Avoid the Evil of Diotrephes

“I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not” (3 John 9-10).

Beloved, do not imitate evil of any kind, but especially avoid the evil of Diotrephes, which was pride, ambition, and love of preeminence, which led him into inhospitality to other believers, a critical spirit, and careless criticism of those who minister the word.

It is not unusual for men of the world to criticize and find fault with God’s preacher’s, but it ought not to be done by believers. These critics, for want of real charges, usually take up little matters and exaggerate them, and this is not the Spirit of Christ.

Pastor Henry T. Mahan (bulletin 1989)

“So Great Salvation” Hebrews 2:3

The salvation which Christ accomplished, which we have experienced and are now experiencing, the salvation which we rejoice to proclaim to lost and ruined sinners is a great salvation, “so great salvation” that no words can adequately express its greatness. It is salvation from the great God, by his great Son, freely bestowed upon great sinners by his great Spirit.

Salvation is great in its planning. It sprang from the heart and mind of the infinite, all-wise God. From old eternity he determined to save a people whom he chose in everlasting love, found a way to save them by the sacrifice of his own darling Son, and sovereignly predestinated all things that come to pass in time to secure the salvation of his own elect.

Salvation is great in its purchase. By his life of obedience to God as a man, Christ brought in an everlasting righteousness for us. By his death upon the cross, with his own precious blood, the Son of God both made complete satisfaction for our sins and purchased the inheritance of heavenly glory for his people.

Salvation is great in its performance. God the Holy Spirit comes to chosen sinners at the time ordained by God and sovereignly calls them from death to life, giving them faith in Christ by his irresistible power and grace.

Salvation is great in its preservation. Every believer, being predestined to eternal life, redeemed by Christ, and called by the Holy Spirit, is infallibly preserved by the grace of God in Christ, so that he shall never perish.

Salvation is great in its perfection. In the end, when we stand before God, we will stand before him in the perfection of holiness, completely conformed to the image of Christ in body, soul, and spirit, worthy of heavenly glory in all its fulness. Yes, every redeemed sinner shall inherit all the fulness of heaven’s blessedness by the grace of God in Christ.

Salvation is great in its purpose. The purpose of God in saving us is that we shall forever be “to the praise of the glory of his grace.” He saved us for his own name’s sake. Imagine that! God almighty will be forever glorified in the salvation of sinners who were once bent upon robbing him of his glory as God! Pastor Don Fortner

I Think Myself Happy

“I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews” (Acts 26:2).

When the apostle Paul stood before king Agrippa he had been in prison for two years (Acts 24:27). The Lord now opens the door for Paul to declare the gospel unto both Festus the governor and Agrippa the king and he does so by first declaring that he was a happy man. Paul was saying that he was abundantly blessed of God. That is the reason even though in bondage he was rejoicing in the Lord. He writes to the Philippians from prison in Rome and says, “Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say, rejoice” (Phil. 4:4). That is the exact case of every believer. Even though we live in this body of sin and in the bondage of death and are plagued by many trials, heartaches and much grief, we should always consider our case to be the same as Paul; “I think myself happy.” Believers are abundantly blessed in Christ above all people of the earth and have every reason to rejoice in the Lord Jesus Christ and be of good cheer (John 16:33; Eph. 1:3-7).

Consider what David says in the Psalms about those who are blessed of God:

Psalm 32:1-2, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.”

Psalm 34:8, “O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.”

Psalm 65:4, “Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee.”