“I’M FOR YOU”

The recent home-going of a dear friend and brother, Pastor Scott Richardson, has brought to my mind many pleasant remembrances of him. Once when I was going through a great trial, he called me on the phone and said, “I just wanted to let you know I’m for you.” “I’m for you.” Those words were a great encouragement to me then and continue to be so to this day. What a great blessing it is to have one such as Brother Scott “for you.” He was praying for me, thinking of me and willing to help me in any way. As I reflected on his words, it came to my mind that his being “for me” was only because of someone else being for me. That someone is God Himself! Every blessing I have, even such a dear brother and fellow gospel servant as brother Scott, I have because of His grace to me in Christ Jesus. God was “for me” and all His elect in eternity past when He loved us, chose us and predestinated all things concerning us and put us in that grace-union with His Son before the world was. Likewise, Christ was “for” us when He stood as our Surety and Covenant Head before time. He was for us when He laid down His life for us on the cross. He was “for” us, truly in our place, when He died that horrible death of the cross in our place as our Substitute. He was for us when He gave Himself “for” us. He was “for” us when He bore our sins in His own body there. When He suffered the Just “for” the unjust! He was “for” us when He rose from the dead and we with Him. And He is “for” us now as He is seated at the right hand of the majesty on high, making intercession “for” us. God the Spirit was “for” us when He quickened us, gave us faith and called us by the precious gospel to Christ. You see, God has always been and always will be “for” His people! May everything remind us, “If God be FOR US, who can be against us? 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?” (Ro 8:31-32) I thank God this day for this dear brother and rejoice that though he is absent from the body, he is present with the Lord! Is this because he preached the true gospel so faithfully for so many years? No, it is because God was FOR HIM in Christ!

Gary Shepard

SOVEREIGNTY BELONGS TO GOD

The sovereignty of God is absolute. To acknowledge this truth is at once to acknowledge that God has foreordained whatsoever comes to pass; that nothing else can come to pass; that predestination is a fact; that God does rule in the kingdoms of men; that all human ties, bonds and relationships are divinely appointed and formed; that salvation rests solely, fully and only in God’s election; that salvation is by God’s grace and His grace alone; and that no part of man’s salvation is of himself either in origin or execution. Where men get the idea that man’s will is the all-determining factor or moving cause of his salvation is hard to see. Certainly they do not get it from the Bible.

Scott Richardson

THE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST

Take the doctrines of grace isolated from the Person of Christ; they are scattered limbs. There is no beauty in them alone. But view the truth of the Gospel in connection with the Person and work of the Son of God, what a heavenly light, what a divine glory is cast upon every truth connected with His sacred Person, atoning blood, finished work, and dying love! This is the way to receive the Gospel; not as a thing of shreds and patches, a mere collection or scheme of certain doctrines floating up and down God’s Word, as waifs and strays from a stranded ship; but as ONE HARMONIOUS GOSPEL, full of grace, mercy, and truth, impregnated with divine blessedness, and all connected with, all springing out of the Person of the God-Man.

J. C. Philpot

THE BELIEVER

The believer is perfect in Christ, but in himself is a poor, feeble creature, ever liable to fall. Oh, the blessedness of having One who can manage all his affairs for him at the right hand of the Majesty in the Heavens: One who upholds him continually by the right hand of His righteousness: One who will never let him go: One who is able to save to the uttermost: One who is the same yesterday, today and forever: One who will bear him triumphantly through all the difficulties and dangers that surround him and finally, present him faultless before the presence of His Glory with exceeding joy. Blessed forever be the grace that has made such ample provision for all our sins in the Blood of a spotless victim and the intercession of a Divine High Priest.

Scott Richardson

PRAISE THE NAME OF CHRIST

Upon the cross of Calvary,

The Savior bled and died;

And with His sacrificial death,

The Lord is satisfied,

The Lord is satisfied.

The load of all my sinfulness,

Upon the Son was laid;

And by His stripes my soul was healed,

My ransom price He paid,

My ransom price He paid.

Who can condemn the Lord’s elect,

When God has justified?

Christ Jesus is my righteousness,

For me He bled and died,

For me He bled and died.

I bless the Lamb who died for me,

Who took my guilt and blame;

And evermore ‘twill be my joy,

To praise His glorious Name,

To praise His glorious Name.

TUNE: "Majestic Sweetness" CM/DOUBLE

WORDS by Jim Byrd

"He that seeth the Son and believes on Him hath everlasting life; and I will raise him up again at the last day." (John 6:30) SEEING THE SON in the covenant of mercy, incarnate, on the cross, risen and exalted at the right hand of God, and believing Him is the whole of saving faith. You may read a dozen books on faith, hear a hundred sermons on faith, and memorize all of the definitions of faith, and it will all come down to THIS ONE THING, He that SEETH THE SON and believes on Him, hath everlasting life! Look to Christ, not to your faith; look to Christ, not to your feelings and experiences; look to Christ, not to your brethren, either the best of them or the worst of them. Look to Christ NOW, and look to Christ ALONE.