DCLM Sincere Milk 18 February 2025 — A Proselyte (A Convert)
DCLM Sincere Milk 18 February 2025 Devotional by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi — A Proselyte (A Convert)
Topic: A Proselyte (A Convert)
Text: Matthew 23:14-16
14Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
16Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!
Key Verse: “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.” Matthew 23:15
Message
A proselyte is a person who has been converted from one opinion, religion or party to another. A proselyte is a new convert, especially someone who has recently switched from one religion to another.
According to out Bible passage, Jesus called the scribes hypocrites. A hypocrite is someone who pretends to be one thing but is really another. It describes someone who is fake. Jesus uses this term to describe the scribes and Pharisees as religious frauds.
What is now the relationship between proselytes and hypocrites in this passage? The religious rulers who did not love Christ were teaching others and deceiving them to reject the Saviour, thereby preparing the proselyted (those who believe their false teaching) for hell.
The lesson for us here is that we should not be a pretender who will hinder others from the kingdom of God. You should rather be a shining light and a good example leading sinners to the Saviour. If you are not a believer in Christ yet, do not delay, hell is real, avoid it by repenting and accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour and Lord.
Further Reading: Acts 13:43,44
Prayer for today: Dear Lord, help me to be a shining light to bring sinners to You.
1. Admit that you are a sinner. "For all [humans] have sinned, and comes short of the glory of God....[and] the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 3:23)
2. Repent now. "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out ...[for] if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness " (Acts 3:19, 1 John 1:9)
3. Believe that God loves you and Jesus died for you. "God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet Sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)
4. Invite Jesus into your life through prayer of faith. Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:20)
