J Heinrich Arnold-Freedom from sinful thoughts.pdf

FREEDOM FROM SINFUL THOUGHTS - REPENTANCE & REBIRTHgreatest sinner,” one feels these are not just piouswords. He really meant them. Paul had persecuted thechurch and was responsible for the martyrdom of manybelievers; he knew he was an enemy of God. In the sameway, at Pentecost, the people of Jerusalem sawthemselves as sinners. They did not feel they wereworthy of the Holy Spirit – far from it. They were “cutto the heart,” and spoke of themselves as the murderersof Christ. But because of this recognition, God coulduse them.If we want to be used by God, we must recognize thateach one of us, too, is a sinner. Even Peter, one of themost trusted disciples, was humble enough to recognizehis failings: after denying Jesus, we are told, he wentaway and “wept bitterly.” There is no other way for useither, than to weep for our sins.Repentance is not an easy thing: it demands hardstruggle. Yet even in the darkest, most agonizing hoursof soul-searching, we can take comfort in the fact thatJesus (though he was without sin) has been there beforeus. As we read in Hebrews:In the days of his earthly life he offered up prayers and petitions,with loud cries and tears, to God who was able to deliverhim from the grave. Because of his humble submission his prayerwas heard: son though he was, he learned obedience in theschool of suffering, and, once perfected, became the source ofeternal salvation for all who obey him… (Heb. 5:7–10).54