NEGLECT OF
FERVENT PRAYER
Complained of.
A Sermon,
Preached November, 21, 1754, at a Monthly Exercise of
Prayer, in the Reverend Mr. Steven’s Meeting-
House near Devonshire-Square.
ISAIAH 64:7
And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee.
These words are an address of the church and people of God unto the Lord in a prayer, which begins in the latter part of the preceding chapter; in which they first expostulate with him, about his love, grace, and mercy, and the sounding of his bowels towards them, which they feared were restrained; and plead the relation he stood in to them as a father, of which they were assured, however others might; he ignorant of it; and put him in mind of being their redeemer, whose name, as such, was from everlasting; they desire to be returned to God and his worship; complain of the violation of the sanctuary by their adversaries, and observe the difference between them and themselves, with respect to their relation to God: which is mentioned as on argument to engage his regard unto them: and in the beginning of this chapter, they most earnestly entreat that God would rend the heavens, and come down, and give some manifest tokens of his presence; they urge, that he had been used to do so in times past, when he did terrible things, and unexpected; they take notice of unseen and unheard of things, that God had prepared for those that wait for him, which the apostle Paul (1 Cor. 2:9) applies to the doctrines of the gospel; and suggest that it had been his wonted manner to meet in a way of love, grace, and mercy, and indulge with communion with himself, at the throne of grace, and in his house and ordinances, such that rejoice, and work righteousness; that rejoice not in a carnal sinful, and hypocritical way, or in their own boastings, all such rejoicing being evil; but in the Lord, in the person of Christ, in his righteousness and salvation, in his grace, and in the hope of glory and that work righteousness; not a justifying one, no man can work such a righteousness, nor ought any man to work righteousness with such a view; the best way of working righteousness is to lay hold by faith on the righteousness of Christ, and to do works of righteousness in faith, without which it is impossible to please God: or perhaps such persons are designed and described, who rejoice to work righteousness, who do it in a cheerful and joyful manner, from right principles, and with right views; and such the Lord usually takes notice of, and manifests himself unto; even such that remember him in his ways; in his ways of providence, in his ways of love, grace, and mercy, and in his institutions, ordinances, and appointments; or in the ways of his word and worship; but as for them, the people of God now praying, they own indeed they had sinned, and were deserving of the divine displeasure; behold, thou art wroth, for we have sinned ; and yet they despaired not of salvation; for they add, in these continuance, and we shall be saved; either in these sins there is continuance, which are so displeasing to God; for the words may be rendered, in these we have been of old, or always; we have been old sinners, sinners in Adam, sinners from our first birth; and, more or less, have continued so ever since; and yet we hope for salvation from sin, through the promised Messiah: or in these works of righteousness there is continuance, and in a cheerful performance of then, under the influence of divine grace, saints persevere in faith and holiness, and so are saved: or rather, the meaning is, in these ways of love, grace and mercy of God, in which his people remember him, is continuance: God continues in his love; in that is permanency, perpetuity, and eternity, as the word used signifies: the love of God is from everlasting to everlasting, immutable and invariable, and therefore the sons of Jacob are not consumed, but saved with an everlasting salvation; for that the church did not expect salvation from her own works of righteousness, but only from the free grace and love of God, is clear from what follows; but we are all as an unclean thing or person; like the leper, that was legally polluted, as well as covered with a loathsome disease, and therefore separated from the society of men: by this the church and people of God confess the impurity of their nature; and it may be, have respect to a general corruption in doctrine and manners, which prevailed in those times among the professors of religion: and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; which is to be understood not of the righteousness of hypocrites, which lay in external rites and ceremonies; or of legal and self-righteous persons, consisting of the outward observances of the law; but of works of righteousness done by the best of men, and in the best manner: these are rags, imperfect, and so insufficient to cover their persons, and hide their sins from the sight of God; they are filthy, being attended with sin and imperfection, and need washing in the blood of Christ, and so cannot render men acceptable before God: and we all do fade as a leaf, or fall like leaves in autumn: which might he true of the generality of the professors of that age; but not of such who have the root of the matter in them, who are rooted in the love of God, and engrafted into Christ; therefore their leaf shall not wither, but be ever green; or at least shall not finally and totally fade and fall, though they may have their decays; but this is true only of such who are carnal professors, destitute of the grace of God, who fade away and drop their profession, especially in a time of tribulation, just as trees drop their leaves in the fall of the year: hence it follows, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away; as a fading falling leaf is carried away by the wind, so formal professors are carried away by their sins into a total defection and apostasy; and this general declension the church goes on to acknowledge and lament in the words first read; and there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee; intimating, that there were but very few that prayed to the Lord, or were concerned about his continuance with them, or return unto them, In the words are acknowledged these two things:
I. That there were none, or but few praying souls among them.
II. That there were as few that observed this, and aroused and bestirred themselves to lay hold on and retain a departing God, or to solicit his return unto them.
1. That there were none, or but few praying souls among God’s professing people, in the times referred to: not that there were none at all, not one individual praying person; for this complaint itself is made in prayer to God; so that there were some praying persons, though their number were: but few, the instances scarce and rare; as when David says, Help, Lord, for the godly man ceaseth, for the faithful fail from among the children of men: (Ps. 12:1) his meaning is, not that there was not a godly or faithful man living, but that there were but few of this character: likewise, when the apostle Paul observes, that all seek their own, not the things that are Jesus Christ’s; (Phil 2:21) his sense is, not that there were none that sought the things of Christ, for he himself was one that did, and Timothy was another, of whom he is speaking, and whom he is commending; but that they were but very few that sought the things of Christ, in comparison of others that sought their own things; and in like manner are we to understand the expressions here, not simply and absolutely, but comparatively: and when we consider what an incumbent duty on professors calling on the name of the Lord is; or rather, what a privilege it is to be allowed to do it, the neglect of it here complained of must be a very aggravated sin, as will appear by opening the nature of this duty or privilege; in order to which, it may be proper to consider the object to be called upon, the name of the Lord; what he is to he called upon for, and when; the manner of calling upon him; and the arguments in brief exciting and encouraging thereunto.
1st, The object of invocation or prayer, the name of the Lord; which includes the nature, being, and perfections of God, as well as his titles and character; also the divine persons in the Godhead ; and particularly points at the special name in which God is to be called upon.
1. It takes in the nature, being, and perfections of God; the name of the Lord is the Lord himself: as when it is said, the name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runneth into it, and is safe; (Prov. 18:10) that is, the Lord himself is a strong tower of safety to the righteous, that betake themselves to him; and again, (Ps. 20:1) the name of the God of Jacob defend thee; that is, the God of Jacob himself, or he who is so named, protect and defend thee from all evils and enemies. Once more; (Ps. 8:1) O Lord our God, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! that is, what a glorious display is there of thy divine perfections, in the works of creation and providence, throughout the whole world, and especially in those of grace and redemption! and there is something in the name of God, in his nature, and in all his attributes and perfections, which is engaging and encouraging to saints to call upon him: he, whose name is to he called upon, has proclaimed his name, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth; (Exod. 34:6) which is very inviting end engaging to souls to make their application to him for grace and mercy. Benhadad’s servants having heard that the kings of Israel were merciful kings, proposed to make their addresses in an humble manner to the king of Israel, in favour of the life of their prince; and a very similar argument Joel makes use of, to encourage the Jews in his time to humble themselves before the Lord, and turn to him, since he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; for who knows, says he, if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him. (Joel 2:13, 14) The Lord, whose name is to he called upon, is the Lord God omnipotent; he is able to fulfill all the requests, answer all the expectations, and supply all the wants of his people: the heathens pray to a God that cannot save; (Isai. 45:20) but we pray to one whose hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; (Isai. 59:1) and who indeed is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think. (Ephes. 3:21) The Lord, on whose name we should call, is the Lord God omniscient; he with whom we have to do in prayer, to whom our speech is directed, (Heb. 4:13) and our addresses made, has all things naked and open to his eyes; he knows our persons, our cases, our wants, and all the desires and breathings of our souls; he knows the meaning of our sighs and groans, even those that are unutterable; whether we pray in public or private, in the house of God, or in our own houses, or in our closets, our Father seeth in secret, and will reward us openly. (Matt. 6:6) The God we are called upon to pray unto, is the Lord God omnipresent, who is every where, and fills heaven and earth with his presence; he is at hand to hear the petitions of his people, to assist, protect, and defend them; he is a present help in all their times of trouble; this is their great privilege, and in which they excel all other people, that they have God so nigh unto them, as the Lord their God is, in all things that they call upon him for. (Deut. 4:7) He is also El-shaddai, God all-sufficient, the God of all grace, the author and giver of it; who is able to cause all grace to abound, and whose grace is sufficient at all times, and in all cases. And to these perfections and attributes of God may be added, that the name and title he takes to himself for the encouragement of his people in prayer, is, that he is a God that hears prayer, (Ps. 65:2) and answers it too; he never said, no not at any time, to the seed of Jacob, seek ye my face in vain: (Isai. 65:19) every praying soul can set his seal to the truth of this testimony, that it is always good to draw near to God; (Ps. 73:26) for his eyes are always upon the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry. (Ps. 34:15) To say no more, the Lord that is to be called upon, stands in the relation of a father to his people; and they are taught and instructed to address him in prayer under this character and relation, our Father which art in heaven: (Matt. 6:9) and the Lord loves to have his children come about him, and call him their Father, and not turn away from him; it is with pleasure he hears. them cry Abba, Father, in the strength of faith, and under the testimony of the spirit of adoption; and such may assure themselves, that he will graciously hear and answer their requests; for if earthly fathers know how to give good things to their children, how much more shall our heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him, (Luke 11:13) and all other good things they stand in need of. And since then there is such great encouragement from the name, nature, and perfections of Cod; from the titles, characters, and relations he bears, how heinous must the sin be, to neglect calling upon his name!
2. The Name of the Lord takes in all the divine persons who are to be invoked: as baptism so be administered in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Ghost; so the name of the Father, Son, and Spirit, is to be called upon in prayer, either separately or together. The name of the Father is to be invoked, and for the most part is called upon; if ye call upon the Father, or seeing ye call upon the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth; (1 Peter 1:17) the apostle Paul says, I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ: (Ephes. 3:14) The scriptural instances of prayer are generally in this way; the address is commonly made to the first person, and we usually and for the most part, direct our petitions to him; and there is good reason why they should be directed to him; since the other two Persons sustain an office which he does not, an office with respect to prayer: The Son is the Mediator, by whom we draw nigh to God; and the Spirit, is the Spirit of grace and supplication, who helps and assists in approaches to him; though this is not to he done to the exclusion of either the Son or Spirit, who, in conjunction with the Father or apart, may he called upon or addressed in prayer: the same blessings of grace and peace (Rom. 1:7) are frequently wished from our Lord Jesus Christ, as well as from the Father. Ananias exhorted Saul, when converted, to arise and be baptized, calling on the name of the Lord, (Acts 22:17) that is, calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ; and the apostle Paul directs one of his epistles to the Corinthians, and to all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord: (1 Cor. 1:2) special petitions are sometimes put up to him; particularly Stephen, in his last moments, called upon him, and said, Lord Jesus receive my spirit: (Acts 7:59) The holy Ghost is also prayed unto: sometimes along with the other two persons, as in Rev. 1:4, 5. and sometimes he is singly invoked, as when the apostle thus prays, the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ; (2 Thess. 3:5) where the Lord, the Spirit, seems to be designed as distinct from God and Christ.
3. This phrase of calling on, or in the name of the Lord, as it may be rendered, seems particularly to point at the invocation of God, in the name of Christ; and which perhaps is the true meaning of it here, and in that remark. able passage, then began men to call upon, or in the name of the Lord; (Gen. 4:26) not that men did not pray unto God, or call upon him before; but now another seed being raised in the room of Abel, whom Cain slew, and this increasing and multiplying, men either began to meet together in bodies, in communities, to carry on social worship, particularly to perform social prayer; or having now clearer discoveries, and better notions of the promised seed, the Messiah, they began to call upon God in his name; and this was practiced, more or less, by the saints in all succeeding ages; though it seems greatly to have got into disuse in the times of Christ, who exhorted his disciples to pray to the Father in his name; assuring them, that whatsoever they asked in this way, both he and his Father would do it for them; and complains of their neglect of it; hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name; ask, and ye shall receive: (John 14:13, 14 and 14:23, 24) Christ is the only mediator between God and men; the days-man that lays his hands on both, the only way to the Father, the new and living way by which we have access to God with boldness and confidence; his name is to be used in prayer; our supplications are not to be presented to God for our righteousness-sake, but for his name-sake; we are to make mention of his righteousness, and of his only, and plead his precious blood and sacrifice, and desire the Lord would look upon the face of his anointed, and regard us for his sake; acceptance of our persons and services is only through him: our righteousness is as filthy rags, and cannot render us acceptable unto God; our acceptance is only in the beloved; our sacrifices of prayer and praise become only acceptable unto God, as they are offered up through Christ, and on him, that altar which sanctifies every gift: and all favours and blessings of grace are conveyed through him to his people; the first grace in conversion is shed in the hearts of men abundantly through Christ their Saviour, and all after-supplies of grace are out of his fulness; and therefore, seeing we have such a mediator, advocate, and interceding high priest, to introduce our persons, to present our petitions, and to obtain all grace for us, we have great encouragement to call upon the Lord in his name, and to neglect this, must be an aggravated evil. I proceed,
2dly, To consider for what, and when we are to call upon the name of the Lord, or in his name; and this we are to do for all things; for he is nigh to us in all things we call upon him for: (Deut. 4:7) we should pray unto him for all temporal mercies, for he is the father of them we are directed to pray to him for our daily bread, (Matt. 6:11) which takes in all the necessaries of life; and such who have the true grace of God, and the power of godliness in them, may expect to be heard and answered; for godliness has the promise of this life, (1 Tim. 4:8) as well as of that which is to come: and we are to call upon him for spiritual mercies, for all spiritual blessings in Christ; for though these things are in his heart, and in his hands, and which he has laid up in his Son, and in the covenant of his grace, for his people, yet he will be enquired of by them, to do them for them; (Ezek 36:37) even for the fresh discoveries and application of pardoning grace, for the light of his countenance, and communion with him, and for all supplies of grace and mercy, to help in time of need. And this is to he done at all times; our Lord spake a parable to encourage men to pray always, and not faint; (Luke 18:1) and the apostle Paul exhorts the saints to pray always, with all prayer and supplication, and to pray without ceasing, (Ephes. 5:18; 1 Thess. 5:17) constantly, continually, and incessantly, and especially in times of trouble; Call upon me, says the Lord, in the day of trouble, I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me: (Ps. 50:15) all times and seasons are proper for prayer, but especially afflictive ones; a time of affliction is a peculiar time for prayer; Is any afflicted? let him pray; (James 5:13) yea sometimes, when the people of God are negligent of the work and business of prayer, he sends an affliction to them, to bring them to his throne of grace; in their affliction they will seek me early: (Hos. 5:15) and particularly in times of public calamity and distress, it is right and highly necessary to call upon God; and happy it is for a nation, when there are, at such seasons, many praying souls in it; it was well for Israel they had a Moses to stand in the breach, and deprecate the wrath and vengeance of God, that he might not destroy them; and that they had an Aaron, who put on incense, and made atonement., and then stood between the living and the dead, and so the plague was stayed : but sad is the case of a people, when there is not one to stand in the gap, and intercede for them, that they perish not. This is what is here complained of.
3dly, The manner in which this duty of calling upon God should be performed; that is, in faith, with fervency, in sincerity of heart, and with great importunity. It cannot be done aright without faith; for how shall they call on him, in whom they have not believed ? (Rom, 10:14) Whoever comes to God, or draws near to him, in any part or branch of worship, and particularly in prayer, must believe that he is, (Heb. 11:6) not only that he exists, and is possessed of all divine perfections, but that he is the God of all grace, that keeps covenant, and is faithful to his promises: he must not only believe in the object of prayer, but with respect to the things prayed for; these must he asked in faith, for it is the prayer of faith that is prevalent with God; (James 1:6 and 5:15) this is the holy confidence that should he cherished, that. whatever we ask according to the revealed will of God, that will make for his glory, and our good, shall be given us: and then our petitions should not be put up in a cold, lukewarm, and indifferent manner, but it becomes us to be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord (Rom. 12: 11) in every part of worship, and particularly in this of prayer; for it is the effectual fervent prayer of the righteous man that availeth much: (James 5:16) and we should also draw nigh to God, in this duty, with true hearts, as well as with full assurance of faith, in the sincerity and uprightness of our souls; for if men draw near to God with their mouths, and honour him with their lips only, but remove their hearts far from him, and their fear towards him is taught by the precept of man, (Isai. 29:13) they cannot expect to be regarded by him; but he is nigh to all them that call upon him in truth; (Ps. 145:18) who are hearty and sincere in their requests unto him; and such may, and should, use an holy importunity with him. Our Lord has given us two instances of importunity, (Luke 11: 5-9 and 13:1-8) on purpose to encourage the same in prayer; the one is of a man that had a friend come to his house late at night, and he without provisions, upon which he calls up his neighbour at midnight, to lend him some bread, but he excuses rising on account of his door being shut, and his children in bed with him; nevertheless, continuing to solicit him, he rises, and gives him what he would have, not on the score of friendship, but because of his importunity the other instance is that of the unjust judge, who neither feared God, nor regarded man, yet being pressed by a poor widow, time after time, to take her case in hand, and do her justice; he at length did undertake it, not for the sake of doing justice, but lest he should be wearied by her continual coming; which our Lord applies thus, and shall not God avenge his own elect, that cry day and night unto him? such as, Jacob-like, lay hold on the Lord, and will not let him go without the blessing, always succeed; God cannot deny them any thing that ask in faith, fervently, sincerely, and importunately; and therefore a man that neglects this duty and privilege, must be greatly wanting to his own interest.
4thly, Many are the scripture arguments, exciting and encouraging the saints to call upon the Lord; I shall do little more than name the passages in which they are the Lord himself, whose name is to be called upon, bids, invites, and encourages men to call upon him; Call upon me in the day of trouble, I will deliver thee; ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; (Ps. 50:15; Matt. 7:7) what more can be desired, than to ask and have? The Lord is nigh to all that upon him in truth; (Ps. 145:18) he draws near to them in a way of grace and mercy, that draw nigh to him in a way of duty: he is rich unto all that call upon him; (Rom. 10:12) that is, he liberally bestows on such the riches of his providential goodness, the riches of his grace here, and the riches of glory hereafter he is plenteous in mercy to all that call upon him; (Ps. 86:5) he largely and plentifully bestows his grace and mercy on such ; abundantly pardons their sins, which, as it is an encouraging argument with sensible sinners, to turn unto the Lord, so it is a no less powerful one, to engage saints to pray unto him for fresh discoveries of pardoning grace and mercy. To add no more, it is said, that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved; (Rom. 10:13) saved from all afflictions and distresses; saved out of the hands of enemies; saved with a temporal, and with an everlasting salvation.
And now how great must the sin and folly be of such professors, that neglect to call upon the name of the Lord! not to call upon the name of the Lord is heathenish; and of heathens nothing else is to he expected; for how should they call on him, in whom they have not believed? (Ro. 10:14) they know not God, and have no faith in him, and therefore it is no wonder they do not call upon him; and yet the wrath and fury of God are imprecated on the heathen, that know him not, and on the families that call not on his name; (Jer. 10:25) and even these, in time of distress, will call upon those they take to be God, as did Jonah’s mariners. Not to call upon God, is to do as hypocrites do; who, though they may pray openly and publicly before men sometimes, that they may be seen of them, and seem outwardly to take delight in approaching to God; yet as Job says, (Job 27:10) will he, the hypocrite, delight himself in the Almighty? will he always call upon God? No, he will not; he may for a time, but not always: nor does he ever take any real delight and pleasure in it. Now, for a professing people not to call upon God, is to do as heathens and hypocrites do: and such must be under great decays and declensions, if truly gracious persons, that restrain prayer before God; (Job 15:4) so to do is highly resented by the Lord; it is a charge he once brought against his church of old, she drew not near to her God: (Zeph. 3:2) such act very unbecoming the names of Jacob and Israel, by which they are called. Jacob had the name of Israel given him, because wrestling with God, he had power as a prince, and prevailed; but how unsuitable is this name to such who call not on the Lord? or how disagreeable to their name and character do they act? the Lord complains of it, Thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob, but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel: (Isai. 43:22) and this is the first branch of the complaint here in our text. I proceed to consider the other part of it.
II. That there were none, or few, that bestirred and aroused themselves to lay bold of the Lord. Here I shall briefly shew what is to lay hold on the Lord; and then, what it is for a man to stir up himself to do this; the neglect of which is complained of.
1. It is to exercise faith upon him, as to lay hold on Christ is to believe in him; Wisdom, or Christ is a tree of life, the Author and Giver of Spiritual and eternal life to them that lay hold upon him, (Prov. 3:18) that is, that exercise faith on him; by faith men look to Christ, go to him, and lay hold upon him; the believer lays hold on Christ as his Saviour; and says, he also shall be my salvation, and none else; and, though he slay me; yet will I trust in him; (Job 13:15, 16) this is laying hold on Christ to a purpose: believers come to Christ as the mediator of the covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, and deal with it for pardon, peace, and cleansing; they lay hold on his righteousness, the skirt of him that is a Jew, as their justifying-righteousness; they lay hold on him as the strength of the Lord, and say, surely in the Lord have I righteousness and strength; (Isai. 45:24) this is laying hold on him for themselves, and exercising faith upon him; and so to lay hold on God, is to exercise faith on him, as a covenant-God and father; it is to avouch him to he our God. It was a noble act of faith in David, when he said, I trusted in thee, O Lord; 1 said, Thou art my God; (Ps. 31:14) Job wished to find him, that he might come even to his seat; (Job 23:2) and what would he have done there and then? why, lay hold on him as his own God. And such believers as these will lay hold on the covenant itself; for this is one of the characters of a good man, that he chooses the things that please God; and takes hold of his covenant; (Isa. 56:4) claims his interest in it, and which is his support in life and in death; as it was to David in his last moments, who could say, Although my house be not so with God, yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure; (2 Sam. 23:5) this was taking fast hold of the covenant for himself: and such will claim all the blessings of it as theirs, even all spiritual blessings, which are in Christ; he being theirs; and also all the promises of it, of which they are heirs, and so have a right unto them; and who, when they find them; take them to themselves, and rejoice at them, and plead them with God; for there is not a promise in the covenant, but the meanest believer has a right unto: promises as well as blessings are common to all; as may he observed from that peculiar promise made to Joshua, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee; which every ‘believer may take hold on for himself, and take the comfort of, as appears from Heb. 13:5, 6.
2. To lay hold on God, is to exercise faith on him, particularly in prayer: prayer is a wrestling with God; and in wrestling, persons lay hold on one another; faith lays hold of God in prayer, as Jacob did on the angel he wrestled with, and will not let him go, without having the blessing he is earnest for: and when this is the case, whatever men ask in prayer, believing, they shall receive. (Matt. 21:22) The Lord sometimes seems to be departing from his church and people: As the glory of the Lord in Ezekiel’s Vision (Ezek. 10: 4, 18) went up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house; and then departed from the threshold of the house, and stood ever the cherubim, threatening a removal from the temple; so the Lord sometimes seems to be taking his leave of his people; which, when observed by truly gracious souls, they hold upon him, and most earnestly solicit his continuance with them; as the two disciples that travelled with Christ to Emmaus, when he seemed as if he would go further, they constrained him; (Luke 24:28, 29) they most earnestly intreated him to stay with them; they held him from going further; and thus faith in prayer lays hold on a departing God to retain him. Sometimes the Lord does really depart from his people; their sins and iniquities separate between God and them, and cause him to hide his face from them; when they seek after him, and seeking find him, and having found him, they hold him fast, and will not let him go, until he returns to his church again; their importunate request to him is, Return we beseech thee, and behold and visit this vine, and the vineyard thy right hand hath planted. (Ps. 80:14) Sometimes the Lord, being offended with his dear children, lifts up his hand to correct and chastise; when faith in prayer steps in between, and lays hold on his hands, when he is just going to strike the blow; even as when a father displeased with his child, lifts up his hand to strike him; and a friend that is by him, lays hold on his hand, and will not suffer him to give the blow: this might be exemplified in the case of the Israelites, when they had made the golden calf, and worshipped it; the Lord was greatly provoked by them, and thought to destroy them, or signified his desire to do so; and therefore says to Moses, who he knew would intercede for them, Let me alone that my wroth may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them; and I will make of thee a great nation. (Exod. 32:10) But Moses would not let him alone, nor suffer him to do what he seemed desirous of doing; but interceded for the people, and, as it were, held the hands of the Lord from destroying them. What amazing condescension is this, that the infinite and tremendous Being, should suffer himself to be held by a creature from doing what he shewed an inclination to! See here the force of prayer, and the strength of faith! and what encouragement saints have to stir up themselves to lay hold on him; and what that is, I shall next consider.
2dly, To stir up a man’s self to lay hold on God, is to be diligent in the use of means in seeking after him; as Job was, when being at a loss for him, he went backwards and forwards, on the right hand, and on the left, in order to find him; and as the church, who sought her beloved in the streets of the city, and broad-ways, and inquired here and there, of one, and of another, till she got tidings and sight of him, and then laid hold upon him: (Job 23:3, 8, 9; Song 3:1-4) it is to seek the Lord, where and when; and while he is to be found; and to call earnestly and importunately on him, where and when, and while he is near; (Isai. 55:6) and even when afar off, not to quit the pursuit of him, and inquiry about him, until he is pleased to appear and shew himself. This stirring up a man’s self, is no other than a frequent use of the gift of prayer: gifts, like some metals, if not used grow rusty, but the more they are used, the brighter they are; yea, gifts may be lost, though grace cannot; the gift of preaching, through disuse, may come to nothing, and therefore should be stirred up; that is, not neglected, but diligently cultivated, and frequently exercised: hence that advice of the apostle to Timothy, Stir up the gift of God which is in thee; just as one would stir up coals under ashes, and embers which seem to be dead, and would go out if not stirred; and is the same with, neglect not the gift that is in thee: (2 Tim. 1:6; 1 Tim. 4:14) so to stir up the gift is not to neglect it, but frequently to use it; and in like manner the gift of prayer should not be neglected, but be often used; and so to do, is to stir it up: and this is not only to be stirred up, but a man should stir up himself to it; which he may be said to do, when he exerts himself, when he calls upon his soul and all within him as to bless and praise the Lord for favours bestowed on him, so to pray unto him in faith, for what he stands in need of; as the church resolved to do; With my Spirit within me will I seek thee early; (Isai. 26:9) that is, with my whole heart and soul, in the most earnest and pressing manner, will I pray unto thee, and seek thy face and favour. Stirring up a man’s self is opposed to slothfulness in business, and is expressive of that diligence which becomes the people of God: who should be diligent in the exercise of grace, and discharge of duty; and as they should be diligent to add one virtue to another, as to the exercise thereof, and to make their calling and election sure and manifest to others, and to be found of Christ in peace; so they should diligently seek the Lord, who is a rewarder of all such: the frame of spirit here complained of, is a backwardness to prayer; a remissness in the performance of that duty; a doing this part of the work of God negligently, or in a cold, lukewarm, sleepy, drowsy manner; being like the disciples of our Lord, who were sleeping whilst he was praying; whom he thus rebukes, Could ye not watch with me one hour? (Matt. 26:40) It becomes christians to bestir, awake, and arouse themselves, as the word here used (see Isai. 51:17) signifies, from their spiritual stupor and lethargy, at least, to implore the spirit and grace of God to enable them so to do.
The church of Christ and its members are sometimes as it were asleep; the wise as well as the foolish virgins all slumbered and slept; and this is the case with them, when grace lies dormant, or there is a non-exercise of it; an. indifference to the duties of religion, or at most a contentedness in the outward performance of them; an unconcernedness about sins of omission and commission; and little or no regard to the glory of God, and the interest of religion. Such a spirit arises from the prevalence of the flesh, or corrupt nature; from the heart being over charged and surfeited with worldly cares; from a weariness in spiritual exercises, and a cessation from religious ones; from keeping carnal company; and from its being a night-season: great and many are the dangers such are exposed unto, and the church of God by their means; which is liable to be filled with hypocrites, and over-run with errors and heresies ; for while men sleep, the enemy sows his tares; (Matt. 13:25) such are personally exposed to every sin, and snare, and temptation; liable to have spiritual poverty and leanness brought upon them; to lose their spiritual peace, joy, and comfort ; and to be surprised with the midnight-cry wherefore it is high time for them to bestir themselves, and awake out of sleep; (Rom. 13:11) Christ calls upon them to this purpose, and says, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead; shake off thy lethargy; throw off thy dead companions, and converse no more with them who have been the means of bringing on this sleepy, drowsy frame, and Christ shall give thee light; (Ephes. 5:14) pray, as well as thou canst, that the Lord would quicken thee, that thou mayest call upon his name. (Ps. 80:18)
To come to a close; we may see our own picture in the people here described, that called not on the name of the Lord, and stirred not up themselves to lay hold on him: this is exactly our case; there are none, or however very few, heartily engaged in such spiritual exercises, and which should be matter of lamentation and humiliation: what has been said, should serve to stir up our minds by way of remembrance of the state wherein we are, and from whence we are fallen; and to quicken us to every duty of religion, and particularly to this of prayer, and to the exercise of faith in it; and as we should stir up ourselves, so one another, to this, and every other good work; and which is a principal end of our meeting together at such times as these; and the Lord grant this end may be answered by this discourse and God be glorified.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Monday, December 11, 2006
THIS SAME JESUS
"THIS SAME JESUS"
Chapter #2
Acts 1:9-11
These three verses of Holy Scripture are both solemn and delightful, instructive and practical. They speak of the glorious ascension and second advent of our Lord Jesus Christ. Having finished his work upon the earth (John 19:30), our Lord Jesus, the God-man, ascended into heaven and assumed his rightful place upon the throne of God, as King of kings and Lord of lords (John 17:1-5; Rom. 14:9; Phil. 2:5-11; Heb. 1:3; 10:12-14). Even so, when he has finished his work in heaven, our Savior will come again to this earth in power and great glory (Rev. 1:7; 19:11-17; I Thess. 4:13-18; II Thess. 1:8-10; John 14:1-3). Here are four things that are of paramount importance. Be sure you understand them.
First, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST HAS ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN. "And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight" (v. 9; Lk. 24:50-52). What is the meaning of the ascension? Why was the Lord Jesus taken up into heaven? What happened to the Son of God when he went back to glory clothed in human flesh? What is he doing in heaven? All these questions are plainly answered in the Word of God. Read the answers for yourself (Psa. 2:6-8; 68:17-20; 110:1-4; Isa. 53:10-12; John 16:7; Acts 2:25-36; 4:11-12; 5:30-32; Eph. 4:8-12; Phil. 2:5-11; Heb. 10:12-14).
Christ Jesus ascended back into heaven to claim his rightful place as King of the universe (Dan. 7:13-14). The Father's reward to the Son for his mediatorial obedience as our Substitute is dominion over all things (Psa. 2:8). God the Father has put all things into the hands of and under the rule of Jesus Christ, the God-man.
In heaven the Son of God is carrying on his great intercessory work as our Advocate and High Priest. Entering into heaven with his own blood, he sat down upon the throne of God, having obtained eternal redemption for us (Heb. 9:12). By virtue of that blood he offers continual intercession for his redeemed people (Rom. 8:34; I John 2:1-2). And through the virtue of his blood all the blessings of grace are bestowed upon God's elect (Eph. 1:3-6).
The exalted Christ has claimed and taken possession of heaven as the Forerunner of his people (Heb. 6:14, 16-20). He has claimed all the inheritance of heaven's glory for all God's elect, for all for whom his blood was shed, for all who shall believe on him.
Our Savior took his place upon the throne of glory to secure the everlasting salvation of all his redeemed ones. He reigns in life to save those he purchased in death (Rom. 5:10). He rules all things for the salvation of his people (John 17:2; Rom. 8:28). In a word, Christ has gone to prepare a place in the Father's house for all his adopted sons and daughters, and he will bring them there.
Secondly, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IS COMING AGAIN. "And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold two men stood by them in white apparel, which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven" (vv. 10-11). God sent two angels with this word of promise to his beloved children upon the earth, so that we might constantly live in anticipation of it - Christ is coming again! This promise ought to cheer our hearts, enliven our souls, and encourage our hope. God has not told us when Christ is coming. He does not intend for us to know the time of our Lord's appearing. But the second advent of Christ is a matter of certainty. It should be, to every believer, a matter of imminent expectancy (Heb. 9:26-28; Zech. 14:4, 5, 9; Matt. 16:27; 24:27; John 14:1-3; Phil. 3:20; I Thess. 4:16; II Tim. 4:8; Tit. 2:13; James 5:7-8; Jude 14; Rev. 1:7; 22:20). Here are four things revealed in the Scriptures about the Lord's coming.
1. Christ's second coming will be a personal, bodily advent (Rev. 1:7).
2. It will be a glorious appearing (II Thess. 1:7-10).
3. It will be the consummation of our salvation (Rom. 13:11; Eph. 1:14).
4. Our Lord will appear suddenly, without warning, as a thief in the night (I Thess. 5:1-6).
Thirdly, OUR LORD'S SECOND ADVENT WILL BE THE CLIMATIC CONSUMMATION OF GOD'S ETERNAL PURPOSE (Acts 3:19-21; I Cor. 15:24-28). Reading the Scriptures, it appears that once our Lord Jesus appears in his second advent everything after that will happen with great speed. With great swiftness, the Lord God will wrap up his work among men. The resurrection of the dead, the judgment, the conflagration of the earth and new creation, the final separation of the righteous and the wicked, all seem to take place in a matter of moments!
There will be A GENERAL RESURRECTION (John 5:28-29). The dead shall be raised. The living saints shall be changed, translated in a moment and gathered out of the earth. All men will stand before God and be judged by him. According to the strict standards of inflexible justice, everyone will receive exactly his due. The righteous, made righteous by grace, shall inherit glory. The wicked shall be cast into hell.
There will be A GREAT REGENERATION (II Pet. 3:9-14). Our God shall indeed make all things new! There will be a new heavens and a new earth where nothing dwells but righteousness!
There will be A GLOBAL RECONCILIATION (Rev. 5:13). The Lord God will demonstrate to all creation how that all creation has served his purpose and brought glory to him.
Then there will be A GLORIOUS REST (Heb. 4:9). The Triune God and all the countless multitude of his elect will enter into an eternal sabbath. In heaven's glory we will rest from all our troubles and from all our works. There we shall worship our God perfectly, serve him without labor, and love him completely!
Fourthly, THE ONE WHO IS COMING FOR US IS "THIS SAME JESUS!" The angelic messengers assure us that our Lord will never forget his people. The One coming to bring us home to glory is the very same Jesus who died to redeem us. "This same Jesus" who is full of love and sympathy, - "This same Jesus" who brought in everlasting righteousness, - "This same Jesus" who has gone into heaven for us, who now appears in the presence of God for us, who sits upon the throne of universal dominion, ruling all things for us, - "This same Jesus" shall come again!
Don Fortner, Pastor Grace Baptist ChurchDanville, Ky.
Chapter #2
Acts 1:9-11
These three verses of Holy Scripture are both solemn and delightful, instructive and practical. They speak of the glorious ascension and second advent of our Lord Jesus Christ. Having finished his work upon the earth (John 19:30), our Lord Jesus, the God-man, ascended into heaven and assumed his rightful place upon the throne of God, as King of kings and Lord of lords (John 17:1-5; Rom. 14:9; Phil. 2:5-11; Heb. 1:3; 10:12-14). Even so, when he has finished his work in heaven, our Savior will come again to this earth in power and great glory (Rev. 1:7; 19:11-17; I Thess. 4:13-18; II Thess. 1:8-10; John 14:1-3). Here are four things that are of paramount importance. Be sure you understand them.
First, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST HAS ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN. "And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight" (v. 9; Lk. 24:50-52). What is the meaning of the ascension? Why was the Lord Jesus taken up into heaven? What happened to the Son of God when he went back to glory clothed in human flesh? What is he doing in heaven? All these questions are plainly answered in the Word of God. Read the answers for yourself (Psa. 2:6-8; 68:17-20; 110:1-4; Isa. 53:10-12; John 16:7; Acts 2:25-36; 4:11-12; 5:30-32; Eph. 4:8-12; Phil. 2:5-11; Heb. 10:12-14).
Christ Jesus ascended back into heaven to claim his rightful place as King of the universe (Dan. 7:13-14). The Father's reward to the Son for his mediatorial obedience as our Substitute is dominion over all things (Psa. 2:8). God the Father has put all things into the hands of and under the rule of Jesus Christ, the God-man.
In heaven the Son of God is carrying on his great intercessory work as our Advocate and High Priest. Entering into heaven with his own blood, he sat down upon the throne of God, having obtained eternal redemption for us (Heb. 9:12). By virtue of that blood he offers continual intercession for his redeemed people (Rom. 8:34; I John 2:1-2). And through the virtue of his blood all the blessings of grace are bestowed upon God's elect (Eph. 1:3-6).
The exalted Christ has claimed and taken possession of heaven as the Forerunner of his people (Heb. 6:14, 16-20). He has claimed all the inheritance of heaven's glory for all God's elect, for all for whom his blood was shed, for all who shall believe on him.
Our Savior took his place upon the throne of glory to secure the everlasting salvation of all his redeemed ones. He reigns in life to save those he purchased in death (Rom. 5:10). He rules all things for the salvation of his people (John 17:2; Rom. 8:28). In a word, Christ has gone to prepare a place in the Father's house for all his adopted sons and daughters, and he will bring them there.
Secondly, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IS COMING AGAIN. "And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold two men stood by them in white apparel, which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven" (vv. 10-11). God sent two angels with this word of promise to his beloved children upon the earth, so that we might constantly live in anticipation of it - Christ is coming again! This promise ought to cheer our hearts, enliven our souls, and encourage our hope. God has not told us when Christ is coming. He does not intend for us to know the time of our Lord's appearing. But the second advent of Christ is a matter of certainty. It should be, to every believer, a matter of imminent expectancy (Heb. 9:26-28; Zech. 14:4, 5, 9; Matt. 16:27; 24:27; John 14:1-3; Phil. 3:20; I Thess. 4:16; II Tim. 4:8; Tit. 2:13; James 5:7-8; Jude 14; Rev. 1:7; 22:20). Here are four things revealed in the Scriptures about the Lord's coming.
1. Christ's second coming will be a personal, bodily advent (Rev. 1:7).
2. It will be a glorious appearing (II Thess. 1:7-10).
3. It will be the consummation of our salvation (Rom. 13:11; Eph. 1:14).
4. Our Lord will appear suddenly, without warning, as a thief in the night (I Thess. 5:1-6).
Thirdly, OUR LORD'S SECOND ADVENT WILL BE THE CLIMATIC CONSUMMATION OF GOD'S ETERNAL PURPOSE (Acts 3:19-21; I Cor. 15:24-28). Reading the Scriptures, it appears that once our Lord Jesus appears in his second advent everything after that will happen with great speed. With great swiftness, the Lord God will wrap up his work among men. The resurrection of the dead, the judgment, the conflagration of the earth and new creation, the final separation of the righteous and the wicked, all seem to take place in a matter of moments!
There will be A GENERAL RESURRECTION (John 5:28-29). The dead shall be raised. The living saints shall be changed, translated in a moment and gathered out of the earth. All men will stand before God and be judged by him. According to the strict standards of inflexible justice, everyone will receive exactly his due. The righteous, made righteous by grace, shall inherit glory. The wicked shall be cast into hell.
There will be A GREAT REGENERATION (II Pet. 3:9-14). Our God shall indeed make all things new! There will be a new heavens and a new earth where nothing dwells but righteousness!
There will be A GLOBAL RECONCILIATION (Rev. 5:13). The Lord God will demonstrate to all creation how that all creation has served his purpose and brought glory to him.
Then there will be A GLORIOUS REST (Heb. 4:9). The Triune God and all the countless multitude of his elect will enter into an eternal sabbath. In heaven's glory we will rest from all our troubles and from all our works. There we shall worship our God perfectly, serve him without labor, and love him completely!
Fourthly, THE ONE WHO IS COMING FOR US IS "THIS SAME JESUS!" The angelic messengers assure us that our Lord will never forget his people. The One coming to bring us home to glory is the very same Jesus who died to redeem us. "This same Jesus" who is full of love and sympathy, - "This same Jesus" who brought in everlasting righteousness, - "This same Jesus" who has gone into heaven for us, who now appears in the presence of God for us, who sits upon the throne of universal dominion, ruling all things for us, - "This same Jesus" shall come again!
Don Fortner, Pastor Grace Baptist ChurchDanville, Ky.
YE SHALL BE WITNESSE
"YE SHALL BE WITNESSES UNTO ME"
Chapter #1
Acts 1:1-8
The Book of Acts is an inspired history of the apostolic ministry of the early church, covering a period of thirty to thirty-five years. The central theme throughout the book is the ascension and Lordship of Jesus Christ. It was written by Luke, who was also author of the gospel narrative bearing his name. Acts begins where the Gospel of Luke ends, with the ascension of Christ. It is a history of the church of Christ in its infancy, showing God's constant care and special providence for it. In these first verses five important lessons are set before us.
First, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IS THE ONLY LAWGIVER IN HIS CHURCH (vv. 1-2). Luke makes a connection between his gospel and the Book of Acts. Both were written specifically for a man named Theophilus (Lk. 1:3), a man of rank and honor. Not many noble are called (I Cor.1:26), but some are. God has chosen some of all ranks. Theophilus means either "lover of God" or "loved of God".
Luke describes his gospel as "a treatise of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which he was taken up." Though they did not record every word and deed of Christ (John 21:25), Luke and the other gospel writers did record all that the Holy Spirit inspired, all that we need to know, particularly all that Christ did and said relating to the salvation of his people; his obedience to God, his conformity to the law, and his death as our Substitute, by which he brought in everlasting righteousness and obtained eternal redemption for us.
Christ gave his commandments by the Holy Spirit to chosen apostles, and by them to his church. All the doctrines and ordinances, faith and practice of the church are, by the commandment of Christ, laid down in the Word of God (II Tim. 3:16).
Secondly, OUR LORD JESUS GAVE MANY INFALLIBLE PROOFS OF HIS RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD (v. 3). Our Savior appeared to his disciples many times, publicly and privately, giving irrefutable proof of his resurrection (I Cor. 15:5). He spent forty days on the earth after his resurrection, eating and drinking, walking and talking with his disciples, showing them his hands and side, and teaching them things concerning the kingdom of God. The testimony of those honest men and women who saw the risen Christ cannot be rejected except by those who are willfully ignorant.
Thirdly, THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE PROMISE OF THE FATHER (vv. 4-5). There are thousands of promises in the Bible, but only the promise of the Spirit is called "the promise of the Father." God the Father promised that he would pour out his Spirit upon all flesh in the last day (Joel 2:28), and Christ promised his disciples the gift of the Spirit from the Father (John 14:16; 15:26; 16:7; 7:37-39; Gal. 3:13-14).
Fourthly, EVEN THE MOST GIFTED AND USEFUL MEN IN THE WORLD ARE ONLY FALLIBLE MEN AND ARE SOMETIMES CONFUSED (vv. 6-7). "Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" They were curious about the fulfilment of prophecy. They did not yet understand the spiritual nature of Christ's kingdom. These were faithful, believing men, loyal to Christ; but they were only men. Being men, they were confused about the kingdom of Christ. Learn two things from this verse:
1. There are no infallible men in this world! The apostles themselves were not infallible. They wrote the Holy Scriptures by the infallible direction of God the Holy Spirit (II Pet. 1:21). What they wrote is the infallible, inerrant Word of God. But the apostles themselves were just men, sinners saved by grace!
2. We ought to be patient and forbearing with one another's faults, weaknesses and failures. Our Lord did not show the least bit of anger toward his erring disciples. Certainly we should be as kind to one another (Eph. 4:32).
The lesson of verse seven is one we need often to be reminded of - There are some things God does not intend for us to know! No one on earth knows when Christ will come again, or when the end of the world will be. Indeed, there are many things known only to God. We must never pry into that which God has not revealed (Deut. 29:29). We are to search the scriptures, studying the Word of God, that we might know those things he has revealed concerning himself, us, his Son, and his salvation.
Fifthly, OUR LORD PLAINLY TELLS US WHAT THE LIFELONG WORK AND RESPONSIBILITY OF EVERY BELIEVER IS (v. 8). "Ye shall be witnesses unto me" (Isa. 43:10, 12; 44:8; Lk. 24:48). Notice two things in this eighth verse.
1. "Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you." Without question, this refers to the special, apostolic power that came upon those men chosen to be our Lord's apostles. Yet, it certainly has meaning for us today. No one can ever be saved, serve God, or lay down his life in the cause of Christ as his witness until the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit comes upon him in regeneration. "Salvation is of the Lord!" It is by God's grace alone (Rom. 11:6; Eph. 2:8-9).
2. When the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit comes upon you, the Son of God says, "Ye shall be witnesses unto me." A witness is one who accurately and honestly relates to others that which he has heard with his own ears, seen with his own eyes, and felt and experienced in his own heart. He does not relate secondhand information. He declares only what he himself knows to be true (I John 1:1-3). It is the privilege, responsibility, and honor of every believer to be a witness for Christ in his generation. This is every believer's calling and vocation in this world. Every true Christian is a missionary. Every true believer is an evangelist. Every true follower of Christ is a preacher. Every true child of God is his witness. The word witness is the word from which we get the word martyr. Christ's witnesses are his martyrs, people who lay down their lives in the cause of Christ! Go ahead and work your job, so that you can pay the expenses of life; but do not forget that your calling, your life's work is to be his witness. Let nothing interfere with that!
Don Fortner, Pastor Grace Baptist ChurchDanville, Ky.
Chapter #1
Acts 1:1-8
The Book of Acts is an inspired history of the apostolic ministry of the early church, covering a period of thirty to thirty-five years. The central theme throughout the book is the ascension and Lordship of Jesus Christ. It was written by Luke, who was also author of the gospel narrative bearing his name. Acts begins where the Gospel of Luke ends, with the ascension of Christ. It is a history of the church of Christ in its infancy, showing God's constant care and special providence for it. In these first verses five important lessons are set before us.
First, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IS THE ONLY LAWGIVER IN HIS CHURCH (vv. 1-2). Luke makes a connection between his gospel and the Book of Acts. Both were written specifically for a man named Theophilus (Lk. 1:3), a man of rank and honor. Not many noble are called (I Cor.1:26), but some are. God has chosen some of all ranks. Theophilus means either "lover of God" or "loved of God".
Luke describes his gospel as "a treatise of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which he was taken up." Though they did not record every word and deed of Christ (John 21:25), Luke and the other gospel writers did record all that the Holy Spirit inspired, all that we need to know, particularly all that Christ did and said relating to the salvation of his people; his obedience to God, his conformity to the law, and his death as our Substitute, by which he brought in everlasting righteousness and obtained eternal redemption for us.
Christ gave his commandments by the Holy Spirit to chosen apostles, and by them to his church. All the doctrines and ordinances, faith and practice of the church are, by the commandment of Christ, laid down in the Word of God (II Tim. 3:16).
Secondly, OUR LORD JESUS GAVE MANY INFALLIBLE PROOFS OF HIS RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD (v. 3). Our Savior appeared to his disciples many times, publicly and privately, giving irrefutable proof of his resurrection (I Cor. 15:5). He spent forty days on the earth after his resurrection, eating and drinking, walking and talking with his disciples, showing them his hands and side, and teaching them things concerning the kingdom of God. The testimony of those honest men and women who saw the risen Christ cannot be rejected except by those who are willfully ignorant.
Thirdly, THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE PROMISE OF THE FATHER (vv. 4-5). There are thousands of promises in the Bible, but only the promise of the Spirit is called "the promise of the Father." God the Father promised that he would pour out his Spirit upon all flesh in the last day (Joel 2:28), and Christ promised his disciples the gift of the Spirit from the Father (John 14:16; 15:26; 16:7; 7:37-39; Gal. 3:13-14).
Fourthly, EVEN THE MOST GIFTED AND USEFUL MEN IN THE WORLD ARE ONLY FALLIBLE MEN AND ARE SOMETIMES CONFUSED (vv. 6-7). "Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" They were curious about the fulfilment of prophecy. They did not yet understand the spiritual nature of Christ's kingdom. These were faithful, believing men, loyal to Christ; but they were only men. Being men, they were confused about the kingdom of Christ. Learn two things from this verse:
1. There are no infallible men in this world! The apostles themselves were not infallible. They wrote the Holy Scriptures by the infallible direction of God the Holy Spirit (II Pet. 1:21). What they wrote is the infallible, inerrant Word of God. But the apostles themselves were just men, sinners saved by grace!
2. We ought to be patient and forbearing with one another's faults, weaknesses and failures. Our Lord did not show the least bit of anger toward his erring disciples. Certainly we should be as kind to one another (Eph. 4:32).
The lesson of verse seven is one we need often to be reminded of - There are some things God does not intend for us to know! No one on earth knows when Christ will come again, or when the end of the world will be. Indeed, there are many things known only to God. We must never pry into that which God has not revealed (Deut. 29:29). We are to search the scriptures, studying the Word of God, that we might know those things he has revealed concerning himself, us, his Son, and his salvation.
Fifthly, OUR LORD PLAINLY TELLS US WHAT THE LIFELONG WORK AND RESPONSIBILITY OF EVERY BELIEVER IS (v. 8). "Ye shall be witnesses unto me" (Isa. 43:10, 12; 44:8; Lk. 24:48). Notice two things in this eighth verse.
1. "Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you." Without question, this refers to the special, apostolic power that came upon those men chosen to be our Lord's apostles. Yet, it certainly has meaning for us today. No one can ever be saved, serve God, or lay down his life in the cause of Christ as his witness until the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit comes upon him in regeneration. "Salvation is of the Lord!" It is by God's grace alone (Rom. 11:6; Eph. 2:8-9).
2. When the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit comes upon you, the Son of God says, "Ye shall be witnesses unto me." A witness is one who accurately and honestly relates to others that which he has heard with his own ears, seen with his own eyes, and felt and experienced in his own heart. He does not relate secondhand information. He declares only what he himself knows to be true (I John 1:1-3). It is the privilege, responsibility, and honor of every believer to be a witness for Christ in his generation. This is every believer's calling and vocation in this world. Every true Christian is a missionary. Every true believer is an evangelist. Every true follower of Christ is a preacher. Every true child of God is his witness. The word witness is the word from which we get the word martyr. Christ's witnesses are his martyrs, people who lay down their lives in the cause of Christ! Go ahead and work your job, so that you can pay the expenses of life; but do not forget that your calling, your life's work is to be his witness. Let nothing interfere with that!
Don Fortner, Pastor Grace Baptist ChurchDanville, Ky.
Grace and Glory
THE SECOND COMING
GRACE AND GLORY Psalm 84:11
Don Fortner
Sermon #70 Series: Bible Doctrine
Title: GRACE AND GLORY
Text: Psalm 84:11
Readings: Office: Lindsay Campbell Auditorium: Bobbie Estes
Subject: Grace And Glory Inseparable Gifts Of God
Date: Tuesday Evening - November 10, 1998
Tape # U-94b
Introduction:
What is heaven? Do God's saints go to heaven immediately when they leave this world? What is the condition, or state, of the saints' existence in heaven? Who shall enter into heaven's glory? Upon what grounds do the saints enter into heaven?
These are the questions I hope to answer in this message. I realize at the outset that I can do no more than scratch the surface of this great subject. The glory that awaits God's saints in heaven, the vastness of our inheritance with Christ is light years beyond the scope of our puny brains. I have no hope of exhausting this subject. In preparing this message, I have purposefully avoided all matters of vain curiosity and speculation. It is my purpose to set forth some of those things which are plainly taught in the Word of God about the glorious state of God's saints in heaven.
Psalm 84 is described in the title as "A Marching Song." In the eleventh verse, God's pilgrims are inspired in their march through this world with these words of promise: "The LORD will give grace and glory." The Psalmist takes our minds away from ourselves and calls our attention to "The LORD," Jehovah, our great God and Savior. We must not look to ourselves in any measure for either grace here or glory hereafter. The Source of grace and glory is the LORD. The Security of grace and glory is the LORD. Christ alone is the Rock of our salvation. To him alone we must look for grace and glory.
"The LORD will GIVE grace and glory." The word "give" declares that neither grace nor glory can be earned, merited, or purchased by man in anyway. This text, like all the Word of God, puts us upon the footing of grace. God cannot be obliged by man to bestow his grace; and he cannot be obliged by man to bestow glory. Both grace and glory are free gifts of God; and where he gives one he is sure to give the other.
Proposition: Grace and glory are inseparable gifts.
They are really the same thing. Grace is glory in the seed. Glory is grace in full bloom. Glory begins in grace. And grace is completed in glory. Someone said, "Grace is glory begun, and glory is grace consummated. Grace is glory in the bud, and glory is grace in the fruits. Grace is the lowest degree of glory, and glory is the highest degree of grace."
These are two great and marvelous gifts which God bestows upon the fallen sons and daughters of Adam in Christ, grace and glory. The first thing he gives is grace. The last thing he gives is glory.
I. "THE LORD WILL GIVE GRACE."
How we love that word "grace." Grace is God's riches at Christ's expense. In the life, experience and hope of the believer everything is of grace, from the beginning to the end. Every believer gladly confesses, "By the grace of God I am what I am."
"Oh, to grace how great a debtorDaily I'm constrained to be!Let that grace, LORD, like a fetter,Bind my wandering heart to Thee."
Read this promise in the boldest letters imaginable and rejoice. "The LORD will give grace!" The promise comes from God the LORD. The LORD God Almighty, the great Jehovah, the triune God will most certainly, by his own irresistible power, according to his own sovereign will, give grace, freely and irreversibly.
A. To whom will the LORD give grace?
We know that he will give grace. It is asserted plainly. Someone is going to get grace from God. But who?
1. The LORD God will give grace to his own elect (Rom. 9:15-16).
Romans 9:15-16 "For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. (16) So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy."
Grace belongs to God. It is his sovereign prerogative to give it to whom he will. And there are some among the fallen sons of men whom God has chosen to be the recipients of his grace (John 15:16; Matt. 11:25-27). Not one of those chosen in electing love, before the foundation of the world, to be a vessel of mercy shall fail to receive that grace before passing out of this world.
John 15:16 "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you."
Matthew 11:25-27 "At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, LORD of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. (26) Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight. (27) All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him."
2. The LORD will give grace to every sinner redeemed by Christ's precious blood.
Every sinner redeemed and purchased by Christ shall be his and shall obtain grace. Christ did not die for nothing!
a. All whom he redeemed by blood shall have the grace of forgiveness (Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14).
Ephesians 1:7 "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;"
Colossians 1:14 "In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:"
b. All whom he purchased shall have the grace of reconciliation (Col. 1:20).
Colossians 1:20 "And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven."
c. All for whom Christ was made a curse shall have the grace of free justification (Rom. 8:34; Gal. 3:13).
Romans 8:34 "Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us."
Galatians 3:13 "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:"
d. All for whom Christ was made to be sin shall have the grace of righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21).
2 Corinthians 5:21 "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."
e. All for whom he died shall have the grace of eternal life (John 10:8, 27).
John 10:9 "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture."
John 10:27 "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:"
The redemption which Christ accomplished is an effectual redemption, which infallibly secures grace for all his redeemed ones. Not one of those whom Christ has redeemed from among men shall perish. Not one of his blood bought sheep shall be lost. Not one member of his body shall be ruined. Not one part of his bride, the church, shall be destroyed. Those whom Christ has redeemed shall most assuredly obtain grace (Eph. 5:25-27; John 10:16).
John 10:16 "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd."
Ephesians 5:25-27 "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; (26) That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, (27) That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."
NOTE: God's sovereign election and Christ's effectual redemption inspire us to preach the gospel fervently to every creature, because we know that "the LORD will give grace" to his chosen, blood bought people (Isa. 53:9-11).
Isaiah 53:9-11 "And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. (10) Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. (11) He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities."
3. The LORD will give grace to every believing sinner.
We do not know who God's elect are, or who Christ has redeemed, except as they believe the gospel. Yet, we are assured by God that every believer is both elect and redeemed, because God promises grace to all who believe (Mk. 16:16; John 1:12-13; 3:14, 15, 36; Rom. 10:9-13).
Mark 16:16 "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."
John 1:12-13 "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (13) Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."
John 3:14-15 "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: (15) That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life."
John 3:36 "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."
Romans 10:9-13 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the LORD Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (11) For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. (12) For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same LORD over all is rich unto all that call upon him. (13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the LORD shall be saved."
Indeed, if you believe on the Son of God, the LORD has given you grace already. That faith by which you believe is itself the gift and operation of God's grace (Eph. 2:8; Col. 2:12).
Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:"
Colossians 2:12 "Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead."
The long and short of the gospel is this: If you believe on the LORD Jesus Christ, if you trust his precious blood alone for your salvation and eternal acceptance with God, he will give you grace. I know that a sinner cannot believe unless he has grace. But I also know that you cannot have grace unless you believe. And to every believing sinner it is promised, "The LORD will give grace."
B. What is this grace which God promises to give?
The text does not say, "The LORD will give some grace," "graces, " or "a grace." The text reads, "The LORD will give grace." The implication is that wherever the LORD gives any grace, he gives all grace. "The LORD will give..."
Lamentations 3:21-26 "This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. (22) It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. (23) They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. (24) The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. (25) The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. (26) It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD."
"He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,He sendeth more strength when the labors increase;To added affliction He addeth His mercy,To multiplied trials His multiplied peace."
C. How does the LORD give us his grace?
1. God gives his grace to sinners mediatorially, through Christ our Mediator, through the use of the means he has ordained.
Without question, God's saving grace comes to chosen sinners before they seek it (Isa. 65:1). Yet, those who are sought of God are caused by grace to seek him; and he promises that all who earnestly seek him shall find him (Jer. 29:13-14).
Isaiah 65:1 "I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name."
Jeremiah 29:13-14 "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. (14) And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive."
Believers are people who seek the LORD and seek his grace in Christ continually. He gives grace to those who seek it by prayer, through his Word, and in the keeping of his ordinances. These are the means by which God's grace is constantly bestowed upon his saints in this world.
2. God gives us his grace seasonably. As our days demand, his grace is given.
3. The LORD our God gives us his grace readily. He is always ready to be gracious.
4. The LORD our God gives us his grace constantly.
"At home, or abroad, on the land and the sea,As thy days shall demand shall thy strength ever be!"
Read this promise as broadly as you will. It is to you, child of God, in every condition and circumstance of life, "The LORD will give grace". He will give you grace…
To Serve Him (2 Cor. 12:9).To Suffer For Him (Phil. 4:13).To Endure Temptations (1 Cor. 10:13).To Die In Him (2 Tim. 4:6-8).
D. Who is it that will give grace?
"The LORD will give grace!" Grace is the gift of God alone. You will not get grace from yourself, from the church, from some imaginary priest, at some imaginary altar, or from the law of God. If we would get grace we must get it from God alone. And the only way God gives grace is through Christ (John 1:16-17). Look to Christ! Trust Christ! Believe Christ! Cling to Christ! As we do, "The LORD, will give grace!"
II. "THE LORD WILL GIVE GLORY."
The text reads, "The LORD will give grace and glory." That little, connecting word, "and," is more precious than gold. It is an indestructible rivet, forever uniting grace and glory.
There are many who seem determined to take the rivet out; but they cannot. The text does not say, "The LORD will give grace and perdition," or "grace and purgatory," but "The LORD will give grace and glory."
And the text does not promise glory without grace. You can no more have glory without grace than you can have grace without glory. The two are riveted together. What God has joined together let no man put asunder.
If we have grace, we shall have glory, too. God will not give one without the other. Grace is the bud. Glory is the flower. Grace is the fountain. Glory is the river. Grace is the first fruit. Glory is the full harvest. If we have grace, we shall never perish. We shall have glory.
But those who do not have grace here shall never have glory hereafter. It is not possible for any to be glorified who have not first been justified. You cannot reign with Christ in glory if Christ does not reign in you by grace. Grace and glory are inseparable gifts of God. "The LORD will give grace and glory." What is the glory that he shall give?
I am fully aware that no puny, earthly brain can comprehend it (1 Cor. 2:9). But God has revealed something of the glory that awaits us, that our hearts may be drawn to it (1 Cor. 2:10).
1 Corinthians 2:9-10 "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. (10) But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God."
A. The glory we are to receive is the glory of heaven.
Having said that, I have said much more than I comprehend. Whatever heaven is, God will give. It is a place of indescribable beauty. It is a state of indescribable bliss. Whatever may be meant by the figurative language that describes it,*
*The streets of pure gold, the gates of pearl, the walls of jasper, the crowns, the palms, the harps, the songs, the river of the water of life, the trees bearing fruit, the tree of life, all that these things describe heaven is.
all of heaven shall be ours forever. The LORD will give the perfection of glory without measure to all to whom he has given grace without measure. You and I who trust Christ shall sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the throne of Christ the Lamb in the kingdom of God.
B. The glory God will give is the glory of eternity.
Eternity! Who can define it? No one on earth can fathom the meaning of the word "eternity." We always confound eternity with time. We speak of the "endless ages of eternity." But there are no ages in eternity. Eternity will never pause, decline, or draw near to a conclusion. We will never grow weary of eternity. And we will never grow weary in eternity. Eternity is unchanging, unending bliss.
C. Moreover, the glory God will give his saints is the glory of Christ, our Mediator, Surety, and Covenant Head (Rom. 8:17; John 17:22).
Romans 8:17 "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together."
John 17:22 "And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:"
Whatever that glory is which Christ has as our Mediator, as the reward of his perfect obedience to God, we shall have when we see him as he is in heaven. My heart pants to know, by actual experience the meaning of what I have just said. Oh, to know the glory that awaits us! Now we look through a glass darkly. But we long to see him face to face, to have the clouds of darkness swept away, that we may know and enter into his glory! In the serene atmosphere of heaven, we shall not only see the King in his beauty, but also possess his glory!
D. This glory will be the glory of total victory.
We are more than conquerors through Christ our LORD (Rom. 8:32-39). By the grace of God and the blood of the Lamb, we shall yet be victorious over the world, the flesh, and the devil (Rom. 16:20).
Romans 8:32-39 "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? (33) Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. (34) Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. (35) Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (36) As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. (37) Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. (38) For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, (39) Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 16:20 "And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen."
Death shall do us no harm, sin shall bring us no more grief, Satan shall tempt us no more, when the LORD gives us glory.
E. The glory which the LORD will give us is the glory of a perfect nature (Eph. 5:25-27; Jude 24-25).
Ephesians 5:25-27 "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; (26) That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, (27) That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."
Jude 1:24-25 "Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, (25) To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and for ever. Amen."
This was and is the purpose and goal of God in predestination, election, redemption, and regeneration. And God's work will not fail to accomplish his purpose. In heaven we shall have a perfect nature, spotless, sinless, incorruptible; bodies without weakness, sickness, decay, or death; souls incapable of temptation, sin, care, or trouble; hearts free of unbelief, sorrow, and pain; wills in complete harmony with God's will. Imagine that! In glory we will possess perfect natures! Holiness, perfect holiness shall be ours!
F. The glory promised in our text is the glory of perfect rest (Heb. 4:9-11).
Hebrews 4:9-11 "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. (10) For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. (11) Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief."
Heaven's glory shall be a perpetual sabbath, an endless day of perfect peace, perfect happiness, perfect security. "It shall not be possible for a man to have a wish ungratified, nor a desire unfulfilled...Every power shall find ample employment without weariness. And every passion shall have full indulgence, without so much as a fear of sin" (C. H. Spurgeon). This is rest! This is glory! We shall want what our Savior wants, do what our Savior wills, love what our Savior loves, and live for our Savior's glory perfectly.
G. This glory is a gift of God's rich, free, abundant grace in Christ.
"The LORD will give grace and glory." There is not a soul in heaven that came there by his own merit. There is not a crown in heaven earned by the works of men. There is not a note of self-righteousness to mar the song of the redeemed. Glory is the gift of God.
H. When will the LORD give us this glory?
Some will receive glory very soon. For some it will, perhaps, be a while yet. But of this we can be absolutely sure:
1. Let us ever comfort one another with these words - "The LORD will give grace and glory."
2. Our trials and troubles here are not worthy to be compared with the glory that awaits us (Rom. 8:18).
Romans 8:18 "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."
AMEN.
Don Fortner, Pastor Grace Baptist ChurchDanville, Ky.
GRACE AND GLORY Psalm 84:11
Don Fortner
Sermon #70 Series: Bible Doctrine
Title: GRACE AND GLORY
Text: Psalm 84:11
Readings: Office: Lindsay Campbell Auditorium: Bobbie Estes
Subject: Grace And Glory Inseparable Gifts Of God
Date: Tuesday Evening - November 10, 1998
Tape # U-94b
Introduction:
What is heaven? Do God's saints go to heaven immediately when they leave this world? What is the condition, or state, of the saints' existence in heaven? Who shall enter into heaven's glory? Upon what grounds do the saints enter into heaven?
These are the questions I hope to answer in this message. I realize at the outset that I can do no more than scratch the surface of this great subject. The glory that awaits God's saints in heaven, the vastness of our inheritance with Christ is light years beyond the scope of our puny brains. I have no hope of exhausting this subject. In preparing this message, I have purposefully avoided all matters of vain curiosity and speculation. It is my purpose to set forth some of those things which are plainly taught in the Word of God about the glorious state of God's saints in heaven.
Psalm 84 is described in the title as "A Marching Song." In the eleventh verse, God's pilgrims are inspired in their march through this world with these words of promise: "The LORD will give grace and glory." The Psalmist takes our minds away from ourselves and calls our attention to "The LORD," Jehovah, our great God and Savior. We must not look to ourselves in any measure for either grace here or glory hereafter. The Source of grace and glory is the LORD. The Security of grace and glory is the LORD. Christ alone is the Rock of our salvation. To him alone we must look for grace and glory.
"The LORD will GIVE grace and glory." The word "give" declares that neither grace nor glory can be earned, merited, or purchased by man in anyway. This text, like all the Word of God, puts us upon the footing of grace. God cannot be obliged by man to bestow his grace; and he cannot be obliged by man to bestow glory. Both grace and glory are free gifts of God; and where he gives one he is sure to give the other.
Proposition: Grace and glory are inseparable gifts.
They are really the same thing. Grace is glory in the seed. Glory is grace in full bloom. Glory begins in grace. And grace is completed in glory. Someone said, "Grace is glory begun, and glory is grace consummated. Grace is glory in the bud, and glory is grace in the fruits. Grace is the lowest degree of glory, and glory is the highest degree of grace."
These are two great and marvelous gifts which God bestows upon the fallen sons and daughters of Adam in Christ, grace and glory. The first thing he gives is grace. The last thing he gives is glory.
I. "THE LORD WILL GIVE GRACE."
How we love that word "grace." Grace is God's riches at Christ's expense. In the life, experience and hope of the believer everything is of grace, from the beginning to the end. Every believer gladly confesses, "By the grace of God I am what I am."
"Oh, to grace how great a debtorDaily I'm constrained to be!Let that grace, LORD, like a fetter,Bind my wandering heart to Thee."
Read this promise in the boldest letters imaginable and rejoice. "The LORD will give grace!" The promise comes from God the LORD. The LORD God Almighty, the great Jehovah, the triune God will most certainly, by his own irresistible power, according to his own sovereign will, give grace, freely and irreversibly.
A. To whom will the LORD give grace?
We know that he will give grace. It is asserted plainly. Someone is going to get grace from God. But who?
1. The LORD God will give grace to his own elect (Rom. 9:15-16).
Romans 9:15-16 "For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. (16) So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy."
Grace belongs to God. It is his sovereign prerogative to give it to whom he will. And there are some among the fallen sons of men whom God has chosen to be the recipients of his grace (John 15:16; Matt. 11:25-27). Not one of those chosen in electing love, before the foundation of the world, to be a vessel of mercy shall fail to receive that grace before passing out of this world.
John 15:16 "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you."
Matthew 11:25-27 "At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, LORD of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. (26) Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight. (27) All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him."
2. The LORD will give grace to every sinner redeemed by Christ's precious blood.
Every sinner redeemed and purchased by Christ shall be his and shall obtain grace. Christ did not die for nothing!
a. All whom he redeemed by blood shall have the grace of forgiveness (Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14).
Ephesians 1:7 "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;"
Colossians 1:14 "In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:"
b. All whom he purchased shall have the grace of reconciliation (Col. 1:20).
Colossians 1:20 "And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven."
c. All for whom Christ was made a curse shall have the grace of free justification (Rom. 8:34; Gal. 3:13).
Romans 8:34 "Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us."
Galatians 3:13 "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:"
d. All for whom Christ was made to be sin shall have the grace of righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21).
2 Corinthians 5:21 "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."
e. All for whom he died shall have the grace of eternal life (John 10:8, 27).
John 10:9 "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture."
John 10:27 "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:"
The redemption which Christ accomplished is an effectual redemption, which infallibly secures grace for all his redeemed ones. Not one of those whom Christ has redeemed from among men shall perish. Not one of his blood bought sheep shall be lost. Not one member of his body shall be ruined. Not one part of his bride, the church, shall be destroyed. Those whom Christ has redeemed shall most assuredly obtain grace (Eph. 5:25-27; John 10:16).
John 10:16 "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd."
Ephesians 5:25-27 "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; (26) That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, (27) That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."
NOTE: God's sovereign election and Christ's effectual redemption inspire us to preach the gospel fervently to every creature, because we know that "the LORD will give grace" to his chosen, blood bought people (Isa. 53:9-11).
Isaiah 53:9-11 "And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. (10) Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. (11) He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities."
3. The LORD will give grace to every believing sinner.
We do not know who God's elect are, or who Christ has redeemed, except as they believe the gospel. Yet, we are assured by God that every believer is both elect and redeemed, because God promises grace to all who believe (Mk. 16:16; John 1:12-13; 3:14, 15, 36; Rom. 10:9-13).
Mark 16:16 "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."
John 1:12-13 "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (13) Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."
John 3:14-15 "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: (15) That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life."
John 3:36 "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."
Romans 10:9-13 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the LORD Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (11) For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. (12) For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same LORD over all is rich unto all that call upon him. (13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the LORD shall be saved."
Indeed, if you believe on the Son of God, the LORD has given you grace already. That faith by which you believe is itself the gift and operation of God's grace (Eph. 2:8; Col. 2:12).
Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:"
Colossians 2:12 "Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead."
The long and short of the gospel is this: If you believe on the LORD Jesus Christ, if you trust his precious blood alone for your salvation and eternal acceptance with God, he will give you grace. I know that a sinner cannot believe unless he has grace. But I also know that you cannot have grace unless you believe. And to every believing sinner it is promised, "The LORD will give grace."
B. What is this grace which God promises to give?
The text does not say, "The LORD will give some grace," "graces, " or "a grace." The text reads, "The LORD will give grace." The implication is that wherever the LORD gives any grace, he gives all grace. "The LORD will give..."
- REGENERATING GRACE (Eph. 2:1-5).
- JUSTIFYING GRACE (Rom. 5:1-11).
- SANCTIFYING GRACE (Heb. 10:10-14).
- PRESERVING GRACE (Phil. 1:6).
- INSTRUCTING GRACE (John 16:13).
- DIRECTING GRACE (Pro. 3:5-6).
- COMFORTING GRACE (John 16:7; Lam. 3:21-26).
Lamentations 3:21-26 "This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. (22) It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. (23) They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. (24) The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. (25) The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. (26) It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD."
- REVIVING GRACE (Isa. 57:15).
- SUFFICIENT GRACE (2 Cor. 12:9).
"He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,He sendeth more strength when the labors increase;To added affliction He addeth His mercy,To multiplied trials His multiplied peace."
C. How does the LORD give us his grace?
1. God gives his grace to sinners mediatorially, through Christ our Mediator, through the use of the means he has ordained.
Without question, God's saving grace comes to chosen sinners before they seek it (Isa. 65:1). Yet, those who are sought of God are caused by grace to seek him; and he promises that all who earnestly seek him shall find him (Jer. 29:13-14).
Isaiah 65:1 "I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name."
Jeremiah 29:13-14 "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. (14) And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive."
Believers are people who seek the LORD and seek his grace in Christ continually. He gives grace to those who seek it by prayer, through his Word, and in the keeping of his ordinances. These are the means by which God's grace is constantly bestowed upon his saints in this world.
2. God gives us his grace seasonably. As our days demand, his grace is given.
3. The LORD our God gives us his grace readily. He is always ready to be gracious.
4. The LORD our God gives us his grace constantly.
"At home, or abroad, on the land and the sea,As thy days shall demand shall thy strength ever be!"
Read this promise as broadly as you will. It is to you, child of God, in every condition and circumstance of life, "The LORD will give grace". He will give you grace…
To Serve Him (2 Cor. 12:9).To Suffer For Him (Phil. 4:13).To Endure Temptations (1 Cor. 10:13).To Die In Him (2 Tim. 4:6-8).
D. Who is it that will give grace?
"The LORD will give grace!" Grace is the gift of God alone. You will not get grace from yourself, from the church, from some imaginary priest, at some imaginary altar, or from the law of God. If we would get grace we must get it from God alone. And the only way God gives grace is through Christ (John 1:16-17). Look to Christ! Trust Christ! Believe Christ! Cling to Christ! As we do, "The LORD, will give grace!"
II. "THE LORD WILL GIVE GLORY."
The text reads, "The LORD will give grace and glory." That little, connecting word, "and," is more precious than gold. It is an indestructible rivet, forever uniting grace and glory.
There are many who seem determined to take the rivet out; but they cannot. The text does not say, "The LORD will give grace and perdition," or "grace and purgatory," but "The LORD will give grace and glory."
And the text does not promise glory without grace. You can no more have glory without grace than you can have grace without glory. The two are riveted together. What God has joined together let no man put asunder.
If we have grace, we shall have glory, too. God will not give one without the other. Grace is the bud. Glory is the flower. Grace is the fountain. Glory is the river. Grace is the first fruit. Glory is the full harvest. If we have grace, we shall never perish. We shall have glory.
But those who do not have grace here shall never have glory hereafter. It is not possible for any to be glorified who have not first been justified. You cannot reign with Christ in glory if Christ does not reign in you by grace. Grace and glory are inseparable gifts of God. "The LORD will give grace and glory." What is the glory that he shall give?
I am fully aware that no puny, earthly brain can comprehend it (1 Cor. 2:9). But God has revealed something of the glory that awaits us, that our hearts may be drawn to it (1 Cor. 2:10).
1 Corinthians 2:9-10 "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. (10) But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God."
A. The glory we are to receive is the glory of heaven.
Having said that, I have said much more than I comprehend. Whatever heaven is, God will give. It is a place of indescribable beauty. It is a state of indescribable bliss. Whatever may be meant by the figurative language that describes it,*
*The streets of pure gold, the gates of pearl, the walls of jasper, the crowns, the palms, the harps, the songs, the river of the water of life, the trees bearing fruit, the tree of life, all that these things describe heaven is.
all of heaven shall be ours forever. The LORD will give the perfection of glory without measure to all to whom he has given grace without measure. You and I who trust Christ shall sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the throne of Christ the Lamb in the kingdom of God.
B. The glory God will give is the glory of eternity.
Eternity! Who can define it? No one on earth can fathom the meaning of the word "eternity." We always confound eternity with time. We speak of the "endless ages of eternity." But there are no ages in eternity. Eternity will never pause, decline, or draw near to a conclusion. We will never grow weary of eternity. And we will never grow weary in eternity. Eternity is unchanging, unending bliss.
C. Moreover, the glory God will give his saints is the glory of Christ, our Mediator, Surety, and Covenant Head (Rom. 8:17; John 17:22).
Romans 8:17 "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together."
John 17:22 "And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:"
Whatever that glory is which Christ has as our Mediator, as the reward of his perfect obedience to God, we shall have when we see him as he is in heaven. My heart pants to know, by actual experience the meaning of what I have just said. Oh, to know the glory that awaits us! Now we look through a glass darkly. But we long to see him face to face, to have the clouds of darkness swept away, that we may know and enter into his glory! In the serene atmosphere of heaven, we shall not only see the King in his beauty, but also possess his glory!
D. This glory will be the glory of total victory.
We are more than conquerors through Christ our LORD (Rom. 8:32-39). By the grace of God and the blood of the Lamb, we shall yet be victorious over the world, the flesh, and the devil (Rom. 16:20).
Romans 8:32-39 "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? (33) Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. (34) Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. (35) Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (36) As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. (37) Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. (38) For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, (39) Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 16:20 "And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen."
Death shall do us no harm, sin shall bring us no more grief, Satan shall tempt us no more, when the LORD gives us glory.
E. The glory which the LORD will give us is the glory of a perfect nature (Eph. 5:25-27; Jude 24-25).
Ephesians 5:25-27 "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; (26) That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, (27) That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."
Jude 1:24-25 "Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, (25) To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and for ever. Amen."
This was and is the purpose and goal of God in predestination, election, redemption, and regeneration. And God's work will not fail to accomplish his purpose. In heaven we shall have a perfect nature, spotless, sinless, incorruptible; bodies without weakness, sickness, decay, or death; souls incapable of temptation, sin, care, or trouble; hearts free of unbelief, sorrow, and pain; wills in complete harmony with God's will. Imagine that! In glory we will possess perfect natures! Holiness, perfect holiness shall be ours!
F. The glory promised in our text is the glory of perfect rest (Heb. 4:9-11).
Hebrews 4:9-11 "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. (10) For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. (11) Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief."
Heaven's glory shall be a perpetual sabbath, an endless day of perfect peace, perfect happiness, perfect security. "It shall not be possible for a man to have a wish ungratified, nor a desire unfulfilled...Every power shall find ample employment without weariness. And every passion shall have full indulgence, without so much as a fear of sin" (C. H. Spurgeon). This is rest! This is glory! We shall want what our Savior wants, do what our Savior wills, love what our Savior loves, and live for our Savior's glory perfectly.
G. This glory is a gift of God's rich, free, abundant grace in Christ.
"The LORD will give grace and glory." There is not a soul in heaven that came there by his own merit. There is not a crown in heaven earned by the works of men. There is not a note of self-righteousness to mar the song of the redeemed. Glory is the gift of God.
H. When will the LORD give us this glory?
Some will receive glory very soon. For some it will, perhaps, be a while yet. But of this we can be absolutely sure:
- "The LORD will give glory" as soon as our work here is done, no sooner and no later.
- And "the LORD will give glory" at the hour he has purposed from eternity, no sooner and no later.
1. Let us ever comfort one another with these words - "The LORD will give grace and glory."
2. Our trials and troubles here are not worthy to be compared with the glory that awaits us (Rom. 8:18).
Romans 8:18 "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."
AMEN.
Don Fortner, Pastor Grace Baptist ChurchDanville, Ky.
Friday, December 30, 2005
ELEVEN THINGS TAUGHT IN THE WORD OF GOD ABOUT ELECTION
Don Fortner
Here are eleven things expressly taught in the Word of God about election.
1. Election is "IN CHRIST". No less than fourteen times in the first fourteen verses of Ephesians chapter one the Holy Spirit expressly tells us that every benefit and blessing of grace that comes to sinners from God is in Christ.
2. Election is UNTO SALVATION. Certainly, there is a sense in which it must be said that God's elect were saved from eternity (Rom 8:29); but we must never be deceived into thinking that election is salvation. Election is unto salvation. Election is not, as some teach unto "Christian service". Election is unto salvation.
3. Election is an act of pure, absolute, DIVINE SOVEREIGNTY. God has mercy on whom He will have mercy (Rom 9:11-18). God was not moved by anything outside Himself to choose the people He chose to save.
4. Election took place in ETERNITY. God did not choose His people in time, but before time began, in eternity. He chose us before the foundation of the world, from the beginning, when nothing existed except God Himself in the trinity of the eternal Godhead.
5. The source and cause of election is God's eternal LOVE for His people. He loved us freely, from everlasting, before ever the earth was made. Our love to Him is not the cause of His love toward us, but the result (Jer. 3 1:3; 1 JN 4:19).
6. God's election was an act of free, UNCONDITIONAL grace. Grace is always free and unconditional. The moment a condition is put on it, it ceases to be grace. To say that God chose us because of something He foresaw in us, or foresaw we would choose to do, is to frustrate the grace of God, making it the reward of our work (Rom II: 6).
7. Election is God's PERSONAL choice of specific sinners to eternal life in Christ. Here is a sweet cordial of grace which shall never cease to amaze and rejoice the hearts of believing sinners - The Lord God chose me to eternal salvation in Christ, because He loved me with an everlasting unconditional love!
8. Election is IRREVERSIBLE. "The gifts and calling of God are without repentance" (Rom 11:29). Those who were chosen to salvation in eternity shall not be unchosen in time!
9. Election is EFFECTUAL. There is no possibility that one of God's elect shall perish (2 Tim 2:19).
10. Election is DISTINGUISHING. To talk of universal love in God toward reprobate men is to talk nonsense. (Isa 45:14).
11. Election is BLESSED, for it is the cause of all blessedness (Psa 65:4; Eph 1:3-6).
WHAT IS THE KEY TO UNDERSTANDING THE BIBLE?
Don Fortner
Is the Bible a sealed book to you? Do you have great difficulty understanding its doctrines, its precepts, and its ordinances? Many people do. To them it is like a treasure chest with a lock on it. They know that it contains many rich gems. But they have no key to open it.
There is one key which will open the Book to you and reveal its golden treasures. That key is Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the Foundation, the Center, and the Mainspring of all Divine Truth. This is what he said, "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me." If we would avoid error in interpreting and applying the scriptures, we must understand that everything in the Bible speaks of and relates to Christ. Divorce any doctrine from Christ and that doctrine becomes heresy. Divorce any precept from Christ and that precept becomes self-righteous legality.
For example, I have heard men preach on the doctrine of the church as though the church were nothing more than a physical religious organization begun by our Lord during his earthly ministry. But the church is much more. It is the body of Christ. It is a spiritual building, made up of men and women redeemed by Christ and vitally joined to him by faith. Christ is the Foundation upon which the church is built, the Head by which the church is governed, and the Bread upon which the church lives. I have heard men talk about the Kingdom of Christ as though it were nothing more than a continuance, or re-establishment, of the physical kingdom of David. Again the Kingdom of Christ is spiritual. Our Lord entered his kingdom by the door of the cross. And he builds his kingdom upon the cross. Christ sits upon the throne today as a direct result of his finished work at Calvary. Whether we are talking about the kingdom in its present or its future manifestations, being a part of this kingdom is nothing more or less than surrendering to the claims of Christ as Lord and King. I have even heard men preach on election as though it were nothing more than a logical part of a theological system. Election is a precious truth of Divine Revelation when it is understood properly. Our election is in Christ. God predestinated us to be conformed to the image of Christ. Election is nothing more or less than God loving a people before all worlds., putting them in Christ, and determining to make them like Christ. Election is God choosing to save us rather than damn us, as we justly deserve, for Christ's sake.
As for the precepts of scripture,, these too are centered in Christ and motivated by him. Those things that we call "practical godliness" ought to be preached. But they must be motivated by gospel principles. The Christian life is not an extension of the Mosaic law or merely a system of morality. It is obedience to Christ. It is following his example. Wives are to be submissive to their husbands, as the church is submissive to Christ. The husband is to love his wife. as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. Servants (employees are to serve their masters (employers) "as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart". Believing business men are to treat their employees with kindness and generosity, knowing that Christ their Master is in heaven, treating them with kindness and generosity. Believers are to forgive offences against them, even as God for Christ's sake forgives us. We are to love one another, as Christ loved us. We are to give with a willing heart, generously, even as Christ willingly gave all for us and to us. This kind of service to Christ is free, spontaneous, unconstrained and motivated by a loving heart. It arises from a knowledge of the gospel.
I know that these are only a few of the doctrines and precepts of the Bible. But they will suffice to illustrate my point. Christ is the key to sacred scriptures. Every doctrine of the Bible must be understood and taught in the light of the gospel. Every precept of godliness must be motivated by gospel principles. We truly preach the whole counsel of God only when we preach it in the light of Christ and him crucified.
THE SINNERS ADVOCATE
I John 1:21
Don Fortner
Don Fortner
"...We have an Advocate with the Father." I John 2:1
Sometime ago, I read that "it is possible to exaggerate the Advocacy of Christ." The Apostle John does not seem to be of that opinion. He was not afraid of doing harm by stating, in the plainest and boldest terms possible, the full forgiveness of sins by Jesus Christ. He declares that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. But, he does not stop there. He goes on to say "if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father". Many would shy away from such bold declarations, fearing that such preaching would lead men into licentiousness. It is clear from our text that John was of another mind. His purpose in assuring us of God's forgiveness of our sins was that we "sin not".
We must not ever suppose that God's children must be beaten into virtue with the whip of the law. A confident assurance of God's grace does not lead men into antinomianism and sin. Those who assert that it does, know not whereof they speak. The exact opposite is true. We are loved of God; therefore we must love him in return. Realizing that Christ shed his precious blood for our redemption, we hate the sin which he bore on the cross, and we love the One who died for us. There can never be a greater motive for Christian obedience than this - "The love of Christ constraineth us."
There have always been wicked men who would pervert the truth of God. But we shall not allow such men to rob us of the soul-cheering truths of the gospel. Gospel truth will never lead the children of truth into sin. Therefore, I set before you the blessed message of this text, with the hope of comforting the people of God and promoting their sanctification. - The children of God are sinners in need of an advocate in heaven; and the Lord Jesus Christ is our all-sufficient advocate with the Father.
I. Remember, my brethren, that all of God's children, at their very best, are still sinners. The tenderhearted pastor uses mild and gentle terms, putting it as a matter of supposition, "and if any man sin". He writes as though it were an astonishing thing that any of us who have experienced God's rich grace in Christ should ever sin. Yet, his supposition is a certainty, for we are still sinners. "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." To be sure, there is a great difference between the believer and the unbeliever. But that man who grows the most in the grace and knowledge of Christ grows most in the awareness of his own sinfulness.
Such is our nature that we cannot avoid sin. But sin is driven off the throne. It no longer reigns. It is still present, and will be until we die. We are so polluted with sin that everything about us has the filth of iniquity upon it. Who among us will not confess, "We are altogether as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are but as filthy rags?" I dare say that the best faith, or the highest degree of sanctification to which a believer ever attained on earth, considered in itself, is worthy of God's eternal wrath! I say these things, not to excuse your sin and mine, but to urge us to guard against sin, and to show us that we have great need of our advocate.
II. Our text is full of comfort for God's sinning children. John teaches us that our sins do not deprive us of our saving interest in Christ! The text reads, "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father." Yes, beloved, though we do sin, we have an advocate still. We are not told, "if any man sin he has forfeited his advocate." It says, "we have an Advocate", sinners though we are! We may fall into sorrowful transgressions, dreadful sins, and shameful iniquities, but these cannot, by any possibility, separate us from the heart of Christ.
There are certain characteristics by which Christ is revealed, which I can claim only as I own myself to be a sinner. Only as a sinner can I claim Christ as my Redeemer and Savior. Only as a sinner can I claim Christ as my Advocate.
Mark it down, my friend, as a solid pillar of gospel truth, that" notwithstanding all our sin, we are perfectly justified in Christ, if we are indeed true believers. We are pardoned only through his blood, accepted only in the Beloved, and sanctified only in his personl Jesus Christ is our advocate. He will not forsake his erring child, nor leave his wandering sheep. Though I am a sinner, I am still a member of Christ's body. And when the members of his body become diseased, he does not amputate them, he washes and heals them. Sin may mar our enjoyment of Christ; but it can never destroy our saving interest in Christ. David lost his joy, but not his Savior. Peter wept in bitterness, but Christ dried his tears.
III. But how can these things be? John tells us, "We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous: and he is the Propiation for our sins." God has provided his son, Jesus Christ, as the Advocate for his sinning children. Here is the great, source of our comfort, God knows that we are but flesh, weak, sinning people. Therefore he gave us an allsufficient Advocate.
An Advocate is one who is called along the side of another, for his comfort and help. He is a lawyer to plead our cause in court. The judge with whom our Advocate pleads is his Father and ours. A crime is urged against us, deserving the sentence of death. Now it is the place of our Advocate to plead for his clients. Behold, Jesus Christ, the sinner's Advocate, as he pleads our cause in heaven.
Our Advocate is "Jesus" the Savior, one in our own nature. He was tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Therefore, he is sympathetic to our weakness. He is "Christ", God's anointed one. He is our Advocate by the Father's own appointment. Surely, God will hear him. Our Advocate is the God-man. As such he knows our needs, and knows how to prevail with God.
Our Advocate is Jesus Christ the righteous. This is the blessed thing John is driving at. We are charged with sin and unrighteousness. Our Advocate cannot plead our innocence. He cannot plead the extenuating circumstances of our transgressions. But he does plead his own righteousness! He pleads for the non-imputation of sin on the grounds that we are clothed in his own righteousness.
Do we have any assurance that God will accept our Advocate? Indeed we do, "He is the propitiation for our sins." Jesus Christ is the propitiatory sacrifice by which God and sinners are reconciled. His blood covers the record of God's broken law, so that in Christ. God can show mercy. God slew his Son in our place. And now our High Priest points to his righteous life and substitutionary death, and says, "Father forgive these my children, your law has no claim against them! " All of those for whom the Advocate thus prays are fully forgiven!
What do we say to these things? God forbid, that we should ever sin against such love and grace. But, when we do sin, let us not despair. Jesus Christ is the sinner's Advocate.
SOME BELIEVED AND SOME BELIEVED NOT - WHY?
Acts 28:24
Don Fortner
Don Fortner
The preacher was the apostle Paul. The message preached was the gospel of Christ. Paul expounded the Scriptures, testified of his own experience of the Christ. Yet, we read that "some believed... and some believed not." Why did Luke write that down? What does the Holy Spirit intend for us to learn from this fact?
Without question, the intention of the Holy Spirit is to teach us that THE SALVATION OF SINNERS IS NOT DETERMINED BY THE ABILITY OF THE PREACHER. I do not mean to suggest that a person can be saved apart from the preaching of the gospel (Rom. 10:17; James 1:18; I Pet. 1:23-25). And I do not suggest that it does not matter who you hear (I John 4:1-3; II John 10). If you feed upon the poison of a false religion, you will perish under the wrath of God. But the Holy Spirit does mean for us to understand that saving faith is in no way dependent upon or determined by the gifts, abilities, education, or spiritually of the man who preaches the gospel. No one excels Paul in these areas. Yet, some who heard him "believed not." He preached pure gospel truth. He preached the truth in love. His heart was in his message. He wanted those who heard him to know Christ. Yet, "some believed not."
WHY DID SOME BELIEVE WHILE OTHERS BELIEVED NOT? All heard the same preacher the same sermon under the same circumstances. Only one explanation can be given for the faith of those who believed. They believed because God chose them in eternity, Christ redeemed them at Calvary, and now the Holy Spirit called them and gave them faith by his irresistible power and grace (John 1:12-13; Rom. 9:16-18). Their salvation was entirely God's fault and the result of God's work.
WHY DID SOME NOT BELIEVE? Their unbelief was their own fault and the result of their own work. They did not believe because they would not believe (John 5:40). They would not believe because they had no need of Christ (Luke 9:11). ALL WHO ARE SAVED ARE SAVED AS A RESULT OF WHAT GOD DOES. ALL WHO ARE LOST ARE LOST AS A RESULT OF WHAT THEY DO.
CAN A SAVED PERSON EVER BE LOST?
CAN A SAVED PERSON EVER BE LOST?
John 10:28
Don Fortner
John 10:28
Don Fortner
Let the question be answered by the plain statements of Holy Scripture with an emphatic "NO!" "They shall never perish!" 1. Salvation is THE WORK OF GOD ALONE; and the work of God is DONE FOREVER (Eccles. 3:14). 2. Salvation is THE GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE; and eternal life is ETERNAL (Rom. 6:23). 3. Salvation is BY GRACE ALONE. Works have nothing to do with it, neither good nor bad. Sin could not keep God from bestowing his grace. And sin cannot compel God to withdraw his grace (Eph. 2:8-9). 4. THE COVENANT OF GRACE CANNOT BE BROKEN; and eternal security is one UNCONDITIONAL PROMISE of the covenant (Jer. 31:3; 31-34; 32:38-40). 5. THE PURPOSE OF GOD IN ELECTION MUST STAND; and that purpose could not stand if even one of the elect were to perish (Rom. 8:28-30; 9:11). 6. THE BLOOD OF CHRIST CANNOT MISCARRY OR BE SHED IN VAIN. If one redeemed sinner should perish,for that sinner, the death of Christ would be a miscarriage, his blood would have been shed in vain (Isa.53:9-10). 7. THE SEAL OF THE SPIRIT CANNOT BE BROKEN (Eph. 4:30). 8. CHRIST CANNOT FAIL; and he would miserably fail in his appointed work if one whom he came to save were to perish (Isa. 42:4; Matt. 1:21; John 6:39). 9. The Lord our God is IMMUTABLE. He cannot change. And if one whom he loves were to become an object of his wrath in hell, he must cease to be God (Mal. 3:6). 10. THE JUSTICE OF GOD, once satisfied, CANNOT PUNISH ANY FOR WHOM ATONEMENT HAS BEEN MADE (Rom. 3:24-26). 11. GOD WILL NOT IMPUTE SIN TO HIS ELECT. Where sin is not imputed there is no danger of perdition (Rom.4:8). 12. FAITH, SALVATION, AND ETERNAL LIFE ARE THE GIFTS OF GOD. The gifts of God cannot be taken away (Rom.11:29). 13. CHRIST'S INTERCESSORY PRAYER MUST PREVAIL(John 17). 14. THE BODY OF CHRIST MUST BE COMPLETE; and it cannot be complete if even one member has perished (Eph. 1:23). 15. We are KEPT BY THE POWER OF GOD (I Pet. 1:5). 16. OUR LORD HAS PROMISED TO BRING ALL HIS ELECT TO GLORY; and he will do what he has promised (Eph. 5:25-27).
FIVE IRREFUTABLE FACTS
FIVE IRREFUTABLE FACTS ABOUT REDEMPTION
Romans 3:24-26
Don Fortner
Romans 3:24-26
Don Fortner
Here are five statements that cannot be denied or refuted from the Word of God. Learn them and you have learned the gospel doctrine of redemption by Christ.
1. ALL MEN AND WOMEN SINCE THE FALL OF ADAM ARE SINNERS, ALIENATED FROM GOD (Rom. 3:23; 8:7). The wages of our sin and enmity toward God is death. All sin must be punished, either in the sinner or in the sinner's Substitute (Heb. 2:2). But...
2. IT IS THE WILL OF GOD TO SAVE SINNERS. "He delighteth in mercy!" God has decreed the salvation of some (Eph. 1:3-7). Christ came to save some (Matt. 1:21). There are some people in this world who must be saved (John 10:16), because it is the will of God to save them; and the will of God cannot be frustrated.
3. HOWEVER, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR A HOLY, JUST, AND TRUE GOD TO SAVE ANY SINNER APART FROM THE SATISFACTION OF JUSTICE (Heb. 9:22). He declares, "I will by no means clear the guilty." I know that God is omnipotent and sovereign. He does what he will! No one declares that glorious truth more fully, more frequently, or more forcibly than I do. But God cannot do that which is contrary to his nature. We do not rob God of his sovereignty when we repeat the declaration of Scripture and say," God cannot lie." Neither do we rob God of his sovereignty when we assert this truth of Holy Scripture: God cannot forgive sin without the satisfaction of justice. The holy, just, and true God must punish sin.
4. THE ONLY WAY THE JUSTICE OF GOD COULD EVER BE SATISFIED IS BY THE SUBSTITUTIONARY SACRIFICE OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST (Rom. 3:24-26). Would God almighty slay his darling Son if there were any other way to save his people consistent with his justice? Did not the agonizing Savior cry, "If it be possible, let this cup pass from me"? If the salvation of his people could have been accomplished by any other means, would not God the Father have granted his tormented Son the desire of his soul?
5. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR GOD, IN HIS HOLINESS, TO PUNISH ANY SINNER FOR WHO'S SINS JUSTICE HAS BEEN SATISFIED BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST (Isa. 53:11). He who satisfied jus- tice "shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied!" That is to say, all for whom Christ died must be saved! Satisfied justice demands the release of every prisoner for whom satisfaction has been made!
THREE ASPECTS OF SALVATION
THREE ASPECTS OF SALVATION
Romans 13:11
Don Fortner
Romans 13:11
Don Fortner
It is a common mistake among many to think of salvation only in terms of the experience of faith. But the Word of God never limits salvation to a time, a place, or an experience. When Paul writes, "Now is our salvation nearer than when we believed," he is clearly speaking of salvation as an on going process of grace. It is a process of grace that began in eternity past before the beginning of time, is experienced by faith in Christ in time, and shall be consummated in eternity to come when time shall be no more.
This great work of salvation is the work of God alone. It was planned by God, purchased by God, produced by God, is preserved by God, and shall be perfected by God. From start to finish, "Salvation is of the Lord!" Therefore God alone shall have the praise for it. God's work of grace that is called "salvation" must be understood as a work consisting of three things.
Salvation is what God has done for us in Christ. In eternity, before the worlds were made, the Lord God loved us, chose us, predestinated us to be his own, adopted us, accepted us, and blessed us in Christ (Eph. 1:3-6). Our salvation was arranged and accomplished in that covenant of grace ordered in all things and sure made between the three Persons of the holy Trinity before the world began. In that everlasting covenant, God the Father became our Father, God the Son became our Surety, and God the Spirit became our Sanctifier. In time, our salvation was obtained by the obedience of Christ as our Substitute. We have been forgiven, justified, and sanctified by the merits of his righteousness and shed blood.
Salvation is also what God has done and is doing in us. We were dead. He made us alive (Eph. 2:1-4). He made us new creatures in Christ. He gave us a new heart, a new will, and a new nature in sovereign regeneration. He produced repentance and faith in us (Eph. 2:8-10). He is working in us to will and to do of his good pleasure (Phil. 2:13) and preserving us in life and grace by his almighty power (II Pet. 1:5).
And salvation is what God shall do with us. When the Lord God is finished with us, when our salvation is complete, we will be exactly conformed to the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29). And he shall at last present us faultless before his throne and in the ages to come shall "show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:7).
DAMNABLE HERESIES II Peter 2:1
DAMNABLE HERESIESII Peter 2:1
Let me warn you about three damning forms of heresy to which all people are naturally attracted because they are all appealing to the flesh.
FREEWILLISM - Freewillism is that doctrine that says, "God loves you, Christ died for you, and the Holy Spirit is calling you; but it will all be vain unless you choose to be saved." Freewillism makes the determining factor in salvation to be the will of man. It makes the work of the Triune God and the grace of God to be impotent without the consent of man's "freewill." Freewill religion is in direct opposition to the gospel of the free grace of God. The Bible declares that salvation is not accomplished, determined by, or dependent upon the will of man, but by the will of God (John 1:12-13; Rom. 9:16). The word "freewill", when used with reference to salvation is a blasphemous obscenity!
LEGALISM - Legalism is the teaching that sinners are saved (justified, sanctified, and accepted with God) upon the basis of their own works of legal obedience. Legalism is as damning to the souls of men as Hinduism, Mormonism, and atheism! We are not saved by our obedience to the law of God (Rom. 3:20; Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:8-9). We are not sanctified by our obedience to the law of God (Gal. 3:1-3). Our inheritance in heaven is not, to any degree, won or earned by our personal obedience to the law of God (Rev. 7:9, 10, 14, 14). Salvation is, in its entirety, by grace alone. Believers are not, in any sense whatsoever, under the yoke of the law (Rom. 6:14-15; 7:4; 8:1-4; 10:4; Gal. 5:1-4, 18; I Tim. 1:9-11).
ANTINOMIANISM - Antinomianism is that doctrine that says, "Since we are saved by grace it does not matter how we live. We have no law by which to regulate and govern our lives. Character and conduct are of no importance to the believer." Antinomianism means "lawlessness," or "against the law." I realize that it is impossible to preach salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone without being denounced by legalists as an antinomian. The Pharisees accused our Lord of being an antinomian, and the Judaizers accused Paul of being and antinomian; but anyone who really is an antinomian is as lost and ignorant of God as the freewiller and the legalist (Tit. 1:16).
CULTS, SECTS, DOGMATISM
When men cannot refute our doctrine, or choose not to pay the price of being decidedly committed to the message of God's free and sovereign grace in Christ, their only weapon is slander. One of the surest ways to raise suspicions about a preacher, a church, or a religious group is to refer to it as a "sect," or a "cult." That immediately congers up images of horror. This has been one of Satan's ploys since the beginning. When the Jews came to visit Paul in prison, they said, "Concerning this sect, we know that it is every where spoken against." Do not allow such slanders to scare you or make you feel uneasy in standing firm against the tide of human opinion. Let men call me sectarian, cultic, and dogmatic, or scandalize my name if they must. I rejoice to walk in the company of a great multitude, though scandalized and always in the minority in their day. Yet, I am not, in the least, daunted by the fear of standing alone against all the opinions of men. Here are three things I affirm with every fiber of my being. They are not rash, youthful, novice opinions, but the deliberate statements of thoughtful judgment and consideration.
First, THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST IS THE MESSAGE OF SALVATION PURPOSED BY GOD THE FATHER, PURCHASED BY GOD THE SON, AND PERFORMED IN CHOSEN, REDEEMED SINNERS BY GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT (Eph. 1:3-14). I do not care for the nickname, but that which men call "Calvinism" is neither more nor less than the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. The biblical doctrines of Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and Perseverance of the Saints are not merely logical points of theology, but vital gospel doctrines, clearly revealed in Holy Scripture (Rom. 3:9-19; 5:12; Eph. 1:4-6; Heb. 9:12; Psa. 65:4; John 10:28). To deny these blessed, gospel doctrines is to deny the faith of Jesus Christ.
Secondly, ARMlNIAN, FREEWILL, WORKS RELIGION IS NOT CHRISTIAN, BUT ANTICHRIST RELIGION. This is not my opinion, but that which the Holy Spirit has clearly revealed in Holy Scripture (Gal. 1:6-9; 5:2, 4; Col. 2:23). Those who deny the accomplishment of redemption and the certain salvation of the redeemed deny that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. "This is a deceiver or and an antichrist" (II John 7). If Arminianism is embraced as Christianity, then Mormanism, Campbellism, Russellism, and Romanism must also be embraced. In that case, the reformation was a horrendous mistake, our forefathers died for nothing, and the sooner we all unite with Rome the better!
Third, IT IS THE RESPONSIBlLITY OF ALL WHO BELIEVE THE GOSPEL TO DO WHAT WE CAN lN THESE DARK DAYS TO MAKE IT KNOWN TO ALL MEN. Confess the faith of Christ before men. Let those who preach, preach it with boldness, clarity, and distinctiveness. The souls of men, the glory of God, and the truth of God are at stake. Let us be found faithful! God requires no more and we can give no less than faithfulness.
Thursday, December 22, 2005
THE WHOLE ARMOUR OF
THE WHOLE ARMOUR OF GOD
by J. C. PHILPOT
Preached at Eden Street Chapel, Hampstead Road, London, on Lord's Day Morning, August 3rd, 1851
by J. C. PHILPOT
Preached at Eden Street Chapel, Hampstead Road, London, on Lord's Day Morning, August 3rd, 1851
"Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." (Ephesians 6:13)
EVERY child of God is a soldier, and a real one. In the Christian army, there are no feather-bed, no fire-side soldiers. All to a man are actual combatants. Are not their enemies real? Flesh and blood real? The world real? And Satan real? – a real devil? And if their enemies are real, the conflict with their enemies must be real too. "Every battle of the warrior," we read, "is with confused noise and garments rolled in blood." And such is "the good fight of faith." It is no sham fight, no Hyde Park review: but a hand to hand battle, in which wounds are inflicted, blood shed, and life, according to our feelings, often at stake.
But how shall we be able to fight this sore battle, and so to withstand the enemies of our soul's salvation as to come off more than conquerors? Weak as we are and &fenceless, without one weapon of sufficient temper and strength: through sin, like the children of Israel, "made naked unto their shame among their enemies," (Ex. 32:25) fall we shall, defeated we must be, unless we have some better weapons than our own armory can furnish. God, who knows the strength of our enemies: God, who knows the weakness of our flesh, has therefore provided in the heavenly armory weapons whereby, and whereby alone, we can make an effectual stand.
Of this heavenly armor the apostle speaks in the text, where, addressing his Christian brethren, he says, "Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." He here makes it imperative upon them to take not a part of, but "the whole armour of God." assuring them that it is indispensable to their safety: that only by being clad in it from top to toe, can they "withstand in the evil day." when all the powers of earth and hell are arrayed against them: and that even then, when they have. in the strength of that heavenly armor. "done," or "over-come all," they must not put it off: but will still need it "to stand."
In opening up the words of our text, I shall endeavor, with God's blessing, this morning,
I. First, to describe the heavenly armor; its various pieces and accoutrements, as indispensable to the Christian soldier:
II. Secondly, to show how this heavenly armor is taken, worn, and used.
I. In order to do justice to our text, it will be necessary that I should take up, one by one, these several pieces of the heavenly armor; for it says, "Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God." If, then, I, as a combatant, am without one piece, I run the risk of defeat; and if I, as a minister, in laying open this text, omit one, I am so far unfaithful in neglecting a part that may be for our spiritual defense. As a Christian, then, and as a minister, I must take the whole, each and all being alike indispensable.
1. The first piece of heavenly armor that the apostle speaks of is, the Girdle: "Stand, therefore," he says, "having your loins girt about with truth." The loins, or lower part of the back, is the seat of strength, as well as of activity and motion. No heavy weights can a man lift, no hard work can he perform unless he be strong there. The prophet therefore says, "Make thy loins strong, fortify thy power mightily." (Nah. 2:1) Of Behemoth, we read, "His strength is in his loins." (Job 40:16) These loins, then, the seat of activity and strength, need to be guarded by a piece of heavenly armor, lest Satan make a deadly thrust there. If he can get a blow at our unprotected loins, it will paralyze every movement. A stroke here, so as to reach the spinal marrow, prostrates indeed. "Smite through the loins of them that rise against him, and of them that hate him, that they rise not again." (Deut. 33:11) We need, therefore, to have our loins girded about with a piece of heavenly armor which shall effectually protect them from these paralyzing blows.
This heavenly girdle is "Truth," What truth? By "truth" here we may understand. I think, two things.
First, generally Christian sincerity; "Truth," as the Psalmist speaks, "in the inward parts." (Ps. 51:6) Uprightness of heart lies at the base of all true Christian profession. If a man have no sincerity Godward, he has nothing. Our loins, therefore, or the seat of strength and activity, need in this sense to be girt about with what the apostle calls "simplicity and godly sincerity." (2 Cor. 1:12) If there be insincerity in our profession, O what advantage is given to Satan! A blow from his hand against our profession, when there is no consciousness of sincerity Godward, must be fatal. Here he smote Judas, Saul, and Ahithophel; and they fell to rise no more. Against, then, these fatal blows, we need a girdle of truth –to be sincere Godward; to have truth in our inward parts; and, by the teaching of the Holy Spirit, to be made upright in our Christian profession. "I was upright before Him, and kept myself from my iniquity."
But we may observe further, that the ancients wore loose dresses; and as these were often in their way impeding their movements, they kept them tight round their body by a girdle. So we are continually impeded by the loose dress of unbelief, "the sin that doth so easily beset us," as the apostle calls it, alluding to it as an encumbering garment, which clings round the limbs, and impedes all free movements. But when the loins are girt about with sincerity and truth, it braces them with flesh activity and strength.
But secondly, the word "truth" is also used in a more particular and restricted sense to signify Christian truth, "the truth as it is in Jesus." A man may be sincerely wrong. Do you think that there is no sincerity but what God implants? Are not many Papists sincere? many Mahometans sincere? many utterly devoid of grace, and bitterly opposed to the work of the Spirit, sincere? Yes, surely. Not spiritually, but naturally sincere. View the crowds of persons this day going to church and chapel where we know the truth is not preached, must we make a broad sweep with them all, and say, They are all of them wretched hypocrites, dishonest and designing, doing it to be seen of men.' I dare not say so. Christian sincerity is one thing; natural sincerity another. Was not Saul of Tarsus sincere? And the mariners that threw Jonah overboard?
But spiritual sincerity itself, in deadly conflicts with sin and Satan, is not sufficient without a knowledge of "the truth as it is in Jesus." Young converts are spiritually sincere, but how unable to fight in this great battle!
The truth, then, as revealed in the gospel of the grace of God must be the foundation of our spiritual strength. We cannot fight against Satan with lies. If we fight against him, it must be with truth. The truth of the gospel made known to the soul, revealed and applied to the heart and conscience by the Holy Spirit, must be the girdle to strengthen and guard the loins in the day of battle.
2. We pass on to consider the second piece of Christian armor, "the Breastplate of righteousness." Now as the loins are the seat of activity and strength, so the breast is the seat of the heart, the fountain of the blood, which it propels through every artery, and of the lungs, which alternately inspire and expire the air, the vital breath of heaven. These are two vital parts. We need, therefore, to have this double seat of life specially secured.
Spiritually viewed, the heart may represent two things: –Firstly the conscience; and secondly the affections. And the lungs may represent two things also: 1. the inspiration of life and feeling, of prayer and supplication from God; and 2. the expiration of desires and breathings after his favor and presence. Now all these vital parts – the peculiar seat of life and feeling, the special domain of heart religion – need to be covered with a heavenly breastplate; for if Satan could pierce any of these, that thrust would be fatal.
But how often does he aim his thrust against the heart, as the seat of conscience! and would, if he could, by deadly thrusts at that tender point, plunge the soul into despair! He would, were it wholly unguarded, hurl dart after dart, and shoot arrow after arrow into the conscience, till he made it bleed to death. We need conscience, then, to be guarded by a piece of heavenly armor. This is provided from the heavenly armory – "the Breastplate of righteousness" – not our own, no, not our own, but Christ's imputed righteousness.
Let Satan strike that, if he will. He could not pierce it when worn by the captain of our salvation, though, in the wilderness and in the garden, he thrust sore at it; as the Lord speaks, "Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall, but the Lord helped me." (Ps. 118:13) Let him strike at it now as worn by the soldier. It is to strike against a wall of flint, against a breastplate of steel. If that breastplate be on, let him accuse: let him tempt to despair: let him say, Your sins are too great to be forgiven: you have backslidden beyond all hope of recovery: you have no real religion; your beginning was wrong, the middle is wrong, and the end will be wrong; you are only a hypocrite, who will die in despair; there is no fear of God in your heart. These are some of the "fiery darts" of Satan aimed against conscience. If, then, we put on our own righteousness to shield us from these thrusts, it is but a wicker breastplate which the first fiery dart will set in flame, or the slightest thrust pierce through. We need a breastplate of steel, not of wicker-work such as our own fingers may intertwine, but Christ's righteousness imputed; as Hart justly says,
"Righteousness within thee rooted, May appear to take thy part; But let righteousness imputed, Be the breastplate of thy heart."
And our affections also; for the heart is not only the seat of conscience, but the seat of the affections. What fiery darts can Satan throw into our affections! What lusts he can kindle through the eye! What love of the world; what greedy desire of gain; what sensual imaginations can he kindle into a flame! Even the tender affections which sweeten the bitter cup of life, the social relationships of husband and wife, parent and child, how he can distort even them, and pervert into idolatry the most hallowed ties! David's overweening love to Absalom nearly cost him his throne and his life. Eli loved his sons till he ruined them, and brought a curse upon his house. Nay more, the heavenly affections themselves; the pure desires, the celestial love of God's own implanting, need to be guarded. These affections the breastplate of Christ's righteousness only can guard, and preserve pure, holy, and tender, that the sacred flame may be ever kept burning upon the altar of a broken heart.
But the heart is also the seat of the lungs, that important organ of life, by which we alternately inspire and expire the breath of heaven. This may represent, in a spiritual sense, 1. the inspiration, or breathing in of God's Spirit, whereby we draw in the breath of heaven, "Come from the four winds, O breath;" (Ezek. 37:9) and 2, the expiration, or breathing out of these heavenly desires whereby the soul pours itself out before God. This inspiration and expiration, these inflowings and outflowings of life divine, need to be covered by the breastplate of righteousness; for soon, soon, Satan would strike a dart through the lungs to stop all inspiration of God's favor, and all expiration of desire, thankfulness, or praise. But our own righteousness – what a poor defense! Can it guard or protect the vital seat of these heavenly operations? But when the impregnable breastplate of Christ's imputed righteousness is received at the hands of God, fitted on to the bosom, and firmly clasped all around, the conscience, the affections, and the life of God are all shielded as with adamant.
3. But we pass on to the Greaves. "Your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace." There is armor for the legs and feet; for these too may be assailed by the Prince of darkness. The feet have often to tread in miry ways; to walk amidst thorns, and snares, and pricking bushes; and, in ancient warfare, the uncovered feet were liable to be wounded by a weapon called "caltrops," or balls with three spikes of iron issuing from them, strewed on the ground.
By "the feet," we may spiritually understand our walk and conversation. Against this Satan may aim a fearful thrust. He aims at every unguarded spot; sometimes at the loins, – the seat of strength and of activity; sometimes at the heart and lungs, – the conscience, the affections, and the life of God; sometimes at the feet, – the walk, the conduct, and conversation.
Here is one of our greatest temptations – lest Satan should entangle us in anything disgraceful, inconsistent, or unbecoming! O how we seem to walk amidst snares and temptations! and how Satan is aiming deadly blows at our legs and feet, to cut them off, and lay us low. We need, then, "greaves," as they are called, or shoes reaching half way up the legs, in order to protect them from these deadly thrusts of Satan. And what has God provided? "The preparation of the gospel of peace." There is something very sweet and expressive, though perhaps at first sight obscure, in the word "preparation." It seems to my mind to convey the idea that the "gospel of peace" is prepared for and fitted to the feet and legs. It is not a loose leather shoe that may be kicked off and on: not an old, easy slipper: but a tight, firm, strong, clasped, and buckled boot, or greave, of polished steel: "Thy shoes shall be iron and brass." This fits closely and tightly round the leg; and is "the preparation of the gospel" – the leg and foot prepared for the gospel, and the gospel prepared for the leg and foot.
Thus, the apostle does not send us to Sinai to get a greave from that fiery mount, nor to the smithy of Moses and Aaron, that they may forge a piece of armor to protect and guard our life, walk, and conversation. But he sends us to the gospel, "the preparation of the gospel of peace;" not the law of war, but the gospel of peace. Here is firm standing. To be at peace with God through this gospel gives firm foothold. To be shod aright, the foot must be neither in the tight pinching boot of the law, nor in the loose slipper of our own obedience; but in the firm yet pliant, strong yet soft, easy yet impenetrable greave of the gospel. And observe, it is "the gospel of peace," not wrangling and quarrelling. Get only a sweet sense of peace into your heart; let the gospel of peace reach your soul, and you will find a piece of armor that will guard life and conduct and conversation, and be your best preservation in this wilderness from the thrusts of Satan at your daily walk.
4. To make the body armor complete, before I pass on to the shield, I shall next take in order "the Helmet of salvation," which is to cover the head. The head, we may consider, as the seat of two special things: – 1, of energy, activity, authority, movement; 2, of apprehension and understanding. Now Satan aims his deadly blows at our head, sometimes to destroy and paralyze all energy and movement, all life and feeling in the things of God, and sometimes to confuse our understanding, to thrust us into some error, or draw us aside into some heresy. How stunning is a blow on the head when unprotected by any defense! All energy and movement cease. So in grace. Were our head not guarded, how should we be stunned and paralyzed by Satan's blows! And we may observe, that there is an intimate relationship between consciousness and energy. The same organ, the brain, which apprehends, communicates influence to every muscle. If Satan, then. can confuse our mind. how he paralyzes all the springs of motion!
Has not your mind sometimes been sadly tempted with erroneous doctrines? When you have heard of some deadly error that has been going abroad, has there not been something in it that seemed to lay hold of your mind and carnal understanding so that it seemed almost true? Now here is Satan confusing the mind, stunning and bewildering it with his plausible errors. What need, them a piece of armor to guard the head. And we have it provided: "the Helmet of salvation."
But why is "the Helmet of salvation" so suitable to the head? Because all truth contains in it salvation, and all error involves in it damnation. There are no trifling errors. All errors, examined to the root, are fatal. Satan never troubles himself to introduce an unimportant error. His blows are at the head. If you examine every error that comes abroad, you will find that it always is aimed at Christ, to deny his Godhead, his actual Sonship, the efficacy of his blood, the imputation of his righteousness, the truth of his grace, the power of his resurrection; or in some way or other to destroy and put away salvation, complete salvation, through the Person, work, and blood of Jesus. As Satan, then, aims these deadly blows at our head to confuse our judgment, we need a piece of armor to guard and shield it all around, which is called here "the Helmet of salvation."
A child of God is made very tender about the truth. To part with truth is to part with life; to embrace error is to embrace death; and the more that he lives in communion with Christ, the more he will value "the truth as it is in Jesus." Never give up truth. If you give up truth, what is there then to save your soul? But "the Helmet of salvation" must be put on and worn; and it is put on and worn when salvation is laid hold of as it stands in the Person of the Son of God. Salvation by grace, what but this can shield the head in the day of battle? Keep it firmly braced round your temples. Legality and self-righteousness, heresy and error will strike, but will glance harmlessly off the helmet of salvation.
5. The next piece of armor that I shall take, is, "the Shield of faith." We have seen the body guarded on every side, except, as Bunyan, I believe, says, there is no armor for the back.' At any rate, we have seen the body guarded in front: for it is a front to front battle; a face to face, hand to hand, foot to foot, shoulder to shoulder engagement. We have seen the loins, the legs, the feet, the breast, and the head all protected; but there may be haply some unguarded part. We have to fight with a very skilful enemy, who watches every movement and every unguarded place to make a deadly thrust. We need then one piece of defensive armor more, which in ancient times was a very useful one – the Shield; so that by looking on every side where the darts fly, we may oppose it in an instant.
This shield is "the shield of faith." How needful is this! What are we, where are we, how can we fight for a single moment, when unbelief seems to gain power and prevalence? We faint, we sink, we have no strength to lift up a finger, when unbelief and infidelity work so powerfully in our carnal mind. O how we need the shield of faith, faith in lively exercise, that it may be opposed against Satan, come from whatever quarter he may, thrust on whatever side he will! This shield of faith is "above all," or "over all," so as to protect whatever part may be unprotected, and to guard every portion unguarded. But one reason is especially mentioned, "Whereby we shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the Wicked."
The ancients were accustomed to employ "fiery darts," that is, arrows tipped at the end with tow, which they kindled, and then threw against their enemies. How beautifully this represents the fiery darts of Satan! his blasphemous and obscene injections; for how they set on fire the carnal mind! Like the burning arrows used by the ancients, wherever they stick they set on fire. But these fiery darts of the devil, these infidel, blasphemous suggestions, these dreadful injections which this Prince of darkness shoots into the carnal mind, we cannot, with all our own strength, resist. We need heavenly armor, and the shield of faith, so as not to give credit to Satan's lies; but when the fiery darts come, to hold up the shield, that they may spend all their strength on that. That they cannot set on fire. Our carnal mind is very inflammable; the least fiery dart can set it all on flame. But not so with the shield of faith: that is made of materials which can quench every fiery dart.
When we believe our interest in the Son of God: that our name is in the book of life: that God is our Father. Christ our Brother, the Holy Ghost our Friend and Teacher: when we can believe that all Satan says is lies, and lies only: that all these imaginations are but his contrivances, all these base workings of his raising, all these vile thoughts of his suggesting, and not take them as our own: when we can thus object "the shield of faith;" they drop off, they do not reach the soul; they meet with no materials which they inflame. They fall down quenched by "the shield of faith." But begin to doubt and fear and sink; to believe all that Satan suggests: to fall in with his carnal reasonings; to listen to his infidel suggestions, and give way to his vile thoughts, and the whole carnal mind is immediately set on flame. O how we need, deeply need the shield of faith to "quench the fiery darts of the Wicked!"
6. Now the pieces that I have thus far considered are pieces of defensive armor. But I pass on to one piece, and only one, of offensive armor, the Sword; for in this battle we have not merely to receive blow upon blow, and thrust after thrust; but we have to maintain the offensive as well as the defensive; we have to thrust at Satan as well as to be thrust at by him; to fight with him as well as he to fight with us. And what is our weapon? One only. But O, what an effectual one, called here "The Sword of the Spirit!"
This is the only piece of offensive armor provided, and yet about the last that we are enabled to take hold of. How apt we are to meet Satan upon Satan's own ground! He reasons for, and we reason against; he brings his arguments, we bring perhaps our counter arguments; he tempts, and we are seduced by his temptations; he speaks, and we listen; he finds words, and we find ears; he lays the snare, and we lay a foot to be caught in it. If we attempt to fight, it is often by some sword of our own forging, not the right Jerusalem blade, not the sword from the heavenly armory. Resolutions, promises, tears, acknowledgments, confessions – all these are but weapons of earthly make and temper. How slow, how unable are we to take the only true weapon, "the sword of the Spirit; which is the word of God!" What an example the blessed Lord left us when he was tempted. Thrice did Satan bring his temptations to cast Jesus down: and thrice did Jesus meet him with the sword of the Spirit, "It is written, it is written, it is written." He used no other weapon: and that weapon made Satan quail.
Now "the sword of the Spirit" is "the word of God." But we can only use this sword so far as it is opened up to our understanding, applied to our heart, sealed upon our conscience, and faith is given to lay hold of it. A promise, a precept, an invitation, a warning, an admonition, a truth –it matters not what part it be of God's word suitable to our state and case, it becomes "the sword of the Spirit" when laid hold of by faith, and is the only effectual weapon whereby to beat back Satan. Through the temptations of Satan, the soul sometimes seems ready to sink into despair. It is almost as though he had got the victory, so fast and thick does he hurl his fiery darts, arrow upon arrow, suggestion after suggestion.
Well, how can you stand? You have no strength in yourself; you never had any; and the little you had in Christ, or thought you had, seems gone. Just at this critical moment, some promise seems to drop into your soul just suitable to your case; it is caught up as "the sword of the Spirit;" and by that the enemy is beaten back. Or Satan is tempting you to some sin, and painting before your carnal mind some pleasure or profit to be gained by committing it. Here you are, wavering and wavering, and standing upon the very brink of a fall. In this critical moment the Lord drops some precept, admonition, or warning; the word comes with power to your soul. Here is "the sword of the Spirit, the word of God;" and by that the temptation is defeated, and Satan driven back. O! without "the sword of the Spirit" we are, as it were, only a target for Satan's arrows. But when, in addition to the defensive armor which repels, there is the offensive weapon, "the sword of the Spirit," which thrusts, he not only gains no ground, but is for a time beaten back.
II. And then comes the heavenly recipe, how to take, wear, and use this armor aright. "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints." It is by faith, as we shall presently see, that the heavenly armor is received, worn, and used: but it is chiefly by the "prayer of faith:" for by believing prayer is the armor taken: by continual prayer ("praying always") kept on: and by spiritual prayer ("supplication in the Spirit") used and wielded. If we do not continually "pray in the Spirit," the limbs will, so to speak, shrink: and the armor drop off.
The knights of old exercised themselves every day in their full armor, or they could not have borne it, nor used their weapons with dexterity and strength. So must the Christian warrior, by prayer and supplication, "exercise himself unto godliness." Without "praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance" – standing sentry in the armor, keeping ward and watch – its very weight will crush us. But it is "praying in the Spirit." Not loud, long, formal prayers, nor vain repetitions; but, as Jude speaks, "praying in the Holy Ghost," by the help and intercession of the Spirit; and that "always;" at all seasons, all times, all places, everywhere, and whenever the Spirit of grace and supplication may fall.
Again; it must be "all prayer;" that is, all kinds of prayer – public prayer, private prayer, mental prayer, crying prayer, groaning prayer, weeping prayer, meditating prayer; prayer feeble, prayer strong; prayer of necessity, prayer of importunity; prayer of distance, and prayer of nearness; the prayer of the publican, the leper, and the outcast, as well as the prayer of the believing, the hoping, and the loving. With prayer, must be joined "supplication, "that is, beseeching the Lord, weeping at his feet, begging of him to appear, clasping his knees, and pouring out the soul into his bosom. To this must be added, "watching thereunto." To watch for the answer; to wait for the appearing of the Lord "more than they that watch for the morning." And this, "with all perseverance," never giving it up, taking no denial, begging of the Lord again and again, and wrestling with him till he appear to bless, visit, and shine upon the soul.
O how this heavenly recipe keeps every part of the armor bright, and the soldier active and expert in its use! The armor indeed of itself, as being from heaven, gets neither dull nor rusty. It is we who get sluggish in its use. But, to our apprehension, faith and prayer make it glitter more brightly. How, for instance, "the prayer of faith" brightens up the girdle of truth, and makes it glitter and shine! How it burnishes the breastplate, and makes it fit tightly round the bosom! How it makes the helmet glitter in the sun, and its noble plumes to wave in all their native luster! How it beats out every dent the shield may have received from the fiery darts, arid fits it for fresh encounters! And how it sharpens "the sword of the Spirit," gives it a brighter polish, and nerves the arm to wield it with renewed activity and vigor! O this is the secret of all true victory! All is, all must be well, when we are in a prayerful, meditative, watching state: and all is ill, when this heavenly recipe is neglected: when the hands droop, and the knees faint, and prayer seems dead and motionless in the breast. Let there be in the soul an abiding spirit of prayer, and victory is sure. Satan has little power against the soul that has an abiding spirit of prayer, and is "watching thereunto with all perseverance." But, without this spirit of prayer, we are a prey to all his temptations, and can neither take, wear, nor use the only armor against them.
Such, then, is the armor that God has provided: and such is the way in which it is to be taken, worn, and used – taken by faith, worn by prayer, and wielded with perseverance –for it is never to be laid by till death unclasps it. And, you may depend upon it, that God would not have provided such an armor as this, so complete a panoply, unless there were a real battle to fight. Christian warriors are not Chinese soldiers, who wear armor of pasteboard, painted to resemble iron; but their armor is of real steel. As, therefore, God has provided such an armor as this, it is plain they have no puny enemy to fight.
Now Satan's grand stratagem is to conceal and hide his strength. He is like a skilful general, who does not show all his army, but conceals them behind hedges, walls, and trees, and keeps them close in the trenches, so that the enemy may not see all his force. Satan is never so powerful as when we know least of his power, and he is never so successful as when he shoots at us from behind the trench. The apostle, therefore, says, "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." It is his devilish craft and subtlety that we have so much to dread. Lay aside one piece of the armor, and you are at once shot down.
The text speaks of "an evil day;" that is, a day of danger, of alarm: a day on which the Prince of Evil is plotting: and an evil. dark. and gloomy day for us. unless we have on the heavenly armor, and know how to wear and use it. "Put on," says the apostle: "take unto you the whole armour of God." There is a putting of it on. It is not like the Armory in the Tower. where guns. and pistols, and other military weapons are hung up in ornamental circles to be looked at as a spectacle: but it is to be taken, to be put on, to be received from the hands of God, and clasped round by his own fingers.
I have already shown how needful prayer and watchfulness are to the putting on of heavenly armor. But I may further add, that it is by faith we put on every piece. If we have no faith, we have no Christian sincerity, nor spiritual knowledge of the truth; therefore, "the loins are not girt about with truth." If we have no faith, we have on no breastplate of Christ's righteousness; for that is only put on by faith. If we have no faith, we have no defense for our feet; for by faith we stand and walk; and therefore the feet are not "shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace." If we have no faith, we have no helmet, because "salvation" is laid hold of by faith. If we have no faith, we cannot have "the shield of faith;" that is evident. If we have no faith, we cannot use "the sword of the Spirit," which is only wielded by faith. If we have no faith, we have no true prayer; for it is "the prayer of faith" that is effectual with God.
By faith, therefore, is every piece of the heavenly armor put on; and by faith, living faith, is every piece of it used. What strange characters we are! Able to fight one day, fleeing the next; resisting Satan this moment, and giving way that. How is this to be accounted for? Because at this moment we have faith; at the next, we have, or seem to have none. Faith is to the soul what a main-spring is to the watch. The main-spring is broken, or wanting. What is the watch worth? So faith is the main-spring of the soul. Let there be no faith, there is no inward movement. There may be hands, but like the hands of a child's watch, they are made for show, not for use: a bauble and a toy, not a working instrument. There must be faith in the soul in order that the hands may move in accordance with the will of God, and keep right time with the dial of the Sun of Righteousness.
Faith too, we need not only to wear, but to wield this heavenly armor, so as to "withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." It is, in the margin, "having overcome all, to stand." And what a flood of light does this cast upon a Christian's path – that the greatest danger lies in, and after victory! Bunyan has beautifully touched upon this, where he represents Christian as stumbling and falling immediately after he had got the start of his brother. When you have, in the strength of Christ, overcome one temptation, you are standing upon the brink of another: and the very pride that may lift up your heart for having gained one battle, only opens a way to fall by the next encounter.
What a strange warfare! Paul's maxim would not do for the Duke of Wellington, "When I am weak, then am I strong." That would not do to go to Waterloo with. We are never so weak as when in ourselves we are strong; we are never so strong as when in ourselves we are weak. Let me think myself secure, I fall; let me fear to fall, I am safe. O the mysteries of the Christian life! O the paradox of the heavenly warfare! And therefore, with the deepest wisdom, the apostle has said, "Take unto you the whole armour of God." Do not leave a single piece out; your life is at stake; forget not one buckle; leave loose not a single clasp; "that ye may withstand in the evil day." There is an evil day coming; a day of temptation, an hour of trial; an evil day when the clouds gather blackness, the welkin is overspread with gloom, and the enemy comes forth in all his strength. In that "evil day," the hour of temptation, who can stand? None but he who has on "the whole armour of God."
Well; the evil day passes over; the sky clears, the clouds break, the sun comes forth, and its bright beams glance upon the warrior's armor. It is unharmed; it has effectually shielded him; the fiery darts have dropped quenched at his feet. Is he safe now? When one Waterloo is gained, is peace to be proclaimed, and maintained for five-and-thirty years? Not so in the heavenly warfare. "Having done all," or, as it is in the margin, "overcome all," and gained the victory, then comes the difficulty – "to stand." Why, it is as though there were greater danger after the victory than before it: that when the battle has been fought, and the enemy fled, then the devil was stronger than ever; because then we are for laying aside the heavenly armor. We perhaps say, We have fought and conquered: let us enjoy victory; get our furlough: hang up the armor: take a quiet nap to refresh ourselves.' But Satan sleeps not; he never rests, nor tires; and therefore, when the Christian warrior has laid the armor aside, and said, Now let me sleep, I have gained the victory!' that is the moment for his unsuspected adversary to take him at unawares, and aim at him a deadly thrust. Therefore, the apostle says, "Having done all, or overcome all, to stand."
O, we must never lay aside the heavenly armor! And this is a mercy, that if we have one piece, we have all. God does not send us to the battle half armed. He who has provided one, has provided all. Let this too be remembered, and laid to heart, by way of encouragement – that the Lord, in choosing recruits, does not, like our army sergeants, choose the strong, active, stout, lusty, vigorous, and healthy. He admits strange characters into his regiment; those whom no army doctor would pass; the halt, and the lame, the blind, the crippled, and asthmatic, the wheezing, and the paralyzed; the consumptive in lung, the diseased in heart, and the withered in limb; he enlists them in his heavenly regiment, makes them all whole by a touch of his finger, clothes them with his heavenly armor, sends them forth to battle, and fights for them as "the God of armies." Thus, weak in themselves, they are strong in Christ, and in the power of his might. And every such soldier will eventually win the day, gain the prize, and come off more than conqueror through him who loved and gave himself for him.
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
John 6:44
John 6:44
By John Gill
The Cause of God and Truth, Part 2, Chapter 4, Section 8
No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. -- John 6: 44
By John Gill
The Cause of God and Truth, Part 2, Chapter 4, Section 8
No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. -- John 6: 44
- THIS passage of Scripture is no inconsiderate proof of the doctrine of the powerful and efficacious grace of God in the work of faith and conversion. To come to Christ, is to believe in him. This is not to be attributed to the free will and power of man, but is owing to the Father's drawing; which is to be understood not of moral suasion, but of the internal and powerful influence of his grace. This act of drawing, is an act of power, even almighty power; as appears from its being something distinct from and superior to both doctrines and miracles. The Capernaites had heard the doctrine of Christ, which was taught with authority, and had seen his miracles, which were full proofs of his being the Messiah; and yet believed not, but continued murmuring at his person and parentage. This gave occasion to Christ to observe to them, that something more than these was necessary to their coming to him, or savingly believing in him, even the powerful and efficacious grace of the Father in drawing. Besides, if this act of drawing was only an act of moral suasion, and not of almighty power, then a lesser action is ascribed to the Father who sent Christ, than is to Christ himself; though he is here spoken of as Mediator; since he takes to himself the power of raising such up at the last day who come unto him, which must be allowed to be an act of omnipotence; when moral suasion is what belongs to every ordinary minister of the word. Add to this, if it be considered what men, in conversion, are drawn off from and to, from their beloved lusts and darling righteousness, to look unto and rely upon Christ alone for salvation; from what was before so very agreeable, to that which, previous to this work on their souls, was so very disagreeable; to what else can this be ascribed, but to unfrustrable and insuperable grace? But then, though this act of drawing is an act of power, yet not of force: God, in drawing of unwilling, makes willing in the day of his power; he enlightens the understanding, bends the will, gives a heart of flesh, sweetly allures by the power of his grace, and engages the soul to come to Christ, and give up itself unto him; he draws with the cords of a man, with the bands of love. Drawing, though it supposes power, yet not always co-action, or violence. Music draws the ear, love the heart, and pleasure the mind, trahit sua quemque voluptas. The Jews have a saying, that the proselytes in the days of the Messiah shall be all of them proselytes drawn, that is, such as shall freely and voluntarily become proselytes.
3. Whereas it is affirmed, that to be drawn of God can only signify,
(1.) "To be persuaded and prevailed upon to come to Christ, by the consideration of the mighty works which God had done to justify that he was the true Messiah; to which Christ appeals as divine testimonies of him, and by which the unbelieving Jews became inexcusable." I answer, it is true, that miracles were proofs of his Messiahship, and which left the Jews, who rejected him, without excuse; but then these works, properly speaking, were done by Christ himself, and the conviction of his being the Messiah from them, and the persuasion to come to him, and believe on him, on the account of them, were from the Spirit; and neither of them the acts of the Father, and so not intended by this act of drawing. Besides, multitudes of souls, both under the Old and New Testament, before, and since the coming of Christ, have been enabled to come to him for life and salvation, who never were persuaded and prevailed upon so to do, by the consideration of miracles. And many who did see the miracles of Christ, did not, in a spiritual manner, come to him, and believe in him. Wherefore our Lord ascribes faith in him to a superior power, to the unfrustrable influences of divine grace, which are here signified by the Father's drawing. Or,
(2.) It is said, to be drawn by the Father signifies "to be moved by the great promise of eternal life confirmed by these miracles to do it; for where there is a firm belief and lively sense of that inestimable blessing, it must strongly engage to come to Christ, from whom it is only to be expected." To which I answer, eternal life is, indeed, only to be expected from Christ; and when there is a firm belief and lively sense of it, as in him, and to be had from him, persons will be strongly engaged to go to him for it: but then, what is it that gives that firm belief, and fixes that lively sense of this blessing, so as strongly to engage to come to Christ for it, but the powerful and efficacious grace of God? The bare external revelation of the promise, though confirmed by miracles, will not do it. Instructions by the ministry of the word are not sufficient, unless accompanied with the demonstration of the Spirit, and of power. The following words are not a proof of it, It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God; every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, comes unto me: which do intend mere external instructions, or objective teachings, for multitudes are in that way instructed who never come to Christ; but special teachings, such as are attended with the energy of divine grace, with the laws and doctrines of Christ put into the inward part, and written on the heart. Add to all this, our Lord himself explains what he means by the Father's drawing, ver. 65, where he says, No man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father; which is more than affording means and motives, it is giving faith itself. What is said to answer to the argument from Matt 7: 18, and Rom 8: 7, will be considered hereafter in the next chapter.
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
An Exhortation
An Exhortation to Those That are Pardoned
by Stephen Charnock
Use 5.
1. Admire this grace of God. To pardon one sin is a greater thing than to create a world; to pardon one sin is greater than to damn a world. God can create a world without the death of a creature; he can damn a world without the death of a creator; but in pardoning there must be the death of the creator, the Son of God.by Stephen Charnock
Use 5.
2. Serve God much. Is the guilt of sin, the cord that bound thee, taken off? It is fit that when thou art so unfettered, thou shouldst run the ways of God's commandments. A sense of pardon of sin makes the soul willing and ready to run upon God's errands, and to obey his commandments: Isa. 6:8, 'I heard the voice of the Lord saying, Whom shall I send? Then said I, Here am I.' Then when he had received assurance that his iniquity was taken away, ver. 7, God's pardon set thee upon a new stock, and therefore he expects thou shouldst be full of new clusters.
3. Be more fearful of sin. Dispute with thyself, Hath God pardoned the guilt of sin that it shall not damn me, and shall I wallow in the mire of sin to pollute myself? Oh, thy sins after pardon have a blacker circumstance than the sins of devils, or the sins of wicked men, for theirs are not against pardoning mercy, not against special love. Oh, thaw thy heart every morning with a meditation on pardon, and sin will not so easily freeze it in the daytime. When thou art tempted to sin, consider what thoughts thou hadst when thou wert suing for pardon, how earnest thou wert for it, what promises and vows thou didst make, and consider the love God showed thee in pardoning. Do not blur thy pardon, so easily wound thy conscience, or weaken thy faith.
4. Be content with what God gives thee. If he gives thee heaven, will he deny thee earth? He that bestows upon thee the pardon of sin, would surely pour into thy bosom the gold of both the Indies, were it necessary for thee. But thou hast got a greater happiness; for it is not said, Blessed is he that wallows in wealth, honour, and a confluence of worldly prosperity, but, 'Blessed is he whose sin is forgiven, and whose iniquity is covered.'
Thursday, December 08, 2005
God So Loved The Wor
God So Loved The World
E. G. Cook Former Pastor
Philadelphia Baptist Church Birmingham , Alabama (Now In Glory)
To deny that God loved the world is to deny the precious Word of God. John 3:16 says plainly that He loved the world. But, on the other hand, if I affirm that God loved everybody would I not be denying other Scriptures that are just as true as John 3:16? Let me hasten to say there are no contradictions in the Scriptures. So, when I see Scriptures which appear to contradict each other, it behooves me to say, "Father, for the sake of thy great name, and for the sake of thy Son who became my great and wonderful Savior, and for the sake of thy precious Word which thou hast magnified above all thy name, open my eyes that I may see, and open my heart and my mind that I may understand these Scriptures for I know they do not contradict each other." Sometimes it seems that we prefer to just jump over certain Scriptures which appear to contradict some other passage rather than run the risk of having to admit that we have been wrong. But is that not a point of weakness rather than one of strength? Do we not honor our Lord by admitting that we have been wrong, and by giving Him credit for having opened our eyes to our error? If you know all there is to know on this subject it will be a waste of your valuable time to read any further because this little Bible teacher admits freely, and with out any fear of contradiction, that he does not know all there is to know about it. But, if you have an open mind and a receptive heart, may it please our dear Lord to bless our study of this subject together. May we begin our study of this subject with the question, if God has ever hated just one person among all of His created creatures, can we say that He loved every body? Then let us turn to Romans 9:13 where God says, "Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated". I know the popular teaching on this verse is that God loved Esau a little less than he loved Jacob. And in years gone by I could swallow that teaching as if it were a pod of boiled okra. But as time went on I came to see that this word "hated" comes from MISEO which means to hate. It has no other meaning. So how could I make the word "hate" mean "love" to any degree? The Greeks have two words for love. Their word AGAPAO is the one used in the case of God's Divine love. Then they have another word PHILEO which is a much weaker form. This word PHILEO expresses the love of husband and wife, or the love of parents and children. Now if God meant to say that he loved Esau a little less than he loved Jacob why did the Holy Spirit not use the weaker word PHILEO in regard to Esau rather than the word MISEO which al ways means to hate? Then in Psalms 5:5 the Psalmist says, "Thou hatest all workers of iniquity". The time was when I could jump over a couple of letters in this word "workers" and make it just plain old "work" Then I could put just a little imaginary love in the word "hate" in Romans 9:13 and go on my merry way. But, when I became willing to throw all of my preconceived ideas concerning God and His precious Word in the waste basket where they belonged and let my beliefs be in accord with the Scriptures rather than trying to make the Scriptures be in accord with my beliefs, I had to go back and put the two letters back in the word "workers" in Psalms 5:5. And then when I looked a little closer I found there was no niche, nor cavity in the word "hated" in Romans 9:13 in which I could squeeze the least tiny little bit of love. So, today, thanks be unto His Holy name, I can believe Romans 9:13 and Psalms 5:5 just as they were written, and at the same time believe John 3:16. But, before I could believe those three Scriptures just as they were written I was forced to make a sincere study of the word "world". I had been giving it the meaning I wanted it to have. Now I must either substantiate my definition of this word, or else throw it away. Well, I had to throw it away. I learned in II Peter 1:20 that no "Scripture is of any private interpretation." By that is meant that we must interpret John 3:16, or any other Scripture, in the light of other Scriptures. So for the sake of your time, may we study this word "world" in the light of other Scriptures found just in John's writings. First in John 1:10 how could the world that knew not our Lord ever include His disciples who did know Him? Then in John 1:29, if the Lamb of God took away every body's sin, why did hell enlarge herself, and open her mouth without measure in Isaiah 5:14? Since a saviour is one who saves, why is not everybody saved if the word "world" in John 4:42 means everybody? Please note, it does not say that he is the potential Savior of the world. It says He is the Savior of the world. If the word "world" in John 6:33 means everybody, how can any body be dead in trespasses and in sins? Here we are told that He "Giveth life to the world". Could the world that is gone after our Lord in John 12:19 ever include the Chinese, Japanese, American Indians, or the savages in Africa, or even the great majority of the Jews by any stretch of the imagination? Let us notice ,they are talking about a world that was in existence at that particular moment of time. They say "The world is gone (not will go) after "Him". If the world that Christ came to save in John 12:46 includes everybody, would you say His coming was a success, or a failure? Is old Satan who is the prince of this world the prince, or ruler of our Lord's own people? Could the world that hated our Lord in John 7:7 and 15:18 ever include His precious Saints who loved Him so much? Would you say that the world that our Lord refused to pray for in John 17:9 included the ones He did pray for in the first part of this verse, and the others for whom He prayed in verse 20? There are so many other references, even in John's writings, to prove to any open minded person that the word "world" in Scripture almost always means a certain group of people. In I John 5:19 for instance, "The whole world that lieth in wickedness" cannot possibly include the "we" who are of God. Our better dictionaries will give you something like twenty different meanings of the word "world". No one seems to object to such expressions as, the new world, the free world, or The religious world. And no fair minded person would dare say that the whole world in I John 5:19 includes everybody. So, in the light of that great array of evidence which proves beyond a doubt that the word "world" usually means only a part of the people, how can I ever again contend that John 3:16 means that God loved everybody? If God does not love everybody, does He tell us in His Word who it is that He does love? Since God is the only one competent to answer our question, let us turn to John 13:1 and listen closely as He says, "Having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end". Here he says plainly that He loves "His own". I am waiting patiently for someone to give me the book, chapter and verse where He says He loves the devil's crowd.
E. G. Cook Former Pastor
Philadelphia Baptist Church Birmingham , Alabama (Now In Glory)
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