gospel.”
—Martyn Lloyd-Jones. Compelling Christianity (Studies in the Book of Acts)
No comments:
Post a Comment