Comments on: Bible Study Blog for Tuesday, July 26, 2011 http://baysidewoodland.com/pastors-blog/bible-study-blog-for-monday-july-26-2010/ a Bayside church in Woodland, CA Wed, 16 Nov 2011 20:04:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Bob http://baysidewoodland.com/pastors-blog/bible-study-blog-for-monday-july-26-2010/comment-page-1/#comment-410 Bob Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:03:26 +0000 http://baysidewoodland.com/?p=1489#comment-410 Having a preconceived conclusion will often blind us to the truth because we refuse to even look at the evidence being placed before us. The "Officials" had money and power by virtue of their position which gave them an agenda that could not be overcome by the plain truth they were facing. It's interesting that the final verses of this segment show that the unbiased were willing to see all the evidence and drew a solid conclusion that led them to follow Christ. We were stubborn about who Jesus is, too, except the Holy Spirit called us to hear the Gospel and to believe it. None of us has anything to be proud of because we know The Truth. We only see because God chose to explain it to us in terms simple enough for us. Those around us who are still lost in sin are still precious in God's eyes, and He wants to save them from themselves just as much as He wanted to save us when we were sinners. The good news is that there's a universe full of hope for the sinner who will hear and repent. The conclusion to Solomon's solioquy in 2 Chron 6 asks for God's grace to those who sin (both Jew and foreigner) and repent. That prayer wasn't answered in fact until the Good Shepherd gave up His life for the sheep as He describes at Jn. 10:11. It doesn't seem right that I should be saved from the destruction that I know my soul's actions have earned, yet, since I'm the "vilest offender who truly believes, that moment from Jesus a pardon receives," and it's not rational "That God should love a sinner such as I..." and "turn my sorrow into bliss..." It's a logical outcome that I should say, "...how wonderful is love like this?" Having a preconceived conclusion will often blind us to the truth because we refuse to even look at the evidence being placed before us. The “Officials” had money and power by virtue of their position which gave them an agenda that could not be overcome by the plain truth they were facing. It’s interesting that the final verses of this segment show that the unbiased were willing to see all the evidence and drew a solid conclusion that led them to follow Christ.

We were stubborn about who Jesus is, too, except the Holy Spirit called us to hear the Gospel and to believe it. None of us has anything to be proud of because we know The Truth. We only see because God chose to explain it to us in terms simple enough for us.

Those around us who are still lost in sin are still precious in God’s eyes, and He wants to save them from themselves just as much as He wanted to save us when we were sinners. The good news is that there’s a universe full of hope for the sinner who will hear and repent. The conclusion to Solomon’s solioquy in 2 Chron 6 asks for God’s grace to those who sin (both Jew and foreigner) and repent. That prayer wasn’t answered in fact until the Good Shepherd gave up His life for the sheep as He describes at Jn. 10:11.

It doesn’t seem right that I should be saved from the destruction that I know my soul’s actions have earned, yet, since I’m the “vilest offender who truly believes, that moment from Jesus a pardon receives,” and it’s not rational “That God should love a sinner such as I…” and “turn my sorrow into bliss…” It’s a logical outcome that I should say, “…how wonderful is love like this?”

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