Indicators of God's Choosing
God's choosing is marked by a deep reverence for divine things and a great moral sensitivity.
Greek Word Studies delves into the meaning of 'Closed' (phrasso) in Romans 3:19, emphasizing its significance in silencing all excuses for both Jews and Gentiles, akin to stopping the mouth or putting to silence. The concept of shutting mouths is illustrated in various biblical contexts, highlighting the effect of overwhelming evidence against sinners, rendering them speechless before God's judgment. The purpose of the Law is to lead individuals to renounce their own righteousness and rely on Christ's righteousness for justification, as obedience to the law alone cannot justify anyone before God.
Text
. . . No man is ever the same after God has laid His hand upon him. He will have certain marks, and though they are not easy to detect perhaps we may cautiously name a few. One mark is a deep reverence for divine things. A sense of the sacred must be present or there can be no receptivity to God and truth. This mysterious feeling of awe precedes repentance and faith and is nothing else but a gift from heaven. Millions go through life unaffected by the presence of God in His world. Good they may be and honest, but they are nevertheless men of earth, ''finished and finite clods,'' and proof against every call of the Spirit.
Another mark is a great moral sensitivity.
Most persons are apathetic, insensitive to matters of the heart and the conscience, and so are not salvable, at least not in their present condition. But when God begins to work in a man to bring him to salvation He makes him acutely sensitive to evil. Inward repulsion toward the swine pen that rouses the prodigal and starts him back home is a gift of God to His chosen.
Sermon Outline
- I points: - Indicators of God's Choosing - A Deep Reverence for Divine Things
- II points: - A Sense of the Sacred - Gift from Heaven - Precedes Repentance and Faith
- III points: - Great Moral Sensitivity - A Gift of God - Acute Sensitivity to Evil
Key Quotes
“No man is ever the same after God has laid His hand upon him.” — A.W. Tozer
“This mysterious feeling of awe precedes repentance and faith and is nothing else but a gift from heaven.” — A.W. Tozer
“Inward repulsion toward the swine pen that rouses the prodigal and starts him back home is a gift of God to His chosen.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- We should cultivate a deep reverence for divine things to be receptive to God and truth.
- God's choosing is marked by a great moral sensitivity, which makes a person acutely sensitive to evil.
- Repentance and faith precede God's choosing, and it is a gift from heaven.