Jun 24
17
Most religious people, when they come to hear free grace preached say, “Why could anyone come to hear this fellow? He has no variety in his message.” What sort of variety does a hungry man want? He wants some good food that he has tasted before and liked. What sort of variety does a thirsty man want? He wants the same spring water from which he has already drunk. What variety does a poor, tired man want? He wants his bed to rest upon. What sort of variety does a man want that is bowed down with a heavy burden on his back and is weak and ready to fall? He wants his burden removed. Christ is all I want, and all I need.
~Scott Richardson
“It is Christ That Died, Yea Rather, That Is Risen Again!”
Romans 8:34
Our hearts rejoice and give thanks for the marvelous incarnation of Christ. When God assumes our nature, we have hope. God in human flesh assures me that God intends to be gracious to the fallen sons of Adam. Taking our nature into union with himself, the Son of God worked out a perfect righteousness for us.
But that is not enough. Our sin must be punished. A ransom must be paid. Therefore, our merciful Savior laid down his life in our place. Only he who is both God and man can be a suitable substitute for sinners. Man had sinned; and man must die. But a mere man could never satisfy infinite justice for us. Our Redeemer must be more than a man. He must be God. As a man, in our nature, Christ could die. As God, he could make infinite satisfaction to the infinite wrath and justice of God. The God-man drained the cup of divine wrath for us, making atonement for our sins.
But still his work is not done. He must rise from the dead. A buried Christ gives me no comfort. But when I know that One who bore my sins upon the tree has broken the walls of the grave, then I know that my sins are gone! The risen Christ has power to save! The risen Christ gives me such confidence that I can raise this bold challenge, “Who is he that condemneth?” Nobody can because Christ both died and rose again. Do you know this risen Christ?
Pastor Don Fortner
As the sun is seen in its own light, so is Christ; we can never behold Him believingly and comfortably, but in the light of His Own Spirit. “For with Thee is the fountain of life; in Thy light we shall see light” (Psalm 36:98). Augustus Toplady
See to it that your religious knowledge is not borrowed from a church, or from a minister, or from a creed–but is derived directly and only from Christ. Let your knowledge of Christ, your faith in Christ, your love to Christ, your obedience to Christ, be the test and the measure of the light that is in you. Is there not a great danger of borrowing our religious thoughts, sentiments, and phraseology, from others? And was not this the case with the foolish virgins in the parable, when they exclaimed, “Pleasegive us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out!” (Matthew 25:8). Oh, it is of the utmost importance that our religious light is not a borrowed or false light. See that your religion is your own–the personal, vital experience of your own heart. Nothing is easier, or more deceptive or fatal–than to make a religious profession, adopt a religious ritual, imitate the experience, and quote the language of others.
A borrowed or a counterfeit religion is of all religions, the most ensnaring and dangerous! Do not go to the grave clad in the religious apparel of others, but robed in Christ’s true and joyous garments of salvation, girded with the golden belt of truth, holiness, and love. Do not carry the empty, oilless, flameless lamp of a mere religious profession, to death’s gate! Octavius Winslow
Why should we ever doubt our Great and Loving Lord? I confess that
I cannot tell how God will work out all things together for my good. I
am not called to explain the providence of God but just to believe God
no matter the providence. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Fred Evans
“The dearest idol I have known
Whate’er that idol be,
Help me to tear it from thy throne,
And worship only thee.”
William Mason
Religion claims that salvation is according to man’s will, man’s work,
man’s worth, and man’s way. But the Word of God claims that
salvation is …
· According to the good pleasure of God’s will. (Ephesians 1:5)
· According to the riches of God’s grace. (Ephesians 1:7)
· According to God’s good pleasure. (Ephesians 1:9)
· According to God’s eternal purpose. (Ephesians 1:11) · According to the riches of God’s glory. (Ephesians 1:19)
David Edmenson
Apart from Christ, TULIP is but a dead flower.
David Edmenson
So great is the depravity of unregenerate man that, although there is
nothing that he needs more than the Gospel, there is nothing that he
desires less..
Amen!!
Elect or election
I was challenged again recently by the claim that we and our brethren are too dogmatic in our declaration of the sovereign predestinated salvation of the elect alone by the doing and dying of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In response (our time was limited) I asked my friend to do a simple exercise. Look up the word elect or election and examine the adjectives the Holy Spirit attaches to this word in the scriptures.
My question being “would I wish to meet God having thought the proclamation of this truth from our Lord as being something about which it is not helpful to be too dogmatic because it offends some people?”
I didn’t want to ask someone to do something which I hadn’t done so here they are. The 23 references to the words elect or election in the Bible. (The addition of synonyms such as chosen, and pronouns such as Mine would expand this list significantly to many thousands.)
It is God the Father’s title of His Son
Is. 42:1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
It is God’s title of His children (mine, My beloved, His own) and a declaration of the union between the Elect Saviour and His bride elected in Him.
Is. 45:4 For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.
Is. 65:9 And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there.
Is. 65:22 They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
Luke 18:7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?
Election is the declaration of the Lord’s love for His chosen
Ephesians 1:4ff
The elect are protected from the deception which captivates all others.
Matt. 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
Mark 13:22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.
They are gathered by the angels on that last day of this creation – because they are His.
Matt. 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Mark 13:27 And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.
God will accept no charge against His elect – He justifies them freely by His grace Romans 3:24
Rom. 8:33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.
The salvation of the elect reveals the purpose of God
Rom. 9:11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
No election no grace, no grace no salvation. Eph 2:9
Rom. 11:5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
The elect obtain that for which they seek and the rest are blinded.
Rom. 11:7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded
Elect are owned by God as His and dressed appropriately
Col. 3:12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
All the elect know they are loved, those loved by the Lord know they are elect
1Th. 1:4 Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.
Rom. 11:28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes.
Even angels are only kept by being elect
1Tim. 5:21 I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.
Saving faith, which is from God, is given to the elect
Titus 1:1 Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;
Eternal love (foreknowledge) is for the elect
Sanctification is for the elect
Sprinkled (applied) blood is for the elect
1Pet. 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
The Lord Jesus Christ, the elect of God, is the foundation of Zion – the church He purchased with His blood (Acts 20:28)
1Pet. 2:6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
Making your election sure, is to not fall
2Pet. 1:10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
The churches are called the elect
2John 1 The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth;
2John 13 The children of thy elect sister greet thee. Amen.
What delightful descriptions of the Lord Jesus Christ and His bride and what assurances are attached to their union with Him in this world and to eternity. The words of God are written for the rejoicing and comfort of His children who call on the Name (attributes) of the Lord.
May He be pleased to reveal Himself to us, and draw us to Himself as He is described in His holy word of promise that we may long for the day of His appearing when all the elect shall be like Him because they shall see Him as He is. 1 John 3:2