“For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.”
2 Corinthians 4:5
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The more we are in the presence of Him Whom our souls love, the less we can bear to be out of it. --Scott Richardson
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Free Indeed!
A Christian is the greatest freeman in the world. He is free from . . . the curse of the law, the wrath of God, Hell and damnation! --Richard Sibbes
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Thy Name Forever Blessed
Words by: Joseph Terrell Tune: There Is a Fountain
1. How is our nature spoiled by sin!
Yet nature ne'er hath found
The way to make the conscience clean,
Or heal the painful wound.
In vain we seek for peace with God
By methods of our own:
O Jesus, nothing but Thy blood
Can bring us near the throne.
2. The threatenings of Thy broken law
Impress our souls with dread;
If God His sword of vengeance draw,
It strikes our spirits dead.
But Thine illustrious sacrifice
Hath answered these demands:
And peace and pardon from the skies
Came down by Jesus' hands.
3. Here all the ancient types agree,
The altar and the lamb;
And prophets in their visions see
Salvation through His name.
'Tis by Thy death we live, O Lord,
'Tis on Thy cross we rest;
For ever be Thy love adored,
Thy name for ever blessed.
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Nothing But The Blood
Nothing but the blood of Christ can save guilty sinners! I care not how orthodox the DOCTRINE, how exact the ORDINANCE, how true the FORM, how scriptural the PRACTICE, it is all vain and empty if you rely upon it for acceptance with God.
God forbid that we should at any time say a word against these holy and precious things; but, KEEP THEM IN THEIR PLACE! If you make anything but the person and work of Christ to be the basis of your soul's salvation, you shall be disappointed and ashamed in that day. There is no saving power anywhere except in THE BLOOD OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
"But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin" (1 John 1:7). --Henry T. Mahan
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“And He led them forth by the right way.”
(Psalm 107:7a)
Not only is Christ THE Way, but here He is known as the “right way.” Everything and in every situation, Christ has led us forth by the right/correct/straight way. Nothing He has ever done for us and towards us can be in the least degree said to be wrong! Dark skies, cloudy days, harsh seasons of soul...everything our blessed and loving Lord does is always and eternally right.
Never let us forget this, my weary and tried friend. Come what may, He is doing this for our best interest and for His ultimate glory; and as His children, this is what we desire most, is it not? Tell me a thousand woes within the believers’ life and at every turn and at every junction it MUST be said: “and He led us forth by the right way!”
--Drew Dietz
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The Old Gospel, while stressing that faith is man's duty, stresses also that faith is not in man's power... God must give what He commands us to do.
The Old Gospel speaks very differently in expounding man's need of Christ; the Old Gospel stresses something almost ignored today. That something is that sinners cannot obey the Gospel any more than they can obey the law, apart from the renewal of their sinful, depraved heart. Thus the Old Gospel doesn't talk about “deciding for Christ”, as we hear today. For this business of deciding for Christ suggests voting a person into office. I wish people would believe me when I tell you that we do not vote God's Son into office as our Savior!
Now, our Lord Jesus Christ is not passively waiting, but is actively working to bring His chosen people to faith. The preaching of this “new gospel” is called bringing men to Christ, as if only men moved while Christ stands still. But the true Gospel is the coming of Christ to man. --Rolfe Barnand