Proverbs 28:25-26

Carnal Religion

The peculiar, crowning feature of salvation by grace in Christ is that all of God’s work BEGINS WITHIN and BEARS FRUIT WITHOUT. Other religions – like that of the Pharisees – begin with outward form, rules, and duties, hoping that these things will commend us to God and motivate men to godliness.

Carnal religion gives men a day to keep, a tithe to pay, rules to obey, and duties to perform; but, our God, in regeneration, gives a sinner A NEW HEART, A NEW SPIRIT, and sheds abroad THE LOVE OF GOD WITHIN. And this ALWAYS results in an obedient and godly walk.

Surround a tiger with bars, whips, and rewards and he will do no harm; but, he is still a wild beast! However, give that tiger the nature of a lamb and you can remove the bars and lay down the whip.

Pastor Henry T. Mahan (bulletin 1983)

“He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the Lord.” (Proverbs 17:15).

How this can be, I do not know, but it is so…. when Christ was made sin on Calvary’s tree, He never ceased to be the sinless One. Even when He was made sin, He Himself remained impeccable. He never sinned! It is equally true that when He who knew no sin was made sin, it became His sin. He owned it, felt all the shame, guilt, and defilement of it, and was forsaken by God on account of it. He experienced everything about sin with the exception of the commission of it. Here is the glory of this - just as my sin literally became His sin, His righteousness literally became my righteousness. With His righteousness, I the sinner am really one who has never sinned.

Pastor Todd Nibert

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16).

Our Lord Jesus Christ did not come into this world to make God love His people. Christ came into the world BECAUSE God loved these chosen ones. Our Lord did not come into this world so that God would forgive the sins of His elect. Christ came into the world to pay for their sin and appease God’s holy justice against sin by the shedding of His own blood. “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:10) Child of God, always remember that God sending His Son and giving His Son was the result of His love, not the cause of it. If God enables us to truly see these wondrous truths, we will gladly claim that, “We love Him, because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)

Pastor David Eddmenson

The Joy Of The Lord Is Your Strength

“The joy of the LORD is your strength. And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, And there was very great gladness” (Nehemiah 8:10,12,17).

Ezra, Nehemiah and the Levites instructed and encouraged the people who had heard the word of the Lord and were given understanding of the message to rejoice in the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the joy of the LORD and He is our strength and salvation (Nehemiah 8:8-12). It is true when they heard the words of the law of God they were convicted for their sin against God, “For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.” But they were also told to go home and rejoice in the Lord for that was the strength and hope of their salvation.

It is still true with people today, when sinners are blessed to hear the word of the Lord and are convicted of their sin against God; it is time to rejoice in the Lord Jesus Christ. A true and godly sorrow of our sin clears the way for a spiritual refreshing and joy in the Lord (2 Cor. 7:10).

Only a sinner can rejoice in the salvation of his soul (Rom. 5:1-2; Phil. 3:3). Only a sinner can find delight in Christ putting away His sin by the sacrifice of Himself (Heb. 9:26). Only a sinner can find comfort in Christ who came to save sinners (1 Tim. 1:15). The Lord of glory only came to save sinners not the righteous (Matt. 9:12-13). The Lord of glory only came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). The Lord of glory only died for the ungodly (Rom. 5:6). Now if those words describe you; a sinner, lost and ungodly, rejoice in the Lord and His sovereign mercy for He came to save you! The Lord Jesus Christ is the joy of the LORD and of every believer and our everlasting salvation (Proverbs 8:30; Matt. 3:17; Col. 2:9-10).