Aug 11
7
Remember to be bold to those who are teachers of false things (Titus 1: 10-13) but patient with those who are seeking but yet oppose themselves (2 Timothy 2: 23-26.) As we no longer lie to our neighbours but declare the truth to them (Ephesians 4: 15, 25, 29) most will speak blasphemous things against the glory of our God. There is such a thing as righteous anger for the hardness of man’s heart, as we see in our Saviour (Mark 3: 5). But Lord help me to remember my sinful flesh is a deceiver—let not anger turn to sin, giving place to the devil (Ephesians 4: 26-27.)
I believe Paul quoted this from Psalm 4. And I think Psalm 4 is the prayer of Christ when he was here as Man and faced the hardness of sinful hearts (Psalm 4: 1.) Christ stood in awe—He was amazed, angered and trembled at the hardness of man’s heart who constantly turned His glory into shame (Psalm 4:2.) But Christ knew that the LORD had set him apart for Himself therefore the LORD would hear Him when He called. (Psalm 4: 3.) So though He stood in awe at the hardness of man’s heart, He never sinned nor gave place to the devil, but communed with His own heart in private—opening His heart to the Father–and so He offered (and is) the sacrifice of Righteousness who put His trust in the LORD (Psalm 4: 4-5; Hebrews 7: 5-9..) As the world denied the faithfulness of God, the prayer of Christ was (and still is) for the LORD to look upon us (Psalm 4: 6.) And the Father increased and stilled the Masters heart (Psalm 4: 7-8.) May the Lord help us to see His faithfulness to keep us as we see the faithfulness of the Father to his Son. And may the Lord lead us to follow the example of Christ our Righteousness as often as we stand in awe at how this perverse and ungodly world continuously turns the glory of our all-sufficient Saviour into shame. No matter the opposition we can lay down in peace and sleep for the LORD only makes us to dwell safely in our Redeemer and He shall do the same for all his sheep—that is the stuff that makes for a good night’s rest. Clay Curtis
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Five Things Only a Believer Can Do
Ephesians 2: 10
All of the good works declared in this verse of Holy Scripture are the good works of faith. They are marvelous, supernatural works which manifest the power and presence of God in those who are enabled to do them. By these works the believer is set apart from all those pretenders of the faith; the believer’s faith being justified by these good works. (See James 2: 14-26) There are five good works which every believing soul is ordained to walk in.
The first good work is the work of repentance. Repentance is a turning from ones self to the true and living God. It requires a spiritual awakening to sin. (See Romans 7: 8-9) It is a despising of ones self. Repentance is a discovery that we are altogether as an unclean thing and all our righteousness’ are as filthy rags. (See Isaiah 65: 6) Where is one in all of Adams fallen race that will take his place outside the camp with the lepers? Is there any of Adams sons that can look within and cry, O, wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death? Romans 3: 11 answers, “There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.” Only believers repent.
The second good work unique to only believers is love. The love of God can only be perceived by the believing heart seeing the Father sending his only begotten Son to suffer and die in our stead: That which reconciles the rebellious sinner is to see the hand of God making him to be sin for us who knew no sin. No matter who makes the boast; he that loves not knows not God; for God is love. (I John 4: 7)
Submission is the third remarkable work of God in the believer: Parents over their children, husbands over their wives, employers over employees, civil government over the people, pastors over the assemblies and Christ over all. None but the believing heart can see such a glorious rule and put himself without reservation into the hands of God’s reigning king and submit to his rule.
The fourth work is worship. Only believers worship. “We are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.” (Philippians 3: 3)
The last good work ordained of God in which only the believer can walk is perseverance. (See Hebrews 10: 38-39) Only a believer is content to walk in faith resting in the person and work of his redeemer and wait patiently for his return. (See I John 2: 19)
These are the good works of faith and every believing soul created anew of God by his diving decree will walk in them. Darvin Pruitt
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Christ is All!
Have you ever felt dissatisfied with your faith? Have you ever thought that if only you had a better quality of faith then you could be sure of your salvation? This is dangerous thinking for we are never called to have faith in faith. Since when does the Bible say, “Being satisfied with our faith, we have peace with God”? ( See Romans 5:1).
Satisfaction with Jesus, His person and work, not satisfaction with our faith, is what the Father is looking for. We are never called to be satisfied or even occupied with our faith. We are, however, called to be occupied with Christ and His objective, outside of us, finished work! As believers we should be careful to avoid backsliding into subjectivism, but backslide we will if we continually focus on our experiences and level of faith.
Gospel faith takes a hold of Christ and His accomplishments on our behalf and causes us to set our affection on things above where Christ is (Col 3:2). Gospel faith takes us out of ourselves and away from dwelling on our experiences. The very essence of faith is to be satisfied with Christ and His substitutionary work done on our behalf. Christ is all (Colossians 3:11); faith sees and rests on this!
If your desire, however, is to be satisfied with your faith, you are evidently dissatisfied with Christ. You are not thinking like a gospel driven believer. Your thinking has
somehow been re-arranged. The gospel driven believer, on the other hand, is learning to be dissatisfied with self, and to be satisfied with Christ. Remember, John the Baptist’s words, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30)? For the gospel driven believer, growth can be explained with these three little words, “He must increase.” He, the Christ who has conquered, death, sin and the grave must increase in our understanding, appreciation and love. For Him to increase does not mean an increased inward self- occupation with our warm fuzzy subjective experiences, but rather it means enjoying being occupied with the risen and exalted Christ. When He, the risen Christ of the Cross, is increasing, everything else that vies for our attention is decreasing.
Near the pulpit, in an old church in the Highlands of Scotland there is a sign that says, “No man can give at once the impression that he himself is clever and that Christ is mighty to save.” This is just another way of saying that, he must increase but we must decrease.” With the Lord’s help may we learn to be thrilled with faith’s glorious object, the Lord Jesus. May we learn to focus on Him, not on faith and certainly not on our experience of Him.
Faith, no matter how perfect, is nothing in and of itself. Faith, however, points us to Jesus. It commands us to look away from ourselves and even itself and look to Christ, the risen, exalted, crucified Lord. Faith agrees that, “Christ is all” (Col 3:11). Faith constantly urges us to look to the One who says, “Look unto me” (Isaiah 45:22). And that’s the Gospel Truth Miles McKee
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GOD’S GLORY CONNECTED WITH HIS PEOPLE’S GOOD.
“A new heart will I give you, and a right spirit will I put within you. I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and will give you a heart of flesh.” —EZEK. xxxvi. 26.
WHAT a precious cluster of solemn declarations of undeserved mercy and free grace are here! Blessed, thrice blessed, art thou, O Israel! Thy God,—O the wonders of his love! Thy God has connected his own glory and thy well-being together; so that, though thy froward heart has led thee to profane his Name among the heathen, and though there be nothing in thee, nor of thee, considered in thyself, but what is awfully depraved, the regard the glorious God has to the honour of his own Name, and by inseparable connection with his honour, binds his blessed Majesty, by all the ties of infinite love to thee and by all that is dear to himself, to do thee good.
Brethren, beloved of the Lord, read the account, pause as you read, and stand astonished at the matchless methods the Lord takes of making known his love and loveliness to you, and with deep matchless love as this? Shall I still mix with the men of the world and make them my chief companions? And shall the things of the world be the principal objects of my pursuits, and thus profane thy great and glorious Name among the heathen? God forbid! Let the honour of thy Name and the greatness of thy love lead me to love, worship, and adore thee; and may it be my great concern from henceforth to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, being assured that all other needful things shall be added unto me. O thou Fountain of blessedness! Make me more watchful, prayerful, and thankful, and enable me to stand fast in the glorious liberty of the Lord Jesus Christ.” Beloved, it is the church’s blessedness that Jehovah has inseparably connected his glory with her real good; so that, while his blessed Majesty regards his own honour, he cannot, he will not, forsake or neglect his dear people. This is a blessing big with infinite importance. O that we were able at all times, under the blessed teaching of God the Holy Ghost, to fix a right estimate upon this glorious truth! Then we should find that in the greatest straits and difficulties, and even when our own worthlessness and sinfulness appear in their deepest hue, we have every encouragement to come boldly to the throne of grace. Mark that!—”the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.”
The church of Christ is called the City of our Solemnities; and it is one of the solemn acts of faith to plead with God for his Name’s sake. David, the man after God’s own heart, put in his plea upon that sacred ground: “For thy Name’s sake, O Lord, pardon my iniquity, for it is great.” (Ps. xxv. 11.) But he not only pleaded for himself but also for the whole church upon this blessed ground: “Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy Name, and deliver us and purge away our sins, for thy Names Sake, and under the glorious teachings of the blessed Spirit, Jeremiah goes upon the same sure ground: “O Lord, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy Name’s sake; for our backslidings are many. We have sinned against thee.” (Jer. xvi. 7.) But, beloved, though the Lord has in upon his people, he has made it their great privilege, as his children, to ask these blessings at his hands. Hence he says, in connection with that matchless cluster of blessings promised in Ezek. xxxvi., “Thus saith the Lord God, I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them.” Do I hear some poor sensible sinner say, “Alas for me! I am such a poor sinful, wretched creature that I fear Jehovah would consider his solemn Majesty insulted were I to crave a single blessing at his hands. I have awfully backslidden from him and have given the professed enemies of God cause to blaspheme his holy Name; and what can I expect but the doom of those who trample underfoot the Son of God, and who do despite to the Spirit of grace? Wretch that I am! I am more brutish than any man!” Come, come, poor desponding soul! Sink not into despair! Thy base proceedings cannot make the Lord cease to regard his own glory. That is as dear to him as ever; and this should encourage thee to plead with the Lord, not for your sakes, but for his great Name’s sake. God puts within his people a new heart and a right spirit, and cleanses them from all their idols and filthiness. William Gadsby
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Satan’s most subtle device
Satan is a very subtle enemy, and never spreads his snare in your sight. I hope you will not be
induced to value any knowledge which does not cause you to love Christ more, and to live more
decidedly as a member of His kingdom.
Satan does not care how much knowledge you have in your head, so long as he can keep possession of the citadel of your heart. Consequently, he will change his position a thousand times, before he will surrender his hold. But God’s grace must and will dethrone him, and set up the kingdom of Christ in your heart, so that you will serve a new Master and for very different wages. All that Satan can tempt us with, are perishable things of time, that will soon vanish away. But though we profess to despise the riches and honors of this life, none but those who are taught of God will view them in their proper light.
Satan is the god of this world, and he blinds the minds of those who do not believe. If one device will not succeed, he will try another; and every unregenerate man will be led captive by him, in some way or other. Many may think they have outwitted him by a knowledge of gospel truths in the head, while their heart is devoid of grace.
I feel this is Satan’s most subtle device.
It matters little what a man knows, if Christ is not the pearl of great price to him. Is Jesus Christ precious to you?
Do you love Him so that you would die for Him? Do you count all you lose for His sake gain?
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