NOTHING TALKING ABOUT EVERYTHING!

When it comes to preaching Christ, I am in way over my head! I am a finite creature talking about the Infinite Creator. I am a sinner talking about holiness. I am ignorance talking about knowledge. I am error talking about truth, darkness talking about Light, and unrighteousness talking about Righteousness. I am a tea cup measuring the boundless sea of God’s grace. I am a yardstick measuring eternity. I am a weak voice talking about the Word. I am weakness talking about the mighty God. I am a fallen will talking about His sovereign will. I am an obscure subject on earth talking about the King of kings and Lord of lords. I am water talking about wine, the undeserving talking about mercy and grace and ugliness talking about Divine beauty. I am stupidity talking about Wisdom. I am a wretch talking about Him who is ALL! I am a fallen man talking about THE Man Christ Jesus. I am sickness talking about the Health of men’s souls. I am an undesirable talking about the Desire of the nations. I am nothing talking about the I AM. I am a sinner saved by grace talking about the Savior who saves by grace. I am a miserable creature talking about mercy and a vile prisoner talking about the Deliverer. I am a slave talking about the Redeemer. I am a clay pot filled with the Treasure of all treasures, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is for a number of reasons but I’ll give you two. First, who better to tell of Christ that one He’s shown mercy to and been gracious to? Who better than the chief of sinners such as myself? Secondly, this is so there will be no doubt to any that all the glory goes to HIM! “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” (2 Cor. 4:7) I am less than nothing talking about more than everything. Look to Christ and not at me. Hear Him and not me! “I must decrease but He must increase.”

Gary Shepard

“For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.” (Heb 10:14 ) The only perfect Person in this world was the man Christ Jesus and those who are made perfect IN HIM through His sacrifice. When you find this out, you will cease to look for it in yourself or anybody else!

GS

Redemption is to purchase by the paying of a price. But it is more. It is to buy back with this price that which is already yours. Thus, REdeem! Like Gomer of old, she was already Hosea’s wife but to save her he must buy her back off the slave market of sin to which she had sold herself. God’s elect belong to Christ by right of creation. They belong to Him because they were given to Him by the Father. So when He came into this world and shed His blood on the cross it was to buy back these fallen sinners who are now His in this threefold way! “Thou hast redeemed US to God by thy blood…”

GS

To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. Eph 1:6

There is nothing more opposed to each other, than the Scripture sense of acceptation, as it relates to the Lord, and as it relates to man. To accept any man's person, is the sinful act of a sinful man. And to accept a poor sinner in Christ, is the gracious act of a gracious God. And those different views of acceptation very fully explain the meaning of the apostle, in his sermon before Cornelius and his household. "Of a truth I perceive, (said Peter)that God is no respecter of persons." God hath no respect to the person of any, but as they are in Christ. It is to Jesus, that the Lord hath respect. And, therefore, "in every nation, he that feareth him and worketh righteousness, is accepted with Jesus." (Ac 10:34-35.)

Robert Hawker

We are saved through the gospel, called the gospel of our salvation, and the law of faith, and not through the law: for the promise that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. {Ro 4:13}. The eternal inheritance then, is not through the law and its duty, but through the gospel and its promises. {Ga 3:18}.

Job Hupton

Men say, “If God can freely pardon sin, why does he not do it without satisfaction? If he cannot, he is weaker and more imperfect than man, who can do so.”

God cannot do many things that men can do, — not that he is more imperfect than they, but he cannot do them on the account of his perfection. He cannot lie, he cannot deny himself, he cannot change; which men can do, and do every day.

John Owen

Particular Redemption

We hold that since the redeeming and atoning work of the Lord Jesus, was defined and determined by His covenant engagements; He died to ransom the persons (John 10:15; Eph 5:25), and expiate the sins of His elect people only (Mt 1:21; Gal 1:4; Heb 1:3; 1Pe 2:24).

"When the Lord chose the numerous seed

He viewed them in their glorious Head;

He clearly saw their awful fall,

But made provision for them all.

"For He determined ne’er to lose

The objects He had deigned to choose,

From His dear sons He ne’er could part,

They lay so near His gracious heart.

"In wisdom, therefore, He decreed

The way to save His chosen seed;

Jesus, their loving Surety stood,

Engaged to ransom them with blood.

"For them He left His home on high—

For them appeared at Calvary;

For them the wrath of God He bore,

Till wrath exhausted burnt no more."

copied

Parents, teachers, and human mentors can educate us in the ways of the world, but only Christ by the Holy Spirit can educate us in the ways of God. Many will agree that Jesus of Nazareth was a great teacher. However, when we seek Him and His teachings with our whole heart, as sinners seeking mercy and grace, then we find two amazing things: (1) that He has already sought us and sent His Holy Spirit to teach us, and (2) that He is more than a great teacher. He is the one and only Savior of sinners, the Redeemer of His people, and the Lord of glory. He is the only way of salvation, righteousness, and eternal life for any and every sinner who comes to Him for mercy. This is the greatest education any person can receive, and only Christ can teach it to us.