Grace Gems for SEPTEMBER 2025
The Beauty of Jesus
Charles Spurgeon, et al.
(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
Song of Solomon 5:16, "Yes, He is altogether lovely! This is my Beloved, and this is my Friend!"
The soul that has been awakened by grace, drawn by the Spirit, and brought to behold the Lord Jesus through the eyes of faith, cannot help but echo this exclamation: "Yes, He is altogether lovely!" In . . .
every aspect of His person,
every office He holds,
every work He performs,
and every word He speaks
--Jesus is infinite in loveliness!
The redeemed heart, taught by the Spirit, finds no flaw in Him, and no rival to Him.
Consider the beauty of His PERSON. He is fully God and fully man--God manifest in the flesh. In Him, all the fullness of Deity dwells bodily. He is the brightness of the Father's glory, the exact representation of His being. And yet, He is tender and lowly, gentle and accessible. The glory of His majesty does not drive sinners away--it draws them near. The same hand that upholds the universe, was stretched out to touch lepers and lift fallen sinners.
His CHARACTER is equally lovely. His holiness is not austere, but beautiful. His righteousness is not harsh, but winsome. He was full of grace and truth--never compromising either. In Him, mercy and justice meet. He never turned away the penitent, never coddled the proud, never failed to glorify His Father.
His every motive was pure,
His every word was true,
His every act was love.
The beauty of Jesus shines most in His sin-atoning sacrifice. He gave Himself for us. It was the grandest display of self-sacrificing love the world has ever seen! At the cross, we behold the perfection of His grace and justice meeting in breathtaking harmony. There is no beauty like the beauty of a bleeding Savior! None so lovely--as He who was scorned, despised, and crucified for us. Would you know the sweetness of Christ? Come near to Him--look into His wounds, sit beneath His cross, and ponder His dying love for you!
The beauty of His WORK is beyond comparison. Who else but the Son of God would willingly humble Himself to the death of the cross? Who else could bear the full weight of God's wrath, and yet cry, "It is finished!" He loved His people to the uttermost. He purchased them with His own blood. He rose in triumph, intercedes with compassion, and will one day return in glory!
His beauty never fades. Unlike the passing charm of earthly things--Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The more He is known, the more He is loved. The more He is seen, the more He is desired. The more He is worshiped, the more the soul cries, "Show me more of Jesus!"
The longer we walk with Jesus, the more His beauty unfolds--dazzling us anew with His mercy, wisdom, and power. Beloved, take time today to meditate on the matchless beauty of Jesus. Look into His heart of love, His hand of power, His crown of glory. In each of these, He is altogether lovely!
Let us then join the voice of the bride in Song of Solomon: "This is my Beloved, and this is my Friend!" Not merely a doctrine, not merely a Savior--but our Beloved. The One our souls love, the One who has loved us with an everlasting love. Let us gaze upon Him with adoring hearts, worship Him with reverent love, and long for that day when we shall see Him as He is, and be with Him forever!
"Lord Jesus, You are the altogether lovely One.
Captivate my heart with Your beauty.
Help me to . . .
know You more clearly,
love You more deeply,
and follow You more closely. Amen."~ ~ ~ ~
All the Hell that you shall ever have!
(Be sure to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
Consider Christian, that all your . . .
trials and troubles,
calamities and miseries,
crosses and losses,
which you meet with in this world--is all the Hell that you shall ever have!
Here and now you have your Hell.
Hereafter you shall have your Heaven!
This is the worst of your condition; the best is yet to come!
Lazarus had his Hell first, his Heaven last;
but Dives had his Heaven first, and his Hell at last.
You have all your pangs, and pains, and sufferings here--that you shall ever have!
Your ease, and rest, and pleasure--is yet to come!
Here you have all your bitters;
your sweets are yet to come!
Here you have your sorrows;
your joys are yet to come!
Here you have all your winter nights;
your summer days are yet to come!
Here you have your evil things;
your good things are yet to come!
Death will put an end to all your sins--and to all your sufferings!
Death will be an inlet to those joys, delights, and comforts--which shall never have an end!
Who can seriously meditate upon this, and not be silent under God's most smarting rod?~ ~ ~ ~
Are you a speckled bird?
Charles Spurgeon, et al.
(Be sure to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
Jeremiah 12:9, "Has not My inheritance become to Me like a speckled bird of prey, that other birds of prey surround and attack?"
The imagery used in this verse is striking. A "speckled bird"--conspicuous, isolated, and targeted. This is how God described His people in the days of Jeremiah, and it remains a fitting picture of the true Christian in this Christ-rejecting world. Spurgeon, with his usual spiritual insight, applies this to the believer who has been redeemed by sovereign grace: He will soon become a speckled bird in the midst of this wicked world!
Why is this so? Because the believer is no longer of the world. Though still in it, he is transformed by sovereign grace. The Holy Spirit has renewed his mind, opened his understanding, and given him a new heart with new desires. The result is inevitable: the Christian will think differently, live differently, and aspire after different things. The world will not understand him--nor will it welcome him.
The Apostle Paul declared, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Romans 12:2. This is not a mild suggestion, but a divine command. The world marches to the rhythm of pride, lust, greed, and self-glory. The believer walks to the beat of a very different drum--Christ crucified, Christ risen, Christ exalted.
The child of God does not conform to the world in its pleasures, pursuits, or values. Certain things that are perfectly acceptable--even celebrated by society--the Christian must abhor. Why? Because he is governed by a higher standard: the Word of God. He is not concerned with appearing "normal" to the crowd, but with being pleasing to his Savior.
And so he becomes that speckled bird--odd, out of place, and often the object of scorn. The Christian then, is a pilgrim and a stranger in this poor world. He is passing through a country that is not his home. He looks for a city with foundations, whose Builder and Maker is God.
Let us not be disheartened when we are surrounded and attacked, even by those who are "religious". The path of holiness has always been narrow, and there are few who find it. Jesus Himself was despised and rejected by men. Shall His servants be embraced by the world that hated their Master?
Take courage, child of God. If you find yourself walking contrary to the crowd, rejoice! It is evidence that grace has done its separating work in you. If you feel the loneliness of being a speckled bird, remember this: you are precious to the Lord. The world may despise you--but you are His inheritance, His special treasure! Soon the day will come, when the great separation will be complete, and the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father!
"O Lord, grant me the grace to walk in holiness, though the world hates me for it. Make me content to be a speckled bird. Teach me to think, speak, and live as one who has been redeemed by Your sovereign grace. May I never seek the world's approval, but only Your smile. Amen."~ ~ ~ ~
The necessity of both the believer's Perseverance, and of God's Preservation
(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
Part 1. The NECESSITY of the believer's perseverance.
"All men will hate you because of Me, but he who endures to the end will be saved." Matthew 10:22, Mark 13:13
"Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who endures to the end will be saved." Matthew 24:12-13
"To the Jews who had believed Him, Jesus said, 'IF you hold to My teaching, you are really My disciples.'" John 8:31
"If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned." John 15:6
"By this gospel you are saved, IF you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain." 1 Corinthians 15:2
"IF you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel." Colossians 1:23
"We have come to share in Christ IF we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first." Hebrews 3:14
"To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God." Revelation 2:7
"Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life." Revelation 2:10
"To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with Me on My throne" Revelation 3:21
Part 2. The NECESSITY of God's Preservation
"This is the will of Him who sent Me, that I shall lose none of all that He has given Me, but raise them up at the last day." John 6:39
"I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand." John 10:28
"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation--will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39
"Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you, will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6
"The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom." 2 Timothy 4:18
"Who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation" 1 Peter 1:5
"To Him who is able to keep you from falling, and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy" Jude 24
Summary
God will preserve all of His chosen, redeemed and regenerate people in the faith and in a holy life.
All of God's chosen, redeemed, and regenerate people, will persevere in the faith and in a holy life--not perfectly, but purposely.~ ~ ~ ~
Christian wisdom from Don Fortner, part 2
(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
Though God is absolutely sovereign, having mercy on whom He will have mercy and hardening whom He will--He is strictly just, both in bestowing His saving mercy upon His elect, and in the everlasting damnation of the reprobate.
The only way to live wisely in this world, is to "set your affection on things above, not on things of the earth"--to live in the constant, immediate prospect of eternity. Soon I will meet God in eternity!
The most blasphemous, God-dishonoring, Christ-denying doctrine ever proclaimed by men who claim to believe in God and His Word, is the doctrine of universal atonement: the doctrine that Jesus Christ died for, but failed to redeem and save the multitudes of the damned in Hell!
If Christ died to redeem and justify all, and some are in Hell--then one of two things must be so: Either Christ is a failure, or there are some in Hell who are redeemed and justified!
I have searched the Book of God from cover to cover repeatedly, marking every place where God says something good about humanity with a bold green marker. There are no green marks in my Bible!
The more vile we are in our own eyes--the more precious the Lord Jesus is to us!
There is not a record in the Bible of a single sinner saved by the grace of God, who attributes anything to himself, but sin!
Though He uses the evil devices of men to accomplish His purpose, God neither forces the wicked to do evil, nor approves of the evil they do.
With regard to the Book of God, Christ is "the key of knowledge." Without the key, men can never unlock the chest and discover its riches. They just fumble around.
Slanderers are the billows which Satan uses to stir up fires of contention.
The man who is a slave to his own passions, is a slave to the worst possible despot.
Afflictions are the black dogs by which God chases the evil out of the people whom He loves.
Nothing comes to pass in time, except that which God has purposed in eternity.
Every sermon ought to be prepared and preached as if the preacher knew that all who hear him are on the brink of eternity!
We have been called unto holiness. Let us ever seek to walk in holiness for the glory of our holy Lord God, and the honor of the gospel--by the power and grace of His Holy Spirit.~ ~ ~ ~
Then the scum appears!
(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
Isaiah 48:10, "I have tested you in the furnace of affliction."
Few Christians see themselves and understand themselves rightfully.
By trials, God reveals much of a man's sinful self to his pious self.
When the fire is put under the pot--then the scum appears!
In the same way, when God tries a poor soul, Oh! how does,
the scum of pride,
the scum of murmuring,
the scum of distrust,
the scum of impatience,
the scum of worldliness,
the scum of carnality,
the scum of foolishness,
the scum of willfulness
--reveal itself in the heart of the poor creature?
Trials are God's looking-glass, in which His people see their own faults. Oh! . . .
that looseness,
that vileness,
that wretchedness,
that sink of filthiness,
that gulf of wickedness,
which trials show to be in their hearts!
"These (trials) have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold which perishes, even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." 1 Peter 1:7~ ~ ~ ~
Beware of the basilisk eye of sin!
[In medieval legend, a basilisk was a deadly serpent/dragon-like creature. Anyone who looked directly into its eyes would be instantly struck dead!]
Charles Spurgeon, "The Danger of Unconfessed Sin"
(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
Psalm 32:3-4, "When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Selah"
God's children sin, and sometimes grievously--for they are still in the flesh. If they are in a right state of heart, then they will mourn over their sin, and it will be the burden of their lives. Oh that they could only live without sin! It is this inability to sin, that they sigh after, and they can never be fully happy until they obtain it, as they enter Heaven.
Why was David silent when he knew that he had committed these heinous sins? Why did he not go to God at once? It was partly because he was mesmerized by his sin. He was fascinated, captivated, and held in bondage by it.
Oh brethren, beware of the basilisk eye of sin. It is dangerous to even look at sin, for looking leads to longing for sin. And this often leads to a lusting after sin, and that lusting soon ripens into the actual indulgence in the sin.
No man even thinks of sinning, without damage to his soul. Yes, every sinful thought leaves a mark and a stain upon our soul that calls for us to weep it out--nay, it needs Christ's blood to wash it away.
We begin with thinking of sin, and then we somewhat desire the sin. Next we enter into a mental dialog with the sin, and then we get into the sin, and the sin gets into us--and then we lie asoak in it.
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins, and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9
"Then I acknowledged my sin to You, and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the Lord'--and You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah" Psalm 32:5
[N.B. If a Christian has committed heinous sins, he will find this particular sermon to be of great help to him.]~ ~ ~ ~
You will be damned if you live in sin!
(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
1 John 2:3-4, "By this we know that we have come to know Him, IF we keep His commandments. The one who says, 'I have come to know Him,' and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him."
We preach salvation by grace alone, but we do not preach the salvation of those who still continue to live in sin. The children of God are a holy people, washed, purged, sanctified, and made zealous for good works. He who talks about faith, but has no works to prove that his faith is a living faith--is simply lying.
It is faith that saves us, not works--but the faith that saves us, always produces a holy life. God-given faith always renews the heart, changes the character, and influences the desires and motives.
One who merely professes to be a Christian, but lives continually in unrepentant sin, shows by his life that he is not a genuine believer. The New Testament consistently affirms that saving faith always produces holiness. (James 2:17; 1 John 2:3-6). Persistent, willful, unrepentant sin--demonstrates that one's profession is false.
No doubt about it, sirs. You may be baptized and re-baptized, you may attend to sacraments, and you may believe an orthodox creed; but you will be damned if you live in sin! You may become a deacon, or an elder, or a minister--but there is no salvation for any man who still harbors his sins. "The wages of sin is death"--death to professors as well as to non-professors. If you hug your sins in secret, and will not part with them--then God will reveal those sins in public, and condemn you according to the strict justice of His Word.
"Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil ... No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God." 1 John 3:8-9
"They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient, and unfit for any good deed." Titus 1:16~ ~ ~ ~
Everybody is going to be saved--and nobody is going to be lost!
J.C. Ryle, 1884. This one is a tad longer, but it is choice!
(Be sure to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
One great danger of the church today, consists in the rise and progress of a spirit of indifference to all doctrines and opinions in religion. A wave of latitudinarianism about theology, appears to be passing over the land. The minds of many seem utterly incapable of discerning any difference between . . .
one belief--and another belief,
one creed--and another creed,
one tenet--and another tenet,
one opinion--and another opinion,
one thought--and another thought,
however diverse and mutually contrary they may be!
Everything is true--and nothing is false.
Everything is right--and nothing is wrong.
Everything is good--and nothing is bad--if only it comes to us under the garb and name of religion. Most think that it is kind and liberal, to maintain that we have no right to think that anyone is wrong, who is earnest about his creed. We are not allowed to ask what is God's truth--but what is liberal, and generous, and charitable.
Most professing Christians make cleverness and earnestness the only tests of orthodoxy in religion. Thousands nowadays seem utterly unable to distinguish things that differ. If a preacher is only clever and eloquent and earnest--they think that he must be right, however strange and heterodox his sermons may be.
Popery--or Protestantism,
an atonement--or no atonement,
a personal Holy Spirit--or no Holy Spirit,
future punishment--or no future punishment--they swallow it all! Carried away by an imagined liberality and charity, they seem to regard doctrine as a matter of no importance, and to think that everybody is going to be saved--and nobody is going to be lost! They dislike distinctness, and think that all decided views are very wrong!
These people live in a kind of mist or fog! They see nothing clearly, and do not know what they believe. They have not made up their minds about any great point in the Gospel, and seem content to be honorary members of all schools of thought. For their lives, they could not tell you what they think is truth about . . .
forgiveness of sins,
or justification,
or regeneration,
or sanctification,
or saving faith,
or conversion,
or inspiration,
or the future state.
They are eaten up with a morbid dread of doctrine. And so they live on undecided, and too often undecided they drift down to the grave, on the broad way which leads to eternal damnation.
They are content to shovel aside all disputed points as rubbish, and will tell you, "I do not pretend to understand doctrine--it is all the same in the long run." They are for a general policy of universal toleration of every doctrine. Every school of false teaching, however extreme, is to be tolerated. They desire the Church to be a kind of Noah's Ark, within which every kind of opinion and creed shall dwell safely and undisturbed; and the only terms of admittance are a willingness to come inside, and let your neighbor alone. Nothing is too absurd to concede and allow into the church, in the present mania for complete freedom of thought, and absolute liberty of opinion.
The explanation of this boneless, nerveless condition of soul, is perhaps not difficult to find. The heart of man is naturally in the dark about religion--has no intuitive sense of truth--and really needs divine instruction and illumination. Besides this, the natural heart in most men hates exertion in religion. Above all, the natural heart generally likes the praise of others, shrinks from controversy, and loves to be thought charitable and liberal. The whole result is that a kind of broad religious anythingism just suits an immense number of professors.
Ignorance, I am compelled to say, is one of the grand dangers of professors of religion in the present day.
Who does not know that such people swarm and abound everywhere? And who does not know that anyone who denounces this state of things, and insists that we should be loyal to Scripture truth--is regarded as a narrow, bigoted, intolerant person, quite unsuited to our times!
When there is no standard of doctrine, there can be no church, but a Babel. Let me venture to advise all true Christians to never be ashamed of holding Evangelical views. Those views, I am quite aware, are not fashionable nowadays. They are ridiculed as old-fashioned, narrow-minded, and out of date--and those who hold them, are regarded as closed-minded and impractical old fossils.
What the final result of the present state of things will be, I do not pretend to predict.
"Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths!" 2 Timothy 4:2-4~ ~ ~ ~
The brain and spinal cord of Christianity!
(Be sure to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
"God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us--so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God!" 2 Corinthians 5:21
"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, by becoming a curse for us!" Galatians 3:13
What could be better than the divine plan of substitutionary atonement? God must punish sin--He could not be a just God unless He did. It is a necessity of His nature, that He should hate sin with an infinite hatred, and that He must punish it! Yet, as He had loved His people with an everlasting love, how could He better show His love to them, and His hatred of sin--than by giving up His well-beloved Son to die in their place as their substitute! This seems to me to be the most beautiful thing I ever heard of, and it delights my soul to preach it!
The false doctrine of universal redemption--that Christ died for the damned in Hell, and that He suffered the torment of those who afterwards are tormented forever; seems to be detestable to me, subversive of the whole Gospel, and destructive of the only pillar upon which our hopes can be built!
Christ stood in the place of His elect; He made a FULL Atonement for them. He so suffered the punishment for their every sin. As the Father's love embraced them--so the death of His Son reconciled them.
Christ's atonement gives such an exhibition of the guilt of sin, as is not to be seen anywhere else--no, not even in the flames of Hell!
The heart of the gospel is redemption--and the essence of redemption is the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ. Those who preach this truth--preach the gospel. But those who do not preach the atonement, whatever else they declare--have missed the soul and substance of the divine message. To deny the great doctrine of substitutionary atonement by the death of Jesus Christ--is to hamstring the gospel, and to cut the throat of Christianity!
What the sun is to the heavens--that the doctrine of a vicarious satisfaction is to the gospel. Substitutionary atonement is the brain and spinal cord of Christianity! Take away the sin-atoning blood, and what hope is left for the guilty? Deny the substitutionary work of Jesus--and you have denied all that is precious in the Gospel!
He who understands the mystery of Christ's substitutionary atonement for the sins of His people, is a master in Scriptural theology!~ ~ ~ ~
All the jewels in the Savior's crown are without a single flaw!
(Be sure to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
Jude 24, "Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away, and will present you faultless with great joy into His glorious presence!"
Revolve in your mind that wondrous word "faultless"! We are far off from it now; but as our Lord never stops short of perfection in His work of redeeming love, every saved sinner shall be without blemish one day. The Savior who will keep His people to the end, will also present them at last to Himself as "a glorious Church, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing--but holy and without blemish!"
All the jewels in the Savior's crown are without a single flaw!
But how will Jesus make us faultless? He will wash us from our sins in His own blood, until we are as white and lovely as God's purest angel! We shall be clothed in His perfect righteousness, which makes the saint who wears it truly faultless--perfect in the sight of God.
Also, the work of the Holy Spirit within us will be altogether complete. He will make us so perfectly holy, that we shall have no lingering tendency to sin. We shall be as holy as God is holy, and we shall dwell in His presence forever!
"You are altogether beautiful, My beloved--there is no spot in you!" Song of Songs 4:7
Sin gone,
Satan shut out,
temptation past forever,
and ourselves "faultless" before God
--this will be Heaven indeed!~ ~ ~ ~
There is nothing more deceitful, tempting, foolish, idolatrous, perilous and heart-ensnaring!
J.C. Ryle, 1878
(Be sure to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
"The RICH man also died and was buried. In Hell, where he was in torment . . . " Luke 16:22-23
I believe that this passage is meant to teach us that riches bring special danger with them. Yes! Riches, which the vast majority of people are always seeking after--riches for which they spend their lives, and of which they make an idol! Riches entail on their possessor, immense spiritual peril! The possession of them has a very hardening effect on the soul--they chill; they freeze; they petrify the heart! They close the eye to spiritual realities. They insensibly produce a tendency to forget God.
What can be more obvious than the fact that the Bible has frequently spoken of money, as a most fruitful cause of sin and evil?For money, Achan brought defeat on the armies of Israel, and death on himself.
For money, Balaam sinned against light, and tried to curse God's people.
For money, Delilah betrayed Samson to the Philistines.
For money, Gehazi lied to Naaman and Elisha, and became a leper.
For money, Ananias and Sapphira became the first hypocrites in the early Church, and lost their lives.
For money, Demas deserted the apostle Paul.
For money, Judas sold Christ, and was ruined eternally.
Surely these facts speak loudly!
Money, in truth, is one of the most unsatisfying of possessions. There is no doubt that it takes away some cares--but it brings with it quite as many cares as it takes away!There is trouble in the getting of it;
there is anxiety in the keeping of it;
there are temptations in the use of it;
there is guilt in the abuse of it;
there is sorrow in the losing of it;
there is perplexity in the disposing of it!
Two-thirds of all the strifes, quarrels, and lawsuits in the world, arise from one simple cause--money! It seems desirable at a distance--yet it often proves a poison when in our hand!
And does not this stand in perfect harmony with all the language of Scripture on the same subject?
What does the Lord Jesus say?"How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle--than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God!" Mark 10:23-25
"No one can serve two masters... You cannot serve both God and money." Matthew 6:24
"The deceitfulness of riches choke the Word, and he becomes unfruitful." Matthew 13:22
"Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions!" Luke 12:15
What does the apostle Paul say?"Greediness, which is idolatry!" Colossians 3:5
"Those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows!" 1 Timothy 6:9–10
"Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have!" Hebrews 13:5
There is nothing more deceitful, tempting, foolish, idolatrous, perilous and heart-ensnaring--than the love of money!~ ~ ~ ~
The journey of no return!
[Editor's note: I trust that the unexpected death of Charlie Kirk a couple of days ago has caused us to seriously think about our own deaths.]
(Be sure to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
Job 16:22, "Only a few years will pass, before I go on the journey of no return."
1. The CERTAINTY of Death.
"Man's days are determined; You have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed." Job 14:5
"I know You will bring me down to death, to the place appointed for all the living." Job 30:23
"What man can live and not see death, or save himself from the power of the grave?" Psalm 89:48
"It is appointed for man to die once, and after that to face judgment." Hebrews 9:27
2. The NEARNESS of Death.
"Man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble. He springs up like a flower and withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure." Job 14:1-2
"You have made my days a mere hand-breadth; the span of my years is as nothing before You. Each man's life is but a breath." Psalm 39:5
"Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow." Psalm 144:4
"What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." James 4:14
3. The UNCERTAINTY of Death.
"Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth." Proverbs 27:1
"So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him." Matthew 24:44
"But God said to him: You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?" Luke 12:20
4. The TERROR of Death for the ungodly.
"Surely You place them on slippery ground; You cast them down to ruin. How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors!" Psalm 73:18-19
"They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Matthew 13:42
"They will be punished with everlasting destruction, and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of His power." 2 Thessalonians 1:9
"If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." Revelation 20:15
5. The BLESSEDNESS of Death for the Godly.
"You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand." Psalm 16:11
"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived--what God has prepared for those who love Him." 1 Corinthians 2:9
"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." Revelation 21:4
"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." Matthew 25:46
~ ~ ~ ~
Puritans on the journey of no return!(Be sure to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
Job 16:22, "Only a few years will pass, before I go on the journey of no return."
1. The CERTAINTY of Death.Richard Baxter:
"Every man knows he must die, yet few lay it to heart."Thomas Goodwin:
"If there is any truth that is undeniable, it is that you will die."William Perkins:
"As surely as a man was born--so surely must he die."Thomas Watson:
"The grave is the house appointed for all living."
2. The NEARNESS of Death.Richard Baxter:
"Our life is but a candle; God may blow it out when He pleases!"John Owen:
"The distance between us and death, is nothing but a breath."William Perkins:
"Consider that your time is short, and death is always at your heels."Richard Sibbes:
"We are but pilgrims, and every step brings us closer to our journey's end."
3. The UNCERTAINTY of Death.Richard Baxter:
"We know not whether we shall live a day, an hour, or a moment!"Jeremiah Burroughs:
"Death does not wait until you are ready; it often comes unlooked for."Cotton Mather:
"Death may arrest you at any time, in any place, in any posture."William Perkins:
"The time of death is hidden from us, that we may always be prepared."Richard Sibbes:
"Death does not always give warning; it often surprises like a thief in the night."
4. The TERROR of Death for the ungodly.Richard Baxter:
"Death will unclothe the lost sinner of all worldly comforts, and clothe him with everlasting terrors!"Thomas Brooks:
"For the impenitent, death is the trap-door to Hell."Richard Sibbes:
"Death to the ungodly, is the entrance into eternal horror."Thomas Watson:
"Death to a wicked man is like Pharaoh's jailer, who was brought out of prison--only to the execution."
5. The BLESSEDNESS of Death for the Godly.Richard Baxter:
"Death is but a release from the prison of the body, and the entrance into the palace of the King."Jeremiah Burroughs:
"The believer goes to his Father's house, to dwell with Christ forever."John Flavel:
"Death is a passage out of earth's storms, and into God's harbor."John Owen:
"Death is but the passage into the glorious presence of Christ."Richard Sibbes:
"Death is the best physician--it cures all diseases at once, sin included."Thomas Watson:
"To the godly, death is the funeral of all sorrows."
Concluding exhortationsRichard Baxter:
"O sirs, you must shortly pass through death, appear in judgment, and enter upon eternity--where your state will be fixed forever!"Thomas Brooks:
"Death will hurry you to judgment, and judgment will fix you in eternity--either in glory with Christ, or in torment without Him."Cotton Mather:
"Death will soon summon you, judgment will soon sentence you, and eternity will soon swallow you."John Owen:
"Death, judgment, and eternity are the three most weighty realities."William Perkins:
"Let every man set before his eyes these three things:
death which is at hand,
judgment which will follow,
and eternity which will never end."Thomas Watson:
"Think often of death, judgment, and eternity. What are all the pleasures of sin, when weighed against the miseries of an eternal Hell?"~ ~ ~ ~
Only two families inhabit earth!
Henry Law, 1858
(Be sure to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
Only two families inhabit earth!
In principle,
in taste,
in habit,
in desire,
in eternal destination,
they are as separate as . . .
light from darkness,
heat from cold,
life from death,
Heaven from Hell.
There is the serpent's seed.
There is the heaven-born race.
There is the wide wicked world.
There is the little flock of grace.
There is the broad road that leads to eternal destruction.
There is the narrow way that leads to eternal life.
There are the cursed goats.
There are the blessed sheep.
Hence the importance of the question:
"Have you escaped from nature's thraldom?
Do your feet tread the upward path of holiness?
Do you belong to Satan--or to Christ?"
"For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish!" Psalm 1:6~ ~ ~ ~
If a man had to wade chest deep through a thousand Hells!
(Be sure to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
2 Corinthians 9:15, "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!"
Jesus is God's indescribable gift! Heaven itself is nothing, as compared with Him!
If a man had to wade chest deep through a thousand Hells to obtain Christ--it would be well worth the venture, if at the last he might but say: "My Beloved is mine--and I am His!"
Jesus is so precious, that He cannot be matched! There is none like Him. The most lovely of the lovely--are vile and deformed, when compared with Him. As Rutherford would say, "Black sun, black stars--but O bright, infinitely bright Lord Jesus!"
If you ransacked time and space; eternity and immensity--you could find none that could even be compared unto Him--He is so precious! He is all that your souls can desire; yes, He Himself is ALL.
You could not buy Christ for any price--if you gave the price of Heaven and earth for Him.
"Yes, He is altogether lovely. This is my Beloved, and this is my Friend!" Song of Solomon 5:16~ ~ ~ ~
This is too much!
Edward Payson, 1783-1827
(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
Only to be permitted to contemplate such a being as Jehovah . . .
to ponder God's absolute goodness, holiness, justice, mercy, patience and sovereignty;
to ponder them united with eternity, infinite power, unerring wisdom, omnipresence, and all-sufficiency;
to ponder all these natural and moral perfections indissolubly united and blended in sweet harmony--in one pure, spiritual being--and that being placed on the throne of the universe--
to ponder this would be happiness enough to fill the mind of any creature in existence!
But in addition to this,
to have this ineffable Being for my God, my portion, my all;
to be permitted to say, "This God is my God forever and ever;"
to have His resplendent countenance smile upon me;
to be encircled in His everlasting arms of power and faithfulness and love;
to hear His voice saying to me, "I am yours--and you are Mine! Nothing shall ever pluck you from My hands, or separate you from My love--but you shall be with Me where I am, to behold My glory, and reign with Me forever and ever!"
This is too much! It is honor, it is glory--it is happiness too overwhelming, too transporting for mortal minds to conceive, or for mortal frames to support!
In Heaven, the saints will be entirely lost and swallowed up in God, and their minds will be so completely absorbed in the contemplation of His ineffable, infinite, uncreated glories!
Oh then, what must it be, to escape forever from error and ignorance and darkness and sin--into the region of bright, unclouded, eternal day!
What must it be, to behold your God and Redeemer face to face! What must it be, to continually to contemplate with immortal strength--glories so dazzlingly bright, that one moment's view of them would now, like a stream of lightning, turn your frail bodies into dust!
What must it be, to see the eternal volume of the divine counsels, the mighty map of the divine mind--unfolded to your eager, piercing gaze!
What must it be, to explore the heights and depths, the lengths and breadths of the Redeemer's love--and still to see new wonders, glories, and beauties pouring upon your minds in constant, endless succession; calling forth new songs of praise--songs in which you will unite with the innumerable choirs of angels, with the countless myriads of the redeemed--all shouting with a voice like the voice of many waters: "Alleluia, for the Lord God omnipotent reigns!"~ ~ ~ ~
The Lord is My Shepherd!
J.R. Miller, 1905
(Be sure to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
"The LORD is my Shepherd; I have everything I need!" Psalm 23:1
The shepherd is a favorite Scriptural picture of the divine love and care. In the Old Testament, the twenty-third Psalm gathers the whole wonderful truth in exquisite lines which are dear to young and old wherever the Bible is known. Then in the New Testament, when our Lord would give His friends the sweetest revealings of His heart toward them, and tell them what they are to Him and what He would be to them, He says: "I am the Good Shepherd."
The Hebrew shepherd lives with his sheep. If they are out in the storm--He is with them. If they are exposed to danger--so is He.
Just so, Christ lives with His people. He enters into closest relations with them.
The shepherd knows his sheep. He has a name for each one and calls them all by their names.
Just so, Christ knows each one of His friends--He has intimate personal knowledge of each one. He knows the best in us--and also the worst. He knows our faults, our sins, our wanderings. Yet, knowing us as we are--He loves us still and never wearies of us!
The shepherd is most gentle with his sheep. He does not drive them, but goes before them and leads them. When they need rest on the way--He makes them lie down, and chooses for their resting-place, not the dusty road--but green pastures. He is especially kind to the lambs, gathers them in His arms, and carries them in His bosom.
All this is an exquisite picture of the gentleness of our Good Shepherd in His care of His sheep. He is thoughtful toward the weak. He loves the lambs and makes room for them on His bosom. Whatever the need is, there is something in the heart of Christ which meets its craving and supplies its lack.
The shepherd defends his flock in all danger. Often he had to risk his own safety, even his life, in protecting his sheep.
Just so, the Good Shepherd gives His life for His sheep!
Christ's sheep are absolutely safe in His keeping. "I give unto them eternal life," He said; "and they will never perish--ever! No one can snatch them out of My hand!" Then at last, He will bring His own all safely home, "and they shall become one flock, with one Shepherd!"
"He will feed His flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in His arms, holding them close to His heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young!" Isaiah 40:11~ ~ ~ ~
The Physician of souls
Charles Spurgeon, et al.
(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
Matthew 9:12-13, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick... For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.
Psalm 147:3, "He heals the broken-hearted, and binds up their wounds."
Jesus is the only physician that can heal a sin-sick soul. There is no healing balm, but His sin-atoning blood. Jesus as a physician is proclaimed unto the world, that sinners of every class, nation, and color--may come to Him and be healed.
He is in an especial sense, engaged to attend to the whole household of believers. The children may apply to him at all times, and for all they need. It is not necessary to wait until seized with a dangerous disease or paralysis, but we may go to Him with all our headaches and heartaches; with all our cuts and bruises. He always . . .
receives us kindly,
attends to us promptly,
and prescribes for us wisely.
We never ought to attempt to heal ourselves, but always, in all things, and for all we need--go to Jesus. He never lost a patient, nor ever will. He never pronounced an applicant's case desperate, or said to one who came to Him, "I can do nothing for you." With incomparable skill, He takes every case in hand, restores every patient to perfect health, and does all gratis.
Christ alone is qualified to be our physician. He has fully healed every saint who is now in glory. Let us then apply to Him when we are in need. Let us go to Him with our slight cases, as well as our serious illnesses. Let us take our diseased hearts to Him--He will heal them, and restore them to perfect health. He can cure the deadness, the coldness and the worldliness, of the soul.
"Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for You are the one I praise." Jeremiah 17:14~ ~ ~ ~
Everyone needs a little kindness!
(Be sure to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
1 Corinthians 13:4, "Love is kind"
Often, the best thing one man can give another is kindness. Oh, how sweet it is to hear a kind word, when your heart is breaking! How delightful it is to see a kind smile, when you have seen many growling faces! How pleasant it is to feel the kind embrace of a friend, when you have felt the betrayal of those you thought were your friends! Kindness is always right. Kindness is always in season. It is never wrong to be kind, but always good.
Kindness must have for its object: one who is weak, poor, fallen, outcast, down-trodden, or needy.
To be "kind" is to be useful, generous, sympathetic, and tender.
Kindness accommodates itself to the needs of its objects.
If a man offends--kindness forgives him.
If a person is fallen--kindness picks him up.
If one is hungry--kindness feeds him.
If a brother is lonely--kindness visits him.
If a sister is downcast--kindness encourages her.
If one is weak--kindness offers strength.
If one is needy--kindness helps.
If a person is afflicted, in trouble and hurting--kindness is tender-hearted.
Sometimes kindness is a word of appreciation, encouragement, or compliment. Sometimes it is a visit, a gift, or an expression of love. Everyone needs a little kindness. And those who love one another, are kind to one another. They overlook and find excuses for one another's faults and failings. They speak well to one another, and about one another.
Kindness is never wrong.
God, give me grace to be kind to sinners like myself.
"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Ephesians 4:32
"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." Colossians 3:12~ ~ ~ ~
Heavenly-minded and Christ-centered
Charles Spurgeon, et al.
(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
Colossians 3:1-4, "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory."
Christian, you have been raised with Christ! No longer are you bound to the fading, worthless pleasures of this world. Your citizenship is in Heaven, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Lift up your eyes! Your Savior is not here among the dying things of earth--He is enthroned in glory, ruling over all things for the good of His people.
Why then, should your heart grovel in the dust of this poor fleeting world? Set your affections upon the risen Christ, who is seated at the right hand of the Father, ruling in majesty, interceding for you, and preparing a place for you. The world beckons with its empty promises . . .
riches that rust,
honor that fades,
pleasures that perish.
But Christ offers . . .
eternal treasures,
unfading glory
and unspeakable joy!
Dear saint, the storms of life may rage, and tempests may threaten--but nothing can snatch you from the omnipotent hand of the Lord Jesus Christ! You are eternally secure in Him.
And what of the future? The day is coming when your life will be revealed in the full splendor of the dazzling brilliance of Christ-likeness. O Christian, let this hope sustain you! Every sorrow will be swallowed in victory, and every trial will be forgotten in the light of His presence.
Weary pilgrim, fix your mind on Christ, and set your heart on Heaven.
Live for Christ,
long for Christ,
love Christ!
And when He returns, you will not merely witness His glory--you will share in it! You will be made like Him, clothed in His radiance, free from sin, sorrow and death forever!
"But our citizenship is in Heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ--who, by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies, so that they will be like His glorious body." Philippians 3:20-21~ ~ ~ ~
Christ must be all!
(Be sure to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
We cannot keep our eye too exclusively or too intently fixed on Jesus.
All salvation is in Him.
All salvation proceeds from Him.
All salvation leads to Him.
And for the assurance and comfort of our salvation, we are to repose believingly and entirely on Him.
Christ must be all!
Christ the beginning;
Christ the center;
and Christ the end.
Oh sweet truth to you who are sensible of your spiritual poverty, vileness, and insufficiency; and of the ten thousand flaws and failures of which, perhaps, no one is cognizant but God and your own soul!
Oh, to turn and rest in Christ;
a full Christ;
a loving Christ;
a tender Christ;
whose heart's love never chills,
from whose eye darts no reproof,
from whose lips breathes no sentence of condemnation!
Christ must be all!~ ~ ~ ~
Why are we here? What is our purpose?
(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1
Before there was a Milky Way, there was God!
Before there were galaxies, solar systems, constellations, and nebulae, there was God!
Before Mercury, Venus, and Mars were plugged into their sockets, there was God!
Before Polaris was fastened above the North Pole, there was God!
Before Orion the hunter had a belt, and Saturn had its rings, there was God; all alone, perfect and content, glorious in His solitary existence as the eternal I AM!
Before there was a sun, a moon, or an earth;
before there was grass to clothe the field, and flowers to adorn it;
before the mountains were brought forth, and the sea filled the depths;
before the eagle soared through the sky, and the fish swam through the sea;
before angels, devils, and men had their being--there was God alone!
If we would understand things aright, we must not begin with man, but with God--for He is the beginning of all things. To begin with man is folly, for man is but a creature, a production of the Creator. We must back up and begin where the Bible begins, with God!
God's people know, and have always known, what continues to baffle the minds of the scholars and scientists of our day, that "in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Through faith, God's people understand the mystery of creation.I ask you, "Why are we here? What is our purpose? What is God's purpose?" Can we even know the answer to these questions? Indeed we can.
The twenty four elders seated around God's throne in Heaven give us the answer in Revelation 4:10-11, "The twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and for Your pleasure they exist and were created!"
You, me, angels, animals, plants, rocks, and all other things, exist and were created for one reason: the pleasure of the Creator. We were created according to His will and purpose, for His pleasure and glory.
God did not create the Heaven and the earth arbitrarily. He created them to be the stage upon which He would perform His eternal purpose of grace, and reveal all the wonders of His goodness and mercy toward His elect. It is upon the stage of time, that God displays His eternal purpose and shows forth His glory in the salvation of chosen sinners. He created this world for the salvation of His people, that they would be recovered from their sin by His almighty grace."I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me. Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying: My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure!" Isaiah 46:9-10
~ ~ ~ ~
You were dead!
(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
Ephesians 2:1, 4-5, "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins."
"But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions. It is by grace you have been saved."
By the Spirit's divine energy, He savingly convinces men of the truth of the gospel. Those whom He saves, are men like Saul of Tarsus, who abhor the whole thing. He pours His effectual influences upon men, and infidelity melts away like the iceberg in the warm Gulf Stream. He touches the indifferent and careless sinners, and they repent, believe, and obey the Savior. He makes proud men tremble, and wicked men quake for fear.
The regenerating work of the Spirit can make . . .
the harlot to be chaste,
the drunkard to be sober,
the thief to be honest,
the malicious to be forgiving,
the covetous to be generous,
and above all, the self-righteous to be humble.Whether He quickens, consoles, enlightens, refreshes, sanctifies, anoints, or inflames the soul--the Spirit always does it by taking the things of Christ, and revealing them to us.
The Spirit works through the gospel. He is Almighty, and has complete mastery over the realm of mind. He has the ability to effectually:
illuminate the intellect,
win the affections,
curb the will,
and radically change the nature of man!He works all things after His own pleasure, and like the wind, He "blows wherever He wishes." When He puts forth His omnipotent energy, none can stand against Him. He has converted three thousand in a day, and He could as readily convert three million, or three hundred million.
~ ~ ~ ~
A woman to be remembered!
(Be sure to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
Luke 17:32, "Remember Lot's wife!"
Few words ever spoken by the Lord Jesus are more solemn or searching than this brief, three-word warning: "Remember Lot's wife!" How striking it is that, out of all the women of Scripture, our Lord singled out one for us to remember--not Sarah for her faith, not Ruth for her devotion, not Hannah for her prayer, not Mary for her love--but Lot's wife, for her destruction! The Spirit of God has placed this warning before us as a perpetual beacon, lest we too be deceived by the bewitching world and perish.
Yet all of this availed her nothing. She perished miserably because her heart was never truly separated from the world. Outwardly she fled Sodom, but inwardly she lingered. Her body was on the path to safety, but her affections were chained to the city of destruction. With one glance backward, she revealed the state of her soul. That look cost her eternal glory, and she was turned into a pillar of salt--a monument of God's righteous judgment against hypocrisy and divided hearts.
The tragedy of Lot's wife stands as a warning to all who imagine that religious advantages, spiritual associations, or outward privileges can save. Many think that because they were raised in a Christian home and attend church, that they are safe. Lot's wife shows us that one may be surrounded by light and truth, and yet perish in eternal darkness. She had seen angels, heard warnings, and been led by the hand of mercy--yet she never savingly believed. The heart is what God is concerned with--and her heart was still in Sodom.
Her backward look was not a small matter. It was the outward expression of inward rebellion. God had said, "Do not look back" (Genesis 19:17). In disobeying, she revealed where her treasure lay. She longed for the life she left behind--the comforts, the pleasures, the society of Sodom--and in doing so she despised the salvation of her soul. Jesus declares, "No man having put his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God" (Luke 9:62). The danger of worldliness and divided affection is real. How many professors of religion today claim to follow Jesus, yet their hearts cling to the world! They say they are bound for Heaven, but they look longingly at Sodom. They want to go to Heaven when they die, but they also want the soul-ruining world. The end of such double-mindedness is eternal destruction.
Scripture is full of warnings against this very danger. John writes, "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him" (1 John 2:15). James tells us that "friendship with the world is hatred toward God" (James 4:4). The Savior Himself declared, "Remember Lot's wife!" She was almost saved, yet lost forever! There are many in churches today who will come just that far--they will hear sermons and sing hymns, and yet their hearts remain with the world. Their empty profession will not hold up in the Day of Judgment.
Beloved reader, let us examine our hearts. Are we secretly longing for the very things that God calls us to forsake? Are we following Christ with a whole heart, or are we still glancing backward toward Sodom? When Jesus calls us to take up our cross, we must not look back to our Sodom. Salvation demands the forsaking of sin, and the forsaking of the world. It demands a heart fixed on Christ. "The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever" (1 John 2:17).
The warning of Lot's wife is not written to terrify the believer, but to search the heart of the hypocrite and to awaken the careless professor. If you are resting in your church attendance, your upbringing, your knowledge--then remember Lot's wife. If you are unwilling to forsake the world and to follow Christ--then remember Lot's wife. If you are almost persuaded, almost a Christian, almost saved--remember Lot's wife. If you are but almost saved--then you will be altogether damned!
"Remember Lot's wife!" Let us take warning. Let us not dally with sin, linger in compromise, or toy with the world. Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-2). For the soul that looks to Him in faith shall never be cast away, but the soul that loves the world will be lost forever.~ ~ ~ ~
The true recipe for miserable existence!
(James Alexander, "Consolation" 1852)
(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
"Father, if You are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from Me. Nevertheless, I want Your will to be done, not Mine!" Luke 22:42
The first law of true piety is submission to God's will. Where it does not exist--there is no piety, and just as truly there is no tranquility of soul.
What a hideous sight to see a human creature in full rebellion against God's providence . . .
repining at His allotments,
fighting against His dispensations,
and cursing His judgments!
The true recipe for miserable existence is this: Quarrel with God's Providence. When God means to make us happy, He teaches us submission--a resignation of everything into His hands, and an acknowledgment that whatever He does is wisest and best.
O how sweetly even afflictions come, when there is such a heart to receive them! "Shall we indeed accept good from God, and not accept adversity?" Such a disposition tends to stillness of soul; and even amidst chastisement, there is a quietness of heart.
"It is a very great attainment to lie passive in God's hands, and know no will but His!" (Alexander Smellie)
"He is the LORD. Let Him do what is good in His eyes." 1 Samuel 3:18
"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD!" Job 1:21
"May the Lord's will be done!" Acts 21:14~ ~ ~ ~
Sins of ignorance (unintentional sins)
Charles Spurgeon, et al.
(Be sure to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
Leviticus 5:17-18, "If a person sins and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord's commands, even though he does not know it, he is guilty and will be held responsible. He is to bring to the priest as a guilt offering a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value. In this way the priest will make atonement for him for the wrong he has committed unintentionally, and he will be forgiven."
Scripture presses on us the sobering truth that sin is sin, whether committed knowingly or in ignorance. Many suppose that if they are unaware of their sin, they are therefore innocent. But the law of God makes no such allowance. God's Word teaches that the man who breaks God's commandment, "even though he does not know it," is still guilty and must bear his iniquity. This shatters the vain refuge of "ignorance". God's laws remain fixed, and every deviation from them--whether willful or inadvertent--is accounted as sin before Him.
Think of your flitting thoughts, your pleasure in pondering impurity; your evil desires, wishes, and affections--these are all iniquities.
Think of your many careless and idle words, your rash words of anger, of falsehood, of petulance, of pride--your murmuring words, your unbelieving words, your irreverent words--words scarcely meant, which fell from you without thought! What a multitude of these may be laid to your door, and all of these are full of sin!
And God records each one of them as violations of His holy standard. Truly, unintentional sins are no trifle, for they reveal both the corruption of our nature, and the solemnity of God's holiness.
But blessed be God, the same passage that exposes our guilt, also points us to the sufficiency of atonement. The Israelite who sinned in ignorance, was not left hopeless. A lamb without defect, was sacrificed in his place. This was no empty ritual, but a type and shadow of the greater reality to come. Jesus Christ, the spotless Lamb of God, shed His blood for all the sins of all His people--not only for their open rebellions, but also for their hidden faults, their blind offenses, their ignorant wanderings. "The blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin!" (1 John 1:7).
What comfort lies here! Our consciences often trouble us for the sins that we willfully commit, but what of our countless unintentional sins? They too were laid upon Calvary's Lamb. Not one was overlooked. Not one was left unatoned for. His sacrifice reaches as far as our guilt reaches--even into the dark corners of our ignorance.
Here, then, is our twofold duty:First, to take sin seriously, even when it seems small or unintended. Let us pray with David, "Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults!" (Psalm 19:12).
Second, to rest wholly in the all-sufficient sin-atoning sacrifice of Jesus. Our ignorance leaves us guilty, but His cross leaves us forgiven. Though our sins are more than we can number, His grace is greater than we can measure. Where our sin abounds--His grace abounds all the more.
"If a member of the community sins unintentionally, and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord's commands, he is guilty." Leviticus 4:27
You may want to read the whole of this remarkable sermon by Spurgeon, "Sins of Ignorance".~ ~ ~ ~
The precious sin-atoning death of Jesus!
Charles Spurgeon, et al.
(Be sure to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
Romans 5:8, "God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
At the very center of God's eternal purpose, stands the cross of Jesus. Calvary is not merely a tragic moment in history--it is the appointed place where Divine justice met Divine mercy. There, the spotless Lamb of God bore the sins of His people, that they might be made the righteousness of God in Him.
The crucifixion of our Lord was not an accident of human hatred, but the outworking of God's sovereign and eternal decree. "It was the Lord's will to crush Him, and cause Him to suffer." Isaiah 53:10. There, on that cursed tree, our Savior accomplished the ultimate demonstration of divine love--His substitutionary sacrifice for the sins of His chosen people. "The punishment that brought us peace, was upon Him." Isaiah 53:5
How precious is the sin-atoning death of Jesus!
Divine justice demanded a payment--and divine mercy provided it in Jesus.
Every blow of the whip,
every thorn pressed into His sacred brow,
every nail driven into His sinless flesh,
every bit of spit spewed on His blessed face,
was the due penalty of our transgressions--yet He bore it willingly, out of His great love for us!
How utterly vile must sin be to the thrice holy God, that nothing less than the horrifying death of His only beloved Son could take it away! How vast must His love be, that He would not spare His only begotten Son from undergoing the full punishment that our sins rightly deserved.
It is here at the cross, that the believing soul sees the unchanging character of God:
His holiness did not relax.
His justice was not bypassed.
His truth was not compromised.
Here is the glory of the Gospel--that God might be just and the Justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Romans 3:26
The cross of Jesus calls every believer to a crucified life. "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me!" Galatians 2:20
The true Christian cannot gaze long at the cross, without being inwardly compelled to live for the One who died for him. The cross that once stood on Calvary, must now influence everything about me.
Sin must be mortified,
self must be denied,
the world must be crucified,
and Jesus must be magnified.
May we stand at the foot of the cross, and count the purple drops by which we have been pardoned from every sin.
What astonishing love is this, that the infinite Son of God should stoop to die for worm-like rebels! What mercy, that we who once despised and hated Him--are now clothed in His righteousness, forgiven of our every sin, adopted as His sons, and given eternal life! Let every redeemed heart cry out, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain!"
The crucifixion of Jesus Christ is not only a doctrine to be admired in our minds--but a fountain in which we must daily bathe. It humbles, sanctifies, comforts, and compels. Let us cling to the cross with ever-deepening awe, gratitude, and love.
May we look again and again to Calvary's center cross, and bow in reverent gratitude that "Jesus loved me, and gave Himself for me!"