"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT YOUR FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST"
NLT Luke 7:29 When they heard this, all the people, including the unjust tax collectors, agreed that God’s plan was right, for they had been baptized by John.
NLT Luke 7:30 But the Pharisees and experts in religious law had rejected God’s plan for them, for they had refused John’s baptism.
Some explanatory thoughts, some questions, some application, and a prayer:
1. When Jesus was preaching the Gospel in His day, it was really no different then it is today, when preached and shared by pastor's, preachers, and Christian's alike.
What's the difference, there are some who agree with the Gospel, and their are some who reject God's plan for them. ( For you who have believed, You are in that first group, the one's who believed )
2. Many who were listening to Jesus preach, had also listened to John preach. And, in this group were not just your normal run of the mill people, but, there were the worst of societies worst, the tax collectors.
They were Jews by birth, but traitors by action, they had sold out to the Roman Government, and were ripping off their own fellow Jews. But, both the common people and the tax collectors agreed with God's message, the need to repent and confess their sins, be baptized, become forgiven, the Messiah was coming.
3. But, surprising as it may seem, the Pharisees, and the experts in the law had rejected God's plan for themselves. And, we are told that they had refused John's baptism. Rejecting and Refusing, compared to agreeing and accepting.
The two attitudes of heart and mind, that either keep you where you were, or you become changed now and forever. How important is your faith.
And, if you have it, You can be thankful to God. ( by the way, He has given every man a measure of faith, See Rom 12, ) but, it's up to the person to use it or not. To believe, or to not believe, which is called unbelief.
4. So, here are the two groups again. And, You are in one or the other. I assume that most of You reading this are in the first group. But, if by some chance You are in the second, here's the news, You can change today, and become forgiven of your sins, and become a child of God. But, back to the two groups.
(1) Those who agreed that God's plan was right. How did they do this. They were baptized by John. Now that act of Baptism, did not save them, but it did show that they were doing what was right for someone who was agreeing that they were sinners, and needed to repent and be forgiven.
They were doing what they ought to have done, in light of who and what they were. They were sinners who needed forgiveness from God for their sins.
(2) But, the Pharisees both rejected God's plan, and they refused John's baptism. It was a double choice on their part.
Reject and refuse pretty much mean the same thing. To reject is to set aside, to disregard, to nullify, make void. And to refuse, means "Not" to have none of something. To say no.
5. Some things to think about. Do You have faith in God? And, have You taken the actions that God has called You to take? Then, You are what the Bible says, showing your faith by your works.
Your Faith is being evidenced by Your actions and lifestyle. On the other hand, if You know what is right, but have not, and will not respond, then You are like these people in the verses, who had made the choice to refuse and to reject God's plan for them.
But, You can change that today. You can accept and act upon God's Word, and give Your life to God. Do you know people who are in both camps? I'm sure you do. You can pray for the one's who reject and refuse, and You can thank God for the ones who have agreed with God's plan for them.
6. Your faith. What a gift from God. What a blessing that You have put it to use. You have believed God, and I pray that You continue to believe God.
The Bible says in 1st John 5, that if You have Jesus Christ in your life, then You have eternal life. And, if you do not have Jesus Christ in Your life, then you do not have life. So, for you and I who believe in Jesus, we have so much to be thankful for.
7. Tomorrow is Sunday. Many of us will be going to church, and sitting right next to you, on either side of you can be people who have agreed with God like You, or refuse and reject like the Pharisees and the experts in the law. Let's pray for the refusers and the rejector's.
A prayer:
Father, first of all, we are thankful to You that we can even read this Devotional and understand it's meaning, and realize what it means that we have faith in You, and that You have saved us.
What can we say to truly express our gratitude for saving us. And, Lord, we want to pray for the people who will be in the various sanctuaries with us tomorrow, the Double R's I call them.
The Rejecting Refusers. We were once like them, and look what You have done in our lives. Do it in them Lord, do it in them.
In Jesus name, amen.
Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel
