Jul 18
22
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.”
Walk In Love
And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself
for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour.
Eph 5:2
Here we see the motive for the performance of all duties and
responsibilities (which are really privileges and blessings) of
believers in regard to Christ and each other. The child of God needs not
a law or rules to direct him in his walk or govern his life. He has what
he needs – Christ’s love for him. With Christ and His love for us in
view how could we not love Him and our brethren. The love of God
manifest in Christ giving Himself for us “is shed abroad in our hearts
by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” Romans 5:5. This love is
manifest in our conversation or, walk, not just lip service – “My little
children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in
truth” 1John 3:18. Our Lord, constrained by love, lived His life for His
sheep and died for His sheep. Because He loves His own He now provides
for us, He protects us, He comforts us, He forgives us, He intercedes
for us, He blesses us with all Spiritual blessings and all temporal
blessings. He walked in love here on this earth until His death, and now
He reigns in love at the right hand of the Father. It is His desire
(which shall be accomplished) that all whom He loves shall be with Him
in Glory, eternally. Is this not the motive and attitude of those who
know Him? To be like Him? My brethren, because He walked in love for us
everything will be alright. As the body of Christ walks in love for Him,
His gospel and for one another, everything will be alright. As we are
mere mortals there will be difficulties, trials, and misunderstandings.
However, as we walk in love, as Christ gave Himself for us and loves us,
we will have peace and seek peace, we will give comfort be comforted, we
will forgive and be forgiven.
Tommy Robbins.
The Love Of God
Tom Harding
“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we
should be called the sons of God” (1John 3:1).
There is a great deal said in religious circles about the love of God,
but few have a real scriptural concept of the truth of God’s love as it
is manifested in the scriptures. The general idea most people have is,
“that God loves everybody without exception and is trying His best to
save everybody, but the sinner will not cooperate.” The truth of God’s
character revealed in the word is that God is Holy. His love must always
be in harmony with His Holy character as a Just God and Saviour (Isa.
45:21). Those for whom He loves in Christ (Rev.1:5), elected in Christ
(John 6:37), redeemed in Christ (Eph.1:7) must be justified in Christ
(Rom. 8:28-30) and will be called out of bondage into Light (Col.
1:12-13). Here are some scriptures that describe this true love of God
to His covenant people.
1). The love of God is manifested and revealed in Jesus Christ
(Rom.8:32-39; Eph. 1:3-6; 2Cor.4:6).
2). The love of God is sovereign and given to whom the Lord pleases
(Rom.9:12-16; Eph, 5:25). Outside of Christ, God is a consuming fire
(Heb. 12:29).
3). The love of God is eternal and will never be discontinued (Jer.
31:3). God Himself is eternal, therefore His great love must be eternal
(Eph. 2:4).
4). The love of God is sacrificial love and will redeem all His people
from all their sins (1John 4:10; 3:16; Eph.5:2,25; Matt.1:21; John 10:15).
5). The love of God is permanent love and will always abide in the
believer (John 13:1; Mal.3:6; Heb. 13:8).
6). The love of God is electing love that unconditionally chose us in
Christ before the foundation of the world (2Thes. 2:13; John 15:15-16;17:2).
7). The love of God is unmerited love, we have never done anything to
deserve His favor or mercy (Titus 3:3-7; Rom 5:6-9). The only reason for
His love to us is found in Himself, not in us (Deut.7:7-8).
8). The love of God is constraining love and motivates everyone who
believes the gospel, to obedience to Him as a willing, loving bond slave
of Christ (2Cor. 5:14; Psa. 65:4; 110:3).
9). The love of God is Holy love, God in Christ is both a Just God and
Saviour (Isa. 45:20-22). His love is regulated by His holy character
(Rom. 5:21).
Love and the Law
Acts 15: 5: But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which
believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command
them to keep the law of Moses…7: Peter rose up, and said unto them,…10:
Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the
disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
This certain sect of the Pharisees not only wanted Christ preached but
also the Law of Moses. Today, the vast majority of messages are centered
on how man should live, how he ought to treat his fellow man, what he
should be abstaining from and what he should commit himself to. When
Peter opposed this error he called it “tempting God.” Why?
Such messages tempt God because they deny that Christ and him crucified
is sufficient to create obedience in God’s people. Preaching the law to
make believers obedient tempts God because it denies that the continual
preaching of the person of Christ the Lord in whom sinners were chosen,
redeemed, regenerated, preserved and shall be conformed unto is enough
to make them obedient. It tempts God because it denies that true worship
is in the heart and not in the flesh, in the spirit and not in the dead
letter.
Commanding men to reform their lives tempts God because it is a denial
that Christ’s circumcision of the heart is not sufficient to create a
new inner man who loves God his Savior and the brethren. It is a denial
that Christ’s blood alone purges the conscience from dead works to serve
the living God. Carnal worship tempts God by calling God a liar who says
that the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed the
believer from Moses’ law of sin and death. Preaching series-after-series
on abstaining from sexual immorality, or giving, or any other form of
morality, is directly tempting God because it puts confidence in the
flesh, points sinners to the flesh, worships the flesh and exalts not
God, but self.
True believers are obedient to the only ruler of their life, the LORD
Jesus Christ. Therefore believers desire to hear Christ speaks and to
follow his commands. God’s commandment is fulfilled when love for Christ
is implanted in the newly created pure heart, resulting in faith
unfeigned. Unfeigned faith needs not disguise itself with a show of
moral reform for it is true faith which worships God in Spirit, rejoices
in Christ Jesus and puts no confidence in the flesh. I Ti. 1: 5: Now the
end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good
conscience, and of faith unfeigned: 6: From which some having swerved
have turned aside unto vain jangling; 7: Desiring to be teachers of the
law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.
Clay Curtis
Is it Really True?
“As he is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17).
We all know that believers in this world bear a likeness to our Lord in
his humiliation. As he was in this world, so are we in this world. As he
was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, so are we. As he was the
object of the world’s hatred, so are we. As he was tempted by Satan, so
are we. As he was despised and forsaken of men, so are we. As he went
through many sufferings and death to glory, so must we. It is a great
blessing of grace and a wondrous condescension of mercy that we should
have such a likeness to our Redeemer.
But the Book of God does not say, “As he was.” It says, “As he is, so
are we.” Is that an inspired exaggeration, or is it really true? It is
really true! It cannot be otherwise. We are in him; and he is in us! We
are joined to him, built upon him, and united to him, but more. We are
one with him, as truly one with him as he is one with the Father (John
17:23). All the glory the Father has given to the Son as our Mediator,
the Son has given to us (John 17:5, 22). And, now, in answer to our
Savior’s prayer, God’s love is made perfect in us in the blessed
experience of grace, assuring us that we shall “have boldness in the day
of judgment.” And the cause, the ground, the basis of that assurance and
boldness is this: — “As he is, so are we in this world!”
As he is the Son of God, we are the sons of God. As he is loved by God
with an everlasting and unchangeable love of complacency and delight, so
are we. Yes, God loves us just as he loves his well beloved Son (John
17:23-24). As Christ is chosen of God and precious, so are we (Isa.
42:1; 1 Pet. 1:2.) Is he well-pleasing to God, one in whom the triune
God delights? So are we (Isa. 42:1, Matt. 17:5; Psa. 37:23; 1 Pet. 2:5).
Oh blessed grace! — As he who was made sin for us is justified and
acquitted from sin, so are we. As our Lord Jesus is perfectly righteous,
so are we! I pray that God the Holy Spirit will give you grace to grasp
this sweet revelation of the gospel! — Christ is all our righteousness,
and we are immaculately righteous in him.
With His spotless garments on
I am as holy as God’s Son!
Is he without sin? So are we! — “In him is no sin.” And, if I am in him,
I am freed from, justified from, and cleansed from all sin in him (1
Pet. 4:1-2).
Behold the Christ of God in all the fulness of his glory, and rejoice! —
“Because as he is, so are we in this world.” Is he Heir of all things?
So are we (Heb. 1:2; Rom. 8:17). Is the Lord Jesus dearly beloved of
God? So are we (Rom. 1:7; 2 Cor. 12:19). O blessed wonder of grace! Yet,
how could it be otherwise? Christ and his people are one (Eph. 1:23;
Heb. 2:11). “We are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones”
(Eph. 5:30). We are so really and truly one that he calls himself by our
name and calls us by his (Isa. 41:8; 49:3; Jer. 23:6; 33:16). Yes, it is
really true, more really true than we can yet imagine, — “As he is, so
are we in this world!”
Don Fortner