“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His son to be the Propitiation for our sins” (1 John. 4:10).

Having been made to see something of ourselves, God’s people truthfully confess that they see, though only through a glass darkly, something of the truth of this passage. Truly the Lord has been pleased to give us, His chosen in Christ, a love for Him Who is holy, good, gracious, compassionate, merciful and kind to sinful creatures of dust. But when we behold something of ourselves, agreeing with the apostle Paul, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing”…then and then only can we see something of the amazing love of God…”He loved us, and sent His Son to be the Propitiation for our sins.” What amazing grace! Pastor Marvin Stalnaker

Why Men Do Not Come To Christ

I have had many people say to me, “Pastor, I just do not understand why my friends and loved ones do not have an interest in the gospel of Christ. It is so clear from the Scriptures that He is the ONLY Saviour and the ONLY way to God and to life eternal.”

Beloved, I wish that all whom we know would embrace the gospel of God’s grace and cast themselves upon our Lord’s plenteous mercy, but I understand WHY THEY DO NOT. The problem is not with HIM (most, like Nicodemus, admire Him). The problem is with THEM!

They do not know the CHARACTER OF GOD! They have no understanding of His holiness, His truth, His justice; there is no fear of God.

They do not really SEE THEMSELVES AS SINNERS! Oh, they will not claim to be good; but they aren’t really bad either. They cannot imagine that there is nothing about them that is not offensive to a holy God. They love themselves as they are, so why can’t God accept them as they are?

They do not FEEL THE NEED FOR A MEDIATOR! They can accept Christ as a good man, as an example, and even as a helper; but, the need for Christ as our only hope, our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption – this they do not see. God must open every heart, as He did Lydia’s, and reveal Himself, our sin, and HIS ONLY REMEDY.

Pastor Henry T. Mahan (bulletin 1991)

JESUS CHRIST HAS PREVAILED

“So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David” (1 Sam. 17:50).

“And one of the elders saith unto me, weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof” (Rev. 5:5).

David prevailed over Goliath and won the victory for all Israel. David went out to meet him as a representative man, when David prevailed Israel prevailed. What David accomplished, Israel accomplished.

What a true picture of the greater David, the Lord Jesus Christ. He came onto the battlefield being sent of God as David did; (1 Sam. 17:17-18; Gal. 4:4). The Lord Jesus Christ came as our Great High Priest to represent us unto God, to do for us what we could not do for ourselves (Heb. 4:14-16). As the representative Man, as the God-Man Mediator, the Lord Jesus Christ has prevailed over all our spiritual enemies. Because He has won the battle for us; because He has won the complete victory, every believer is victorious in Him. “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15:57).

David completely defeated Goliath alone, in the name of God, for the glory of God, (1 Sam. 17:47-49). Even so our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, with and by Himself has put away our sin by the sacrifice of Himself; “having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them (Himself) in it” (Col. 2:15).

Our salvation was completely accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ alone (John 17:1-5). He did not need our assistance nor did He ask for it. The record of scripture is clear on this fact. The Lord Jesus Christ brought in everlasting righteousness for us and freely imputes that unto us (Dan. 9:24; Rom. 4:6-8). The Lord Jesus Christ made complete atonement for our sin with His own blood sacrifice (Heb. 1:3; 9:11-12).