The Impressions of God

Sunday, February 5,2012

Led by Eric Gintert

Read very good sermon by Robert Murray M'Cheyne... "The Impressions of Natural Men".

• Hosea 5:4-5  -  "In these words, God complains that he did not know what to do with Israel, their impressions were so fading. He says, verse 5, that he had hewed them by the prophets, and slain them by the words of his mouth: and their judgments were as the light that goeth forth. At one time he sent them severe awakening messages of coming wrath; then messages of love and grace, as bright and as many as the beams of the sun. They were a little impressed by them; the cloud of distress began to gather on their brow, the dew of grief seemed to start to their cheek, but it soon dried up. It was like the morning cloud and early dew that goeth away. So it is with all the unconverted persons in this congregation, who will finally perish. God has sent them awakening messages, hewed them by the prophets, and slain them by the words ot his mouth. He has sent them also sweet encouraging messages; his judgments have been like the light that goeth forth. They think, and are impressed for a little, but it soon dies away. “O Ephraim, what shall I do,” &c." (Robert Murray M'Cheyne, The Impressions of Natural Men)
• We so often forget how God has left His impressions on us. As the children of Israel, we forget what God has done for us. His impressions fade away as we begin to forsake secret prayer, His holy Word, and godly counsel. We forget the land that God has brought us out of (Deuteronomy 6:12).
• There are also those who have felt the impressions of God but rejected it because the never felt truly lost, had no hatred for sin, and never saw the beauty of Christ.

Saved by Faith Alone, by David Wilkerson
When we first came to faith in Christ, we trusted that our sins were forgiven. We believed we were accepted, that we could lay down all guilt and fear and say, “I am saved by faith alone in what Jesus did for me at the cross.”

Then, as we proceeded in our walk with Jesus, we committed fresh acts of disobedience. We were crushed by our sins and quickly lost our vision of the cross. We tried to work out our own righteousness, to win back God’s favor by trying harder, but life then became a nightmarish merry-go-round of sin and confession, sin and confession.

We sometimes act as if trying harder on our own can save us. We think if we could just reform this flesh of ours, God would be pleased. Soon we are constantly working on our old man, to shape him up for a victorious Christian walk.

Some Christians may say, “I paid a high price for the victory I’ve achieved. I went through a lot of pain and suffering. I fasted, prayed, and successfully put down all my lusts and sinful desires. Is my struggle to obey worth nothing to God? Does He consider all my righteousness, all my hard work, as filthy rags?” Yes! It is all the flesh and none of it will stand before Him. There is only one righteousness and that is the righteousness of Jesus Christ!

“For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God” (Romans 10:3).

The only way to get into God’s good grace is to admit the truth: “There is no good thing in my flesh, nothing in my good works to merit my salvation. I cannot become righteous through anything I do in my own strength. My righteousness is in Christ alone.” Paul says of the gift of righteousness: “Those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:17).

•  Luke 12:34  -  Our treasure is where our heart is. Satan is very cunning and deceitful and will tell us how God doesn't want us because we sinned. He doesn't want us to cling back to God, he wants to tear us away from God. He'll make us think that since we claim to be born again we must never sin again... but God says that anyone who says they are without sin is a liar and the truth is not in them (1 John 1:8). BUT, the whole of a true believer's life will show that he is a Child of God... because Jesus is his treasure. He will always return to Christ, even in his darkest hours of sin he will be turned back by the hand of God.

"Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD. Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:"Jeremiah 3:13-14

• Remember David. If one were to take a snapshot photo of the day he committed adultery or the day he ordered that a man be killed, you could reasonably say that he was hell bound and a wicked man. But, if you took a video recording of David's life you would see that he was indeed a servant and child of the Most High God. He truly was a man after God's own heart (see Acts 13:22). David's treasure was God... you could see this the day that Nathan came and said "Thou art the man..." and his eyes were opened to his own sin (2 Samuel 12:7, 13). You could tell that God was David's treasure when he wrote the 51st Psalm, repenting from his sin. You could tell where David's heart was the day he stood before Goliath and declared that by God's hand the giant would be defeated (1 Samuel 17:45). David loved God... David sinned.
• We are not saved by our own righteous works. In fact, God see's our righteousness as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). God says that we are saved by grace through faith and not of works. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
• Hebrews 11  -  Why doesn't God bring up all these men and women's sins... why does he only praise their godliness. Think about it:
• Noah got drunk.
• Sarah was impatient.
• Moses was proud.
• Rahab was a harlot.
• Samson lusted.
• David committed adultery.
• plus many more...

God knows His children and He always draw them back to Him. And, His children love Him and will always come running back into His outstretched arms.

Prayer Requests:
Annette M. - sick
Fields Family - sick, pregnancy
Corinne G. - strength physically and emotionally for labor and delivery later this month
Melissa F. - strength physically and emotionally in pregnancy