Feb 19
23
DOES THE GOSPEL OFFEND YOU?
EDITORIAL
Henry Mahan
Some of you have found that your family, friends, and fellow workers are not happy over your conversion to Christ – in fact, they are quite hostile. “I liked you better when you were not a Christian!” said one man to a new believer. Be encouraged, my friends; it is not you that they dislike, it is your Master. It is not you that they are against, it is the gospel you believe.
The gospel of God’s free grace is hated and despised by natural men. The gospel of God’s glory (salvation that gives God all the glory, that begins and ends with Him, that looks to Him as the fountain, the source, the giver, and the gift) is contrary to the flesh. They will not tolerate this message of sovereign mercy nor will they welcome those who believe and preach it. Two errors can walk together in harmony, or at least in peace, but error will never accept truth and will never allow it any room. It must be suppressed and denied. If you dare to declare your belief in the sovereign, electing, infinite, and everlasting love of Christ, prepare for trouble. If you have the courage to preach God’s covenant mercies, Christ’s sufficient obedience and sacrifice, and the Holy Spirit’s effectual call, be assured that you will suffer the same trials as those who have walked this road before.
One of the great old sovereign grace preachers of the past gave four reasons for natural men’s attitude toward the free grace of God.
(1) Addressing all men as sinners offends man’s dignity. He resents being called a sinner. He does not mind admitting that he is not perfect, but to infer that he is born in sin, without God, without strength, without hope, having no righteousness, and a child of wrath will never do.
(2) The gospel of revelation offends man’s wisdom! Do you mean that apart from the Holy Spirit’s quickening work, apart from divine revelation, a man with reasonable intelligence and a fair education cannot understand the gospel you preach? Exactly! A man can understand free-willism and he can with natural logic and wisdom understand fatalism, but the mysteries of grace must be revealed. How God can be just and Justifier is a mystery no man understands.
(3) Salvation as a free gift offends man’s pride. “I will go home and pray.” I hope you do, but prayer does not save – Christ saves! “I will give my money and serve the Lord.” I hope you do, but works do not save-Christ saves! Salvation is the gift of God, as is repentance, faith, and all grace. This free gift is despised by all who go about to establish their own righteousness. Men, by nature, just must share the glory if only in a small way. Their pride will not let them beg for mercy and fall at His feet, making their headquarters in the dust.
4. The demands of Christ’s Lordship offend man’s love of self. Christ is welcome as his saviour from sin, judgment, and hell, but Christ as Lord and supreme dictator of his heart, hand, health, home, and inheritance is not in his plans. Barnard used to say, “I know who you say your Saviour is, but who is your Lord? His servants you are, and His will you will do, and His company you will have forever.” “I will” is still the essence of sin, and “Thy will” is the sum and substance of holiness. No man can serve two Masters. Christ will be Lord of all, or He will not be Lord at all!
A shield and deliverer
(Octavius Winslow, “Christ is Ever with You!” 1863)
“Surely, I am with you always — even unto the end of the world!” Matthew 28:20
Christ is ever with His people — as a shield and deliverer. Our estimation of this truth, will be proportioned to our intelligent apprehension of the number and potency of our enemies — and the costliness and preciousness of the treasure thus divinely protected.
There are assaults from which Christ alone can shield us!
Innumerable and invisible,
sleepless and restless,
working with an almost almighty power,
everywhere with an almost omnipresent existence,
ever plotting our ruin —
are the spiritual enemies of our soul, and the sworn foes of our faith!
The world and its fascinations,
Satan and his devices,
the flesh and its tendencies,
error and its disguises —
are all confederate against the child of God, opposing his every advance in holiness!
But Christ is our ever-present shield, near at the moment of assault, and skillful to deflect and disarm it! “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield!” are words addressed to all who have like precious faith with him. Oh yes! the Lord encompasses you. Encircled by danger — you are also encircled by the ever-present protection of Jesus!
“So do not fear — for I am with you! Do not be dismayed — for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand!” Isaiah 41:10
With what unslumbering vigilance,
with what divine power,
with what changeless love —
does the Lord Jesus shield the work of grace in the soul of His people!
Who keeps that spark alive — in the midst of the ocean?
Who guards this vineyard night and day — lest any hurt it?
Who preserves . . .
faith from faltering,
love from chilling,
hope from dying?
Who . . .
strengthens the ‘work of grace’ when it is feeble,
raises it when it droops,
restores it when it relapses,
keeps it in the cold of winter and the drought of summer;
and, when the frosts and winds of autumn would nip and scatter its foliage — clothes it with the freshness and bloom of spring?
Oh, it is Jesus, encircling with His all-protecting shield — the work of grace which His death has accomplished, and which His Spirit wrought!
Trembling believer! The work of grace in your heart shall never die! The kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in your soul — is indestructible! “They shall never perish!” is the declaration of the Shepherd who bought you with His blood! You are watched over by Christ — and kept by the power of God.
“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge!
He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold!”
Psalm 18:2
The Breaker!
(Charles Spurgeon)
“The Breaker has gone up before them. He will bring you through the gates of your cities of captivity, back to your own land. Your King will lead you; the Lord Himself will guide you!” Micah 2:13
Inasmuch as Jesus has gone before us, things do not remain as they would have been, had He never passed that way. He has conquered every foe which has obstructed the way. Cheer up O faint-hearted warrior. Not only has Christ traveled the road—but He has slain your enemies upon life’s road!
Do you dread sin? He has nailed it to His cross!
Do you fear death? He has been the death of death!
Are you afraid of hell? He has barred the gates of hell from being entered by any of His children; they shall never see the gulf of perdition!
Whatever foes may be before the Christian—they are all overcome!
There are lions—but their teeth are broken!
There are serpents—but their fangs are extracted!
There are rivers—but they are bridged or fordable!
There are flames—but we wear that matchless garment which renders us invulnerable to fire!
The Breaker, Christ—has taken away all the power that anything can have to hurt us. Well then, you may go safely and joyously along your journey, for all your enemies are conquered beforehand! What shall you do—but march on to take the prey? They are beaten, they are vanquished; all you have to do is to divide the spoil. You shall, it is true, often engage in combat; but your fight shall be with a vanquished foe! His head is broken! He may attempt to injure you—but his strength shall not be sufficient for his malicious design. Your victory shall be sure—and your treasure shall be beyond all count!
“Proclaim aloud the Savior’s fame,
Who bears the Breaker’s wondrous name;
Sweet name; and it befits Him well,
Who breaks down earth, sin, death, and hell!”
He continually delivers us!
(Author unknown)
“Hold me up — and I shall be safe!” Psalm 119:117
“For you, O LORD, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling!” Psalm 116:8
Christ has completely and perfectly delivered all His people from the condemnation of sin, as He suffered the wrath of God for us on the cross, having our sins charged to His account. But His deliverance of us does not end there. He is still delivering us and keeping us from all that would harm or destroy us. He continually delivers us . . .
from the power of sin which still plagues, corrupts, and contaminates us;
from the influence of the world;
from the force of temptation;
from the deceitfulness of our own hearts;
and from the designs of all our foes!
Come and eat!
(Horatius Bonar, “The Bread of Immortality”)
“I am the bread of life.” John 6:48
“I am the living bread.” John 6:51
All food is for the sustaining of life.
Jesus announces Himself as the bread which will sustain
the life of the soul. Not merely some doctrine–but Himself.
He is the bread; not merely bread–but the bread–the one
true bread; without whom the soul cannot grow, nor its life
be sustained. For only by this life-sustaining bread, can
such sickly souls be nourished. As such, Jesus is necessary
to the soul as its food–its bread.
Outside of Him, there is no nourishment, no sustenance.
He feeds–He alone. He feeds us on Himself! All else is
husks, or mere air and vapor. Jesus, in His glorious person,
is our food–the true bread and sustenance of the soul;
the hidden manna.
Jesus applies various names to it:
“bread from heaven”
“true bread”
“the bread of God”
“bread of life”
“living bread.”
All these are names indicative of its excellence, its power,
its suitableness. It is the very bread we need; no other
would do. Jesus is the soul’s eternal food. This
storehouse is inexhaustible–and ever accessible!
Come as you are, poor prodigal, starving on husks–come
and eat! Eat, O friends! Eat, and live! Eat, and be strong!
Eat, and be in soul health!
DESCRIPTION OF THE LORD’S PEOPLE
Rom. 16:1-27
Tom Harding
When we are reading Romans 16 there is a tendency to read over the first 24 verses and skip down to the doxology of praise in verse 25-27. We have not only in these verses the 36 names of some God’s elect chosen in Him before the foundation of the world, but also the Lord’s description of all His covenant people found in Christ (Phil. 3:9). Notice what is given to us.
1). God’s people are beloved of the Lord, “Greet Amplias my beloved in the Lord.” (Ver.8). I am embarrassed to talk of my love for Him. However, I love to talk about His love for His church, sovereign, sacrificial and saving love in Christ (Rom. 5:5-10; 8:32-39; Eph. 5:25; 1John 4:10).
2). God’s people are chosen in the Lord, “Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord (ver. 13). This is God’s sovereign choice of His people in Christ Jesus before the world began; eternal, unconditional and personal (Isa. 42:1; Eph. 1:3-6; 2Thes.2: 13).
3). God’s people are approved in the Lord, “Salute Apelles approved in Christ” (Ver. 10). I can never be approved by my efforts and merits, oh how sinful are my best deeds (Isa. 64:6). But the believer’s hope is being one with Christ by a vital union of faith and being blessed in Him. He is the man approved of God (Acts 2:22); believers have God’s approval and acceptance only in Christ (Matt. 3:17; 2Cor. 10:18).
4). God’s people are taught of the Lord, “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned” (ver.17, 25). The Lord’s people have been taught the doctrine of Christ and will not tolerate error (2 John 1:9). They have been taught by the word (Rom. 15:4), by the new birth (John 3:3-6), by the revelation of the Holy Spirit (John 16:13-16; 1Cor.2:9-15). Christ is the teacher and the lesson (Matt. 11:28-30; John 6:44-45).
5). God’s people are obedient unto their Lord, “For your obedience is come abroad unto all men” (ver.19, 27). This is the obedience of faith that labors and is motivated by love (2Cor. 5:14). This is that faith that worketh by love (Gal. 5:6), though all the time, looking to Christ for all righteousness and obedience satisfying unto God (Rom. 5:19-21).
6). God’s people are victorious over all enemies, “the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.” (ver. 20). What good news the gospel declares unto every believer, He always causes us to triumph in Christ (Isa. 42:4; 2Cor. 4:14). The Lord Jesus Christ is the victorious Lord over all enemies. The law is satisfied (Matt. 5:17; Col. 2:13-15). Sin is put away for ever (Heb.1:3 9:26). Death has been conquered (1Cor. 15:57; Rev. 1:18).