Apr 24
4
John 14:16-28 “The Comforter’s Love”
John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
John 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
John 15:26 ¶ But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
Blood Before the Lord
Note in scripture how many times the blood is said to be “before the Lord.” Whether any man saw it or not was of small account, for it was offered for sin “before the Lord.” When the Passover lamb was slain in Egypt, where was the blood placed? It was on the OUTSIDE of the door “before the Lord.” He said, “When I see the blood, I will pass over you.”
The suffering and death of Christ on behalf of His people was “BEFORE the Lord,” UNTO the Lord, to declare the Lord’s righteousness, to satisfy the Lord’s justice, to fulfil the Lord’s purpose, to glorify the Lord’s character, to enable the Lord to be both just and justifier!
The atonement does not change the NATURE and character of God, but rather the atonement HONOURS and MAGNIFIES the character of God. The death of Christ is NOT the cause of God’s love, but the result of it. God is not merciful because Christ died; Christ died because God is merciful. In order that every attribute might be expressed, glorified, and honored, God gave His Son to be the Saviour of the chosen people! Thank God we have an atonement, “before the Lord.”
Henry T. Mahan
DO YOU TRUST DOCTRINE OR JESUS CHRIST?
Total Depravity. Knowing that you are a sinner, wretched, depraved and spiritually dead will profit you nothing if you do not come to Christ for perfect righteousness.
Unconditional Election. Believing that God in sovereign mercy, elected a chosen people before the foundation of the world, will profit you nothing if you do not see that God elected (chose) certain sinners in His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Those that come to HIM as their only hope of redemption are the Elect of God.
Limited Atonement. To believe that Christ died for certain, particular sinners will not profit you a thing if you do not trust in Him alone. God’s atonement is limited to those who believe and trust in His Son. If atonement is universal, then all men and women will trust and believe on Christ.
Irresistible Grace. To understand that God’s grace is effectual and accomplished only by His sovereign grace will profit you nothing if you do not come to Christ the Redeemer with nothing in your hand to bring.
Perseverance (Preservation) of the Saints. You can believe the precious doctrine of eternal security. However, if you do not cling to, lean on, and trust in God’s beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, enduring to the end, you will die in your sin, believing only in a doctrine.
Salvation is in a person and that person is Jesus Christ. The believer knows these five things to be true doctrine, but they know that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in CHRIST ALONE.
~David Eddmenson
Beloved, our gospel is not about believing in something, it is about believing and trusting someone: the Lord Jesus Christ. “I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day” (2 Timothy 1:12). The chief sinner doesn’t speak of when he believed, or where he believed, or what he believed, but rather ever so blessedly of Whom he believed. ~Copied
God has surely promised His grace to the humbled: that is, to those who mourn over and despair of themselves. But a man cannot be thoroughly humbled till he realises that his salvation is utterly beyond his own powers, counsels, efforts, will and works, and depends absolutely on the will, counsel, pleasure and work of Another — God alone.
Martin Luther
SALVATION IS OF THE LORD
Jonah 2:9 (KJV)
“You don’t have to teach a drowning man what to say. We preach THE GOSPEL and the Holy Ghost will be left to work in men’s hearts. There’s no pressure, no persuasion, and no psychology to get professions or joiners or decisions. The preacher will be preach the Gospel, he will preach the Word of God and will leave people alone. They will leave them in the hands of the Holy Spirit.
Henry Mahan.
In Christ
Why does Paul say that he wanted to found in Christ? It is because Christ is everything God the Father requires, everything God freely gives his people, is IN CHRIST.
Colossians 1: 19: For it pleased the Father that IN HIM should all fulness dwell
Ephesians 1: 3: [God the Father] “blessed his people with all spiritual blessings IN CHRIST, according as he chose us IN HIM”
2 Corinthians 5:21: He hath made him sin who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God IN HIM
1 John 3: 15…he was manifested to take away our sins; and IN HIM is no sin
1 Corinthians 1: 2…the church of God is sanctified IN CHRIST JESUS…
Galatians 3:26…[we are] children of God by faith IN CHRIST JESUS
Romans 8: 1: There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are IN CHRIST JESUS..
Ephesians 2: 6: he raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places IN CHRIST JESUS
Philippians 2: 1 our consolation and comfort of love is IN CHRIST
Philippians 3:3 we are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit, rejoice IN CHRIST JESUS, and have no confidence in the flesh…14…the prize of the high calling of God is IN CHRIST JESUS
Ephesians 1: 10 in the fulness of time God shall gather together in one all things IN CHRIST…
This is why Paul said that he wanted to “be found IN HIM, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.”
We Walk by Faith, Not by Sight
Contrary to all outward evidence, the thief on the cross believed that the Man dying beside him was his only hope for salvation. There was nothing in his physical sight to convince him that Jesus was Lord, or that He would be reigning over an eternal kingdom. Yet he prayed; “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom”. So, what did he have to cause such hope? The same thing you and I have. He had the word of God and he had the Spirit of God. That is all he had, and all he needed. That is all we have, and all we need. If we look for anything else, (feelings, experiences, change in life, etc.) we will be walking by sight rather than by faith. Saving faith comes by hearing, not by seeing. When the Spirit of God takes the Word of God and gives faith to the children of God in the Son of God… they hear those blessed words of hope; “thou shalt be with me in Paradise”.
Greg Elmquist
Human guidance
(Octavius Winslow,
“The Fragrance of Christ’s Name”
We have need to be on our watch against the powerful influence
of spiritual mentors—lest, fascinated by the
fame of some popular leader, we become the willing dupes of a childish
superstition, or the blind followers of a fatal error.
Do not take your views of Divine truth from man; draw them
primarily from God’s Word. Do not study the Bible through your theological
system—but let your system be taken from, and faithfully weighed with, the
Bible. Our theological system must not be allowed to give its complexion to, or
to be the interpreter of, revealed truth. But on the contrary, God’s Word is to suggest and mold and tint all our thoughts and opinions and systems.
We must not set the sun by our watch; but our
watch by the sun. In other words, we must not attempt
to make God’s Word dovetail with our creed, but must test . . .
every doctrine we hold,
every opinion we receive,
every principle we maintain,
the hope we cherish—
by the unerring standard of revealed truth!
This will give a Divine and proper complexion to our views.
If we receive the light of the sun through a
tinted lens—the light will necessarily reflect the hue of the medium through
which it passes. So, if we receive the light of God’s Word through
any theological system whatever—it will necessarily reflect the error and
imperfection, if such there be, of that system. And thus we shall fail to
receive the teaching of God as it flows pure and simple from His Word—as light
flows from the sun, and as streams from the fountain.
The Bible is our rule of faith, and our only and ultimate
appeal. By the law and the testimony let every doctrine, and system,
and hope for eternity be tried!
Do not be, then, carried away by the learning, the influence, or
even the piety attaching to a popular name. Allow no
human leader the mastery of your mind and conscience.
Yield yourself meekly and obediently to the authority and
teaching of Christ—accepting human guidance only so far as it comes with a
“thus says the Lord” as its divine endorsement.
Our only safeguard in a matter of such infinite moment as our
future well being, is God’s pure Word; our only secure place, the feet of the
Savior. Sitting there as His lowly disciple, the Holy Spirit will lead our
minds into the truth, even “the truth as it is in Jesus” . . .
as it emanates from Jesus,
as it speaks of Jesus,
as it strengthens our faith in, and inspires our love to,
Jesus;
and as it prepares us to go and be with Jesus forever!
Wrought with divine power
(J. C. Philpot, “The Veil Taken Away”
1844)
“For our gospel came not unto you in word only,
but also in power, and in the Holy
Ghost and
in much assurance.” 1 Thessalonians 1:5
Most men’s religion is nothing else but
‘a round of forms’ . . .
some have their ‘doings’,
some have their ‘doctrines’,
and others have their ‘duties’.
And when the one has performed his doings,
the other learned his doctrines, and the third
discharged his duties—why, he is as good a
Christian, he thinks, as anybody. While all the
time, the poor deceived creature is thoroughly
ignorant of the kingdom of God, which stands
not in simply in word—but in power.
But as the veil of ignorance is taken off the heart,
we begin to see and feel that there is a power in
vital godliness—a reality in the teachings of the
Spirit—that religion is not to be put on and put
off as a man puts on and off his Sunday clothes.
Where vital godliness is wrought
with divine power in a
man’s heart, and preached by the Holy Spirit into his
conscience—it mingles, daily and often hourly, with his
thoughts—entwines itself with his feelings—and becomes the very food and drink
of his soul.
Now when a man comes to this spot—to see and feel
what a reality there is in the things of God made
manifest in the conscience by the power of the Holy
Spirit—it effectually takes him out of dead churches,
cuts him off from false ministers, winnows the chaff
from the wheat, and brings him into close communion with the broken-hearted family of God.
“For our gospel came not unto you in word only,
but also in power, and in the Holy
Ghost and
in much assurance.” 1 Thessalonians 1:5
A hundred doctrines floating in
the head
(J. C. Philpot)
By five minutes real communion with the Lord . . .
we learn more,
we know more,
we receive more,
we feel more, and
we experience more
than by a thousand years of merely studying
the Scriptures, or using external forms, rites,
and ceremonies.
One truth written by the Spirit in the heart,
will bring forth more fruit in the life, than
a hundred doctrines floating in the head.
A union which will last
forever!
(John MacDuff,
“The Christian’s Pathway” 1858″)
“My Beloved is mine — and I am His!” Song of Songs
2:16
This is the language of the Christian in the book of Canticles.
How great is the blessedness involved in such an assurance! My beloved Jesus is
mine . . .
in the dignity of His person;
in the suitability of His offices;
in the immensity of His love;
in the efficacy of His atonement;
in the riches of His abounding grace!
His righteousness is mine — to justify me,
His Spirit is mine — to sanctify me,
His power is mine — to defend me,
His wisdom is mine — to guide me, and
His Heaven is mine — to receive me!
And what does Christ say to the believer in
return?
“I am yours — and all that I have is yours! I have
boundless and unsearchable riches — and those riches are for
you! I have happiness to bestow, such as the mind in its
largest grasp has never been able to conceive — and that happiness is for you!
I have crowns and scepters at My disposal — and all those honors are
for you! Yes, to him who overcomes, I will grant to sit with Me on My glorious
throne!”
The Christian’s exaltation and bliss is not a matter of doubtful
disputation. And what makes it so certain? It is the blessed truth that
the union which exists between him and Christ — is an indissoluble
union! All other relations, however close and endearing, must be
broken. That union of husband and wife; and soul and body — has no power to
resist the assault of death, the great destroyer.
All earthly ties must then be severed. But death, which breaks
every other bond — only strengthens the bond between the
Christian and Christ! Death, which quenches every other love —
only kindles that of the believer for Jesus, into a purer and intenser flame!
Death, which snatches every other object from our grasp — only
brings us to the full enjoyment of Him, who is the fountain of life, the great
center and source of all blessedness.
Christian, rejoice in your union with Jesus!
The changes of time cannot touch it!
The storms of life cannot injure it!
The sword of persecution cannot sever it!
The damps of death cannot affect it!
The malice of hell cannot move it!
It is a
union which will last forever! It follows, therefore,
that you, if a partaker of it — will be rich forever, safe forever, dignified forever,
and blessed forever!