Put on Love

“Above all things put on love, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts” (Colossians 3:14-15).

The most necessary grace is love. As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13, “The greatest of these is love.” Love is the bond which binds everything together in complete harmony for the glory of God and the good of one another. Knowledge, activity, zeal, and morality will not bind us to Christ nor to one another.

Love will assure that the peace which comes through Christ and the peace that comes from the indwelling Christ will actually rule our hearts, deciding and settling all matters that arise. As members of the body of Christ, we are called to live in love and peace.

Let us be thankful, first to God for all grace and then to one another. These virtues are absolutely necessary; for where love, peace, and thanksgiving are absent, faith is absent!

Pastor Henry T. Mahan (bulletin 1987)

A few days ago I came across a card entitled, “Heaven’s Checklist.”I knew that it was left by someone who thought they were “witnessing for the Lord.”

The card had nine boxes to be checked thereby telling everyone that would stop and read that when these nine things were done, eternal life would be secure…they would be as sure for heaven as if they were already there.The nine boxes were as follows…“do good things, be baptized, go to church, keep the ten commandments, love others, give to charity, receive communion, say prayers and read the Bible”…but no mention of Christ…nothing concerning His work, His will, His pleasure, His Gospel, His purpose, His glory or His sovereignty.

The Gospel of Christ doesn’t set forth rules and regulations for men to heed and do…”Not by works of righteousness that we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost” (Titus 3:5). The Scripture declares one glorious message to needy sinners, “He that believeth on Him is not condemned; but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John. 3:18).

Pastor Marvin Stalnaker

A naked sinner can be clothed, but a sinner covered with his own righteousness must be stripped. This is always true. We must be stripped of all that has to do with self or we cannot be clothed with that which pertains to God. We are called to live by faith; we can see nothing with the eye of sense. The Lord Jesus has gone up on high, and we are told to wait patiently for His appearing. God's Word carried home to the heart in the power of the Holy Spirit is the basis of confidence in all things: temporal and spiritual, present and future. He tells us of Christ's completed sacrifice. We by grace believe and commit our souls to the efficacy thereof, and we know we shall never be disappointed. Pastor Scott Richardson

Salvation Is Of The Lord

“But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble” (Psalm 37:39).

What glorious and blessed truth that shines on every page of Holy Scripture. We as needy, great and guilty sinners need a mighty and victorious Saviour, who is almighty to save (Isa. 63:1; Heb. 7:25). The Lord Jesus Christ is the only answer and remedy for our sin. He is the Saviour that saves (Matt. 1:21), the Redeemer that delivers and justifies (Gal. 1:3-5; Rom. 5:6). What a full and complete revelation God gives of His so great salvation…it is ALL of the Lord (Heb. 2:3). Notice each of these five words:

1). Salvation; is the total and complete deliverance from all our sin; from the penalty, guilt and power of sin to condemn us (Rom. 8:1; 32-35).

2). Salvation IS; because our great God is the God of salvation. God is love (1 John 4:8-10). God is good (Psalm 73:1). God is merciful and delights to show it to sinners (Micah 7:18-19; 1 Tim. 1:15).

3). Salvation is OF; not of works, not of merit, not of the law but rather all of grace alone (2 Cor. 8:9; Acts 15:11; 2 Tim. 1:9).

4). Salvation is of THE Lord; there is just one way of salvation. Our Lord plainly said that He is The Way, The Truth, The Life, The Door, The Light, The Bread of life, The Good Shepherd, and The Resurrection (John 14:6; 10:9; 8:12; 6:35; 11:25).