Feb 22
7
What doctrine is more emptying, humbling, and therefore sanctifying, than predestination? It lays the axe at the root of all human boasting!
In the light of this truth, the most holy believer sees that there is no difference between him and the vilest sinner that crawls the earth–but what the sovereign grace of God has made!
“By the grace of God I am what I am!” 1 Corinthians 15:10
Sanctifying grace, as well as pardoning mercy!
(“Every Day!” Author unknown, 1872)
“You shall call His name Jesus — for He shall save His people from their sins!” Matthew 1:21
Jesus! Precious name, how sweet it is! How well it befits Him who bears it — and how glorious is the salvation which He accomplishes!
Misery is the natural consequence of sin. Everything that God enjoins is good — and everything that He forbids is evil. Jesus saves His people from their sins — and so saves them from misery. He died to atone for transgressions. He ever lives to save His people from the power and practice of sin — yes, and eventually from the very presence of sin.
My soul, let your whole trust be in Jesus, not only for deliverance from guilt and its consequences — but from sin in its manifold workings. You are powerless against your inward corruptions — but Jesus is “mighty to save.” He can subdue your iniquities. Trust Him then, for sanctifying grace, as well as pardoning mercy!
Dwell much on all He did and suffered for you. In His agony in the garden of Gethsemane, and on the cross at Calvary — see something of the exceeding sinfulness of your sins, from which He died to save you.
“He will subdue our iniquities — and cast all our sins into the depths of the sea!” Micah 7:19
Jesus’ blood, for sinners spilt,
Shows my sin in all its guilt.
Ah, my soul, He bore your load,
You have slain the Lamb of God!
Farewell, world — your gold is dross!
Now I see the bleeding cross!
Jesus died to set me free,
From the law, and sin, and thee!
God’s lancet!
“The Preciousness of Trial” by Octavius Winslow
Trials are a precious discipline, a precious correction,
a precious school, that lead you more fully into the
heartfelt experience of the preciousness of the Saviour.
Trials make you more intimately acquainted with
your best Friend, your dearest Brother, the tender,
sympathising Beloved of your soul.
You will know more of Jesus in one sanctified
trial, than in wading through a library of volumes,
or listening to a lifetime of sermons.
Sanctified trial opens an outlet for the escape
of much ‘soul distemper’. Deep rooted, hidden
and long pent up evil, the existence of which
has been as a fretting sore, inflaming, irritating,
and impairing the whole spiritual constitution
of the soul, has by this process been thrown
off, and thus a more wholesome state and
healthful action has come.
Oh, what selfishness,
what carnality,
what rebellion,
what worldliness,
what secret declension,
has God’s lancet brought to light, revealing
it but to inspire self abhorrence, sin loathing,
and sin forsaking.
All of this is the costly fruit of a deeply sanctified trial.
Oh, precious trial! Oh, heaven sent affliction! that
breaks down the barriers, removes the restraints,
thaws the congealings that intercept and interrupt
my fellowship with God.
Our heavenly Father loves to hear the voice of
His children; and when that voice is still, when
there is a suspension of heart communion, and
the tones are silent which were wont to fall as
music upon His ear, He sends a trial, and then
we rise and give ourselves to prayer.
Perhaps it is a perplexity, and we go to Him for counsel.
Perhaps it is a need, and we go to Him for supply.
Perhaps it is a grief, and we go to Him for soothing.
Perhaps it is a burden, and we go to Him for upholding.
Perhaps it is an infirmity, and we go to Him for grace.
Perhaps it is a temptation, and we go to Him for help.
Perhaps it is a sin, and we repair to Him for pardon.
But whatever form the trial takes, it has a voice,
“Rise, and call upon your God!” and to God it brings us.
Five devilisms!
(“Reconciliation by Death, and Salvation by Life”
Preached at Providence Chapel, Eden Street, London,
on Tuesday Evening, July 30, 1850, by J. C. Philpot)
As regards sin in its workings, we may say
there are five devilisms from which we need
to be saved . . .
1. The GUILT of sin.
2. The FILTH of sin.
3. The LOVE of sin.
4. The DOMINION of sin.
5. The PRACTICE of sin.
1. We need the application of Christ’s precious blood
to our conscience, to take away the guilt of sin.
2. We need the Spirit of Christ to sanctify and
to wash the soul in the fountain, to cleanse
from the filth of sin.
3. We need the love of Christ shed abroad in
our hearts, to take away the love of sin.
4. We need the power of Christ, to rescue
us from the dominion of sin.
5. We need the grace of Christ, to preserve
us from the practice of sin.
It is feeling sin in its various workings, which
makes us value Christ! Strange mysterious way!
O, strange path! that to be exercised with sin,
is the path to the Saviour!
Very painful, very mysterious, very inexplicable
–that the more you feel yourself a wretched,
miserable sinner; the more you long after Jesus,
who is able to save you to the uttermost!
Thus, we shall find that we need all that Christ is.
For we are no little sinners; and He is no little Saviour!
We are great sinners!
He is a Saviour–and a great one!
“He is able to save to the uttermost!” Hebrews 7:25
The separated life!
(Charles Spurgeon)
“Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate.
Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach.
For here we have no continuing city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.”
Hebrews 13:12-14
Jesus, bearing His cross, went forth to suffer outside the gate.
The Christian’s reason for leaving the camp of the world’s sin and the world’s religion, is not because he loves to be singular—but because Jesus did so, and the disciple must follow his Master. Christ was “not of the world”—His life and His teachings were a constant protest against conformity with the world. Never was there such overflowing affection for men as you find in Him; but still He was “separate from sinners.”
In like manner, Christ’s people must “go forth unto Him.” They must take their position “outside the camp,” as witness-bearers for the truth. They must be prepared to tread the straight and narrow path. They must have bold, unflinching, lion-like hearts, loving Christ first, and His truth next—and Christ and His truth beyond all the world!
Jesus would have His people “go forth to Him, outside the camp” for their own sanctification. You cannot grow in grace to any high degree—while you are conformed to the world. The life of separation may be a path of sorrow—but it is the highway of safety. And though the separated life may cost you many pangs, and make every day a battle—yet it is a happy life after all. No joy can excel that of the soldier of Christ; Jesus reveals Himself so graciously, and gives such sweet refreshment, that the warrior feels more calm and peace in his daily strife—than others in their hours of rest!
The highway of holiness is the highway of sweet communion with Jesus. It is thus we shall hope to win the crown, if we are enabled by divine grace faithfully to follow Christ “outside the camp.”
The cross of separation—will be followed by the crown of glory!
A moment’s shame—will be well recompensed by eternal honor when we are “forever with the Lord!”
One fiery trial!
(Octavius Winslow, “The God of Comfort”)
One fiery trial, sanctified by the grace of the Holy Spirit, has done more to break up the crusted ground of the heart, to penetrate beneath the surface, to dissect, and winnow, and separate—than a lifetime of reading and hearing could have done.
Oh, what secret sins have been detected,
what carelessness of walk has been revealed,
what spiritual and unsuspected declension of soul has been discovered—
all leading to deep self-loathing, and to the laying the mouth in the dust before God!
“I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You!
Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” Job 42:5-6
As many heads as a Hydra — and as many lives as a cat!
(Letters of John Newton, 1775)
My chief and abiding trial lies within; and I hope that the Lord will sanctify it — to make me by degrees ‘little’ in my own eyes. I long to be able to use Job’s words, with the same feeling as I believe Job had when he spoke them, “Behold, I am vile!” (Job 40:4.) The acknowledgment in words is quite easy — but really and in good earnest to “abhor myself” and repent in dust and ashes — is most difficult. I know that I ought to be humbled before Him — but I want to be so indeed.
But that monster SELF has as many heads as a Hydra — and as many lives as a cat! It is more than 25 years since I hoped it was fast nailed to the cross — but alas, it is still very much alive — and still mixing with, and spoiling everything I do!
That sympathizing, merciful, feeling,
tender, and compassionate heart
(Philpot, “A Compassionate High Priest” 1847)
“For we do not have a High Priest who is unable
to sympathize with our infirmities.” Hebrews 4:15
The child of God, spiritually taught and convinced,
is deeply sensible of his infirmities. Yes, that he is
encompassed with infirmities, that he is nothing else
but infirmities. And therefore the great High Priest
to whom he comes as a burdened sinner, to whom
he has recourse in the depth of his extremity, and
at whose feet he falls overwhelmed with a sense
of his helplessness, sin, misery, and guilt; is so
suitable to him as one able to sympathize with
his infirmities.
We would, if left to our own conceptions, naturally
imagine that Jesus is too holy to look down in
compassion on a filthy, guilty wretch like ourselves.
Surely, surely, He will spurn us from His feet. Surely,
surely, His holy eyes cannot look upon us in our . . .
blood,
guilt,
filth,
wretchedness,
misery,
and shame.
Surely, surely, He cannot bestow . . .
one heart’s thought,
one moment’s sympathy,
or feel one spark of love
towards those who are so unlike Him.
Nature, sense, and reason would thus argue,
“I must be holy, perfectly holy, for Jesus to love;
I must be pure, perfectly pure, spotless and
sinless, for Jesus to think of. But . . .
that I, a sinful, guilty, defiled wretch;
that I, encompassed with infirmities;
that I, whose heart is a cage of unclean birds;
that I, stained and polluted with a thousand iniquities;
that I can have any inheritance in Him, or that He can
have any love or compassion towards me; nature, sense,
reason, and human religion in all its shapes and forms,
revolts from the idea.”
It is as though Jesus specially address Himself to the
poor, burdened child of God who feels his infirmities,
who cannot boast of his own wisdom, strength,
righteousness, and consistency; but is all weakness
and helplessness. It seems as if He would address
Himself to the case of such a helpless wretch, and
pour a sweet cordial into his bleeding conscience.
We, the children of God; we, who each knows his own
plague and his own sore; we, who carry about with us
day by day a body of sin and death, that makes us
lament, sigh, and groan; we who know painfully what
it is to be encompassed with infirmities; we, who come
to His feet as being nothing and having nothing but sin
and woe; “we do not have a High Priest who is unable
to sympathize with our infirmities,” but One who carries
in His bosom that . . .
sympathizing,
merciful,
feeling,
tender, and
compassionate heart.
“Sanctify Them through Thy Truth”
John 17:17
We have very little difficulty discussing the matter of being washed by the blood of Christ and justified by his righteousness. Particular, effectual redemption and free justification are matters in which we all rejoice. But when it comes to sanctification, our thinking may not be as clear. Many, I fear, are still confused and a little uncomfortable. Because we are so much influenced by false religion, many of God’s saints still imagine that sanctification is something beyond their reach. If you are God’s, if you trust Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ, your Saviour, your Advocate, your great High Priest, asks the Father to sanctify you. — That means sanctification is yours. You are sanctified. If you trust Christ, God the Holy Ghost declares in 1st Corinthians 6:11 — “Ye are sanctified!” That means you are sanctified. Christ is made of God unto you Sanctification. Christ is your Sanctification. He is God’s Truth; and he is your Sanctification. But what does that mean? What does it mean to be sanctified? What was our Savior asking for us when he prayed, “Sanctify them”?
Set Apart
The first meaning of the word “sanctify” is “to set apart,” particularly, “to set apart for God or for divine service”. Sanctification is taking something that is common and ordinary and setting it apart, separating it unto God’s service alone. This is the first and primary meaning of the word as it is used in the Bible (Genesis 2:3; Exodus 13:2; 29:44). It is in this sense that our Lord Jesus Christ says he was sanctified by the Father and sanctified himself (John 10:36; 17:19). He was set apart from all other men to do the will of God by God the Father. And in this sense our Savior sanctified himself to do the work he was sent to do, to accomplish his Father’s will in the redemption and salvation of his people (John 17:19). — God’s elect were set apart for God from eternity in the purpose of God (Jude 1).
Regard as Holy
Second, as the word “sanctify” is used in the Word of God, it means “to regard as holy,” “to treat as holy,” and “to declare that a person or thing is holy.” — For example: God himself is frequently said to be sanctified by his people. We do not make God more holy! And we do not separate God unto himself. But we do regard him as holy, treat him as one who is holy, and declare that he is holy. That is what it is to sanctify the Lord God in your heart. — The Lord God commands us to regard him as holy (Isaiah 8:13). — God regards his people as holy through the sin-atoning blood of Christ (Hebrews 10:10-14).
Make Holy
The third meaning of the word “sanctify” is “to actually purify something and make it holy”. — This is more than a declaration. This is an actual change in the nature of things. The thing sanctified is not only set apart for God and declared to be holy, it is actually made holy (Exodus 19:10-11; Joshua 3:5). — The Lord God makes his elect holy by making every heaven-born soul “a new creature” in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17, making us “partakers of the divine nature,” creating us anew “in righteousness and true holiness” (Ephesians 4:24), forming “Christ in you, the Hope of Glory” (Colossians 1:27)
Don Fortner