Mar 17
5
“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” John 17:17
When the gospel comes “not in word only, but also in power,” it comes
“in the Holy Ghost,” that is, in and with the teaching and testimony of
the Holy Ghost. It is this coming “in the Holy Ghost” which gives truth
in its power such a sanctifying influence on the heart.
But you will ask, perhaps, What is a sanctifying influence? It is the
communication of holy feelings, heavenly desires, and gracious
affections; in a word, it is the breathing into the soul of that sweet
spirituality of mind which is life and peace. If we are among the people
of God, he chose us in Christ “before the foundation of the world, that
we should be holy and without blame before him in love.” If he chasten
us in this time-state, it is “for our profit, that we might be partakers
of his holiness” (Heb. 12:10). It is this holiness of heart, this
heavenly-mindedness which I mean when I speak of the sanctifying
influence of truth in its power.
Now did truth ever come into your soul with any measure of this
sanctifying influence? Did you ever long to get away from the chapel, go
home to your room, fall upon your knees, and have blessed fellowship
with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ? And were you ever so favoured
when you did get home? Or sometimes when alone, in reading, or
meditation, or secret prayer, did the word of God ever come into your
soul with that sweet unction, savour, and dew that it seemed to make the
very room in which you were holy ground?
I remember when God was pleased to reveal his dear Son to my soul in my
sick room many years ago, I was afraid almost to go out of my room lest
I should lose the sweet, holy feelings and blessed spirituality of mind
which I then and there enjoyed. Depend upon it, there is a holiness of
heart and affection, an inward holiness, without which no man shall see
the Lord; and depend upon it, whenever truth comes into a believer’s
soul, it comes with that sanctifying influence, which not only gives him
a meetness for, but is a blessed foretaste of the inheritance of the
saints in light.
JC Philpot.
Sinners are made the sons of God by the power of God alone. Sinners
became sons of God by God the Father’s power of grace when he chose whom
he would in Christ before the world began. Sinners are the redeemed sons
of God, by the power of God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who
effectually, freely, forever perfected all whom God gave him by his one
offering at Calvary. By the power of God the Holy Spirit, sinners are
brought into the realization of sonship—into the adoption of
sons–re-birthed, born again, when the new inner man is created and
renewed in knowledge after the image of Christ Jesus our Everlasting
Father. Those who have experienced the power of the triune God say in
full agreement, salvation is not of him that willeth, not of him that
runneth but of God that sheweth mercy.
Clay Curtis.
The revelation of faith
By the sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth the believer
is given spiritual eyes. Spiritual eyes are eyes that see what others
cannot and will not see. The apostle Paul describes this vision in II
Corinthians 4: 18 saying —“We look not at things which are seen, but
at the things which are not seen: For the things which are seen are
temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal..” The faith of
God’s elect is the gift of God that enables the believer to see through
the eyes of God. John said of Christ, “What he hath seen and heard, that
he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony. He that hath received
his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. (John 3: 32-33)”
The eyes of faith see through God’s eyes. They see God as he is, man as
he is, and Christ reconciling the two. They see the eternal, immutable
purpose of God in redemption, the everlasting covenant of grace and the
one mediator between God and men accomplishing the will of God
concerning these things. The eye of faith sees a bleeding substitute
satisfying the justice of God concerning their sins and his righteous
obedience as their own righteousness making them “holy, unblameable and
unreproveable in his sight (Colossians 1:22).”
Seeing through his eyes we see the perfection of God in all he has done
and found as God did when he looked upon his work, that it is good and
complete and sufficient to cease from our labors and enter into his
rest. Darvin Pruitt.
A Matter Of Revelation
Todd Nibert
No mater how simply and clearly the gospel of Christ is presented, no
matter how intelligent the person is that is listening, the gospel
cannot be understood or received apart from a revelation from God
Almighty to the sinner’s heart ( Matt. 16:17). This is a humbling truth.
No amount of seeking or study will enable one to believe. God must
reveal Himself.
But it is also a very encouraging truth. Although our ability to preach
and witness will not make a sinner more likely to believe and the
sinner’s ability to listen, and comprehend what he has heard will not
make him more likely to believe, yet God can and does make Himself known
in an instant; and that sinner to whom God makes Himself known will
believe! Not only will he believe when God makes Himself known, he can’t
help but believe!
Forsake Not The Assembly of Yourselves
Drew Dietz
Every time Melinda and I are privileged to stay long after services to
fellowship with you folks I am reminded that our God is ‘right’ on this
topic of ‘gathering together unto the Lord’. We are sheep, and as such,
need to ‘flock’ and mingle and be around one another. Sheep are not
solitary animals, they desperately need one another.
This last Wednesday we did just that; mingled, talked and fellowshipped
around the blessed things just preached, His word and the hopes and
needs of this little flock. I need you; you need me; I want to need the
fellowship of believers. It is as necessary as anything else I can think
of. I know that this is not always possible, but whenever possible the
constant desire of the sheep is to seek the fold. There are just too
many things that can be resolved, helped, and cared for when we are
physically present among the remnant of His fold.
I am so very thankful for the tapes, CD’s and teleconference. However,
there is nothing quite like that hug, that tearful eye and those
expressions of joy on the faces of you folks as the gospel was heard,
received and believed! “One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will
I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of
my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple”
(Ps.27:4). “How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! My soul
longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my
flesh crieth out for the living God” (Ps.84:1,2). “And when the day of
Pentecost was fully come, THEY WERE ALL WITH ONE ACCORD IN ONE PLACE”
(Acts 2:1). There are many things I think I need in this world which
will be found unnecessary, yet that which I do have such a great need
for is that blessed privilege we call gathering together with the saints.
THE Promise of God
Maurice Montgomery
The promises of God, “said one man, “are like the clothes we wear; if
there is life in the body, they warm us, but not otherwise. Where there
is living faith, God’s promises afford warm comfort.” Thus we can say
with Luther, “Although I am a sinner, yet I despair not; for Christ, who
is my Redeemer and righteousness, liveth. In Him I have no sin, no fear,
no sting of conscience, and no fear of judgment. In Christ there is no
condemnation. I am indeed a sinner as touching this present life, but I
have a righteousness of God which is above this life, who is Christ my
Lord. In Him I rejoice.”
TEN PROMISES FROM GOD TO HIS TROUBLED SAINTS
Isaiah 43:1-7
Child of God, your afflictions in this world may be many, heavy, and
long, but they will never destroy, or even harm you. Therefore the Lord
your God says, “Fear Not.” Then He gives you these ten, blessed promises
to silence your fears.
“I have redeemed thee!” Christ has redeemed you by the price of His
blood and the power of His Grace. If He has redeemed you, nothing and no
one can harm you.
2. “I have called thee by thy name!” All whom He has redeemed are
called, called with an effectual, irresistible, personal call. This is
efficacious Grace!
3. “Thou art mine!” What a blessed word of Grace! You belong to God as
His peculiar possession, His new creation. That means you are under His
protection and provision.
4. “I will be with thee!” Wherever God by His providence puts you, He
will be with you in sympathy and in power to take care of you.
5. “I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel!” The Almighty God,
the Holy One, who is always faithful and true, is as much your property
as you are His property, because He has given Himself to you.
6. “I am thy Saviour!” When He says, “I gave Egypt for thy ransom,
Ethiopia and Seba for thee,” our Lord is saying, I have bought you at
such a price that I cannot afford to lose you.”
7. “Thou art Precious in my sight!” You are God’s treasure, His jewel.
Though despised by men, if you are a believer, you are precious to God!
8. “Thou hast been honorable?” You are not honorable by nature, nor by
any of your deeds, but God by His Grace has made you honorable. He has
washed away your sin by the blood of Christ and robed you with His
perfect righteousness.
9. “I have loved thee!” Let men talk all they please about a useless,
universal love, this is special love! God so loves His own elect that He
will sacrifice men and nations for them!
10. “I have created (you) for my Glory!” The very Glory of the triune
God is wrapped up in the Salvation of His people. He will either save
everyone of the chosen seed, all who are called by His name, and save
them from all evil, or He will lose His Glory; and that cannot be! Don
Fortner.
Facts about the election of grace
Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. For our gospel came not
unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in
much assurance (I Thessalonians 1: 4-5)
An election which does not lead a person to believe the gospel, confess
in his heart, confess Christ in baptism, and identify whole heartedly
with the Lord’s church is not the election of grace.
Election which does not give a person a new birth, a new heart, a new
nature to love Christ, to love one another and to live and express that
love daily is not the election of grace.
An election which does not result in a new walk, a new attitude, a new
spirit of unity and fellowship is not the election of grace
An election which does not make a person generous toward others, liberal
in his support of the gospel ministry, liberal toward his house and
other families and who had not learned that it is more blessed to give
than to receive, is not the election of grace.
An election which does not (in time) produce these fruits of the Spirit,
a growth in grace, the knowledge of Christ, which delivers a person from
a covetous spirit, the vanity of the flesh and the pride of self is not
the election of grace.
There was a time when only God knew we were His elect! There came a time
when we knew that we were elected by God! There comes a time when others
know that we are His elect!
Henry Mahan
Witnesses of Christ
Acts 1: 8
It is the privilege, responsibility and honor of every believer to
accurately and honestly relate to others that which he has heard with
his own ears, seen with his own eyes, and felt and experienced in his
own heart (I John 1: 1-3). Therefore, let us be sure that our testimony
truly is, “Salvation is of the Lord.”
1. We are witnesses by believing the Lord Jesus Christ is able to save
(Acts 1: 4.) The disciples had just seen the religious mob beat their
Savior till he was unrecognizable. Returning to Jerusalem was witness
that they trusted the power of their Lord to keep them.
2. We are witnesses by waiting on the Holy Spirit (Acts 1: 4-5.) The
disciples had no more ability in themselves to strengthen their own
hearts, to preach Christ or to quicken dead sinners than they had
ability to keep themselves assembled after Christ’s death. They were
witnesses of Christ by waiting on the Holy Spirit.
3. We are witnesses by trusting the progress of the work to our all-wise
God (Acts 1:6-7). The disciples asked this question only once; they were
satisfied with the answer. God “hath appointed a day”; that is enough
for Christ’s witnesses (Acts 17:31; I Co 3: 5-7; compare Acts 1: 5, 7
with Luke 3: 16, 17.)
4. We are witnesses by proclaiming Christ and by proclaiming Christ
crucified. The one thing that separates true witnesses from false is,
“We preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord” (2 Corinthians 4:
5; Acts 2: 36; 1 Corinthians 1: 23-25.) Clay Curtis.