1 - Christian and Missionary Alliance

It seems that thls ia the genius of thenew
hirth. Whcn old thmgs pass away and all
things become new. the witness of the
Spirit need not he lurther confirmed with
evidcncu upon ev~dcncr.
l.ord rhunk You/~r YOW ~'iltz~,.,, r o r ~ i ,
Iwur~!
Sunday
"If. . . not from Gad . . .could do nothing"
(verse 33).
Ihc creature has some Innate capacity
lor understanding the mark5 ofhls cre;itor.
It is hy hith we understand that the world5
were framed hy the Ward of God. lhere is
that stamp upon the acts ot God which
makes it presumptuous and ultimately
hlasphcm,,us to attrihutc thcm to any other
power.
In his Rcuelation John predicts that
Ant~christ will dccrivc men with signs and
wonders. I'crformcd with the specilic
rnotiw 01 deceit. thcysasily produce reaults
among thmu disposed to he drcei\cd.
Although the acts of (iod arc so pure. so
delihcratc, so unqualilicd, yet hclief is not
assured: unbelief may he evidence, not of
conlus~on or misunderstmdine. hut nfthc
initlation of the processes of rrhrllion.
Onc cannot cxcuse cilher the Pharisees
a!- the worshipers of Antlchr~st on the
ground\ I ignorance or inadequate
ev~drncc. Nor can we heexcuscd (Romans
I :20).
l.onl. I um,rr,r so, I did nor know.!
Monday
"I)o you hclirve in theSon r,t Man'?(verse
35).
H;i\,ing been thoroughlyci,nfoundrd by
thc himpls logic of pure deliverance. the
I'hansees resort to the mly i-ecoursc left to
the hankrupt personal castlg;~tlon. It is
not ahsolutcl! ccrtaln what the unpression
"put him out" means in it\ dire implicat~on\,
hut it wasdangerr,us. rclgiously
and s~c~illy spraklng. not toagree with the
prestlplous leaders ol 1sr;icl.
I hc lime always comes to declare me's
intcnllon conccming Christ. It may he for
you. 11s it ~ 2 1 s for th~s man. ;I costly thing.
I he good news in tlii\\to~y~s th;it when h~s
encmlcs put him out. ('hrist tw,k him in.
I l h is ~ not thc pl;icctoan;~l),cthc moment
ofhrs canvcrsicln thxl twk place when hc
fully comprchendcd the ~dentttl 01 Chriht.
I lherc was no hacrier 10 Iaith because therc
was no denial of truth.
/.ord .s17,1m tne ill? .srq>,\ 01 ilz"~
um,nd 10 God!
Tuesday
"Who is tic . . . that I may helleve . . . ?"
(rerse 36).
I h not makc the mistake ol conhsing
thcopen door offaith with thcgullihilit) ol
unbridled joy. You may say this fellow was
so emotionally charged he was open to
anything. hat so! One step of faith opens
the way forthcncxt step. Onecannut climb
the hills of light if the first step into light
from darkness does not instill open1ie;irtcd
acceptance of further light.
Whcn ('hr~rt names Hmscll a new stcp
01 faith ih required. 'This man is not
cmotlonall) overeager; he is gratefully
wrpnnslvr. Christ who was trusted in the
physical miracle can bc trusted as ;I God-
en1 person lversc 33). ;i spiritual light-
giber. Ilie step from one to the otI1c.r is
natural, logical and right.
Faith docs not repudiate reason: it lor-
tilies it. I-aith docs not invite gullibility: it
tastcn and cncouragcs intelligent
response. Finding out who Jeaus is in-
creases thc grnund 01' faith.
Lord hdp r ~ so c ,,n 11, pw/l
nrrd in langwlge 1h;lt excuses him flom
b, ,151c : mal-;,I rcsponslhilit\. I he Pharisees
were purveyors ol a C'hristlrss approach to
an angry God hccausr thcir conccpt ofthc
Messi;h W;I\ of a kingdom without renenlance.
They coold not ccme in hecxosethey
would not admit thcv wcre outside.
Hihlicelly spzakiilg. it ii impossible to
undcrcstimatr irnc'h need. one's blindness,
in dealing with (;MI Chrtst c;imc to save
sinners. Seeing onesclf;~~ chic1 of sinners is
merely an admission ol fact.
1-ord. oui 01 mr duvI~m~,5,~, I c