His words resonate even today..... by George Whitefield It is a pity that modern preachers do not pay more attention to the method that the apostles followed in preaching Jesus Christ! The success and divine authority of their discourses should impress ministers of the gospel more than all modern schemes. If this were the case, ministers would first learn to sow and then to reap. They would endeavor to plow up the fallow ground and to prepare people for Gods blessings to rain down upon them. This is the way Peter preached when under divine influence at Pentecost. Despite the fact that many of his listeners were educated, prominent people, he boldly charged them with murdering the Son of God. His piercing accusation entered deep into their conscience and was used by the Holy Spirit to give them a proper sense of themselves. The apostle then let them know that, although their sin was great, it was not unpardonable. They had been part of the horrid crime of murdering the Lord of life, and had thereby incurred the penalty of eternal death. Yet there was mercy for them in the way prescribed: Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out (Acts 3:19). But must we preach conversion to a professing people? Some of you, perhaps, are ready to say, Go among the savages and preach repentance and conversion there, or preach conversion to the drunkards. Possibly others will say, Who are you to preach repentance and conversion to us? However, if Gods Spirit finds you out and reveals your heart, you will have a different opinion of yourselves and will not be angry with a minister of Jesus Christ for preaching conversion to your souls. Conversion is not changing from one set of principles to another. You who have been raised with Christianity are in the greatest danger of being zealous for orthodox principles without being transformed by them into the image of God. Others think that they are converted because they have reformed their lifestyle. However, reformation is not renovation. The outside of the platter may be washed while the inside remains filthy. A person may turn from profaneness to morality and therefore believe that he is converted, yet his heart is still unrenewed. True conversion means turning not only from sin but also from depending on self-made righteousness. Those who trust in their own righteousness for conversion hide behind their own good works. This is the reason that self-righteous people are so angry with gospel preachers, because the gospel does not spare those who will not submit to the righteousness of Jesus Christ! What! Get to heaven on your own strength? Why, you might as well try to climb to the moon on a rope of sand! The author of conversion is the Holy Ghost. It is not based on free will or moral persuasion. Nothing short of the influence of the Spirit of the living God can effect this change in a persons heart. Therefore, we are said to be born again and born of the Spirit not only with water but with the Holy Ghost (John 3:3, 6). The Lord Jesus Christ when he first comes to you, finds you full of sin and pollution; you are deformed, defiled, enslaved, poor, miserable and wretched, very despicable and loathsome, by reason of sin; and he maketh choice of you, not because of your holiness, nor of your beauty, nor of your being qualified for them; no, the Lord Jesus Christ puts these qualifications upon you, as may make you meet for his embrace; and you are drawn to make choice of the Lord Jesus Christ because he first chose you. Amen and amen. Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord (Acts 3:19) ~George Whitefield during the Great Awakening
Posted on: Fri, 06 Jun 2014 16:15:51 +0000
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