For Reading and Meditation:      Romans 16:1-16A word which the gospel associates with salvation is the word "conversion." Salvation is the offer of divine forgiveness and the gift of eternal life; conversion is the way we enter into that experience and receive the gift. The word "conversion" means to turn about or change one's direction. Though other religions talk about spiritual conversion, the experience they speak of bears no relation whatsoever to the thought in the mind of Jesus when He said: "Except ye be converted ... ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3 KJV). We divide people into races, classes, sexes, nationalities, rich and poor, educated and uneducated, but Jesus divided men and women into just two classes - the converted and the unconverted. Apparently, to Him no other distinctions mattered. If you are converted, you are in the kingdom; and if you are not converted, you are not in the kingdom. There are no exceptions. Listen to the words once again: "Except ye be converted ... ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." I think it sad that the NIV translation of the Bible doesn't use the words "except" or "converted" in Matthew 18:3. It simply says: "unless you change and become like little children." The truth is still there, but in my opinion the words used are not as picturesque or as powerful. Conversion can be explained like this: it is the change, gradual or sudden, by which one passes from the kingdom of self to the kingdom of God. And if there is no change, there is no conversion. O God, I am thankful that amidst all the awakenings and new experiences I can enter into in this life, You are eager to give me the supreme awakening - spiritual conversion. May multitudes enter into it today. In Jesus' Name. Amen.<div class="tl-lightgrey mt20 pt20 flexbox-row-wrap jc-around"><div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">AdditionalVerses</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li>Isaiah 43:25</li><li>Isaiah 55:7</li><li>Micah 7:18</li><li>1 John 1:1-9</li></ul></div>

<div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">Questions to Consider</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li>What does God display toward the unconverted?</li><li>What is the consequence of conversion?</li></ul></div></div>

Let a little light into your soul every day with this wonderful devotional from English pastor Selwyn Hughes.

Every Day Light with Selwyn Hughes

"Greet ... Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia." (v. 5) 

The proper object of mercy is misery; sin has rendered us miserable, and God has revealed Himself as merciful. He delighteth in mercy; it is a pleasure to Him to have mercy upon us; He delights to pardon our sins, relieve our necessities, and save our souls.His own glory being secured, He delights to bless His people. He is styled, THE FATHER OF MERCIES; and as a father takes pleasure in his children, so does our God in showing mercy.He always delights in mercy, therefore He does so this morning; go, then, and mourn over thy sins, which have grieved Him and rendered you miserable; go, and plead for mercy at His throne, nor doubt for one moment His pity, His kindness, or His grace. Have you obtained mercy? Be zealous to glorify God in the day of visitation; be honest, and ascribe all to mercy which is her due; and be active to spread the good news abroad, assuring poor, miserable sinners, that GOD DELIGHTETH IN MERCY.With this, check thy fears, repel thy temptations, and comfort thy heart. Believe it as an undoubted truth, plead it as a powerful argument with God, and daily rejoice in it. It is sweet to be an infinite debtor to mercy.Tis mercy in Jesus exempts me from hell; Its glories I'll sing, and its wonders I'll tell; 'Twas Jesus, my Friend, when He hung on the tree, Who open'd the channel of mercy for me.

Written by James Smith for his own flock around 1840, but such was the demand that by 1846 over thirty thousand copies where in circulation.

The Believer's Daily Remembrancer

He delighteth in mercy. - Micah 7:18

There is a little flock who are acquainted with God; are so far acquainted with his essential perfections, and see so much of his glory in Christ, that God is not ashamed to be known as their God, and to have it understood among the angels of heaven that the members of this flock do know him. But viewing these as exceptional, innumerable conceptions of God possess the minds of men; to express it otherwise, innumerable gods of, widely different characters exist in the conceptions of men, and frown upon the only true God. " righteous Father, the world hath not known thee," said Christ; but the world angrily asserts that it knows him very well. Every natural man has his deity, whom he prefers to the God of the Bible; and conversion is just consenting that the true God shall be God, and the god of one's fancy be annihilated. Men have the highest idea of their own faculty of bodying forth the true God, and look with proud disdain upon what seem to them the bungling attempts of Scripture. One boasts that his God has made no decrees concerning the salvation of particular persons. Another that his God saves all that are baptized. Another that his God finds much merit in man. The God of another will actually save all. But almost all these gods of men's devising, agree in one respect. They make light of man's iniquity. They entertain no sterner view of it than man himself, man the sinner, ordinarily entertains. Of course they are ready to forgive it; for it is a light thing. When, however, men begin to come to the knowledge of the true God, then their iniquity rises from its tomb in all its dread proportions, and the dread specter lifts its head to the skies, stretches out its hands to the East and to the West, blots out creation from their view, and bids them come with it to the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone. Their former God is fled into everlasting night; and all their former conceptions of divine grace, though multiplied a million times, would fall short of that grace which they now see to be required. What shall they "do? Perish? No, says God; look unto the cross, know my grace, and live. Then from an amazed heart cometh the ejaculation, "Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity? "

A daily devotional written by a Baptist Missionary to India, Reverend George Bowen (1816-1888) over 150 years ago.

Bowen's Daily Meditations

"Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity?' - Micah 7:18. 

God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. § O Lord my God, I cried out to You, and You healed me. O Lord, You brought my soul up from the grave; You kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. § When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord; and my prayer went up to You, into Your holy temple. § I waited patiently for the Lord… He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps.

Daily Light on the Daily Path or Daily Light is a Christian daily devotional scripture reading published by Bagster & Sons about 1875. It has been reprinted continually since then. It consists of brief groupings of scripture passages which speak to prominent Biblical themes—two themes (morning and evening) for each day of the year. It appends no commentary, but simply allows scripture to speak for itself.

Morning Daily Light

 But You have lovingly delivered my soul from the pit of corruption. 

Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. “For a mere moment I have forsaken you, but with great mercies I will gather you. With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; but with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,” says the Lord, your Redeemer. § I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. § The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

 You have cast all my sins behind Your back. 

As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. § “In those days and in that time,” says the Lord, “the iniquity of Israel shall be sought, but there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, but they shall not be found; for I will pardon those whom I preserve.” § You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. § Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity? All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. § He shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong, because He poured out His soul unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors, and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. § The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

 The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to an uninhabited land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness. 

It pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself. § Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed. I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil. § “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.” § Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity? § Now acquaint yourself with Him, and be at peace. § Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. § Lord, You will establish peace for us, for You have also done all our works in us.

 God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them. 

I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more. § Who can forgive sins but God alone? I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins. § Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity. § Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity? God in Christ forgave you. § The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. § Sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace … Having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

 Your sins are forgiven you. 

The iniquity of Israel shall be sought, but there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, but they shall not be found; for I will pardon those whom I preserve. § Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. He made us accepted in the Beloved. § To present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight. Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Saviour, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.

Evening Daily Light

 They are without fault before the throne of God. 

His mercy endures forever § The Lord is longsuffering and abundant in mercy. § Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity … ? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. § Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. A merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

 Has His mercy ceased forever? 

I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions, and like a cloud, your sins. § I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins. § “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.” § I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more. § You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. You have lovingly delivered my soul from the pit of corruption, for You have cast all my sins behind Your back. § Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. § To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood … to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

 Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions. 

18 <poetry>Who is a God like you, <indent>who pardons sin and forgives the transgression</indent> <indent>of the remnant of his inheritance? </indent> You do not stay angry forever <indent>but delight to show mercy. </indent> </poetry>

Who is a God<cr>1</cr> like you, <indent>who pardons sin<cr>2</cr> and forgives<cr>3</cr> the transgression</indent> <indent>of the remnant<cr>4</cr> of his inheritance?<cr>5</cr> </indent> You do not stay angry<cr>6</cr> forever <indent>but delight to show mercy.<cr>7</cr> </indent>

Micah 7:18

 18 Who is a God   like you, who pardons sin   and forgives   the transgression of the remnant   of his inheritance?   You do not stay angry   forever but delight to show mercy.   

From Wikipedia: 

The New International Version (NIV) is an English translation of the Bible first published in 1978 by Biblica (formerly the International Bible Society). The NIV was published to meet the need for a modern translation done by Bible scholars using the earliest, highest quality manuscripts available. Of equal importance was that the Bible be expressed in broadly understood modern English.

The NIV is published by Zondervan in the United States and Hodder & Stoughton in the UK. The NIV was updated in 1984 and 2011 and has become one of the most popular and best-selling modern translations.

OT: Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia; additional sources;
NT: UBS Greek New Testament; Novum Testamentum Graece; additional sources;

New International Version

 Who is a God  like you, who pardons sin  and forgives  the transgression of the remnant  of his inheritance?  You do not stay angry  forever but delight to show mercy.  

<poetry>Who is a God like you, <indent>who pardons sin and forgives the transgression</indent> <indent>of the remnant of his inheritance? </indent> You do not stay angry forever <indent>but delight to show mercy. </indent> </poetry>

 Who is a God   like you, who pardons sin   and forgives   the transgression of the remnant   of his inheritance?   You do not stay angry   forever but delight to show mercy.   

Bible Verse of the Day

January 15, 2000

Micah 7:18 NIV

Verse by Verse Bible Study

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