My God and My Country

Word of God

Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God

Matthew 4:4

The Gospel According to Luke 5:8, 10b

8 Now when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus knees, saying, Lord, go from me: for I am a sinful man.

10b Then Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not: from henceforth thou shalt catch men

Brethren:

Many times we have touched on a subject of one of Satan’s greatest lies, that being how so many people believe that they cannot come to Christ, and to the Father because they are sinners. They know not how he came for them simply because they were dead in sin. In fact this editor was convinced of this lie. So often had it been whispered into the mind, and ears by the devil, that one was most sure of his destination. And it would have been so, had not someone shone the light of the Gospel of Christ upon the darkness of this one’s mind, thereby setting one free from sind and it’s wages of death. It was then that commitment to Christ became part of this one’s life from then forward, and the encouraging and seeking of others to do the same became a goal worthy of being sought after.

Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord;

This he said, not as though the presence of Christ was burdensome, or disagreeable to him; but as one amazed at the greatness of the miracle wrought, and struck with the sense of the power of Christ, put forth therein; and with the greatness of his majesty so near him; and as conscious to himself of his own vileness and unworthiness to be in his presence; and so the Persic version adds, and which may serve as a comment, "and am not worthy that thou shouldst be with me": he had much the same sense of things as the centurion had, and when it is considered how gracious persons have been struck with awe and fear, and a consciousness of sin, weakness, and unworthiness, at the appearance of an angel, as Zacharias, and the shepherds, yea, at the presence of an holy man of God, as the widow of Sarepta at Elijah, saying much the same as Peter does here, it need not be wondered at, that Peter should so express himself, in these circumstances.

From henceforth thou shalt catch men;

Alive, as the word signifies, or "unto life", as the Syriac and Persic versions render it; thou shalt cast the net of the Gospel, and be the happy instrument of drawing many persons out of the depths of sin and misery, in which they are plunged, into the way of life and salvation; and which was greatly verified, in the conversion of three thousand at one cast, under one sermon of his.