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GOSPEL INVITATION
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4
Acts 13:38-43

Hebrews 2:2-4

 

“How shall we escape,

if we neglect so great salvation…”

 

GOSPEL INVITATION
 
There must be a careful consideration in the invitation after the sermon. It is a practice in many churches that people are asked to raise their hands or to stand up, or are called to come to the altar or to pray the sinner’s prayer with the preacher. I believe there are sincere believers who came to receive Christ through this way, but this must be prayerfully done in a manner where what is most important is not the number of those who “make a decision.” In this passage we do not have any implication that numbers were the most important. It is Satan’s ploy to get churches to seek for numbers rather than genuine confessions, thus he succeeds in leading churches to promote “easy believism.”
 
To believe in Christ: The Apostle, though earlier had made an invitation, extended a concluding invitation to the Jews to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and be justified by Him. Justification here refers to the legal declaration of the sinner to be forgiven of his transgressions and iniquities and therefore just before the eyes of the Holy God. This was not possible by the Law of Moses because not one can perfectly keep that law. Only Jesus Christ, the perfect sinless Lamb of God has perfectly kept all the commandments and shed His blood on the cross for the remission of man’s sins. Thus, only by believing in Him can a man be justified and reckoned righteous before God.
 
To believe not Christ: Paul warned that some would not believe, and would contradict what he had pronounced. He quoted Habakkuk to remind them. Those who lightly esteemed the offer of salvation were told to marvel, for they would be destroyed if they remained in unbelief.
 
Though the Jews rejected the message, the Gentiles who probably were proselytes looked forward to the preaching of the Word the following Sabbath Day. How we should pray that this will characterise our churches! We must pray with our Pastor and preachers that the people in our congregation will have the hunger and thirst for God’s Word to desire to return the following Lord’s Day for more exposition of the scriptures.
 
THOUGHT: Am I offering the gospel of salvation to all?

PRAYER: Father, grant me the heart to love the lost as Thou lovest me.

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