WHAT WOULD YOU WANT FOR THEM?

Consider if you would for a moment the person or persons most dear to your heart. Maybe it is your child, parents, sister, brother, husband, wife or friend. Loving this individual, ask yourself this question: "Would I want this loved one to stand before God in His absolute holiness and justice and be judged based on MY righteousness before God?" Would you want this person to enter into judgment with the all-seeing, all-knowing and all-powerful God of glory based on what you are or what you have done? I believe most honest persons would have to say, "No, surely not!" But the truth is that you now stand before this same God based on these very things and these things condemn rather than justify YOU! If you would not want your loved one to meet God on these grounds, why would you want to meet Him yourself on them? If you fear for their acceptance with God based on your righteousness, why do you not fear for your own? The fact is that there is but one ground of acceptance before God for any sinner. We are only "accepted in the beloved." (Eph.1:6) The Lord Jesus Christ alone is the only ground upon which a sinner can meet a holy God and be accepted. God's justice must be totally satisfied in the matter of our sin and we must be perfect in His sight if we are to be received and favored by God. Being a sinner, we cannot do anything toward satisfying that justice or establishing that righteousness. But Christ has done this by the sacrifice of Himself. Many zealously make an effort but Paul says, "they have a zeal toward God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth." He fulfilled the law, satisfied the claims of the law and established righteousness by His obedience unto death. If it could have been secured by any other means, then Christ died in vain. Would you not have your loved ones to stand before God clothed in His righteousness and washed in His blood. Why then would you not have Him yourself? God will accept every sinner who trusts the blood, the righteousness of His Son and only that!

G S ‘94

DON’T MUCH LIKE ME?

Me either. I am sure that the dissatisfaction of others with me is exceeded greatly by my dissatisfaction with myself. Like Isaiah I say, “Woe is me.” Like Job, “I abhor myself.” Like the Psalmist, “I am a wretch and no man.” Like Paul, “O wretched man that I am.” This makes for a miserable state outside of faith in Christ. BUT, there is only One that counts and that is God Himself. What does He think of me. Is He satisfied? Yes, He not only likes me, He loves me! He sees me as righteous! Because, when He looks at me, He sees me in His Son. The grace-union I am in with Him in His glorious perfections makes the Holy eye of God look me over and the voice of His sovereign justice and truth announces, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased!" He says to me His bride, “Thou art all fair.” When I think about myself and what others must think of such a sinner as I, I run to His word to hear again what He says, "we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because AS HE IS, SO ARE WE IN THIS WORLD." (I John 4:17)

GS

The grace of God influences both the understanding and the affections. Warm affections without knowledge, can rise no higher than superstition; and that knowledge which does not influence the heart and affections will only make a hypocrite.

John Newton

God has given us the Gospel not merely for the purpose of securing to us life hereafter, but of making us sure of this life even now. It is a true and sure Gospel; so that he who believes it is made sure of being saved. If it could not make us sure, it would make us miserable; for to be told of such a salvation and such a glory, and yet kept in doubt as to whether they be ours or not, must render us truly wretched.

Horatius Bonar

Men look at this world and speak of how bad it is. They ask, "If there is a God, then why would He allow these things to happen. This is just another way that men deny their own sinfulness. The terrible state of this world exists even with God exerting a measure of His power restraining men. This is a world restrained, not a world let go! How wicked we must be as sinners and what would we be left to ourselves?

GS

COME YE BLESSED

Come ye blessed ones of the Father;

All your burdens to relieve.

Blessings from Him freely given,

Now in Jesus do receive.

Come ye blessed ones to inherit

Naught of worth in you required.

Grace has given all the glory,

Kings and princes have desired.

Come ye blessed ones, do not linger

Now receive the purchased prize;

Jesus on the cross there paying

All the cost before our eyes.

Come ye blessed ones to the Savior,

From the curse He has redeemed.

Justice rests in satisfaction

For it has His blood esteemed.

Come ye blessed ones, while yet sinners,

May the Spirit never rest,

Till in righteousness He brings us,

To the Blesser as the blessed.

Gary Shepard

(Tune: 8.7 8.7)

Our God has blessed us with a free and full redemption through the Lord Jesus Christ. We have been highly favored with the gospel of His dear Son. Let us remember afresh what He has done for us and seek to glorify Him both in our doctrine and our lives. He is worthy of the highest glory and honor. He is worthy of our all. May we be among those who "earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints." May He fill us with holy zeal and make our hearts rejoice in Christ!