Dec 12
8
Let each believer follow the precept of the Spirit—come apart for awhile enter into the secret chambers of solemn retrospective meditation, and under the rays of heavenly light review his former state.
Now, through grace, he is light in the Lord; but formerly he was darkness, and how great was that darkness, how thick those scales which covered his spiritual vision! He had no knowledge of God as the Father of mercies and God of all grace. The Book of Life was to him a sealed book. It brought home to his feelings no moving, melting testimonies of redeeming love—the record of the Savior’s cross and passion seemed as some idle tale in which he had no interest, and in which, therefore, he took no delight. He did not believe that there was deep and solid reality in the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit to enlighten, renew, sanctify, and lead to Jesus. He regarded the humble professions of the saints of God as mere hypocrisy or delusion—neither heaven nor hell excited in him affecting thoughts of hope or fear. Darkness—gross darkness—enveloped all his perceptions of things invisible and eternal. He had no true knowledge of God—of Jesus—of the Spirit—of the Word—of holiness—of sin. He lived only for the things of time and sense; and so was rapidly hurried along the downward stream of time, to meet an unknown God in an unknown world, and to enter upon an unknown eternity.
O my soul, such was your former darkness! How dreadful, how terrible! Forget it not, set it distinctly before you; it will help you to rejoice more in your present light, for the Sun of Righteousness has risen upon you with healing in His wings. Therefore, arise, shine, and reflect from your bright armour of light the rays which fall upon you. Remember, that in former days not only utter darkness covered you, but that all your ways and works, all your thoughts and deeds, were one unbroken mass of iniquity and rebellion. Paul reminds the Colossians, “You, being dead in your sins, and the uncircumcision of your flesh, has God quickened together with Christ, having forgiven you all trespasses.” Oh! think seriously of this dreadful state—dead in sins. How humiliating the thought, that in those days, hatred to the holy, gracious God of your salvation filled every corner of your heart—that the ways of vital godliness were deliberately rejected by you—the ways of foul evil were deliberately chosen—that the language of your feelings was, Away with Jesus! I will not have Him to reign over me. Crucify Him! crucify Him! release unto me Barabbas. You joined with the children of Satan, who raised their haughty hands against the God of heaven, and who would gladly have torn Him down from His throne of righteousness. Remember, O my soul, such was your former state. But now you are alive unto God, and love Jesus, and rejoice in His salvation. How great the change! How great the grace! Give thanks with all the heart. Henry Law, 1884 Extract from meditations
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Christ Crucified
Tom Harding
For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified (1Cor. 2:2).
The crucifixion and death of the Lord Jesus Christ was no accident. He was not a helpless victim of unjust men but the appointed sacrifice of a HOLY GOD. Here are three things that we need to always remember about the death of our Lord Jesus Christ at Calvary.
1. GOD PLANNED THE CROSS!
It is true that the Pharisees went out and held a council about how they might destroy Him (Matt. 12:14). But God, in the council halls of eternity, determined the outcome of their meeting. Listen to what the word of God declares; “Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain” (Acts 2:23). They did what their wicked hearts wanted to do; but in doing so, they execute the purpose of God (Acts: 4:26-27). Our Lord was the Lamb that was promised (Rev. 13:8) and the LAMB that in time was sacrificed unto God to put away our sin (John 1:29; Gal. 4:4).
2. GOD PRESIDED OVER THE CROSS!
Pilate thought he was in charge that day. He said, “Don’t you know that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?” But our Lord corrected him quickly, “Thou couldest have no power over me, except it were given thee from above” (John 19:10-11). My friend, God was in charge that day. Our God eternally, sovereignty rules and reigns over all things (Isa. 46:9-11; Rom. 11:36; Eph. 1:11). Our Lord gave Himself to be the sacrifice for our sins; no man took His life (John 10:18; 18:4-11).
3. GOD PARTICIPATED IN THE AFFLICTION OF THE CROSS!
We know that it pleased Pilate to condemn Him, the Pharisees were pleased to see Him crucified, and the Roman soldiers were pleased to put another Jew to death. But we must always remember that IT PLEASED GOD TO BRUISE HIM (Isa. 53:10)! The work wicked men did that day at Calvary was not sufficient to put away our sin. What God did that day at the cross is our hope. He was “smitten of God and afflicted.” God, by divine imputation, made our sin to be laid on Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 5:21). God punished Jesus Christ as the believer’s Substitute (I Peter 2:24; 3:18). God made an end of our sin in Christ Jesus (Heb.1:3; 9:26; 10:17).
Now, let us glory in Christ crucified as our only hope (Gal. 6:14).
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This work of grace
“And you has He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins.” Ephesians 2:1
Until God by His Spirit quickens the soul into spiritual life, there must be a determined rejection of Christ. However a man may receive Him into his judgment, the inward bias of his heart and the secret speech of his soul is, “Not this Man, but Barabbas!” If, then, there are any who do believe in Him, receive Him, love Him, and have a blessed union with Him—it all springs from the quickening Spirit of God working with power in their souls. Wherever the quickening power of God’s Spirit has passed upon a man’s conscience, he is invariably brought to see and feel himself to be a sinner. This inward sight of self cuts him off, sooner or later, from—all self-righteousness—all false refuges—and all vain confidences with which he may seek to prop up his soul. The Lord will convince all His people of their lost state before Him—and cast them as ruined wretches into the dust—without hope, strength, wisdom, help, or righteousness—except that which is given to them, as a free gift, by sovereign grace.
This work of grace in the conscience, pulling down all a man’s false refuges, stripping him of every lying hope, and thrusting him down into self-abasement and self-abhorrence—is indispensable to a true reception of Christ. Whatever a man may have learned in his head, or however far he may be informed in his judgment—he never will receive Christ spiritually into his heart and affections, until he has been broken down by the hand of God in his soul, to be a ruined wretch. When a man is effectually brought here, the Lord is pleased, for the most part, to open up to his astonished view, and to bring into his soul, some saving knowledge of the Lord of life and glory. He casts into the mind a light, and He brings into the heart a power, whereby the glorious Person of Christ, His atoning blood, dying love, finished work, and justifying righteousness—are looked upon by spiritual eyes—touched by spiritual hands—and received into a spiritual and believing heart.- Philpot.
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The Divine Redeemer
“And he shall send them a Savior, and a great one; and he shall deliver them.” Isaiah 19:20
That godly man, John Newton, used to complain in his advancing years that his memory was greatly failing him — a complaint that is frequently heard from those who are going down the hill of life. There were, however, two things, he remarked on one occasion, which he could not forget: one was, that he was a great sinner; the other, that Jesus Christ was a great Savior! God grant that you, reader, whatever be your age, or from whatever cause you may have to mourn over a failing memory, may keep these two things in constant, yes, in everlasting remembrance!
The consideration of our own exceeding sinfulness may well cover us with confusion. How many, under a sense of their heinous and aggravated transgressions, have been brought to the very verge of despair! But oh! how delightful, in such a case, to hear of “a Savior, and a great One.”
That such is His character the representations of the inspired writers show in the clearest and most decisive manner. A celebrated writer, when asked what was his opinion of the Socinian system, (that Jesus was a mere man,) replied, that it was “a cold negation, the whole secret of which consisted in thinking lowly of Christ.” Now in the evangelical system it is quite the reverse. The gospel scheme, far from being merely negative, is especially marked by the positive character of its disclosures; and the whole secret of the apostles and their companions was, not to think lowly of Christ — but the intense desire by which they were actuated of exalting Him above all blessing and praise, and showing that in all things, and over all people, whether human or angelic — He had a glorious and exclusive pre-eminence.
There is much that is worthy of our devout contemplation in those representations in which the greatness and dignity of Christ are indirectly set forth. The memorable words of the apostle Paul may be taken as a specimen: “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?” “The all things here mentioned,” it has been remarked, “reach to an overwhelming amount. They include the possessions, advantages, privileges, and blessings of every kind, which can be the cause or means of any real good to the faithful Christian. In another passage the apostle enumerates — the world, life, death, things present, things to come — clearly all that is useful, great, and excellent, in the present state, and to all eternity. Mighty total! Can imagination grasp it? Yet the unutterable donation is represented as small, and scarcely to be considered — in comparison with God’s gift of His Son.
The reasoning is from the greater to the less: and it is put, not as an argument at all precarious — but as a thing the most self-evident and certain. It plainly tells us that the bestowment of the universe would be a lower act of munificence, a less demonstration of the kindness of the Infinite Being — than His having given His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him may not perish — but have eternal life. What then must be the dignity of the Son of God!
I implore the reader to press upon himself the question: What must that person be — of whom this superiority may be assumed? Let Paul’s assertion and argument be taken upon the Socinian or Arian scheme, and how does it appear? Can any reflecting man say that it even approaches the height of this great argument, or yields a sense winch reason can call tolerable?”
Blessed Jesus! let me ever have high thoughts of You, both in Your person and in Your work. A creature-savior would be altogether inadequate to meet my case. But as in You dwell all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, I feel encouraged to apply to You, in the face of all my guilt, and all my manifold necessities; and I would commit, unshrinkingly, the keeping of my soul into Your Almighty hands, feeling assured that the precious deposit will then be in secure custody.