Oct 24
7
Nothing yet Everything
The price for the salvation of all God’s people was paid in full by the Lord Jesus Christ. Any attempt to add anything to His finished work is to rob Him of his glory, and to say His blood is not sufficient to cover my sins. It is to change free grace to works and make God a debtor. Nothing can be added to His accomplished work. Grace must be free, or it is not Grace.
Though our salvation cost us nothing, it will cost us everything. When Christ becomes our life, everything in our life becomes His. Truth is, it was always His. Just as He is Lord over the living and the dead, so He has always had sovereign control over all that we are and have. The difference is now we willingly and joyfully bow to Him being Lord over every part of our lives. “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and your spirit, which are God’s”. 1 Cor. 6:20.
Greg Elmquist
Philip Henry, Matthew Henry’s father, wrote a little book on Christ is All. And he said, “The fact that Jesus Christ is our righteousness will do us well three times.” When we do something awful, how sweet it is to know that Jesus Christ is our righteousness. When we do something good, how necessary it is to know that Jesus Christ is our righteousness. And when we come down to die and we know that in moments we go out to face the most holy God, the thrice holy God, and the God before whom the stars and moon are not pure in his sight, the God whose eyes are too pure to behold evil. I will tell you what I want. I want Christ as my righteousness. And that righteousness is righteousness accounted to us imputed to us, based on the fact that God the Son glorified God the Father and gave us eternal life.
Tim James
A GOOD HOPE
It is only when our Lord in grace and mercy takes away our imaginary
strength that we truly look to Him and trust Him. This we do not learn
in creeds and confessions of faith. This we are taught by Him in
personal relationship in the experience of grace. I only find hope in Him
when there is no hope anywhere else. It is easy to learn correct
doctrine, but faith, hope, comfort, rest in Christ is a living experience.
Justification, redemption, atonement, sanctification and glorification
are not only doctrinal truths believed in the heart, they are truths
experienced in the heart in regeneration. Our Lord is our life, and all
that is in Him is ours. There is no hope in what I know, my only hope is
in Him and what He has done. May God in mercy shut us up to Christ
alone!
Tommy Robbins
Law and Grace
Here are a few contrasts between law and grace.
Law manifests what is in man-sin; Grace manifests what is in
God-love. Law demands righteousness from men; Grace brings
righteousness to men; Law sentences a living man to death; Grace bring a
dead man to life; Law speaks of what men must do for God; Grace tells
of what Christ has done for men; Law gives a knowledge of sin; Grace
puts away for sin; Law brings God out to men; Grace brings men into
God.
Scott Richardson
When the true gospel is preached, believers are made happy, the
rebellious get mad, and the Pharisees are confused.
Rolfe Barnard
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That
Mystery of Love! by Augustus Toplady If anything can awake astonishment, and inflame our gratitude, it must be that mystery of love– God manifested in our nature, and made man, to bleed and die for our salvation. That He should condescend to be sold for thirty shekels of silver, to be apprehended and condemned as a malefactor; to be crowned with piercing thorns; to be scourged at the bloody pillar; to bear His cross; to be numbered with transgressors; to be reviled by rufianly soldiers, and a merciless populace; to be torn with tormenting nails; and pierced with a hostile spear; and suspended on the ignominious tree, between heaven and earth, as unworthy of either, though He was the maker and preserver of both. What thought can reach, what tongue can tell, the infinite riches of His love to man, that induced Him freely to undergo all this, only to make man happy! Nay, He not only freely underwent it, but even longed for the time of His crucifixion to come- “I have a baptism of sufferings to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished?” (Luke 12:50) |
“When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.” John 19:30
These three words “It Is Finished” are actually just one word in the original Arimaic; “Tetelestai” Pronounced “Te’Tell-ist-eye”, this word has a glorious five part meaning.
Debt paid in full: Tetelestai was used to describe the completion of fulfilling a debt. Communicating that a debt had been satisfied, Tetelestai would be written on ancient receipts or debts, meaning “paid in full”.
Pertaining to Legality: In a court of law, Tetelestai means the law was satisfied the penalty was “fully served”.
Pertaining to the Sacrifice: In the time of Lord, the High Priest would declare Tetelestai after sacrificing a scapegoat, this was to signify that the sins of Israel had symbolically been transferred to the scapegoat. This is exactly what Christ accomplished as the scapegoat of His people.
Pertaining to Military: Tetelestai was the word used to describe a victorious battle it meant the “battle has been won”.
Pertaining to Completed work. Upon a job’s completion the worker would declare Tetelestai when they had finished a project or work of art.
May God’s people’s hearts rejoice in the knowledge of our Lord finishing the work to “save his people from their sins.” Matt. 1:21. He finished every aspect of redemption five fold!
He paid the debt of our sin by satisfying justice, death Hell and the grave for all time and eternity; 1 Corinthians 15:55 “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?.”
He satisfied the law’s demands and fully served the penalty for our trespasses, iniquities, and sin; “the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Is. 53:6. “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” Matt. 5:17
He being the Substitute Surety of His people “bore our sins in his body on the tree.” 1 Peter 2:24. “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21. Then; “When He had by himself purged our sins He sat down.” Heb. 1:3.
He is the victorious “Captain of our salvation.” Heb 2:10. He is seated as “the only Potentate King of Kings and Lord of Lords!” 1 Tim. 6:15. Because He is the conquering Savior our adversary is defeated; “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” 1 John 3:8. We are now enabled to hear what our Victor has accomplished for His Elect; Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. Is. 40:1-2.
He completed the work given to Him by the Father to successfully redeem all God’s elected children; “I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.” John 17:4. Because the Lord’s salvation is completed entirely by the finished work of Christ we hear; “There is therefore NOW no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” Rom. 8:1. Because it is perfectly complete, He will never lose one for whom He died; “all which the Father hath given me I should lose nothing.” John 6:39.
There can be no doubt for the reason five definitions are what described our Lord’s last word, for we know five is the number of grace. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.“ Eph. 2:8.
“When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, TETELESTAI: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”
Caleb Hickman
The wedding feast!
(Octavius Winslow)
“Let us be glad and rejoice and give honour to Him: For the marriage of
the Lamb is come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and His
bride has prepared herself.” Revelation 19:7
Jesus sustains no relation to His Church more expressive than this. From all
eternity He betrothed her to Himself. He asked her at the hands of her Father,
and the Father gave her to Him. He entered into a covenant that she should be
His. The conditions of that covenant were great, but not too great for His love
to undertake. They were that He should . . .
assume her nature,
discharge her legal obligations,
endure her punishment,
repair her ruin, and
bring her to glory!
He undertook all, and He accomplished all-because He loved her!
The love of Jesus to His Church, is the love of the most tender husband. It
is . . .
exclusive,
constant,
affectionate,
matchless,
wonderful.
Jesus . . .
sympathises with her,
nourishes her,
provides for her,
clothes her,
watches over her, and
indulges her with the most intimate and endearing communion.
The Lord Jesus will come in the clouds of Heaven, and this will be the occasion
of His public wedding of His Church. Her present union to Him
is secret and unknown-invisible to the world. But He will appear, openly and
visibly to take her to Himself; and before His Father and the holy angels He
will solemnise her eternal union.
Oh what a time of splendour and of rejoicing will that be! Arrayed in His
nuptial robes, Jesus will descend to make her His own; and she, “prepared as
a bride adorned for her husband,” will go forth to meet Him. Then will be
heard the song of angels, “Let us be glad and rejoice and honor Him. For
the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and His
bride has prepared herself.”
Yes! “Blessed are they who are called unto the wedding feast of
the Lamb.”
“He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.” Song of Solomon 2:4
“HE brought me!” All of grace! He justifies! He glorifies! The top-stone is brought forth, the banqueting house is entered with shoutings, saying, “Grace, grace unto it!” Believer, contemplate the journey ended, the course finished, the victory won. Seated at the supper-table of the Lamb in glory, guest talking to guest with bounding hearts — recounting their Lord’s dealings on earth — the watchword circulating from tongue to tongue, “He has done all things well!”
Angels and archangels, too, will be participants in that banquet of glory; and bright seraphs, who never knew what it was to have a heart of sin or to shed a tear of sorrow. But, for this reason, there will be one element of joy peculiar to the Redeemed, into which the other unfallen guests cannot enter — the “joy of contrast.” How will this present world’s “great tribulation” augment the bliss of a world at once sinless and sorrowless! How will earth’s woe-worn cheek, and sin-stricken spirit, and tear-dimmed eye, enhance the glories of that perfect state, where there is not the type or symbol of sadness, nor the solitary trace of one lingering tear-drop!
Then will be realised that sweet paradox, “They rest” — “They rest not!” “The rest without a rest.” “They rest” — the eternal pause and cessation from all the feverish disquietudes of this world’s sins and sorrows; all that would disturb the rapture of a holy repose. And yet, the restless activity of holiness — the Divine energy of beings whose grand element of happiness is employment in the service and executing the will of God. In this “they cease not day nor night.”
It is sublimely said of the God before whom they hymn their anthems and cast their crowns, “He inhabits the praises of eternity!” My soul, seek often to ponder, in the midst of your days of sadness, the joys of that eternal Banqueting house. “You shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more!” One moment at that table — one crumb of the heavenly manna — one draught from the river of life, and all the bitter experiences of the valley of tears will be obliterated and forgotten!
Look upwards even now, and behold your dear Lord preparing for you this glorious “feast of fat things.” “Don’t be troubled. You trust God, now trust in me. There are many rooms in my Father’s home, and I am going to prepare a place for you. If this were not so, I would tell you plainly. When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.” He has Himself entered the Banqueting house as the pledge and forerunner of the coming Guests. He, the first Sheaf of the mighty harvest, has been waved before God in the temple of the New Jerusalem, as a pledge of the immortal sheaves still to be gathered into the heavenly garner!
The invitation is issued, “Come, for all things are ready.” “The feast has been prepared, and choice meats have been cooked. Everything is ready. Hurry to the wedding banquet!” Reader, prepare for the feast suitably attire yourself for such a glorious banquet. Put on your beautiful garments — that righteousness of Jesus, without which you cannot be accepted — that holiness of heart, without which you cannot be an acceptable guest. Soon shall the little hour of life’s unquiet dream be over; and then, oh the glorious surprise of being ushered into that banqueting table — to know, forever, the blessedness of those “who are called unto the marriage-supper of the Lamb!”
With the prospect of such joys awaiting me in the morning of immortality, with the dark nights of death before me, and the grave my couch, I shall be able to say, even of its lonely chamber — “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Psalm 4:8