There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength. Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Psalm 33:16-19
True Faith
Faith without works of obedience is no more than the faith of devils who are damned. “You believe there is one God; you do well” for there is but one God, proved by the light of nature, creation, providence, and Scriptures. But the devils also have this same historical faith and knowledge.
True saving faith produces works of obedience, love, and grace. Faith which has no works is DEAD FAITH, and works which are not the results of true faith are DEAD WORKS! Good works are second acts necessarily flowing from the life of faith.
Good works are not infallible proof of genuine faith; but the absence of works is certain proof of THE ABSENCE OF FAITH.
Pastor Henry T. Mahan (bulletin 1985)
“Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.”
Romans 12:11
If this admonition were not necessary for us, He would not have given it. The word business is diligence. Do not become lazy in the effort you give in serving the Lord. Be fervent, white hot, boiling over in spirit, serving the Lord. To become slothful in our diligence and zeal can easily happen to any of us because of the sinful nature we all possess. But how evil! That way of being is contrary to “The love of Christ constraineth me.” I cannot think of anything more ugly than trying to fit the worship of Christ into life’s busy schedule. The Gospel, if true, is of infinite importance; if false, is of no importance. But what it cannot be is moderately important. “Not slothful in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.” Pastor Todd Nibert
The Miracle of Salvation
The Lord Jesus Christ performed many miracles while upon this earth. He cast out devils, healed lepers, gave sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf; He raised the dead. While these miracles certainly prove Him to be the Christ, they are also illustrations of how the Lord saves sinners. Every sinner the Lord saves, is all these things . . . possessed by a devil, a sinful leper, deaf, dumb, blind and dead in sin. Salvation is a miracle of God's sovereign grace and power. Nothing more or less can save a sinner but the power of Christ; the Word, the Truth and the gospel. May the Lord be pleased to perform a miracle today. Pastor Paul E. Mahan
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8.28).
This is one of the most often quoted Scriptures and nearly as often misunderstood as quoted. We would not take away any comfort that the believer can derive from a proper understanding of this Scripture, but we would make sure that it is properly understood lest a person expect something that is not promised and thereby be confounded or disappointed when the presumed promise is not fulfilled.
The good for which all things are working together is the salvation of God’s elect. It is true that, in some cases, we can see how unpleasant “things” happen and we can soon see some benefit that arose from them. But that is not what the promise sets forth. Rather, it teaches us that all things happen according to God’s purpose and that His purpose is the salvation of His elect by Jesus Christ. Thus, it cannot be that something will happen contrary to that purpose. Therefore, the believer may confidently say, “In all things - even in this horrible experience - God is working to bring about my eternal salvation.”
But our experience teaches us that, often, difficult providences are visited on us and we cannot see how an “earthly good” can come of it. And perhaps no “earthly good” will come of it. But we can be sure that an eternal, heavenly good will come of it – our salvation!
Pastor Joe Terrell
If being a sinner is the qualification of those whom Christ came to save, no one is more qualified than me; the chief of sinners. If being poor and needy is the qualification of those whom Christ came to save, who is in more spiritual poverty and in need of mercy more than me? If it is true that God hath chosen the foolish, the weak, the base, and the things which are not, that no flesh should glory in His presence; who has less reason to glory in themselves than me? Are you qualified? Pastor Greg Elmquist