BRIAN BUSBY
from CALVARY CHILDREN’S HOME
SUNDAY 10:30AM
Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart:
1 John 2:1, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:”
We have the privilege of calling “Jesus.”
This call is not a work to establish something with God.
This call is a direct participation in His life.
Of course, no human being dares to participate in God’s life unless he is qualified.
What then qualifies us to participate?
We are qualified by the blood of Jesus (Heb. 10:17-20).
Knowing this truth sets us free from trying to establish our own righteousness.
Being in this reality takes away all pretense.
Without this reality I will be trying to establish my own righteousness.
For example, I may be in a bad mood and want to get to the Lord.
My getting to the Lord can be like a little ritual that I go through.
I have to call ten times before I can feel accepted by God.
So even my calling upon the name of the Lord becomes a work of attaining to something, rather than a participation in the Lord’s life through the merit of His blood.
First John 2:1 says, “And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father.”
It does not even say, “And if anyone repents, we have an Advocate with the Father.”
This means that the moment sin enters the picture and breaks our fellowship with the Lord, there does not need to be any time lost in restoring that fellowship.
“We have [present tense] an Advocate with the Father.”
When sin occurs, in that moment we can turn and look to our Advocate who is before the blood-sprinkled throne.
Then it also may follow that the Holy Spirit will move within you concerning your sin.
He will pass through you, and you will weep and weep.
But your weeping will be tears of joy because you are a forgiven person.
Yet at the same time you will find that you loathe yourself.
Ezekiel chapter 36 indicates that when we have “a new spirit,” indwelt by the divine Spirit, we will spontaneously loathe ourselves (vv. 26-27, 31).
This loathing of ourselves is the activity of the Spirit.
It does not come from morbid introspection and shedding many tears over our poor condition.
Martin Luther passed through this kind of introspection in his own experience.
He shed tears, thinking that this would wash away his sins.
But he discovered that his tears did not work to cleanse his conscience.
Then one day from Romans 1:17 he saw Christ as his total righteousness and became a new man.
The sight of Calvary releases our spirit to participate in Him.
Until Tomorrow,
With A Shepherd’s Love
Pastor
TODAY’S PRAYER LIST
Amy Garner’s Dad
Brandon’s Dad
Dan Haines
Darlene Wiggin’s Brother
Dr. Don Davis – Home
Freddie May’s Mom
George Alexander
Joe Johnson’s Parents
Linda Hodges’ Sister
Michael Stanley
John McClain
Linda Lanier
Mary Williams
Melisa Smith’s G’Father
Tom Witcher
Ann Sullivan – Paula’s Friend
Bentley Smith
James Garner’s Friend
Kim McClain’s Mother
Lonzo Christian
Ashley Burn’s Sisters
Bill Moody
Charlie Sessom – Waiting
Colby/Connor – Allison’s G’sons
Greg Payne – Lisa’s Brother
Hanna Hall – Pray for Grace
Kenny & Nora Allison
Kimberly – Dustin’s Sister
Larry Barker
Linda Breedlove’s Sister – Sarah
Mary Sims
Marynell Ford
Pastor & Mrs. Driskell
Paula Ferus’ Missionary Friend
Ricky Stubbs
Rod Gustafson – Cancer
Roseleigh Osborn
Scott Lanier – Linda’s Son
Shaelyn – Jill’s Friend
Sheila Simmon’s Cousin
Tammy Shellnut’s Mother/Dad