Like A Ball and Chain Around His Ankle!
"Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin which so easily besets you" (Hebrews 12:1).
Besetting sins are powerful hindrances to Christian progress. In the case of most people, there is some one sin to which, either from their situation, taste, constitution, or other circumstances - they are more powerfully tempted than to others.
satan knows very well what in every case this is, and skillfully adapts his temptations to it. He is an expert angler, and never chooses his bait, or throws his line, at random! Independently, however, of him, the very tendency of the heart is in that direction.
That one sin, whatever it is, while indulged, will hold you back! You cannot make progress in holiness, until it is mortified. Even its partial indulgence, though it may be considerably weakened, will hinder you!
Study then your situation, circumstances, and constitution. You cannot be ignorant which temptation and sin, you are most liable to succumb to. You must know in what way you have most frequently wounded your conscience, and occasioned to yourself shame and sorrow.
Is it an unsanctified temper?
Is it an impure imagination?
Is it a proud heart?
Is it a vain mind?
It is a taste for worldly company?
Is it a proneness to envy and jealousy?
Is it a love of money?
Is it a tendency to exaggeration in speech?
Is it a fondness for pleasure?
Is it a disposition to censoriousness and backbiting?
Study yourselves! Examine your own heart! You must find out this matter, and ti requires no great pains in order to know it. It floats upon the surface of the heart, and does not lie hidden in its depths. There, there, is your danger! As long as that one sin, be it what it may, is indulged, you cannot advance in the Christian life!
Other sins are like unnecessary clothing to the racer.
Besetting sins are like a ball and chain around his ankle!
~John Angell James~
________________________
Dethroned - But Not Destroyed!
"For I know that in me (in my flesh), dwells no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not" (Romans 7:18).
A Christian is truly regenerated - but at the same time only partially sanctified.
Sin is dethroned - but not destroyed!
His predominant taste and disposition are holy - but godly principles may not yet have struck their roots very deep into his soul.
His holy purposes are somewhat vacillating, and his inclinations to evil sometimes strong.
We have the burden of our fleshly corruptions to carry, which without great labor and effort, will sadly retard us in our Christian lives.
We are like a traveler who is on a smooth road, has fine weather, is intimately acquainted with the way, and has agreeable and helpful companions - but who at the same time is very lame, or has a load to carry. His lameness or his load will be a great delay to him. His attention must be directed to these things. He must cure the one or lighten the other, or he will make slow progress.
~John Angell James~
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Saturday, October 12, 2019
The Sacredness of the Redeemed Life
The Sacredness of the Redeemed Life
There is embedded in an unpromising Bible chapter, like a gem in a hard rock or growing like a delicate flower on a bare, cold crag - a beautiful incident which teaches a valuable lesson.
David and his men were in the cave of Adullam. They were shut in, fierce Philistines holding them in a sort of siege. Homesickness came over David. He thought of the scenes of his boyhood, not far away from were he then was. He was thirsty, too, in the burning heat, and there came memories of a cool spring which bubbled up by the gate of Bethlehem at which in his happy youth he used to drink. "David longed for water and said: Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!" (2 Sam. 23:15).
By his side stood three men who loved their leader and feared no danger. Hearing David's words they drew their swords, and, breaking through the lines of the enemy, made their way to the well, and having drawn of its sweet water they bore it back to David and presented it to him. David's heart was thrilled by this proof of loyalty and love. In his thirst, too, he longed to drink the water. But when he thought through what peril his men had brought it to him, he refused even to put it to his lips. "Far be it from me, O Lord, to do this!" he said. "Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?" And David would not drink it." Therefore he would not drink it, but poured it out as a sacred offering unto the Lord. It had cost too much to be used for any common purpose or for mere personal gratification; the only fit thing to do with it was to devote it to God.
The incident has its suggestions. As a general principle it teaches us that whatever comes to us at great cost should be sacred in our eyes, and should not be devoted to any common, selfish or sinful use but should be dedicated to the Lord.
A most obvious application is to our own redeemed lives. We know how the blessings of spiritual life come to us. Jesus broke through the lines of enemies and brought water fresh from the costly well of salvation. All the blessings and joys of our Christian faith, reach us through the suffering and sacrifice of Christ. Can we devote these gifts and abilities of our lives, ransomed at such cost, to any common end or use? Can we do otherwise with them than as David did with the water - make them holy offerings to God? Is any other use in keeping with their sacredness?
This self-devotedness to God must be kept pure and clean. An old commentator says, "Let the eye look upon nothing evil, and it becomes a sacrifice unto God. Let the tongue say nothing foul, and it becomes an offering unto God. Let the hand do nothing unlawful, and it becomes a recompense unto God."
"The Lord has set apart the godly man for himself." The hands which take the sacramental emblems, must do no unholy work. The lips that speak the vows of love and the words of prayer, must utter no bitter words, no evil or impure words. The eye that is lifted up to look upon the suffering Lamb of God and upon the holy beauty of the exalted King, must not linger an instant on anything that defiles. The heart that has been warmed by the consciousness of the love of God, must not open to any foul thought or evil desire or unholy imagination. The life that has cost the blood of Jesus, must be used to honor God and bless the world. It is too sacred to be devoted to any but holy service.
When we think deeply of this matter we see that every blessing we have is sacred, because of its cost. Even in our common life we find illustration of this same law of cost. We cannot even pray, but pierced hands must be reached down to lift to heaven our sighs and tears. There is not a sweet hope of our lives, which does not come to us through the blood and tears of Gethsemane and Calvary.
We are reaping now the harvests of the tears which others sowed. If we would sow anything for those to reap who follow us - then we must go forth weeping. We may not sit still in comfortable ease and feed on the blessings which others in pain and sorrow have won for us. The cup of sweet life that is before us, we may not take and lightly drink, merely to quench our own thirst; it is the blood of those who before us went in jeopardy of their lives to win it, and we must treat it as sacred, pouring it before God in consecrated offering to bless other lives.
~J. R. Miller~
(The End)
There is embedded in an unpromising Bible chapter, like a gem in a hard rock or growing like a delicate flower on a bare, cold crag - a beautiful incident which teaches a valuable lesson.
David and his men were in the cave of Adullam. They were shut in, fierce Philistines holding them in a sort of siege. Homesickness came over David. He thought of the scenes of his boyhood, not far away from were he then was. He was thirsty, too, in the burning heat, and there came memories of a cool spring which bubbled up by the gate of Bethlehem at which in his happy youth he used to drink. "David longed for water and said: Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!" (2 Sam. 23:15).
By his side stood three men who loved their leader and feared no danger. Hearing David's words they drew their swords, and, breaking through the lines of the enemy, made their way to the well, and having drawn of its sweet water they bore it back to David and presented it to him. David's heart was thrilled by this proof of loyalty and love. In his thirst, too, he longed to drink the water. But when he thought through what peril his men had brought it to him, he refused even to put it to his lips. "Far be it from me, O Lord, to do this!" he said. "Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?" And David would not drink it." Therefore he would not drink it, but poured it out as a sacred offering unto the Lord. It had cost too much to be used for any common purpose or for mere personal gratification; the only fit thing to do with it was to devote it to God.
The incident has its suggestions. As a general principle it teaches us that whatever comes to us at great cost should be sacred in our eyes, and should not be devoted to any common, selfish or sinful use but should be dedicated to the Lord.
A most obvious application is to our own redeemed lives. We know how the blessings of spiritual life come to us. Jesus broke through the lines of enemies and brought water fresh from the costly well of salvation. All the blessings and joys of our Christian faith, reach us through the suffering and sacrifice of Christ. Can we devote these gifts and abilities of our lives, ransomed at such cost, to any common end or use? Can we do otherwise with them than as David did with the water - make them holy offerings to God? Is any other use in keeping with their sacredness?
This self-devotedness to God must be kept pure and clean. An old commentator says, "Let the eye look upon nothing evil, and it becomes a sacrifice unto God. Let the tongue say nothing foul, and it becomes an offering unto God. Let the hand do nothing unlawful, and it becomes a recompense unto God."
"The Lord has set apart the godly man for himself." The hands which take the sacramental emblems, must do no unholy work. The lips that speak the vows of love and the words of prayer, must utter no bitter words, no evil or impure words. The eye that is lifted up to look upon the suffering Lamb of God and upon the holy beauty of the exalted King, must not linger an instant on anything that defiles. The heart that has been warmed by the consciousness of the love of God, must not open to any foul thought or evil desire or unholy imagination. The life that has cost the blood of Jesus, must be used to honor God and bless the world. It is too sacred to be devoted to any but holy service.
When we think deeply of this matter we see that every blessing we have is sacred, because of its cost. Even in our common life we find illustration of this same law of cost. We cannot even pray, but pierced hands must be reached down to lift to heaven our sighs and tears. There is not a sweet hope of our lives, which does not come to us through the blood and tears of Gethsemane and Calvary.
We are reaping now the harvests of the tears which others sowed. If we would sow anything for those to reap who follow us - then we must go forth weeping. We may not sit still in comfortable ease and feed on the blessings which others in pain and sorrow have won for us. The cup of sweet life that is before us, we may not take and lightly drink, merely to quench our own thirst; it is the blood of those who before us went in jeopardy of their lives to win it, and we must treat it as sacred, pouring it before God in consecrated offering to bless other lives.
~J. R. Miller~
(The End)
The Great Giver # 2
The Great Giver # 2
Faithfulness demands that I should point out the qualifying pronoun in our text. It is not God "delivered him up for all," but "for us all." This is definitely defined in the verses which immediately precede. In v. 31 this "us" is defined as those whom God did predestinate and has "called" and "justified." The "us" are the high favorites of heaven, the objects of sovereign grace. God's elect. And yet in themselves they are, by nature and practice, deserving of nothing but wrath. But yet, thank God, it is "us all" - the worst as well as the best, the five-hundred pounds debtor, equally as much as the five-pence debtor.
3. The Spirit's Blessed Inference
Ponder well the glorious "conclusion" which the Spirit of God here draws from the wondrous fact stated in the first part of our text, "He who spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things." How conclusive and how comforting is the inspired reasoning of the apostle. Arguing from the greater to the lesser, He proceeds to assure the believer of God's readiness to also freely bestow all needed blessings. The gift of His own Son, so ungrudgingly and unreservedly bestowed, is the pledge of every other needed mercy.
Here is the unfailing guaranty and pledge of perpetual reassurance to the drooping spirit of the tried believer. If God has done greater - will He leave the less undone? Infinite love can never change. That love which spared not Christ - cannot fail its objects nor begrudge any needed blessings. The sad thing is that our hearts dwell upon what we have not - instead of upon what we do have. Therefore the Spirit of God would here still our restless self-communings and quiet the repinings of ignorance with a soul-satisfying knowledge of the truth, by reminding us not only of the reality of our interest in the love of God, but also of the extent of that blessing which flows therefrom.
Weigh well what is involved in the logic of this verse. First, the great Gift was given unasked; will He not bestow others for the asking? None of us supplicated God to send forth His Beloved; yet He sent Him! Now, we may come to the throne of grace and there present our requests in the virtuous and all-efficacious name of Christ.
Second, the one great Gift cost Him much; will He not then bestow the lesser gifts which cost Him nothing but the delight of giving! How much less will He who spared not His own Son, withhold any good thing from them that walk uprightly.
Third, the one Gift was bestowed when we were enemies; will not then God be gracious to us now that we have been reconciled and are His friends? If He had designs of mercy for us while we were yet in our sins, how much more will He regard us favorably now that we have been cleansed from all sin by the precious blood of His Son!
"How shall he not with Him also freely give us all things?" Is it temporal mercies that the reader is in need of? Are your circumstances adverse so that you are filled with dismal forbodings? Does your cruse of oil and barrel of meal look as though they will soon be quite empty? Then spread your need before God, and do it in simple childlike faith. Do you think that He will bestow the greater blessings of grace - and deny the lesser ones of Providence" No! My God shall supply all your needs. True, He has not promised to give all you ask, for we often ask "amiss." Mark the qualifying clause: "How shall he not with Him also freely give us all things?" We often desire things which would come in between us and Christ if they were granted, therefore does God in His faithfulness withhold them.
Here then are four things which should bring comfort to every renewed heart.
The Father's costly sacrifice
The Father's gracious design
The Spirit's infallible inference
The comforting promise
May the Lord add His blessing to this little meditation!
~A. W. Pink~
(The End)
Faithfulness demands that I should point out the qualifying pronoun in our text. It is not God "delivered him up for all," but "for us all." This is definitely defined in the verses which immediately precede. In v. 31 this "us" is defined as those whom God did predestinate and has "called" and "justified." The "us" are the high favorites of heaven, the objects of sovereign grace. God's elect. And yet in themselves they are, by nature and practice, deserving of nothing but wrath. But yet, thank God, it is "us all" - the worst as well as the best, the five-hundred pounds debtor, equally as much as the five-pence debtor.
3. The Spirit's Blessed Inference
Ponder well the glorious "conclusion" which the Spirit of God here draws from the wondrous fact stated in the first part of our text, "He who spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things." How conclusive and how comforting is the inspired reasoning of the apostle. Arguing from the greater to the lesser, He proceeds to assure the believer of God's readiness to also freely bestow all needed blessings. The gift of His own Son, so ungrudgingly and unreservedly bestowed, is the pledge of every other needed mercy.
Here is the unfailing guaranty and pledge of perpetual reassurance to the drooping spirit of the tried believer. If God has done greater - will He leave the less undone? Infinite love can never change. That love which spared not Christ - cannot fail its objects nor begrudge any needed blessings. The sad thing is that our hearts dwell upon what we have not - instead of upon what we do have. Therefore the Spirit of God would here still our restless self-communings and quiet the repinings of ignorance with a soul-satisfying knowledge of the truth, by reminding us not only of the reality of our interest in the love of God, but also of the extent of that blessing which flows therefrom.
Weigh well what is involved in the logic of this verse. First, the great Gift was given unasked; will He not bestow others for the asking? None of us supplicated God to send forth His Beloved; yet He sent Him! Now, we may come to the throne of grace and there present our requests in the virtuous and all-efficacious name of Christ.
Second, the one great Gift cost Him much; will He not then bestow the lesser gifts which cost Him nothing but the delight of giving! How much less will He who spared not His own Son, withhold any good thing from them that walk uprightly.
Third, the one Gift was bestowed when we were enemies; will not then God be gracious to us now that we have been reconciled and are His friends? If He had designs of mercy for us while we were yet in our sins, how much more will He regard us favorably now that we have been cleansed from all sin by the precious blood of His Son!
"How shall he not with Him also freely give us all things?" Is it temporal mercies that the reader is in need of? Are your circumstances adverse so that you are filled with dismal forbodings? Does your cruse of oil and barrel of meal look as though they will soon be quite empty? Then spread your need before God, and do it in simple childlike faith. Do you think that He will bestow the greater blessings of grace - and deny the lesser ones of Providence" No! My God shall supply all your needs. True, He has not promised to give all you ask, for we often ask "amiss." Mark the qualifying clause: "How shall he not with Him also freely give us all things?" We often desire things which would come in between us and Christ if they were granted, therefore does God in His faithfulness withhold them.
Here then are four things which should bring comfort to every renewed heart.
The Father's costly sacrifice
The Father's gracious design
The Spirit's infallible inference
The comforting promise
May the Lord add His blessing to this little meditation!
~A. W. Pink~
(The End)
Saturday, October 5, 2019
Delighting In God!
Delighting In God!
"Delight yourself in the Lord - and He shall give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4).
Delighting in worldly things - effectually prevents our delighting in God. Therefore it is often the case, that the Lord strips us of these things, or incapacitates us to enjoy them - in order to bring us back to delight in Himself.
He delights in His people - and He desires that His people to delight in Him. In order to accomplish this, He has revealed Himself in the most amiable characters, as a Husband, a Friend, a Brother, a Saviour, a Shepherd, and so forth - all on purpose to endear Himself to us!
Surely if our hearts were right - we would delight in Him on account of His glorious perfections, His unalterable love, the perfect atonement made for our sins, the promises made for our comfort and encouragement, the gift of the Holy Spirit, the communion we are urged to hold with Himself, and the glorious paradise of blessedness set before us - where we shall forever view the unfolding of His glories, enjoy the riches of His grace, and drink of the river of His pleasures!
Sick Christian, Jesus bids you to delight in Him! Delight in Him as your Saviour, Friend, and Brother! Delight in His person and glories! Delight in His perfect work! Delight in His glorious fullness!
Delight in your salvation in Him, union to Him, and claim upon Him. Oh, delight in Jesus! You will have no permanent peace or solid satisfaction - but as you delight in Him, and rejoice in Him, saying, "You are my portion, O Lord!"
He who delights in God has the desires of His heart - because they are in accordance with the purpose, promise, and pleasure of God.
The mind is thrown into the mold of God's mind, and the soul cries from its inmost recesses, "Not my will - but may Your will be done!" Its pleasures are spiritual, permanent, and satisfactory. The desire for earthly things becomes very contracted - a little of the things of this poor world will satisfy a soul that is delighting in Jehovah.
Delighting in God always produces resignation and holy contentment. Whatever they have - they enjoy it as the undeserved gift of God; and they feel obligated and thankful for all. They would rather be conformed to God's will - than have their own will. They know that His appointments are best - because they are infinitely wise, holy, and gracious. They can say, "I trust in You, O Lord, for you are my God! My times are in Your hand!" They find that godliness with contentment is great gain; and say with one of old, "The little that a righteous man has - is better than the riches of many wicked!" "Better a little with the fear of the Lord - than great treasure with turmoil."
The presence, the promise, and the smile of God - are to them inestimably valuable; but other things are no so important. They seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness - and all other necessary things are added unto them. They live at the fountain - when all the streams are dried up! They delight in God - when creatures fade and wither!
O Lord! I would delight in Thee,
And on Your care depend;
To You in every trouble flee,
My best, my only Friend!
No good in creatures can be found,
But may be found in Thee;
I must have all things and abound,
While God is God to me!
~James Smith~
(The End)
"Delight yourself in the Lord - and He shall give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4).
Delighting in worldly things - effectually prevents our delighting in God. Therefore it is often the case, that the Lord strips us of these things, or incapacitates us to enjoy them - in order to bring us back to delight in Himself.
He delights in His people - and He desires that His people to delight in Him. In order to accomplish this, He has revealed Himself in the most amiable characters, as a Husband, a Friend, a Brother, a Saviour, a Shepherd, and so forth - all on purpose to endear Himself to us!
Surely if our hearts were right - we would delight in Him on account of His glorious perfections, His unalterable love, the perfect atonement made for our sins, the promises made for our comfort and encouragement, the gift of the Holy Spirit, the communion we are urged to hold with Himself, and the glorious paradise of blessedness set before us - where we shall forever view the unfolding of His glories, enjoy the riches of His grace, and drink of the river of His pleasures!
Sick Christian, Jesus bids you to delight in Him! Delight in Him as your Saviour, Friend, and Brother! Delight in His person and glories! Delight in His perfect work! Delight in His glorious fullness!
Delight in your salvation in Him, union to Him, and claim upon Him. Oh, delight in Jesus! You will have no permanent peace or solid satisfaction - but as you delight in Him, and rejoice in Him, saying, "You are my portion, O Lord!"
He who delights in God has the desires of His heart - because they are in accordance with the purpose, promise, and pleasure of God.
The mind is thrown into the mold of God's mind, and the soul cries from its inmost recesses, "Not my will - but may Your will be done!" Its pleasures are spiritual, permanent, and satisfactory. The desire for earthly things becomes very contracted - a little of the things of this poor world will satisfy a soul that is delighting in Jehovah.
Delighting in God always produces resignation and holy contentment. Whatever they have - they enjoy it as the undeserved gift of God; and they feel obligated and thankful for all. They would rather be conformed to God's will - than have their own will. They know that His appointments are best - because they are infinitely wise, holy, and gracious. They can say, "I trust in You, O Lord, for you are my God! My times are in Your hand!" They find that godliness with contentment is great gain; and say with one of old, "The little that a righteous man has - is better than the riches of many wicked!" "Better a little with the fear of the Lord - than great treasure with turmoil."
The presence, the promise, and the smile of God - are to them inestimably valuable; but other things are no so important. They seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness - and all other necessary things are added unto them. They live at the fountain - when all the streams are dried up! They delight in God - when creatures fade and wither!
O Lord! I would delight in Thee,
And on Your care depend;
To You in every trouble flee,
My best, my only Friend!
No good in creatures can be found,
But may be found in Thee;
I must have all things and abound,
While God is God to me!
~James Smith~
(The End)
The Great Giver # 1
The Great Giver # 1
"He who spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all - how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8:12).
The above verse supplies us with an instance of Divine logic. It contains a conclusion drawn from a premise; the premise is that God delivered up Christ for all His people, therefore everything else that is needed by them is sure to be given. There are many examples in Holy Writ of such Divine logic. "If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire - will He not much more clothe you?" (Matt. 6:30). "For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son - how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life!" (Romans 5:10). "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children - how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!" (Matt. 7:11). So here in our text the reasoning is irresistible and goes straight to the understanding heart.
Our text tells of the gracious character of our loving God as interpreted by the gift of His Son. And this, not merely for the instruction of our minds, but for the comfort and assurance of our hearts. The gift of His own Son is God's guarantee to His people of all needed blessings. The greater includes the lesser. His unspeakable spiritual gift is the pledge of all needed temporal mercies. Note in our text four things:
1. The Father's costly sacrifice.
This brings before us a side of the truth upon which I fear we rarely meditate. We delight to think of the wondrous love of Christ, whose love was stronger than death, and who deemed no suffering too great for His people. But what must it have meant to the heart of the Father when His Beloved left His Heavenly home! God is love, and nothing is so sensitive as love. I do not believe that Deity is emotionless, or stoical. I believe the sending forth of the Son was something which the heart of the Father felt - that it was a real sacrifice on His part.
Weigh well then, the solemn fact which premises the sure promise that follows. God "spared not His own Son!" Expressive, profound, melting words! Knowing full well, as He only could, all that redemption involved - the Law rigid and unbending, insisting upon perfect obedience and demanding death for its transgressors. Justice, stern and inexorable, requiring full satisfaction, refusing to "clear the guilty." Yet God withheld not the only Sacrifice which could meet the case.
God "spared not His own Son," though knowing full well the humiliation and ignominy of Bethlehem's manger, the ingratitude of men, the not having where to lay His head, the hatred and opposition of the ungodly, the enmity and bruising of satan - yet He did not hesitate. God did not relax ought of the holy requirements of His throne, nor abate one whit of the awful curse. No, He "spared not His own Son." The utmost farthing was exacted; the last dregs in the cup of wrath must be drained. Even when His Beloved cried from the Garden, "if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me," God spared Him not. Even when vile hands had nailed Him to the tree, God cried "Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, the man who is my Partner, says the Lord Almighty. Strike down the Shepherd!" (Zech. 13:7).
The Father's Gracious Design
"But delivered Him up for us all." Here we are told why the Father made such a costly sacrifice. He did not spare His Son - that He might spare us! It was not lack of love to the Saviour - but wondrous, matchless, fathomless love for us! Oh marvel at the wondrous design of the Most High. "God so love the world that He gave His only begotten Son." Truly, such love passes knowledge. Moreover, He made this costly sacrifice not grudgingly or reluctantly, but FREELY - out of love for us.
Once God had said to rebellious Israel - "How shall I give you up, Ephraim?" (Hosea 11:8). Infinitely more cause had He to say this of the Holy One. His well-beloved, the One in whom His soul daily delighted. Yet, He "delivered Him up" - to shame and spitting, to hatred and persecution, to suffering and death itself. And He delivered Him up for us - descendants of rebellious Adam, depraved and defiled, corrupt and sinful, vile and worthless! For us who had gone into the "country" of alienation from Him, and there spent our substance in riotous living. Yes, "for us" who had gone astray like sheep, each one turning to "his own way." For us "who were by nature the children of wrath, even as others," in whom there dwelt no good thing. For us who had rebelled against our Creator, hated His holiness, despised His Word, broken His commandments, resisted His Spirit. For us who richly deserved to be cast into the everlasting burnings and receive those wages which our sins so fully earned.
Yes, for you fellow Christian, who are sometimes tempted to interpret your afflictions as tokens of God's hardness; who regard your poverty as a mark of His neglect, and our seasons of darkness as evidences of His desertion. O, confess to Him now the wickedness of such dishonoring doubtings, and never again question the love of Him who spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all!
~A. W. Pink~
(continued with # 2)
"He who spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all - how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8:12).
The above verse supplies us with an instance of Divine logic. It contains a conclusion drawn from a premise; the premise is that God delivered up Christ for all His people, therefore everything else that is needed by them is sure to be given. There are many examples in Holy Writ of such Divine logic. "If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire - will He not much more clothe you?" (Matt. 6:30). "For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son - how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life!" (Romans 5:10). "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children - how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!" (Matt. 7:11). So here in our text the reasoning is irresistible and goes straight to the understanding heart.
Our text tells of the gracious character of our loving God as interpreted by the gift of His Son. And this, not merely for the instruction of our minds, but for the comfort and assurance of our hearts. The gift of His own Son is God's guarantee to His people of all needed blessings. The greater includes the lesser. His unspeakable spiritual gift is the pledge of all needed temporal mercies. Note in our text four things:
1. The Father's costly sacrifice.
This brings before us a side of the truth upon which I fear we rarely meditate. We delight to think of the wondrous love of Christ, whose love was stronger than death, and who deemed no suffering too great for His people. But what must it have meant to the heart of the Father when His Beloved left His Heavenly home! God is love, and nothing is so sensitive as love. I do not believe that Deity is emotionless, or stoical. I believe the sending forth of the Son was something which the heart of the Father felt - that it was a real sacrifice on His part.
Weigh well then, the solemn fact which premises the sure promise that follows. God "spared not His own Son!" Expressive, profound, melting words! Knowing full well, as He only could, all that redemption involved - the Law rigid and unbending, insisting upon perfect obedience and demanding death for its transgressors. Justice, stern and inexorable, requiring full satisfaction, refusing to "clear the guilty." Yet God withheld not the only Sacrifice which could meet the case.
God "spared not His own Son," though knowing full well the humiliation and ignominy of Bethlehem's manger, the ingratitude of men, the not having where to lay His head, the hatred and opposition of the ungodly, the enmity and bruising of satan - yet He did not hesitate. God did not relax ought of the holy requirements of His throne, nor abate one whit of the awful curse. No, He "spared not His own Son." The utmost farthing was exacted; the last dregs in the cup of wrath must be drained. Even when His Beloved cried from the Garden, "if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me," God spared Him not. Even when vile hands had nailed Him to the tree, God cried "Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, the man who is my Partner, says the Lord Almighty. Strike down the Shepherd!" (Zech. 13:7).
The Father's Gracious Design
"But delivered Him up for us all." Here we are told why the Father made such a costly sacrifice. He did not spare His Son - that He might spare us! It was not lack of love to the Saviour - but wondrous, matchless, fathomless love for us! Oh marvel at the wondrous design of the Most High. "God so love the world that He gave His only begotten Son." Truly, such love passes knowledge. Moreover, He made this costly sacrifice not grudgingly or reluctantly, but FREELY - out of love for us.
Once God had said to rebellious Israel - "How shall I give you up, Ephraim?" (Hosea 11:8). Infinitely more cause had He to say this of the Holy One. His well-beloved, the One in whom His soul daily delighted. Yet, He "delivered Him up" - to shame and spitting, to hatred and persecution, to suffering and death itself. And He delivered Him up for us - descendants of rebellious Adam, depraved and defiled, corrupt and sinful, vile and worthless! For us who had gone into the "country" of alienation from Him, and there spent our substance in riotous living. Yes, "for us" who had gone astray like sheep, each one turning to "his own way." For us "who were by nature the children of wrath, even as others," in whom there dwelt no good thing. For us who had rebelled against our Creator, hated His holiness, despised His Word, broken His commandments, resisted His Spirit. For us who richly deserved to be cast into the everlasting burnings and receive those wages which our sins so fully earned.
Yes, for you fellow Christian, who are sometimes tempted to interpret your afflictions as tokens of God's hardness; who regard your poverty as a mark of His neglect, and our seasons of darkness as evidences of His desertion. O, confess to Him now the wickedness of such dishonoring doubtings, and never again question the love of Him who spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all!
~A. W. Pink~
(continued with # 2)
Saturday, September 28, 2019
Tears
Tears
Tears are one of the many consequences of sin, for there is no weeping in Heaven, nor could we conceive of there being any upon earth, had man preserved his pristine purity, for holiness and happiness are inseparable. Nevertheless, it is evident that when God made man, He did so with the preview of his fall. "Evident" we say, for the provision of a tear-duct to the eye, shows that it was designed, among other things, for weeping. And what a marvelous production is the human eye, not only in the delicacy and complexity of its mechanism, but also in its manifold uses and services. That small but expressive organ can glow with pleasure, flash with anger, stare in wonderment, shrink with horror, and be so suffused with the tears of sorrow as to pour out a rivulet of grief.
Nor is it wrong to weep at certain times. Nay, God has bidden us do so: "Weep with those who weep" (Rom. 12:15), though that is not to be restricted to the literal and outward act. Nor is weeping necessarily a mark of weakness or effeminacy, for the God-man wept. Weeping is a merciful provision of the Creator's, for it has been rightly termed "nature's safety valve." As might well be expected, much is said in the Bible about weeping, for the Word of God is intensely practical. To a few of its references we now turn.
"And Hezekiah wept sorely" (2 Kings 20:3). The context informs us that he was "sick unto death," and that the Lord had send Isaiah to him, saying, "Set your house in order; for you shall die!" Whereupon the king of Judah "prayed unto the Lord", reminded Him that he had walked before Him in truth and with a sincere heart, and sealed his plea with tears. The prophet was then authorized to return and tell Hezekiah, "Thus says the lord, the God of David your father, I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears - behold, I will heal you". Thus, his were the tears of supplication, and they were effectual.
There is nothing in Scripture which warrants the idea that it was the fear of death which so distressed the king, rather is there reason to believe that it was the circumstances of his family and the state of his nation, which so deeply affected him. At that time, he had no son, and he grieved at the prospect of his branch of David's family becoming extinct. Probably his kingdom was then being threatened by the Assyrians, and there was need of a God-bearing and capable commander for such an emergency.
Much might be written on this remarkable and mysterious incident, but the one thing we would here stress, is the prevalency of tears. Has not many a sorely tried saint reason to acknowledge that "the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping" (Psalm 6:8) - that when words failed him, his tears spoke effectually unto God?
"Now Esther spoke again to the king, fell down at his feet, and implored him with tears to counteract the evil of Haman the Agagite, and the scheme which he had devised against the Jews" (Est. 8:3). This was the third time she petitioned the king, as a reference to Esther 5:3 and 7:2 shows, but on neither of the former occasions, did Esther give way unto tears. But the situation which now confronted her was critical and urgent. Yet it was not in connection with herself personally; it was the fate which threatened her nation, which moved Esther so deeply. This is blessed to behold. Though so highly elevated as to be now the king's consort, she did not forget the misery of her people, but used her influence on their behalf. As edict had gone forth forth destruction of the Jews, and Esther said unto the king, "For how can I endure to see the evil that shall come unto my people!". Thus, hers were the tears of earnest entreaty, and as the tear-watered supplication of Hezekiah was effectual before the Lord, so the unselfish and pathetic weeping of Esther prevailed before the king, for we read that he said to her, "You yourselves write a decree concerning the Jews, as you please, in the king's name, and seal it with the king's signet ring"; and the wicked edict was cancelled.
"Jesus wept" (John 11:35). The shortest and, in some respects, the most wonderful and blessed verse in the Bible. What an awe-inspiring spectacle does it present to us - the Lord of glory, shedding tears! What a mysterious phenomenon - the Maker of Heaven and earth, weeping! He would raise Lazarus! Why then did He weep? Because God's Son had been made like to His brethren "in all things" (Heb. 2:17), partaking of their susceptibilities and emotions. As the perfect Man beheld the grief of the friends and sisters of Lazarus, He could not but be deeply moved and weep with them. His tears on this occasion were those of compassion.
"Who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear" (Heb. 5:7). Those were the tears of anguish, telling us of the severity of the Saviour's sufferings. The "vehement cries and tears" indicates the extent to which Christ felt the terrible burden laid upon Him. No human mind can conceive the terribleness of the conflict through which the Saviour passed and the "travail off soul" which He endured. His prayers and supplications were answered. God's response thereto was seen in rising Him from the dead.
"Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews...by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every night and day with tears" (Acts 20:19, 31). Those were tears of ministerial love and urgency. No merely professional or perfunctory service was that rendered by the apostle. He had such a love for souls as made him say, "I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you" (Gal. 4:19). No wonder the Lord gave him so many "seals" to his ministry! Let each servant of Christ who reads these lines, search his heart in the light of Acts 20:19, 31, and ask himself whether the absence of such "tears" is the explanation of the barrenness of his ministry. It is written, "Those who sow in tears, shall reap in joy" (Psalm 126:5); and perhaps the day to come will show that the latter, is in exact proportion to the former.
~A. W. Pink~
(The End)
Tears are one of the many consequences of sin, for there is no weeping in Heaven, nor could we conceive of there being any upon earth, had man preserved his pristine purity, for holiness and happiness are inseparable. Nevertheless, it is evident that when God made man, He did so with the preview of his fall. "Evident" we say, for the provision of a tear-duct to the eye, shows that it was designed, among other things, for weeping. And what a marvelous production is the human eye, not only in the delicacy and complexity of its mechanism, but also in its manifold uses and services. That small but expressive organ can glow with pleasure, flash with anger, stare in wonderment, shrink with horror, and be so suffused with the tears of sorrow as to pour out a rivulet of grief.
Nor is it wrong to weep at certain times. Nay, God has bidden us do so: "Weep with those who weep" (Rom. 12:15), though that is not to be restricted to the literal and outward act. Nor is weeping necessarily a mark of weakness or effeminacy, for the God-man wept. Weeping is a merciful provision of the Creator's, for it has been rightly termed "nature's safety valve." As might well be expected, much is said in the Bible about weeping, for the Word of God is intensely practical. To a few of its references we now turn.
"And Hezekiah wept sorely" (2 Kings 20:3). The context informs us that he was "sick unto death," and that the Lord had send Isaiah to him, saying, "Set your house in order; for you shall die!" Whereupon the king of Judah "prayed unto the Lord", reminded Him that he had walked before Him in truth and with a sincere heart, and sealed his plea with tears. The prophet was then authorized to return and tell Hezekiah, "Thus says the lord, the God of David your father, I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears - behold, I will heal you". Thus, his were the tears of supplication, and they were effectual.
There is nothing in Scripture which warrants the idea that it was the fear of death which so distressed the king, rather is there reason to believe that it was the circumstances of his family and the state of his nation, which so deeply affected him. At that time, he had no son, and he grieved at the prospect of his branch of David's family becoming extinct. Probably his kingdom was then being threatened by the Assyrians, and there was need of a God-bearing and capable commander for such an emergency.
Much might be written on this remarkable and mysterious incident, but the one thing we would here stress, is the prevalency of tears. Has not many a sorely tried saint reason to acknowledge that "the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping" (Psalm 6:8) - that when words failed him, his tears spoke effectually unto God?
"Now Esther spoke again to the king, fell down at his feet, and implored him with tears to counteract the evil of Haman the Agagite, and the scheme which he had devised against the Jews" (Est. 8:3). This was the third time she petitioned the king, as a reference to Esther 5:3 and 7:2 shows, but on neither of the former occasions, did Esther give way unto tears. But the situation which now confronted her was critical and urgent. Yet it was not in connection with herself personally; it was the fate which threatened her nation, which moved Esther so deeply. This is blessed to behold. Though so highly elevated as to be now the king's consort, she did not forget the misery of her people, but used her influence on their behalf. As edict had gone forth forth destruction of the Jews, and Esther said unto the king, "For how can I endure to see the evil that shall come unto my people!". Thus, hers were the tears of earnest entreaty, and as the tear-watered supplication of Hezekiah was effectual before the Lord, so the unselfish and pathetic weeping of Esther prevailed before the king, for we read that he said to her, "You yourselves write a decree concerning the Jews, as you please, in the king's name, and seal it with the king's signet ring"; and the wicked edict was cancelled.
"Jesus wept" (John 11:35). The shortest and, in some respects, the most wonderful and blessed verse in the Bible. What an awe-inspiring spectacle does it present to us - the Lord of glory, shedding tears! What a mysterious phenomenon - the Maker of Heaven and earth, weeping! He would raise Lazarus! Why then did He weep? Because God's Son had been made like to His brethren "in all things" (Heb. 2:17), partaking of their susceptibilities and emotions. As the perfect Man beheld the grief of the friends and sisters of Lazarus, He could not but be deeply moved and weep with them. His tears on this occasion were those of compassion.
"Who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear" (Heb. 5:7). Those were the tears of anguish, telling us of the severity of the Saviour's sufferings. The "vehement cries and tears" indicates the extent to which Christ felt the terrible burden laid upon Him. No human mind can conceive the terribleness of the conflict through which the Saviour passed and the "travail off soul" which He endured. His prayers and supplications were answered. God's response thereto was seen in rising Him from the dead.
"Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews...by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every night and day with tears" (Acts 20:19, 31). Those were tears of ministerial love and urgency. No merely professional or perfunctory service was that rendered by the apostle. He had such a love for souls as made him say, "I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you" (Gal. 4:19). No wonder the Lord gave him so many "seals" to his ministry! Let each servant of Christ who reads these lines, search his heart in the light of Acts 20:19, 31, and ask himself whether the absence of such "tears" is the explanation of the barrenness of his ministry. It is written, "Those who sow in tears, shall reap in joy" (Psalm 126:5); and perhaps the day to come will show that the latter, is in exact proportion to the former.
~A. W. Pink~
(The End)
Much More # 2
Much More # 2
The one was but preparatory and introductory to the other - a temporary arrangement which was to give place unto that which is permanent. All the splendor of the Mosaic ritual has long sine passed away - but the glory of the Gospel abides and its blessed effects will last forever. Though the giving of the law and the dispensation connected therewith was glorious, for the whole thereof bore the unmistakable stamp of divinity - yet since it left every transgressor under the curse, it was, therefore, a ministry of condemnation and death.
But the ministry of the new covenant is much more glorious, for it reveals how sinners may be constituted righteous before God through faith in Christ, secures and communicates the sanctifying Spirit to those who believe, and assures of eternal life. There the law was written on tables of stone - but now upon renewed hearts. Judaism was for one nation - the Gospel for all. Under the former, the perfections of God were viewed through figures and emblems - under the latter, they shine forth openly in the face of Jesus Christ.
"The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! (Heb. 9:13-14). The thrice holy Jehovah dwelt in Israel's midst, and enforced the claims of His purity by requiring those who approached as worshipers, to do so in a fit condition, lest His displeasure be visited upon their pollutions. Accordingly, provision was made for the symbolic satisfying of His justice and the removal of their carnal defilement. Thereby was a disqualification removed from those who were about to enter the sacred courts.
Now, if the blood and ashes of beasts, under the ordinance of God, availed unto an external and temporary justification and sanctification of the flesh - that is, the typical putting away of both the guilt and defilement of sin -then how much more must the precious blood of Christ, appointed and accepted by God, effectually and eternally cleanse the souls of those to whom it is divinely applied and give title of access into Heaven itself. The blood of animals possessed no intrinsic value and owed its efficacy solely to God's appointment. But that of Christ was invested with the infinite excellence of His divine person and is "precious" in itself (1 Peter 1:19).
"See that you refuse not him that speaks. For if they escaped not who refused him that spoke on earth - how much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaks from Heaven? (Heb. 12:25). This presents another of the many contrasts drawn between Judaism and Christianity. The speaker is, in each of these instances, the same. The difference was in the mouthpieces which He employed - the former were men, the "prophets," the latter was in and by His Son (Heb. 1:1-2). That indicated the relative importance of the two economies - the one was religion for the earth and a temporary arrangement - the other was a revelation of a heavenly calling and inheritance, and concerned eternal relations and realities. And it was by "the Lord from Heaven" that its grand secrets were disclosed.
Now, the greater the privileges enjoyed, the more is required from us (Luke 12:48). The clearer the light given, the fuller the response demanded. Therefore, failure to meet increased obligations incurs deeper guilt and involves heavier punishment (Heb. 2:2-3; 10:28-29). Condemnation and penalty will be proportioned to the condescension despised and the favor rejected. The recompense of the one was temporary. The doom of the other will be eternal.
~A. W. Pink~
(The End)
The one was but preparatory and introductory to the other - a temporary arrangement which was to give place unto that which is permanent. All the splendor of the Mosaic ritual has long sine passed away - but the glory of the Gospel abides and its blessed effects will last forever. Though the giving of the law and the dispensation connected therewith was glorious, for the whole thereof bore the unmistakable stamp of divinity - yet since it left every transgressor under the curse, it was, therefore, a ministry of condemnation and death.
But the ministry of the new covenant is much more glorious, for it reveals how sinners may be constituted righteous before God through faith in Christ, secures and communicates the sanctifying Spirit to those who believe, and assures of eternal life. There the law was written on tables of stone - but now upon renewed hearts. Judaism was for one nation - the Gospel for all. Under the former, the perfections of God were viewed through figures and emblems - under the latter, they shine forth openly in the face of Jesus Christ.
"The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! (Heb. 9:13-14). The thrice holy Jehovah dwelt in Israel's midst, and enforced the claims of His purity by requiring those who approached as worshipers, to do so in a fit condition, lest His displeasure be visited upon their pollutions. Accordingly, provision was made for the symbolic satisfying of His justice and the removal of their carnal defilement. Thereby was a disqualification removed from those who were about to enter the sacred courts.
Now, if the blood and ashes of beasts, under the ordinance of God, availed unto an external and temporary justification and sanctification of the flesh - that is, the typical putting away of both the guilt and defilement of sin -then how much more must the precious blood of Christ, appointed and accepted by God, effectually and eternally cleanse the souls of those to whom it is divinely applied and give title of access into Heaven itself. The blood of animals possessed no intrinsic value and owed its efficacy solely to God's appointment. But that of Christ was invested with the infinite excellence of His divine person and is "precious" in itself (1 Peter 1:19).
"See that you refuse not him that speaks. For if they escaped not who refused him that spoke on earth - how much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaks from Heaven? (Heb. 12:25). This presents another of the many contrasts drawn between Judaism and Christianity. The speaker is, in each of these instances, the same. The difference was in the mouthpieces which He employed - the former were men, the "prophets," the latter was in and by His Son (Heb. 1:1-2). That indicated the relative importance of the two economies - the one was religion for the earth and a temporary arrangement - the other was a revelation of a heavenly calling and inheritance, and concerned eternal relations and realities. And it was by "the Lord from Heaven" that its grand secrets were disclosed.
Now, the greater the privileges enjoyed, the more is required from us (Luke 12:48). The clearer the light given, the fuller the response demanded. Therefore, failure to meet increased obligations incurs deeper guilt and involves heavier punishment (Heb. 2:2-3; 10:28-29). Condemnation and penalty will be proportioned to the condescension despised and the favor rejected. The recompense of the one was temporary. The doom of the other will be eternal.
~A. W. Pink~
(The End)
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