Tag Archives: sinners

Never confuse anger for anointing

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Philippians 3:18, 19
For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, …

Many years ago I went to a meeting for pastors sponsored by a successful evangelist who was coming to our town. As a young pastor I was impressed by his fiery presentation. Afterwards I commented to an older pastor who was mentoring me that this preacher had a powerful “anointing”. His response was gentle and kind but straightforward, “Never confuse anger with anointing.”

Just a few years later this evangelist had an encounter with God that changed his life and resulted in him confessing some hidden sins, “While preaching from the pulpit I would be battling lust and anger.” His ministry also changed. There was still power but now there was also compassion.

We see that same attitude in Paul when he speaks of those whose “destiny is destruction”. He has no anxious expectation for justice or vengeance on the wicked. Like Jesus, he did speak mercilessly against the self-righteous but for the wicked there were only tears. It causes me to examine my attitude toward those who “live as enemies of the cross”. I may not be filled with anger but apathy is no better. Neither produce tears.

Lord, give me your heart (and eyes of tears) for those going away from You.
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But what of David who asked God to “break the teeth of the wicked” or even the Lord who “laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming.” (Psalm 37:13) Contradiction? Did Paul not have a proper attitude or did God change from OT to NT? I’ll save that for the next post.

Jesus did NOT come for everyone

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Luke 5:32 “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”
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Jesus makes it clear here that His coming was not for all mankind, just for sinners. Of course, all are sinners so what was he talking about, “I have not come to call the righteous”.

While it is true that all are sinners, many of us aren’t willing to admit it. If you are one of the “good people” then you really don’t need a savior. Oh, none of us would claim to be perfect but most of us think, all things considered, that we really aren’t that bad. If we had to check a box saying we were either a “bad person” or a “good person”, most of us would, rather humbly of course, say we are not perfect but, we are definitely a good person.

Jesus is saying here that unless we are a sinner, unless we recognize our spiritual bankruptcy before God, we aren’t ready to hear His call. He didn’t come to give His life for “good people”, if there were such a thing. The first requirement to being found is to realize you are lost. So, Jesus only came to call the lost, the sinners, those who recognize their desperate plight apart from God.

So let’s get real.  I am a sinner, you are a sinner and, as they say in the hood, so’s yo mama. We need Jesus. He is our only hope and that is why He came.

PS – If you really are a good person, here is a fun way to show the world just how good you are – CLICK HERE take the Good Person Test.
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Romans 3:22-23
This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, [23] for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,