Mar 24
11
The absolute Monarch of the
universe!
by Don Fortner
To worship a god…
…whose purpose can be defeated,
…whose will can be thwarted,
…whose work can be overturned, and
…whose grace can be frustrated is to worship an idol.
Such a god is no GOD at all!
Jesus Christ our Lord is the unrivalled Sovereign of the
universe (Matt. 28:18; John 17:2). He who is God our
Saviour does as he will in the army of heaven and among
the inhabitants of the earth. He makes one a vessel of
honour and another a vessel of dishonour, one a vessel of
mercy and another a vessel of wrath, one to show forth
the riches of his grace and another to show forth the severity
of his justice, exactly as it pleased him from all eternity.
To deny that Christ created all things and rules all things
is to deny that he is God. To deny that he is God is to
mock him, blaspheme him, and attempt to deny him his glory.
To deny that Christ is God, sovereign upon his throne is to
deny hope to needy sinners who look to him alone for grace,
salvation, and eternal life (John 17:2; Rom. 14:9).
None but an absolute sovereign Lord can save.
None but an absolute sovereign can be trusted implicitly.
None but an absolute sovereign will be worshipped.
Jesus Christ, our God and Saviour, rules all things absolutely
(Ps. 76:10; 115:3; 135:6; Pro.16:1, 33; 21:1).
Jesus Christ is the absolute Monarch of the universe!
Our Saviour is the great King! Nothing more fully shows
forth the unrivalled excellence of Christ than his total
sovereignty, “upholding all things by the word of his power.”
In him we live and move and have our being. (Acts 17:28)
Before this blessed and only potentate, all the nations of the earth are but as the dust upon the balance and the small drop of a bucket and might be thought, if compared with the immensity of his works, scarcely worthy of his notice: yet here he presides, pervades, provides, protects, and rules. In him his creatures live, move, and have their being: from him is their food and preservation. The eyes of all are upon him: what he gives they gather and can gather no more; and at his word they sink into the dust. There is not a worm that crawls upon the ground, or a flower that grows in the pathless wilderness, or a shell upon the seashore, but bears the impress of his wisdom, power, and goodness. With respect to men, he reigns with uncontrolled dominion over every kingdom, family, and individual. Here we may be astonished at his wisdom in and over all his creatures, the greater part of whom are his enemies, to accomplish his purposes: but, however reluctant, they all serve him. His patience likewise is wonderful. Multitudes, yes nearly our whole species spend their life and strength which he affords them, and abuse all the bounties he heaps upon them, in the ways of sin. His commands are disregarded, his name blasphemed, his mercy disdained, his power defied yet still he spares. It is an eminent part of his government, to restrain the depravity of human nature, and in various ways to check its effects, which, if left to itself, without his providential control, would presently make earth the very image of hell: for the vilest men are not suffered to perpetuated a thousandth part of the evil which their hearts would prompt them to. The earth, though lying in the wicked one, is filled with the goodness of the Lord. John Newton
Pride
Pride is a groundless thing. We have reasons for almost everything, but we have no reason to be proud. Pride should be unnatural to us, for we have nothing to be proud of. Our CREATION ought to humble us, for we are frail creatures who are here today and gone tomorrow. Our IGNORANCE should be sufficient to lay us low. We spend a lifetime trying to learn a few things in part; then, in old age, we can’t remember where we left our glasses. Our SINS should lay us in the dust, for it would be embarrassing for the most trusted friend to view our hearts. Our BLESSINGS ought to humble us; for the more we have, the more we are in debt to God who makes us to differ. A great debtor has no cause for pride. Certainly a believer has no cause for pride, for our SALVATION is all by grace! Mephibosheth accurately summed up our confession, “What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?” Let us pray to be delivered from pride, for it is such a subtle enemy that only the Lord can deliver us; but we MUST be delivered, for God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble.
~Henry Mahan
True Humility
True humility is to have a right estimate of one’s self. It is not to deny or underestimate true ability, real knowledge, and obvious gifts. A gifted singer knows he can sing. An intelligent person is aware of his knowledge. A successful businessman knows his business, and an artist knows his skills. It is not humility to speak what one does not truly feel. True humility is born when one discovers the SOURCE of all gifts, talents, and knowledge. “WHO maketh thee to differ?” (1 Cor 4:7) It is certain that we are different and some have what others do not have in different areas. But the Lord God, in His sovereign will, gives us all that we have. “Without Him we can do nothing.” “A Man can receive nothing except it be GIVEN him from heaven!” The higher a man grows in the grace of God, the lower he will be in his own eyes. A man who has been introduced to what really happened in the Garden of Eden and what really happened on the cross of Calvary will have no problem with pride and arrogance. Apart from the mercy and grace of God, he knows WHERE he could be and WHAT he could be! “By the grace of God, I am what I am.”
Henry Mahan
If a man had to wade breast deep through a thousand hells!
(Charles Spurgeon)
“Thanks be unto God for His indescribable gift!” 2 Corinthians 9:15
Jesus is God’s indescribable gift!
Heaven itself is nothing, as compared with Him!
If a man had to wade breast deep through a thousand hells to obtain
Christ—it would be well worth the venture, if at the last he might but say, “My
Beloved is mine—and I am His!”
Jesus is so precious—that He cannot be matched! There is none like Him. The
most lovely of the lovely—are vile and deformed, when compared with Him. As
Rutherford would say, “Black sun, black moon,
black stars—but, O bright, infinitely bright Lord Jesus!”
If you ransacked time and space—eternity and immensity—you could find
none that could even be compared unto Him—He is so precious!
He is all that your souls can desire; yes, He Himself is all.
You could not buy Christ in any market—if you gave the price of heaven and
earth for Him.
“Thanks be unto God for His indescribable gift!” 2 Corinthians 9:15
Assurance
Every believer enjoys assurance of salvation. Every believer also desires more assurance of salvation. When you desire assurance remember this: assurance of salvation can only
be found by looking to and resting in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Assurance is not found by looking at how many good works you have done. Assurance is found by resting in Christ who has finished all of the work of salvation for His people. Assurance is not found trying to see if you sin less than you used to, or less than someone else.
Assurance is found by trusting Christ who has put away all of the sin of all of His people by His one sacrifice for sin.
Assurance is not found by believing that you are saved.
Assurance is found by trusting Christ who is all of our salvation.
-Pastor Frank Tate
THE TENDERNESS OF GOD
(John MacDuff, “The Night Watches”)
“He shall feed his flock like a shepherd. He shall
gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his
bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with
young.” Isaiah 40:11
How soothing, in the hour of
sorrow, or bereavement,
or death, to have the countenance and sympathy of
a tender earthly friend. Reader,
these words tell you
of One nearer, dearer, tenderer still; the Friend that
never fails; a tender God!
By how many endearing
epithets does Jesus exhibit
the tenderness of His relation to His people.
Does a shepherd watch tenderly over his flock?
“The Lord is my Shepherd.”
Does a father exercise fondest solicitude
towards
his children? “I will be a Father unto you.”
Does a mother’s love exceed all other earthly
types of affection. “As one whom his mother
comforts, so will I comfort you.”
Is the ‘apple of the eye’ (the pupil) the most
sensitive part of the most delicate bodily organ?
He guards His people “as the apple of His eye!”
“He will not break the bruised reed.”
When the Shepherd and Guardian of Souls finds
the sinner, like a lost sheep, stumbling on the
dark mountains, how tenderly He deals with him!
There is no look of wrath; no word of upbraiding; in
silent love “He lays him on His shoulders rejoicing!”
Reader, are you mourning over…
the weakness of your faith;
the coldness of your love;
your manifold spiritual declensions?
Fear not. He knows your frame! He will give
‘feeble faith’ tender dealing. He will “carry” in
His arms those that are unable to walk, and
When the Son of Man comes in His glory!
(Octavius Winslow, “Evening Thoughts”)
“When the Son of Man shall come in all His glory,
and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne
of His of glory.” Matthew 25:31
Surpassing in glory all that the eye has ever
seen, or the imagination has ever conceived,
will be the second personal appearing of the
Son of God.
A perfect contrast will it present to His first
advent. Then He appeared a king, but . . .
disguised in the form of a servant,
without a retinue,
without the insignia of royalty,
without visible glory,
His throne a cross,
His crown the thorns,
His scepter a reed.
But His second coming will be in perfect
contrast with this. He will now have thrown
off the garment of humiliation, and will
appear clad with the robe of majesty, the
King acknowledged and adored.
He will come in the glory of His Divine nature.
His Deity will now be unveiled, unclouded, and
undenied, the “God over all, blessed for evermore!”
Angels will laud Him.
Saints will crown Him.
Devils fear Him.
His enemies will bow to Him.
Every tongue shall confess His Deity.
“ When the Son of Man shall come in all His glory,
and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne
of His of glory.” Matthew 25:31
Christ is the mystery of the scripture–grace the mystery of Christ. Believing is the most wonderful thing in the world. Put anything of your own to it, and you spoil it. Christ will not so much as look at it for believing. When you believe and come to Christ, you must leave behind you your own righteousness and bring nothing but your sin (Oh, that is hard!); leave behind all your holiness, sanctification, duties, humblings, etc.; and bring nothing but your wants and miseries, or else Christ is not fit for you, nor you for Christ. Christ will be a pure Redeemer and Mediator, and you must be an undue sinner, or Christ and you will never agree. It is the hardest thing in the world to take Christ alone for righteousness; that is to acknowledge Him Christ. Join anything to Him of your own, and you un-Christ Him.
Whatever comes in when you go to God for acceptance, besides Christ, call it anti-Christ; bid it be gone; make ONLY Christ’s righteousness triumphant. All besides that is Babylon, which must fall if Christ stand, and you shall rejoice in the day of the fall thereof (Isaiah 14:4). Christ ALONE did tread the winepress, and there was none with Him (Isaiah 63:3). If you join anything to Christ, Christ will trample upon it in fury and anger and stain His raiment with the blood of it. You think it easy to believe. Was ever your faith tried with an hour of temptation and a thorough sight of sin? Was it ever put to grapple with Satan, and the wrath of God lying upon the conscience, when you were in the mouth of hell and the grave? Then did God show you Christ a ransom and a righteousness; then you could say, “Oh! I see grace enough in Christ.” You may say that which is the greatest word in the world, believe. Untried faith is uncertain faith.
Thomas Willcox (1621-1687