MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 4/20/2026
10:10 AM
My
Worship Time Focus:
“The
Theological Setting”
Bible
Reading & Meditation Reference: Luke
3:3b
Message of the verse: “preaching a baptism of repentance for
the forgiveness of sins;”
This morning I begin a rather long section that mostly
will come from what John MacArthur writes about this short half of a
verse. It’s amazing to me how he can get
so much out of the verses in the Word of God, but I suppose that is why I like
using his commentaries in order to learn more from the Word of God. This morning we begin to write about John’s
message of repentance and forgiveness which is the one proclaimed by every true
preacher of God’s truth. Now It is the
good news that alone provides hope to a sin-cursed world, and John’s message
would be readily understandable had he been preaching to Gentiles, but he now
has this message for the Jews of his day who mostly were very far from their
Lord. This message he is preaching
should seem unnecessary for the children of Israel, whose people were steeped
in the Old Testament. Now let me say
that while John was preaching to mostly Jews, there were also Roman soldiers
who came out into the wilderness to hear what he had to say.
Unfortunately the truth is that
Israel was religiously bankrupt and desperately need to hear John’s call to
repentance. The Jewish people were cured
of their penchant for idolatry because of their Babylonian captivity, however
in its place arose a legalistic religion, whose followers believed they could
gain a right relationship to God by means of their own efforts, something that
many people around the world still believe, but God is a jealous God and you
can only come to Him by the way that He has provided, that is through His Son,
the Lord Jesus Christ who took the place of sinners on the cross, as He became
sin for us while on the cross so that we can accept that forgiveness as we
invite Him into our hearts to save us, and they we will have a great desire to
follow Him through Bible study and the preaching of the Word. If you have not done this then ask the Lord
to save you now admitting you are a sinner in need of His precious and free
salvation He offers to you.
MacArthur writes “The Lord Jesus
Christ denounced that pernicious, false perspective in the Sermon on the Mount.
He declared that no one can earn salvation by keeping the law, since the
standard is the absolutely perfect holiness of God (Matt. 5:48; cf. v. 20).”
(Matt. 5:48; cf. v. 20)
48 You therefore must be perfect, as your
heavenly Father is perfect.”
“20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness
exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of
heaven.”
“Focusing
on external behavior instead of heart attitudes (vv. 21-47), making showy
public displays of giving to the poor, praying, and fasting (6:1-18) all mark
those on the broad way that leads to destruction (7:13). Those counting on such self-righteous achievements
to earn their salvation are foolishly building a house on sand—one that will be
washed away by the flood of divine judgment (vv. 26-27). But those who declare spiritual bankruptcy,
humbly mourning their sin, yearning for a righteousness granted them by God
(5:1-12 cf. Phil. 3:9), and trusting in the Lord Jesus (Matt. 10:32-33), will
become sons of God and inherit the kingdom of God. The apostle Paul reminded the Romans that
‘he is not
a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the
flesh. But he is a Jew who is one
inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by
the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God (Rom. 2:28-29)
He goes on to write “Three important
theological realities characterized John’s preaching. He offered the hope of forgiveness of
sins. As noted above, the Jewish
people were caught up in a system of works righteousness. Salvation, they were taught, came from
keeping the Law, observing the traditions, and performing the rituals. But the realization that they could not
perfectly do those things laid a heavy burden of guilt on them. Jesus declared that the Jewish religious
leaders, ‘tie put heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they
themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger’ (Matt.
23:4). Defending the biblical truth that
salvation is by grace alone through faith alone, Peter asked his fellow Jews at
the Jerusalem council, ‘Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing
upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have
been able to bear?’ (Acts 15:10).” That is not only a good question for Jews
but for all people who are focused in on ways that they think will save them,
but they will not for salvation already has been provided by the life, death,
burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, as Jesus paid it all, and then after
salvation “all to Him I owe.” Notice this comes after salvation, not before.
Macarthur then goes on: “Yet the Jewish people knew that the New
covenant promised forgiveness. In
Jeremiah 31:34, God declared, ‘I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I
will remember no more’ (cf. 33:8; 50:20; Ezekiel 16:60-63).” I will now take the time to quote these
verses as they are very important to our subject this morning.
(cf. 33:8; 50:20; Ezekiel 16:60-63)
“8 I will cleanse them from all the guilt of
their sin against me, and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and
rebellion against me.”
“20 In those days and in that time, declares the
LORD, iniquity shall be sought in Israel, and there shall be none, and sin in
Judah, and none shall be found, for I will pardon those whom I leave as a
remnant.”
“60 ¶ yet I will remember my covenant with you in
the days of your youth, and I will establish for you an everlasting covenant. 61
Then you will remember your ways and be
ashamed when you take your sisters, both your elder and your younger, and I
give them to you as daughters, but not on account of the covenant with you. 62 I will establish my covenant with you, and you
shall know that I am the LORD, 63 that
you may remember and be confounded, and never open your mouth again because of
your shame, when I atone for you for all that you have done, declares the Lord
GOD.’”
“They also
understood that God is by nature a forgiving God. The Lord described Himself to Moses as one ‘who
forgives iniquity, transgression and sin’ (Ex. 34:7). Interceding for rebellious Israel, Moses
characterized God as ‘slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving
iniquity and transgression’ (Num. 14:18).
Nehemiah called God ‘a God of forgiveness’ (Neh. 9:17). In Psalm 32, David exalted,
“How
blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! How
blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose
spirit there is no deceit!...I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I
did not hide; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’; and You
forgave the guilt of my sin’ (vv. 1-2, 5).”
Lord willing I will continue on this
subject of forgiveness in this evening’s SD.
Spiritual
meaning for my life today: I am so very thankful for the Lord’s
salvation as He saved me on the 26th of January in 1974, a day that
I will always remember and praise the Lord for.
My
Steps of Faith for Today: Continue to walk in the Lord and to trust in
the Lord to lead and to guide me.
4/20/2026
10:55 AM
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