Men love to have a “following” and people by nature are quite willing to follow. Many have been led down various paths of destruction because of this, the blind leading the blind. The sheep of God follow only One, the Shepherd. The Shepherd himself said: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow ME:” (John 10:27) As sheep, they are led by the Spirit who uses the Word to guide them. Following the Shepherd, they are found following along with other sheep and with the under-shepherds of God’s appointing who lead them into the greens pastures of learning and understanding that Word. (Jer. 3:15) No true sheep or under-shepherd will want them to follow them into error nor will the Shepherd allow it long before He speaks in the voice that they hear and uses the staff of His chastening power and providence to bring them back to following HIM. Paul (and I) desired this for all he lead. “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” (1 Cor. 11:1) To be a follower here is to be an “imitator.” Paul is saying “follow me, imitate me” only as I follow or imitate Christ! It is the same with all the sheep, they are “followers of God, as dear children.” (Eph. 5:1) Also, “followers of that which is good.” (1 Pet. 3:13) And, “followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” (Heb. 6:12) The sheep are described in the Revelation as followers of the Lamb. “These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.” (Rev. 14:4) The sheep follow Christ the Lamb. We follow seeing Him in His mediatorial character as our Redeemer and Savior who offered Himself to God as the One Sacrifice for our sins forever! We look to Him as our Substitute, having died in our place before divine justice. We follow the Lamb through the fires of trial and persecution for His name’s sake. We follow Him wherever He leads us in our circumstances by His hand of providence. We follow HIM, seek to imitate Him in our lives and live for His glory. We will follow Him through the valley of the shadow of death because He is with us and will never leave us or forsake us! Follow HIM!

GS

"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us." Tit 3:5

To view mercy in its real character, we must go to Calvary. It is not sufficient to contrast the purity of God with the impurity of man. That indeed affords us some view of what mercy must be to reach the depths of the fall—a side face of that precious attribute. But to see its full face shining upon the redeemed, we must go by faith, under the secret teachings and leadings of the Holy Spirit, to see "Immanuel, God with us," groveling in Gethsemane's garden. We must view him naked upon the cross, groaning, bleeding, agonizing, dying. We must view Godhead and manhood united together in the Person of a suffering Jesus; and the power of the Godhead bearing up the suffering manhood. We must view that wondrous spectacle of love and blood, and feel our eyes flowing down in streams of sorrow, humility, and contrition at the sight, in order to enter a little into the depths of the tender mercy of God. Nothing but this can really break the sinner's heart.

"Law and terrors do but harden,

All the while they work alone;

But a sense of blood-bought pardon

Soon dissolves a heart of stone."

Law terrors, death and judgment, infinite purity, and eternal vengeance will not soften or break a sinner's heart. But if he is led to view a suffering Immanuel, and a sweet testimony is raised up in his conscience that those sufferings were for him—this, and this only will break his heart all to pieces. Thus, only by bringing a sweet sense of love and blood into his heart does the blessed Spirit show a sinner some of the depths of the tender mercy of God.

J. C. Philpot

To believe on Christ is to rely on Him as ALL our salvation, righteousness, life, peace and hope both now and for all eternity. To rely in any measure upon anything else, even my relying, is to not believe on Him!

GS

JESUS, KING OF SAINTS

Long I had laid beneath the load

Of all the law’s complaints.

Condemned and guilty over sin,

Without the King of saints.

No righteousness had I to claim

Held fast by sin’s restraints.

But Mercy’s Man had stood my cause,

The mighty King of saints.

Before the world began to be,

Or sin did bring its taints,

In covenant my place He stood,

Christ Jesus, King of saints.

Then from the lowly virgin’s womb

He comes Who never faints;

And on the cross there crucified,

He dies, the King of saints.

One sacrifice forever made

The sinless blood now paints

Upon the lintels of my heart

Saint of the King of saints.

In Him forever sanctified

Held fast by love’s constraints;

A saint, a sinner saved by grace

By Jesus, King of saints.

8.6.8.6

Gary Shepard