Deuteronomy 9:4-6 KJV
Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the LORD thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness the LORD hath brought me in to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD doth drive them out from before thee.
Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may perform the word which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Understand therefore, that the LORD thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiffnecked people.
This is a humbling passage indeed and can be of a great help to us in our walk with the Lord if we will heed it.
Paul said
Rom 7:18
For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: ..... (KJV)
God's grace and love toward us is not because of our own goodness, but because of His own goodness. If God uses us, it is not because we have deserved to be used but because He has chosen to use us.
If we win souls to Christ
If we help sinners be converted from the error of their way
If we encourage believers in the way of righteousness
It is not because of our righteousness, but because of the need of these who do not know the Lord.
God's call into the ministry has little to nothing to do with our own goodness (though our testimonies ought to be "well reported of the brethren") but instead because God's plan has been to use we who are sinners saved by grace to minister to those who need to be saved by that same grace.
Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the LORD thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness the LORD hath brought me in to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD doth drive them out from before thee.
Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may perform the word which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Understand therefore, that the LORD thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiffnecked people.
This is a humbling passage indeed and can be of a great help to us in our walk with the Lord if we will heed it.
Paul said
Rom 7:18
For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: ..... (KJV)
God's grace and love toward us is not because of our own goodness, but because of His own goodness. If God uses us, it is not because we have deserved to be used but because He has chosen to use us.
If we win souls to Christ
If we help sinners be converted from the error of their way
If we encourage believers in the way of righteousness
It is not because of our righteousness, but because of the need of these who do not know the Lord.
God's call into the ministry has little to nothing to do with our own goodness (though our testimonies ought to be "well reported of the brethren") but instead because God's plan has been to use we who are sinners saved by grace to minister to those who need to be saved by that same grace.
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