THE WRATH OF MAN

"Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain" (Psalm 76:10).

Let men and devils rage as they will, even the wrath and hatred of the rebel will serve the greater glory of the Almighty God (Rom. 8:28; Eph. 1:11). When in their wicked hatred for Jesus Christ they crucified Him, they were unknowingly fulfilling the divine purpose of God. "The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done" (Acts 4:25-27). Even the most furious and frantic evil is under the control of our sovereign LORD (Isa. 45:5-8).

But what shall become of the wrath that is left? God shall restrain it, "the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain." The excess of the man's wrath that does not serve God's sovereign purpose shall be suppressed and muzzled, like a dog on a chain and a lion in a cage. Thank God for His restraining and governing grace (Isa. 14:26-27; Job 23:13-14).

Giving unto the Lord

Why not have a rummage sale, candy sale, or a supper to raise money for the missionaries or for the church? Why not a bond sale with high percentage returns? David gave us the answer when Araunah offered him the threshing-floor, the oxen, and the wood to sacrifice to the Lord. “I will not offer unto the Lord my God THAT WHICH COSTS ME NOTHING” (2 Sam. 24:24).

A gracious heart will not try to serve God with that which costs him nothing. If it is worth nothing to you, it is worth LESS TO GOD! Any gift, service, or effort for the glory of God that does not in some way involve the element of SACRIFICE or SELF-DENIAL is of no spiritual value.

Our examples in the Scripture of true worship demand the FIRST-FRUITS, the FIRSTLING of the flock, and the CHOICE lamb. God gave His Son, Abraham brought Isaac, the widow gave all she had. And we would bring used clothing, a collection of Coke bottles, and our spare time? God doesn’t want your SPARE anything!

1. A gift which costs me nothing reveals a lack of faith in God’s power to provide.

2. A gift which costs me nothing reveals a lack of love for the object of that gift. True love considers no labor, cost, or difficulty too great.

3. A gift which costs me nothing reveals a lack of regard for God’s glory and majesty. The prophet in Malachi 1:8 says, “Bring your stale bread and your sick sheep to your governor and see if he will accept it.”

4. A gift which costs me nothing will never be accepted by the living God who said, “If any man come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me!”

Pastor Henry T. Mahan (1983 Bulletin)

When Truth Becomes A Lie

“Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.”

Mark it down in bold letters for all to read, anytime sinful men change, alter or modify the truth of the gospel to satisfy the carnal delights and wisdom of men, it is only because they desire to worship the creature rather than the almighty God and the Creator of all things. The Scripture declares, “Let God be true and every man a liar” (Rom.3:4).

Let me give you 3 prime examples when the truth of God is turned into a lie and how it shows contempt for God and phony comfort for the creature.

1). Men say today that God loves everybody; that is changing God’s truth into a lie. God is love that is true and clear from the Scriptures (1 John 4:4, 16). However, the love of God is revealed and made known only to those in Christ. “Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ: (Rom. 8:39; Rom. 9:11-13). To say God loves everyone without exception is changing the truth of God’s love into a lie and only honoring the creature rather than the Creator, Jesus Christ (Col. 1:16-18).

2). Men say today that Christ died for everyone without exception and that He tried to put away the sin of every person. That is changing the truth of God into a lie. It is true Christ died according the Scriptures (1 Cor. 15:1-4). But it is a lie to say that Christ died for all men. The truth of the Scriptures says clearly and boldly Christ died for His sheep (John 10:15-18), for His church (Acts 20:28), for His Bride (Eph. 5:25-27) and for His people (Isa. 53:8. Matt. 1:21).

3). Men say today that God the Holy Spirit is trying to call, quicken and save everyone. That is changing the truth of God into a lie. God does not try to do anything; He accomplishes all His purpose without consulting the will or wisdom of the creature (Eph. 1:11). The unalterable and undeniable truth is, God will have mercy on whom He will have mercy (Rom. 9:17-23). The Lord powerfully quickens (Eph. 2:1-4), effectually calls (2 Tim. 1:9) and saves only His elect (2 Thes. 2:13-14; 2 Tim. 1:9).