They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them. Whoso keepeth the law is a wise son: but he that is a companion of riotous men shameth his father.He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination. Proverbs 28:4, 7, 9

CHRIST IS ALL I NEED

“But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” (I Corinthians 1:30).

Christ has not only provided everything I need, Christ IS everything I need. An ignorant sinner like me needs wisdom; Christ is my wisdom. A guilty sinner like me needs righteousness; Christ is my righteousness. A vile sinner like me needs sanctification; Christ is my sanctification. A sinner like me, sold under sin, needs redemption; Christ is my redemption. Christ really is all I need.

“Jesus Christ is made to me all I need, all I need.

He alone is all my plea. He is all I need.

Wisdom, righteousness and power, holiness forever more.

My redemption full and sure. He is all I need.”

Pastor Frank Tate

Preach to the Whole Man

There is a danger of talking more about salvation than about the Saviour. There is a danger of preaching redemption and neglecting to preach the Redeemer. It could be that we know much about justification and little about Jesus Christ, His person and His work. One thing is certain, a man will arrive at right doctrine through Christ, but it is also possible for him to have orthodox doctrine and yet not know Christ. The gospel is not a collection of dry doctrines; it is the revelation of a living, merciful, and ever-present Lord.

Men and women are not going to come to hear you preach “the doctrines of grace.” But if needy sinners get wind of the fact that you are preaching “the grace of Christ,” they will give you a hearing. When you only preach to my head in facts so numerous and terms so tedious, you weary me, and forget that I am a human with emotions and a hungry HEART! I laugh, I cry, I love, I feel, I sorrow, I doubt, I fear, and I need a minister with whom I can identify in all these, who has the message of God’s mercy; not cold, calculated creeds which ignore these human traits.

The Arminian cheerleader sings joyful hymns, weeps, laughs, rejoices, and calls for men to commit themselves to a movement with NO message of hope nor assurance. The Calvinistic professor stands rigidly in his pulpit of pious orthodoxy, daring not to weep lest he be called emotional, daring not to laugh lest he be thought frivolous, daring not to call mourners or seekers lest he be called a free-willer, daring not to let people know him or get close to him lest he lose their respect and awe. Someone may find out he is only a sinner saved by grace.

“Lord, deliver me from having to listen to either one of them, and send me an Elijah of like passions who will minister to my heart and to my head – to the whole man.”

Pastor Henry T. Mahan (bulletin 1983)

Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing

“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves” (Matt. 7:15).

Wolves, or false prophets, most often come in sheep’s clothing. They come dressed in the language of the gospel; they speak of grace, election, particular redemption, depravity; they speak of Jesus Christ; they freely use and quote Scripture. However, they receive not the love of the truth, which means they love not our Lord Jesus Christ, who is Himself the Truth. These wolves do not love to lie down in green pastures; rather, they love to disturb the sheep in those green pastures. They do not love, as sheep, to feed on Christ; rather, they love to feed on the sheep. Their purpose is only to fleece the sheep, not feed them.

People are what they are inwardly. “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness” (Mt. 23:27).

“They only consult to cast him down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly” (Ps. 62:4). The false prophets are against Christ and His sheep. And, sooner or later, God will show them to be who and what they are: wolves.

Pastor John Chapman

ADDICTED TO THE GOSPEL
“I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints)” (1 Cor. 16:15).

The word addicted means; to surrender ones self habitually, or to become dependent upon, or to be very enthusiastic about. We usually use this word in a negative way, but here in reference to the believer it is very positive, "they have addicted themselves to the ministry."

Believers have surrendered to Christ, submitted to Him, His rule and reign (Psalm 110:3; Acts 2:36; Phil. 2:9-10).

Believers are totally dependent upon Christ for all of their salvation (1Cor. 1:30; Phil. 4:19).