Feb 19
12
The Testimony To God’s Glory
And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed. Isaiah 40.5
The heavens declare the glory of God, and even the earth in its fallen
state is a testimony to the greatness of the God Who made it. But
nothing has glorified God as did the Son of God when he was “born of a
woman, made under the law” and in that state performed the will of God
to perfection. “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work
you gave me to do.” (John 17:4) Man seems to think God is glorified by
the great works of men. The lofty cathedral, the massive choir, and the
successful “Christian” business are all supposed testimonies of God’s
glory. But God’s glory was revealed in a baby of obscure parentage, a
young boy of exceptional spiritual wisdom, a preacher outside the
mainstream of popular religion and a crucified substitute. All that man
calls wisdom was confounded. All that man calls power was overthrown,
and the glory – the true glory – of the Lord was revealed.
Joe Terrell
Dead Religion
“…Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here…” Luke 24:5-6
Are you trying to seek the Lord among this worlds ‘dead’ religion? I
don’t care if you are very sincere, very knowledgeable or even
fanatical; if you think that you can find Christ by dead works, ceremony
or law you are seeking Him, the glorious living one, amidst life-less
and vain religion. And the word from God directly to you is: He is not
here. – Drew Dietz
True or False Professor?
There is a distinguishing difference between a true child of God and a
false professor. The Bible is filled with illustrations of this truth –
Mt 7:22-23; Mt 23:27; Mt 25:32; John 14:21; 1John 3:14. This discernible
difference is characterized from an inward presence of the indwelling
Spirit of God which is produced and manifested by the love of God in the
true believer, and is absent in the false professor. The child of God,
by his grace, loves God, loves his Son, loves his Gospel, loves the
brethren, and loves his work.
Although this inward nature can be imitated outwardly by the false
professor for awhile, to some degree, it can never be counterfeited in
the heart. What a person loves and gives himself to is, at some point,
revealed in his life – For where your treasure is, there will your heart
be also Luke 12:34. There are those who profess their allegiance and
love to Christ and His Church, yet can never bring themselves to a
commitment to the same. They remain their own person, not Christ’s.
The true children of God have a new nature, the Divine nature, which
continually causes them to give themselves to the things of God. The
truth is that the distinguishing difference is LIFE and DEATH. To those
who know him, he is their life. Those who only profess to know him,
their life consists of themselves, which is death.
It is of a truth that the true believer’s life revolves around Christ,
and that to the false professor Christ revolves around his life. It is
comforting to know that God has a people, in this world of falseness and
deception, and that they, having the divine nature, live for his glory.
No, they are not perfect in themselves! But they are perfect in him and
seek to honor him and his cause by his distinguishing grace. WHICH ONE
OF THESE PROFESSORS ARE WE?
Tommy Robbins
A SIGN OF VAIN RELIGION
OR
(A WARNING AGAINST VAIN RELIGION)
James 1: 26: If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not
his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.
A man may appear religious, yet, an unbridled tongue comes from the
spirit of a self-righteous heart puffed up in the vanity of the carnal
mind. All God’s saints say things on occasion that we wish we could take
back. But this text speaks of a man whose tongue continually reveals the
hidden thoughts of his heart. Here are some ways the tongue runs wild.
If a man insists on ascribing any part of salvation to “self” rather
than every part of salvation to the triune God then the Holy Spirit says
this man’s tongue reveals he has deceived his own heart. When he speaks
of how he made Christ “lord of his life” instead of confessing Christ is
the Lord and the Life who graciously gives spiritual life to dead
sinners then his unbridled tongue reveals his true god. As he
continually speaks of “his faith” instead of Christ who God says is the
only Faithful One then he proves himself a wild ass unaccustomed to the
bit. When he brags of his “fleshly moral reform after conversion”
instead of speaking of the holy, complete and perfect life that the
saints have in spirit in Christ at God’s right hand, his run-away tongue
brays into the wind like a stiff-necked mule bucks at the bridle. And a
favorite of all, the untamed tongue justifies his own unfaithfulness by
kicking Christ’s redeemed into the mud by exposing their fleshly faults.
In short, an unbridled tongue is one which constantly exalts self while
belittling the Lord Jesus Christ and those who are complete in him. The
Holy Spirit says this man’s religion–his attending worship services,
his support, his reading scripture, his prayers, his singing, his
witnessing unto others, his faith, his hope, his assurance, and every
other part of his religion–is vain. He loves self and hates God.
Oh, may God reveal the greatness of his glory in the face of Christ
Jesus. When sinners behold Christ our Holiness they become submissive
nobodies in reverence to him who alone is holy, just and good! Only God
bridles the tongue of the old corrupt nature when he creates the inward
spiritual man. The believer’s boasting ceases to be of his
accomplishments but of the Excellencies of his Lord and his Savior,
Jesus Christ the Son of God! (I Co. 1: 29-31)
Clay Curtis.
If there is one thing in this world that everyone wants and very few
have, it is rest, real rest of heart and soul before God. Fools imagine
that money, property, position, and power will give them rest. Many seek
rest by giving vent to the pleasures of their vile lusts. Others try to
obtain rest by morality, works of charity, or the services, rituals, and
ceremonies of religion. But all who seek rest in such places must, if
they speak honestly, confess, “the bed is too short to stretch out on
and the cover is too narrow to wrap up in” (Isa. 28:20).
If your religion does not give you rest, your religion is false (Jer.
6:16; Matt. 11:28-29; Heb. 4:3). If you make lies your refuge, you will
try hard to convince yourself that you have assurance and peace before
God (Isa. 28:14-20). But in the dark, lonely watches of the night, when
you contemplate judgment and eternity, you have no rest! Your soul is in
turmoil. The fear of death yet holds you in bondage. But all who trust
in the Lord Jesus Christ have entered into rest, knowing that all things
necessary for their salvation have been done for them. God has chosen
them as the objects of His grace in eternal election. Christ has paid
their debt to the justice of God by His blood atonement. Righteousness
has been imputed to them for justification and imparted to them in
regeneration. For such people salvation is an absolute certainty. We
have God’s Word for it. Why shouldn’t we rest? Does your religion give
you rest?
–Don Fortner
NOT HOLDING THE HEAD
And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands
having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the
increase of God (Col. 2:19).
It is a clear commentary upon someone’s religion when they are more
interested in talking about their own thoughts and opinions; their will,
wants and wishes; their denominational beliefs, church creeds,
discipline, traditions, rules and practices, rather than the Word of
God. The apostle Paul said these are those who are, “NOT HOLDING THE
HEAD” (Col. 2:19), but would rather talk about the body (church). “But
you have not so learned Christ.” Those who have truly seen the “Glory of
God in the face of Jesus Christ,” are altogether taken up with Him; with
His person, and His work. While the conversation of the mere professor
of religion is of his religion, the speech of the true “Christian” is of
His CHRIST!
Paul Mahan
Divers Doctrines: a variety. Doctrine means teaching. The pack of snacks
mom brings home with all different kinds of goodies in it is called
a—”variety” pack. It has “various” flavors and colors for whatever
appeals to your taste or your eye at the moment. Those are “divers”
snacks. Man has invented a “variety” of teachings concerning God,
concerning man’s condition and concerning salvation. Such teachings are
designed by man to appeal to whatever men’s taste may be at the moment
because men change. God’s doctrine is one. It does not change. The
teaching of God is always, continually the same because it is concerning
Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever (Heb 13: 7-9.)
Clay Curtis.
The Only Reason For Salvation
“I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you
for his name’s sake” (1John 2:12).
There is only one reason revealed in Holy Scripture that any sinner
would be pardoned from all sin. That one reason is Christ alone
(Eph.4:32). Christ Jesus was manifested to take away our sin and in Him
is no sin (John 3:5). The only reason for grace is Christ (John 1:16).
The only reason for mercy is Christ (Titus 3:5). The only reason for
salvation is Christ (Acts 4:12). The only reason for sanctification is
Christ (1Cor. 1:30). His name’s sake includes all these things and much
more (Rom. 5:20). Salvation is not because of our merit, nor our
baptism, nor our works, nor our prayers, nor our repentance nor our
faith; but for the sake of Christ, his blood, sacrifice and
satisfaction; and it reaches to all our sins, original and actual,
secret and open, past, present, and future. The only reason for our
salvation is not found in us, but rather in the Lord Jesus Christ alone
(Isa.43:1-7; 44:21-23).
~Tom Harding
People do what they want to do. They do what they do freely and
uncoerced. People were not forced to crucify Christ. Pilate was said to
have, “Delivered Jesus to their will.” While they were acting freely and
uncoerced, they were doing neither more nor less than “Whatsoever thy
hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.” Men do precisely
what they want, and God exercises absolute sovereignty over man’s will –
a paradox; but certainly not a contradiction. They are both true. ~Todd
Nibert
“My soul, hast thou sinned? God in Christ pardons thy sins. – Art thou
diseased in body and soul, by reason of sin? God in Christ healeth all
thy diseases. – Art thou ruined and undone in all the circumstances of
nature, by reason of the fall? It is God, in Christ, that redeemeth thy
life from destruction, and crowneth thee with all that is needful for
thee in grace. – Art thou feeling decays, and is the event of mortality
hastening upon thee? God in Christ will renew thee, as the eagle is
renewed in old age. – Precious, precious salvation! And all eternally
secured and made certain from a God in Christ.” ~Robert Hawker