Dec 21
19
Law demands righteousness from men; Grace brings righteousness to men. Law sentences a living man to death; Grace brings a dead man to life. Law speaks of what men must do for God; Grace tells of what Christ has done for men. Law gives a knowledge of sin; Grace puts away sin. Law brings God out to men; Grace brings men into God.
–S. Richardson
To Whom Shall We Go?
“Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.” – John 6:68
As it was with Peter and the rest of the disciples, so it is with all sensible sinners, and true believers, who see there is no other to go to for life and salvation, but Christ. There is no other saviour but Christ to look to; no other mediator between God and men to make use of; no other physician of value for diseased and sin-sick souls to apply unto; no other fountain but His blood for polluted souls to wash in and be cleansed; no other city of refuge, or stronghold, for souls sensible of danger to flee unto and be safe; no other to come to as the bread of life where hungry souls may be fed; no other place of rest for those that are weary and heavy laden; nor is there any other where there is plenty of all grace and security from every enemy, as in Him; and therefore, to whom can they have recourse, but unto Him? ~John Gill
Oh, how changed a man is he now!
(Octavius Winslow)
2Cor. 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Originally shaped in iniquity, and conceived in sin—the
love of sin and the hatred of holiness are born with us.
But when by the Holy Spirit we are born again, this
original and natural love of sin and hatred of holiness
are reversed! A new and heavenly principle is implanted
which leads the regenerate to hate sin and love holiness.
Now, it is in this divine principle that the love of holiness
in the believer is implanted—and a power in antagonism
to sin is implanted in his heart.
What a reverse now transpires!
The regenerate now love what they once
hated—and hate what they once loved!
We loved sin, lived in sin, in some of its many forms . . .
intellectual sin,
gross sin,
refined sin,
open sin,
secret sin,
the lust of the flesh,
the lust of the eye,
the pride of life,
the power of Mammon,
the fascination of the world,
the idolatry of the creature,
the love of SELF.
Some, or all these forms of sin maintained the
supremacy, and held their unbroken, undisputed rule.
Oh, how changed a man is he now!
The sins which he once committed,
the objects which he once loved,
the tastes which he once cultivated,
the sensualities in which he once indulged,
have lost their power . . .
to fascinate,
to please,
to enthral.
Total Depravity
by Don Fortner-
You will never seek the mercy and grace of God in Christ
until you are convinced of your sin, convinced that you
are without excuse, and convinced that you are personally
guilty before the holy Lord God.
We are, everyone of us, and every one of our children,
sinners, corrupt at heart, corrupt by nature, corrupt by
choice, and corrupt by practice. So vile, so corrupt
are we, that the thoughts of the human heart are only evil
continually (Gen. 6:5; Matt. 15:19-20).
So evil are we that we cannot and will not do good. If you
die without Christ, this is what you shall be forever in hell.
There will be no changes on the other side of the grave.
Whatever else hell may be, it is a place of ever-increasing
torment, blackness, darkness, corruption, and burning lusts,
without satisfaction. This is called “Total Depravity.”
We are depraved, spiritually dead sinners by nature, incapable
of changing our condition, or even wishing to change it.
Man is so depraved that it is utterly impossible for him ever
to escape the wrath of God, if left to himself.
But, blessed be God, that which is impossible with men is
possible with God! By the work of his sovereign, free,
distinguishing, effectual grace, some men and women are
made new creatures in Christ. May God be pleased to do
for you and me what we cannot do for ourselves.
Oh, may God be pleased to save us from ourselves,
for Christ’s sake!
DEAD!
The following is from Spurgeon’s sermon, “The
Mighty Power Which Creates and Sustains Faith”
By nature we are spiritually dead.
We were dead in trespasses and sins.
Try to stir the natural man to spiritual action,
and you cannot do it.
Lift up his hand to good works, he has no power to
perform them. Try to make the feet run in the ways
of righteousness; they will not move an inch.
The fact is that the heart is dead.
Neither can the eye perceive any beauty in Immanuel, nor
can the nostril discover the fragrance of the Lord’s sweet
spices, nor can the ear hear the voice of the Beloved.
The man is absolutely and entirely
dead as to anything like spiritual life.
There he lays in the grave of his corruption,
and must lay there and rot too, unless divine
grace shall interpose.
Eph. 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Eph. 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph. 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
Eph. 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph. 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Man
The religion of the world, the religion of man, the religion of
antichrist is man-centered, man-exalting, and man-pleasing.
The religion of the Bible is exactly opposite.
Hear the words of God by the Prophet Isaiah, as he describes
what happens in the day God saves a sinner by his almighty grace–
“The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men
shall be made low: and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.”
GOD’S ETERNAL PURPOSE OF GRACE IS HUMBLING
TO MAN AND EXALTS THE LORD ALONE.
Natural men rebel against sovereignty, denounce predestination,
and ridicule God’s immutable purpose of grace.
Proud men can never rejoice in a sovereign God, because the fact
of God’s sovereign purpose robs man of all possibility of adulation.
THE GOSPEL IS DESIGNED TO STRIP MEN OF ALL PRIDE AND
SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS AND TO EXALT THE LORD GOD ALONE.
Here is a test, by which you may prove every doctrine and every
preacher you hear– if the doctrine you hear causes your face
to glow with pride, it is not of God. Anything that lifts up man,
anything that lowers God, is not of God and is not the gospel.
The gospel of the grace of God abases the flesh and glorifies God.
“Christ came to save everybody except the self-righteous.”
If you are not a sinner, there is nothing in the gospel for you.
But if you are a sinner, I have good news for you – Christ died for sinners –
Christ saves sinners. Your sinfulness will never keep you from Christ.
Only your “goodness” can do that. Your sin will never keep you out of
heaven. Only your righteousness can do that.
There is pardon for the guilty!
There is a robe for the naked!
There is bread for the hungry!
There is water for the thirsty!
There is rest for the weary!
There is grace for the needy!
There is cleansing for the dirty!
There is help for the fallen!
But there is nothing in the gospel, not one word of
good news, for the good, the great, and the righteous.
The gospel is addressed to sinners who are spiritually dead!
(Eph. 2:1-3).
Talk about helpless! What is more helpless than death?
Talk about hopeless! What is more hopeless than death?
Talk about obnoxious! What is more obnoxious than death?
There is not a complimentary, dignifying, honorable word
between the covers of the Bible to fallen man.
If you want a picture of humanity, as the Bible describes man,
you must go to the cemetery, dig up a coffin, open the box,
and look upon the rotten, decayed body of corruption.
The unconverted man’s works are dead works.
The unconverted man’s religion is dead religion.
The unconverted man’s doctrine is dead doctrine.
The unconverted man’s faith is dead faith.
Don Fortner
One mass of moral corruption!
(Winslow, “The Inner Life in its Relapsed Influence”)
Where divine grace does not exist in the heart, there
is nothing to stunt the growth, or to check the progress,
or to restrain the power of the soul’s depravity.
The fountain pours out its streams of corruption and death,
bidding defiance to all human efforts either to purify or restrain.
Education can’t restrain the power of the soul’s depravity.
Public sentiment can’t restrain the power of the soul’s depravity.
Human law can’t restrain the power of the soul’s depravity.
Moral persuasion can’t restrain the power of the soul’s depravity.
‘Self love’ can’t restrain the power of the soul’s depravity.
All these instruments fail in the attempt.
There is going on in the soul a process of moral decay,
which, if not averted by divine grace, must terminate in
the intolerable and interminable pangs of the second
death; the soul departing into eternity, one mass of
moral corruption!
But let one grain of God’s grace fall into this corrupt
fountain, and there is deposited a counteracting and
transforming element, which at once commences a
healing, purifying, and saving process. And, what
parental restraint, and the long years of study,
and human law, had failed to do, one hour’s deep
repentance of sin, one believing glance at a crucified
Saviour, one moment’s realisation of the love of God,
have effectually accomplished.
O the intrinsic preciousness, the priceless value, the
sovereign efficacy of God’s converting, sanctifying grace!
Effecting a lodgement in the most debased and corrupt
heart, grace revolutionises the whole soul, changing its
principles, purifying its affections, ennobling its sentiments,
and assimilating it to the Divine holiness.
The love of the truth
(J. C. Philpot, “The Valley of Achor” 1861)
“They perish because they did not receive the love of
the truth, that they might be saved.” 2 Thess. 2:10
There is a receiving of ‘the truth’, and a receiving of
‘the love of the truth’. These two things widely differ.
To receive the truth will not necessarily save; for many
who receive the truth, never receive ‘the love of the truth’.
Professors by thousands receive the truth into their
judgment, and adopt the plan of salvation as their creed;
but are neither saved nor sanctified thereby. But to receive
‘the love of the truth’ by Jesus being made sweet and
precious to the soul, is to receive salvation itself.
“Yes, He is very precious to you who believe.” 1 Peter 2:7
Free grace! Unmerited mercy! Sovereign love!
(Octavius Winslow, “The Soul After Conversion”)
No truth shines with clearer lustre in the Bible
than that salvation, from first to last, is of God.
God is sovereign in salvation!
He often selects . . .
the poorest,
the vilest,
the most depraved,
the most fallen,
as if utterly to explode all idea of human
merit, and to reflect the free grace of His
heart in its richest luster.
O precious truth!
It stains the pride of human merit!
It lays the axe at the root of self!
It humbles and abases!
It empties and lays low!
It ascribes all the praise, honour and glory,
might, majesty and dominion, of the new
creation in the soul, to the Triune God!
No worthiness of the creature allures Him to the
sinner’s heart! What worthiness can be supposed
to exist–what merit can there be in . . .
a guilty criminal,
an outlawed rebel,
a poor insolvent,
one whose mind is enmity,
one whose heart is swelling with treason against
God, His government, and His Son? One who owes
millions, but has ‘nothing to pay’? None whatever!
And that the eternal Spirit should enter
the heart of such a one . . .
convincing of sin;
subduing the hatred;
breaking down the rebellion;
leading to Jesus, and
sealing pardon and peace upon the conscience;
oh! what but free grace, unmerited mercy, and
sovereign love could thus have constrained Him?
“Lord, what did You see in me,” exclaims the
converted soul, “that moved You with compassion,
that drew You to my heart, and that constrained
You to make me Your child? Nothing on my part,
but poverty, wretchedness, and misery! Nothing on
Your part, nothing but love, sovereignty, and
unmerited favor!”
O the riches of His grace!