Jan 17
2
Our prayer for the Lords people
“Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance: feed them also, and lift them up for ever”–Psalm 28:9.
David in this last verse of this Psalm closes with a sincere and fervent prayer for the Lord’s people. He prays for vital things that we as sinners desperately and constantly need. Let us make this our prayer!
1). Save thy people….Who are these people? They belong to Christ by electing love (John 6:37; Eph. 1:3-6). They are His by redeeming blood (Acts 20:28; 1 Cor. 6:20; 1 Peter 1:18-20). They are His by an effectual call of grace (2Tim. 1:9). What do Christ’s people need? Salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ, for “all we like sheep have gone astray.” Our Lord came to seek out and to save His lost sheep (Luke 19:10).
2). Bless thine inheritance, those who are the heirs of salvation, (Rom. 8:17). In Christ we have a blessed and eternal inheritance; “an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you. (1 Peter 1:3). Lord, bless your inheritance; the sheep of your hand and the people of thy pasture (Psalm 95:7). Bless your people with all spiritual blessing in Christ (Eph. 1:3-6). Bless your people with greater zeal and passion for the gospel of the free and sovereign grace (Phil. 1:27). Bless your people with greater confidence and assurance of complete salvation in Christ (Phil. 3:3).
3). Feed them…what do the sheep desire to eat, sheep food? Christ is the Bread of life, (John 6:35). The Scripture is all about Christ, we feed on Him through the Word of life (John 5:39). God’s servants are charged to, “feed the church of God, that He purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28; 2 Tim. 4:1-2;1 Peter 5:1-3).
4). Lift them up for ever…. Lord, lift them up from the dungeon of sin, lift them up from the curse of the law, lift them up from the dunghill of works, lift them and make them one with Christ and lift them up to glory with Christ forever. “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:5-6). Tom Harding.
A Sure Salvation
Tommy Robbins
“And the LORD their God shall save them in that day as the flock of His people: for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon His land.” Zechariah 9:16
The heart and design of all false religion is the promotion of man’s self-righteousness and imagined free-will in opposition to the glorious righteousness of Christ and God’s sovereign free-will. The righteousness and free-will of man is non-existent in the justification of sinners before God. The works and will of man is certain damnation for those who trust therein. The Lord Jesus Christ and His redemptive work is the only ground for justifying righteousness before the Holy God.
The Bible only knows and reveals a full, free and sure salvation wrought by the One “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God” – Romans 3:25, and “He is the propitiation for our sins” – 1 John 2:2. The salvation of God in Christ is certain, sure and everlasting because it is His salvation, wrought by Him and dispensed by Him. I fall and fail ten thousand times a day but He never has and never will fail, yea, CANNOT fail! – “He shall not fail nor be discouraged” Isaiah 42:4. The salvation of God’s elect children is as sure as the majestic Throne of His Glory, eternal in the heavens.
The earth shall burn and crumble, the sun will refuse to shine, the stars will fall like rain, and death and hell shall be cast into the lake of fire, but the Great Shepherd and His sheep shall dwell safely together on the Mountain of the Lord in the Land of Promise and “they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon His land.”
When our Lord said, “It is finished,” IT WAS FINISHED! Period! Our Surety sealed all covenant promises with His everlasting, efficacious blood. Away with all fancies and notions contrived in the hearts of fallen, unregenerate mankind concerning salvation. May we ever raise the banner of God’s free, sovereign, and everlasting grace in Christ Jesus our Lord!
Sufficient Grace
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me–2 Cor. 12:9.
When Paul was given a special messenger of Satan to buffet and beat him down in the flesh he asked the Lord Jesus Christ for immediate relief (2 Cor. 12:8)). Instead of removing the thorn in the flesh, the Lord in His infinite wisdom instructed and encouraged Paul that His grace was sufficient or enough to sustain him in the time of trial.
Surely this is true for all of the Lord’s people, although we often think in our time of despair and doubt that there is no way we can survive our trouble, heartache, grief and pain. Yet, the answer of the Lord is always the same, “my grace is sufficient.” His grace is sufficient to choose us unto salvation (Eph. 1:3-6). His grace is sufficient to save us by His mighty power (Acts 15:11; 2 Tim. 1:9). His grace is sufficient to keep us from falling (1 Peter 1:5; Jude 1:24). Surely, His grace is sufficient to sustain, comfort and bless us in the time of trial (Isa. 41:10; 43:1-7; John 16:33; Rom. 8:28).
The essence of this is that the Lord Jesus Christ is sufficient, He is enough, “Christ is all and in all” (Col. 3:11). The Lord’s salvation and strength is perfect and complete at all times but especially in and for our time of need and weakness (Psalm 46:1; Phil. 4:19). He instructs us to come boldly unto His throne of grace. Why? The Lord’s grace is sufficient. Read this precious promise found in Heb. 4:16, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
The Lord Jesus Christ is our all-sufficient Saviour. He does give us daily grace and daily strength for each trial. We realize and appreciate this the most when we know and confess our own weakness, frailties, inabilities and sinfulness. Paul says, “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong” (2 Cor. 12:10). Tom Harding.
What is Grace and Peace?
2 Peter 1: 2
Grace and peace are of God. They are the sure work wrought by God for, and in, every child whom he saves through the righteousness and sacrifice of Christ Jesus the Lord.
What is Grace?
God is Grace. When we see Christ Jesus by faith we see Grace. Grace is sovereign, free, irresistible, unchanging, unchangeable, preserving, saving grace because the God of all grace is all of those things. Salvation is entirely by grace because salvation is entirely of the Lord and salvation is entirely of the Lord because salvation is entirely by grace (Ro 8: 29-30.) Grace and works exclude each other and cannot be mixed (Rom 11: 5-6.) By grace, God the Father chose and predestinated his children unto the adoption of children by Christ Jesus (Eph 1: 3-6.) By grace, Christ Jesus finished the work of redemption so that the believer is redeemed, forgiven, and justified (Eph 1: 7; Rom 3: 24.) By the grace of God every sinner for whom Christ died is quickened to life together with Christ Jesus (Eph 2: 5.) By grace, the Spirit of God gives faith and repentance, and all other graces that pertain to life and godliness, sanctifying us in Christ Jesus (Eph 2: 8-10.) By grace every believer shall be kept until the day Christ Jesus returns (Phil 1: 6-7.) By grace, every child of God shall be resurrected into glory to sing of God’s grace in Christ for all eternity (Ro 6: 23; Zec 4: 7.) We truly sing from the heart, “Oh to grace how great a debtor, daily I’m constrained to be!”
What is Peace?
When God crosses a sinner’s path with the gospel of grace, God reveals his righteousness in the face of Christ Jesus. At first we have no peace. God destroys every false refuge. A man will blame the preacher, the brethren, his dog and his cat. But when the Spirit of God takes the things of Christ, and shows them to him, the “Sun of righteousness” arises with “healing in his wings” saying, “Son, be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven thee!” (Mt 9:2.) Peace flows into his heart. Peace of free justification by Christ’s righteousness, of full pardon and atonement by his blood and sacrifice, of being reconciled to God. Peace that we are complete in Christ Jesus. No more warring against God, no more guilt, no more working for acceptance, no more condemnation, the peace of assurance by faith in Christ Jesus (Ro 5: 1-2.) The peace Christ gives and the peace Christ is, is not the peace the world gives, nor is it given to his redeemed in the way the world tries to give peace (Jn 14: 27.) True peace that comes through the Holy Spirit is peace in believing (Ro 15: 13.)
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
How so?
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
How Are Grace and Peace Multiplied?
Grace and peace are multiplied through the gospel of our God and Savior (2 Pet 1: 5-8.) If we are too busy to hear the gospel and study the scriptures then we are too busy. The word continues to be made effectual by his Divine Power and Wisdom (2 Pet 1: 3-4.) His Divine Power and Wisdom brought the gospel to us, made us partakers of the divine nature in regeneration, and fulfills his exceeding great and precious promises to us. God and our Savior Christ Jesus multiplies his child in grace and peace and none shall be lost. In that great day we shall fall at his feet and praise him alone for the amazing grace and peace Christ wrought for us by his precious blood (Eph 1: 6; 1 Cor 15: 10.) Clay Curtis.
The Salvation of God
God’s salvation is infinitely immense. Usually when we think of being saved, we think of the punishment we are saved from. And that certainly is a blessing of infinite value. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” We also think of the state of blamelessness we have before the law of God because of our justification. “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect: it is God that justifieth.” That is another blessing of infinite value. But the immenseness of this salvation goes farther. It is said in Hebrews 12:10 that we are “partakers of his holiness” and 2 Peter 1:4 says we are “partakers of the divine nature.” This is a breathtaking concept. What a salvation! Not only will I not be punished for my sins, but I am not in a state of guilt before God. Not only am I not in a state of guilt before God, the word of God declares that I am a partaker of his holiness and very nature! God’s salvation is infinitely immense. Perhaps we will get a glimpse when we stand before God perfectly conformed to the image of his Son. Until then, we just believe! Todd Nibert.