The Life Preserver

Someone said, “It is not the life buoy on board the ship that saves the man who is drowning, nor is it his belief that the buoy is able to save! No! He must have the buoy around his body, or his hand upon it, or he will perish.”

It will not save my soul only to know that Christ is the Saviour (though this I must know) or that His atonement is sufficient to save. I must trust and embrace Him by faith. There must be, as Paul said in 2 Timothy 1:12, a COMMITTAL to Christ Jesus. By faith I rest my weary, troubled, and sinful soul on Christ alone.

Pastor Henry T. Mahan (bulletin 1986)

THE DECEITFULNESS OF SIN

Happiness, contentment, joy, rest and peace surely are sweet words, and things which all men and women desire and seek after to some degree. It is amazing how Satan, through the deceitfulness of sin, keeps men and women pursuing vanities and lies in their quest for these coveted qualities of life; and thinking them to always lie just ahead…a few more years…just a little longer now, etc.

Many young folk expect to find this quality of life merely by growing up and becoming their own bosses. Many parents expect to find it when their children are grown up, settled and provided for. Many businessmen expect to find it when they can retire and travel, fish, hunt, etc. The inordinately ambitious man expects to find it when he has gained power and reputation. The covetous man expects to find it by gaining enough money to satisfy his greed. The lover of pleasures expects to find it when he has experienced his fill of earthly games and entertainments. The sickly man expects to find it when his health improves. The student expects to find it when he has acquired more diplomas. The religious man expects to find it in his own righteousness. It is just ahead…just around the next corner…I’ll be there soon…but they never make it!

The believing sinner, regardless of vocation, social status or circumstances, has found the only source of true and lasting contentment, rest, peace, joy and happiness. Personal faith in the Sovereign Redeemer is the only source. Augustine said long ago, “The soul of man will never rest till it comes to rest in Him who made it.” Our Lord said, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you;” meaning houses, land, food, clothing, etc. (See Matthew 6:25-34).

Pastor Maurice Montgomery

Christ Receives Sinners

“Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them” (Luke 15:1-2).

While the self-righteous Pharisees and Scribes withdrew from the Lord Jesus Christ and then harshly criticized Him, many publicans and sinners drew near to hear Him. What a blessing from the Lord to have a willingness to draw near to Him (John 6:44) and then to have ears to actually hear a word from Him (Act 10:33). His words are words of life (John 5:24). His words are words of salvation (Rom. 1:16; Heb. 4:12).

The worst thing the Pharisees and scribes said of the Lord, “This man recieveth sinners, and eateth with them;” is the best thing any sinner could hear. It is not sin that keeps a man from hearing the good news of the gospel of Christ, it is his presumed righteousness he is going about to establish by his religious deeds (Rom. 10:1-4). No man will ever come to Christ while he is resting in the deeds of the law for salvation (Rom. 3:19-20). It is only by the almighty power of His sovereign grace that will effectually quicken us and make us alive in Christ that will cause us to draw near to Him, to hear Him and to believe Him (John 5:21; Eph. 2:1; 1 John 5:1).