May 21
17
There is no real and lasting rest for the unbelieving soul. He seeks rest and satisfaction in things that are perishing.
He can never look beyond the mortal and corruptible. The yoke of the faithless is the heavy burden of sin and the sentence of death.
He looks to the law for help but is only condemned for his efforts.
However, those who are taught of Christ by God the Spirit find sweet and lasting rest in His Person and work.
The accomplishment of Christ for His people is complete satisfaction to God.
The only rest for the soul is God-given faith in Christ through the preaching of the Gospel.
Christ our Lord was made sin and suffered our punishment for us, His elect, and now ever reigns for us in glory.
Looking to Him we find peace, comfort and rest in trials and adversity, as well in times of prosperity and peace. Tommy Robbins
—
THE MESSAGE OF SCRIPTURE: CHRIST IS ALL!
Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ (Jn 1: 17)
No condemnation/justification in Christ Jesus (Ro 8: 1; Gal 2: 17)
The Spirit of life in Christ makes free from sin/death (Rom 8: 2)
The love of God is in Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom 8: 39)
Saints are one in Christ (Rom 12: 5; Gal 3: 28)
The church of God is sanctified in Christ Jesus (1 Cor 1: 2)
In Christ we are begotten through the gospel (1 Cor 4: 15)
Our hope is in Christ Jesus (1 Cor 15: 19)
In Christ shall all be made alive (1 Cor 15: 22)
Our rejoicing is in Christ Jesus (1 Cor 15: 31)
Our love for one another is in Christ Jesus (1 Cor 16: 14)
God causes us to triumph in Christ Jesus (2 Cor 2: 14)
The vail over the heart is done away in Christ (2 Cor 3: 14)
If any man be in Christ he is a new creature (2 Cor 15: 17)
God reconciled us unto himself in Christ (2 Cor 5: 19)
Our liberty is in Christ Jesus (Gal 2: 4)
God’s everlasting covenant is confirmed in Christ Jesus (Gal 3: 17)
Saints are children of God by faith in Christ Jesus (Gal 3: 26)
The truth is in Jesus Christ (Eph 4: 21)
We are light in the Lord Jesus (Eph 5: 8)
Fruits of righteousness are by Christ Jesus (Php 1: 11)
Consolation and comfort is in Christ (Php 2: 1)
The high calling of God is in Christ Jesus(Php 3: 14)
The peace of God keeps us inwardly through Christ (Php 4: 7)
We can do all things through Christ’s strength (Php 4: 13)
God supplies all our need by Christ Jesus (Php 4: 19)
Saints shall be presented to God perfect in Christ Jesus (Col 1: 28)
The ministry we have received is in the Lord (Col 4: 17)
The dead shall rise in Christ (1 Thess 4: 16)
We are preserved in Jesus Christ (Jude 1: 1)
Grace is exceeding abundant in Christ Jesus (1 Tim 1: 14)
The promise of life is in Christ Jesus (2 Tim 1: 1)
God’s purpose and grace was given in Christ in eternity (2 Tim 1: 9)
Spiritual sacrifices are accepted of God by Jesus Christ (1 Pet 2: 5)
Saints have been called unto eternal glory by Christ Jesus (1 Pet 5: 10)
1 John 5:11: And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
—
Some years ago I was preaching the gospel to a congregation in Greenup Ky. It was a small group and in that group was a man in a wheel chair. He said to me after preaching a message that he believed that gospel. He said that he had been listening to my pastor Henry Mahan and loved that message that he preached. After preaching there for about five weeks, I received a phone call on a Saturday night telling me that the gentleman in the wheel chair had passed away and that I did not need to come back to preach anymore because they did not believe the gospel that I preached. What a blessing it was to me to be used of God to feed one of His sheep before taking him home and what a curse it was to them who rejected it. There are no accidental meetings with the gospel. 2Co 2:15-16 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? John Chapman
—
Is Our Message Offensive?
Paul called his message “the offense of the cross” (Galatians 5:11). Again and again he warned that the true Gospel of God’s grace and glory would meet with great opposition from the religious world and the natural world. “The preaching of the cross is foolishness” (I Corinthians 1:18). “The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God” (I Corinthians 2:14).
Our Lord said, “Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you” (I John 3:13). He also said, “They shall put you out of the synagogues (organized religion): yea the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service” (John 16:2). If what we preach is NOT offensive to the religionist and to the worldling, then it is NOT THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. I repeat, it is not the Gospel! ~Todd Nibert
—
GRACE IS WHAT I NEED – God’s free, abundant, satisfying, sanctifying grace! I need grace to believe God and to continue in that faith. I need grace to give and forgive, grace to love and be loved, grace to live and grace to die. If I have little grace, the fault is mine; for His grace is called, “abundant grace.” The Lord may not give gold, but He will give grace. He may not give ease in life, but He will give grace in proportion to my need. He will certainly send me trials, but never without the grace to overcome. I may ask God for something which is not for my good and therefore He is not pleased to give it, but I may ask for as much grace as I will, and it will never be refused; for His throne is literally a throne of grace! “Lord, fill me with Thy grace, make me an object of Thy grace, let my lips speak of Thy grace, and let my life be lived as a trophy of Thy grace!” Henry Mahan
—
The most important aspect of a believer’s life is public worship – the worship of God in the assembly of his saints, collectively singing his praise, calling upon him in prayer, and hearing the exposition of his Word by the preaching of the gospel. ~Don Fortner
—
CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES
“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3).
The gospel is not just that Christ died. The gospel is how that He died for us according to God’s eternal and immutable decree, “the scriptures” (Acts 2:23: Revelation 13:8).
• The scriptures declare that His death was appointed (Genesis 3:15; 22:8; Psalm 22; Psalm 69; Matthew 16:21; Galatians 4:4).
• The scriptures declare that His death was voluntary, He willingly laid down His life for us (Isaiah 53:7; John 10:17-18).
• The scriptures declare that His death was substitutionary (Isaiah 53:4-6; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 3:18).
• The scriptures declare that His death was to accomplish definite atonement for His people (Isaiah 53:8; Matthew 1:21; John 10:15; Hebrews 2:17).
• The scriptures declare that His death satisfied all the demands of God’s holy Law (Isaiah 42:21; 53:10-12; Daniel 9:24; Rom. 4:25).
• The scriptures declare that His death was most effectual to put away all the sin of the covenant people (Psalm 103:12; Isaiah 38;17; Micah 7:18-20; Hebrews 9:26; 10:17; 1 John 1:7).
Every pledge of salvation has its accomplishment in the Lord Jesus Christ: “For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us” (2 Corinthians 1:21). All that God has promised concerning salvation in Christ is certain and sure: “And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform” (Romans 4:21). Tom Harding
—
In 1808 a lawyer made this accusation against Robert Hawkers Christ centered preaching. “His preaching encourages sin in that it makes a man rely fully on Christ so that he does not strive to mend his own unrighteousness.” I love Mr. Hawker’s reply. Only in finding Christ have I been taught the lesson of ‘denying ungodliness and worldly lust, and living soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world.’ ~GE
—
We assemble ourselves together today not for any vain reason of custom or conscience, but in obedience to Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. It is through the Gospel, the message of Christ and Him crucified that sinners are effectually drawn unto Him, the only hope of their salvation. The promise and faithfulness of God Almighty to bless His word is the reason that all carnal methods of false worship are shunned. May He be honored today and the people of God be blessed through the preaching of the cross. ~Marvin Stalnaker
—
Perilous Times
“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.” (II Timothy 3:1)
I imagine most people would say that we are living in perilous times right now. These are not perilous days because of the pandemic gripping the world. These are not perilous days because of civil unrest caused by man’s hateful nature. These are perilous days because of the many issues that take our attention off of Christ. May God be pleased to stop us from becoming obsessed with society’s issues and make us obsessed with knowing and trusting Christ. May God be pleased to give us the wisdom to not become obsessed with how to govern the world (Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. (Isaiah 45:9)) and make us obsessed with the preaching of Christ and Him crucified. May God be pleased to make us obsessed with knowing Christ and resting in Him. In a few short days all of these earthly events will be forgotten, but knowing Christ will still be all important to our souls. ~Frank Tate
“Smile, God Loves You”
Those who endorse and promote the above statement are ignorant of two basic biblical truths. They are ignorant of the holy character and nature of God, and of the fallen sinful nature of man.
By their natures God and fallen man are enemies. They naturally hate one another. God is holy and man is sin. God is pure and man is corrupt. God is light and man is darkness. God is good and man is bad. Fallen man, in the eyes of the holy God, is odious and despicable. He is unacceptable, unreceivable, unforgivable and unlovable by the holy God of the Bible. Divine holiness cannot love sin. Divine holiness hates sin! Divine holiness cannot forgive sin. Divine holiness must punish sin! (Exodus 34:7). God hates all workers of iniquity…..and is angry with them continually (Psalm 5:5; 7:11). “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). “The soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4, 20). For a man to indiscriminately address sinners with a “Smile, God loves you” is to be as the false prophets of Jeremiah’s day who cried “Peace, peace: when there is no peace” (Jer. 6:14; 8:11).
IN CHRIST God loved, chose, blessed, and ordained unto eternal glory an innumerable multitude of sinners (Ephesians 1:1-11). God loves sinners IN CHRIST. His love for sinners is IN CHRIST (Romans 8:39). The true preacher’s message is not “Smile, God loves you”, but rather it is “Guilty, perishing, hell-deserving sinner, flee to Christ.” IN HIM is redemption, righteousness, reconciliation, and eternal glory. Get to Christ…Look to Christ…Believe and trust HIM and you shall be saved. HE is God’s salvation. ~Maurice Montgomery