Jul 24
30
Jer. 32:37 Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely:
Jer. 32:38 And they shall be my people, and I will be their God:
Jer. 32:39 And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them:
Jer. 32:40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.
Jer. 32:41 Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul.
Jer. 32:42 For thus saith the LORD; Like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them.
The doctrines we preach and love are not mere teachings of some particular method or plan, but the doctrines of Christ, who IS our Gospel; Christ who is sovereign over all flesh; Christ, whose grace is both sovereign and free. Not to preach a sovereign Christ, is to preach another Christ. To preach another Christ is to preach another gospel (which is not another, Galatians 1:6-9). It is just that simple. Mark it down, you cannot separate Christ from the Gospel or the Gospel from Christ, for they are one and the same. Christ is sovereign over all things and over all flesh, giving life freely to whom He will. The message of life for poor guilty sinners is the message of the Christ of God, who saves sovereignly and freely, even the chief of sinners!
Pastor Maurice Montgomery
“For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.” Heb. 10:14
The gospel is in this one verse. Who did the perfecting? The Lord Jesus Christ alone! How did He perfect? By one offering, His blood alone! When did he perfect? Notice the word “hath” makes it past tense thereby clearly declaring that the perfecting was done in eternity and in time, hence the word forever! Who did He perfect? The chosen of God the Father who were, are, and always will be sanctified in Christ Jesus! ~Caleb Hickman
The Intercession Of Christ
The believer is perfect in Christ, but in himself is a poor feeble creature, ever liable to fall. Oh, the blessedness of having One who can manage all his affairs for him at the right hand of the Majesty in the Heavens: One who upholds him continually by the right hand of His righteousness: One who will never let him go: One who is able to save to the uttermost: One who is the same yesterday, today, and forever: One who will bear him triumphantly through all the difficulties and dangers that surround him and finally, present him faultless before the presence of His Glory with exceeding joy. Blessed forever be the grace that has made such ample provision for all our sins in the Blood of a spotless victim and the intercession of a Divine High Priest. Pastor Scott Richardson
The anointing
“But the anointing which ye have received of Him remaineth in you.” 1 John 2:27
All the powers of earth and hell are combined against this holy anointing, with which the children of God are so highly favoured. But if God has locked up in the bosom of a saint one drop of this divine unction, that one drop is armour against all the assaults of sin—all the attacks of Satan—all the enmity of self—and all the charms, pleasures, and amusements of the world. Waves and billows of affliction may roll over the soul—but they cannot wash away this holy drop of anointing oil. Satan may shoot a thousand fiery darts to inflame all the combustible material of our carnal mind—but all his fiery darts cannot burn up that one drop of oil which God has laid up in the depths of a broken spirit. Theworld, with all its charms and pleasures, and its deadly opposition to the truth of God, may stir up waves of ungodliness against this holy anointing—but all the powers of earth combined can never extinguish that one drop which God has Himself lodged in the depths of a believer’s heart.
And so it has been with all the dear saints of God. Not all their sorrows, backslidings, slips, falls, miseries, and wretchedness, have ever—all combined—drunk up the anointing that God has bestowed upon them. If sin could have done it—we would have sinned ourselves into hell long ago—and if the world or Satan could have destroyed it or us—they would long ago have destroyed both. If our carnal mind could have done it—it would have swept us away into floods of destruction. But the anointing abides sure, and cannot be destroyed—and where once lodged in the soul, it is secure against all the assaults of earth, sin, and hell. But the anointing which you have received from Him remains in you.
J.C.Philpot
The penetrating light of the spirit
“For God . . . . hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:6
“But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.” 1 John 2:20
The only saving light is the light of God shining into the soul—giving us to see and know “the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom He has sent.” A man may have the clearest light in his judgment, and yet never have the penetrating light of the Spirit producing conviction in his soul. He may have the soundest knowledge of the doctrines of grace, and see the harmonious scheme of salvation—and yet never have by divine teaching, seen a holy God, nor have ever felt the spirituality of God’s righteous law condemning him as a transgressor. If we do not have this penetrating light of the Spirit, we shall be sure to go astray. We shall be entangled in some error—plunge into some heresy—imbibe some doctrine of devils—drink into some dreadful delusion—or fall into some dreadful sin—and have our faith shipwrecked forever.
A false light can but wreck us on the rocks of presumption or despair. But the light of divine life in the soul is accompanied with all the graces of the Spirit. It is the light of the glory of God—the light of Jesus’ countenance—and the light of the Spirit’s teaching—and therefore an infallible guide and guard. And this infallible pilot will guide the soul to whom it is given safe into the harbour of endless rest and peace.
J.C.Philpot
All true religion
Jesus is our sun, and without Him all is darkness—our life, and without Him all is death—the beginner and finisher of our faith—the substance of our hope—the object of our love. It is the Spirit who quickens us to feel our need of Christ—to seek all our supplies in Him and from Him—to believe in Him unto everlasting life, and thus live a life of faith upon Him. By His secret teachings, inward touches, gracious smiles, soft whispers, sweet promises, manifestations of Christ’s glorious Person and work, Christ’s agonising sufferings and dying love—the Holy Spirit draws the heart up to Christ. He thus wins our affections, and setting Christ before our eyes as “the chief among ten thousand and the altogether lovely One,” draws out that love and affection towards Jesus which puts the world under our feet.
All true religion flows from the Spirit’s grace, presence and power.
J.C.Philpot
The Work of God the Holy Spirit
John 16:14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
All the comfort, instruction, and direction of God the Holy Spirit comes to sinners through the Lord Jesus Christ.
In accordance with the disposition of the covenant of grace the Holy Spirit is Christ’s agent in this world, just as he was the Father’s agent in this world. He does nothing of himself, speaks nothing of himself, and receives nothing to himself. It is the Spirit’s delight to do Christ’s bidding in this world, even as it has been the Son’s delight to do his Father’s bidding. Christ is the Fountain of grace. The Holy Spirit is the channel through whom all the waters of grace flow to us from the Fountain.
The gifts of the Spirit are actually the gifts of Christ bestowed upon his church by the Spirit for the glory of Christ, for the furtherance of the gospel of Christ, and for the increase and spiritual welfare of the body of Christ. A comparison of Scripture with Scripture will show this plainly (1 Corinthians 12:11; Ephesians 4:7-12). The Holy Spirit is not in competition with Christ. He has come to glorify Christ.
Everywhere today we hear men saying, “This is the age of the Holy Spirit.” They talk about the anointing of the Spirit, the baptism of the Spirit, being slain in the Spirit, the gifts of the Spirit, the filling of the Spirit, the presence of the Spirit, and the works of the Spirit, and say very little about the Person, work, and glory of Christ. Those who tell you to seek the Spirit, those who focus your attention on the Holy Spirit do not have the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit speaks only of Christ. And those who have the Spirit of Christ speak of Christ. That man who preaches by the Spirit of God preaches Christ only, Christ alone, and Christ always.
Let no one misunderstand me.Let us reverence the Holy Spirit, worship the Spirit, and honour the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God. But the only way to reverence the Spirit is to reverence Christ. The only way to worship the Spirit is to worship Christ. The only way to honour the Spirit is to honour Christ.
1. To have the anointing of the Spirit is to have Christ.
2. To be baptised in the Spirit is to be baptised into Christ.
3. To have the gifts of the Spirit is to have the covenant blessings of God’s grace in Christ.
4. To have the filling of the Spirit is to have Christ in you.
5. To have the power of the Spirit is to have the power of Christ.
6. To have the presence of the Spirit is to have the presence of Christ.
7. To have the work of the Spirit is to have Christ formed in you.
8. To walk in the Spirit is to walk in Christ, with Christ, toward Christ, and for Christ by faith in Christ.
This is not the age of the Spirit. This is the age of the Son. This is the age of Christ! This is the day of grace, the gospel day, the day of Christ. It began when the Sun of Righteousness arose from the grave with healing in his wings!
Don Fortner
Thus He will make the soul enamored with Jesus!
(Letters of William Romaine, 1714-1795)
“But when the Comforter is come . . . He shall testify of
Me.” John 15:26
He shall testify to My person as self-existentJehovah.
He shall bear witness to My work as the perfect sin-atoner.
He shall testify of My grace, how free it is, how full it is.
He shall enable the sinner, any poor wretch, however vile in his own eyes-to
trust his soul into the hands of Jesus. And having enabled the sinner to do
this, then He will testify of Jesus, that He has received him, that he is safe
in the arms and may be happy in the enjoyment of Jesus’ love.
Thus He will make the soul enamoured with Jesus! There will appear
such consummate beauty, such infinite loveliness in His precious person, as
will eclipse the glory of all other lovers. There will appear such true
happiness in fellowship with Him, as will quite dethrone all former idols.
And when the foolish heart would depart, the Comforter will not let
it. Then will He testify of Jesus, “To whom would you go? Who has eternal
life to give, but Him? Turn, turn again to your rest, oh my soul.”
If the soul is mourning; He will testify of the joy that is in Jesus.
If the soul is burdened; “Cast the burden,” He says, “on your
Lord Jesus.”
If the soul has lost any creature comfort; “Let it go,” He says,
“Jesus is still your salvation and your great reward.”
If the soul is grieved with indwelling sin; “It is pardoned,” He
says, “you are free from the curse of sin.”
Whatever the needs of the believer are, the Spirit’s office is to testify of
Jesus: “Jesus is what you need-and you have Him freely.”
The Comforter will keep you by His almighty power, until He brings
you to the Heaven of heavens-the sight and enjoyment of dear Jesus, eternally
dear and lovely Jesus!
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The Superlative Excellence
of the Holy Spirit Spurgeon, “The Superlative Excellence of the Holy Spirit” Christ crucified is of no practical value to us without the work of the Holy Spirit; and the atonement which Jesus wrought can never save a single soul unless the blessed Spirit of God shall apply it to the heart and conscience. Jesus is never seen until the Holy Spirit opens the eye. The water from the well of life is never received until the Holy Spirit has drawn it from the depths. As medicine unused for lack of the physician’s prescription; as sweets untasted because out of reach; as treasure unvalued because hidden in the earth; such is Jesus the Savior, until the Holy Spirit teaches us to know him, and applies his blood to our souls. |