Persuading Men Knowing therefore the terror of the

Persuading Men “Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences” (2 Cor. 5: 11).

Choice Given--Deut. 30: 15 -20 15 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, 16 in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. 17 But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, 18 I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess. 19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; 20 that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them. ”

Reason Together “Come now, and let us reason together, ” says the LORD, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land; But if you refuse and rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword”; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken (Isa. 1: 18 -20). And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks (Acts 18: 4). Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid answered, “Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you” (Acts 24: 25).

Who Is To Be Persuaded? • Some believe God must be persuaded: – Altar Call – Mourner’s Bench, Praying Through • God is ready to save: – For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved" (Rom. 10: 13). – And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. (Rev. 22: 17).

Preachers Persuaded Men To Obey • And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, "Be saved from this perverse generation" (Acts 2: 40). • For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek (Rom. 1: 16). • Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You almost persuade me to become a Christian" (Acts 26: 28).

Principles of Persuasion • Value of a Soul – For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? (Mark 8: 36). – The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance (2 Pet. 3: 9).

Principles of Persuasion The Terror of the Lord – Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences (2 Cor. 5: 11). – Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off (Rom. 11: 22). – and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power (2 Thess. 1: 7 -9).

Principles of Persuasion • The Love of Christ – For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died (2 Cor. 5: 14). – But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Rom. 5: 8). – We love Him because He first loved us Jn. 4: 19). (1