Apr 11
24
The sacrifice under the old covenant on the Day of Atonement was a type. A type means it was “as if” the sins of the people were put on the goat. A shadow means God treated the goat “as if” he were sin. A picture means God regarded the sacrifice “as if” sin had been put away. But because it all was only “as if”, the entire picture had to be played out again next year because it was impossible for the picture to actually do what it pictured (Hebrews 10: 1-18.)
The book of Hebrews is the declaration that Christ is the express image of that typified in the shadow (Heb 1: 3; 10: 1.) Animals were not in man’s nature but Christ was made the express nature of the children of Abraham when he was made of a woman (Heb 2: 16; Gal 4: 4). Bulls and goats in shadow and type came under the law but Christ was expressly made under the law. (Gal 4: 4). Bulls and goats had sin laid on them metaphorically, but the LORD himself hath expressly laid on Christ in his own body the iniquity of all his elect people. (Heb 10: 4-10; 1 Pet 2: 24; Is 53: 6, 11-12; 2 Cor 5: 21.) The blood of goats made atonement in a ceremonial way, but Christ blood has expressly made eternal satisfaction (Heb 7: 19; 9: 26; 10: 12-14). The blood of bulls and goats purified the flesh in a shadowy ceremonial way, but Christ’s blood expressly purges the conscious from dead works to serve the true and living God so that there is expressly no more conscious of sins in the believer (Heb 9: 13-14; 10: 1-4.) “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation” (Heb 9:28.)
After that we have heard the truth, let us not traduce this amazing “mystery” to be nothing more than the “as if” of the shadow lest we “tread underfoot the Son of God and count the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing, and hath done despite the Spirit of grace.” (Hebrews 10: 29.).
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Lumps of animated dust?
From Spurgeon’s, “DISTINGUISHING GRACE”
“For who makes you to differ from another?”
1 Corinthians 4:7.
PRIDE is the inherent sin of man,
and yet it is of all sins the most foolish.
A thousand arguments might be used to show its absurdity;
but none of these would be sufficient to quench its vitality.
Alive it is in the heart, and there it will be, till we die
to this world, and rise again without spot or blemish.
What are we, after all, but as grasshoppers in his sight,
as drops of the bucket, as lumps of animated dust!
We are but the infants of a day, when we are most old;
we are but the insects of an hour, when we are most strong;
we are but the wild donkey’s colt, when we are most wise,
we are but as folly and vanity, when we are most excellent –
let that tend to humble us.
But surely if this does not prevail to clip the pinions of
our high soaring pride, the Christian man may at least bind
its wings with arguments derived from the “distinguishing love and peculiar mercies of God”.
“Who makes you to differ from another?” –This question
should be like a dagger put to the throat of our boasting!
” And what do you have that you did not receive?” –This question should be like a sword thrust through the heart of our self-exaltation and pride!
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THE DISTINGUISHING GRACE OF GOD
by Don Fortner
“ For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?” 1 Cor. 4:7
The only difference between the believer and the unbeliever, between the righteous and the wicked, between the seed of Christ and the seed of the serpent, is the difference which grace has made. This we must acknowledge. “By the grace of God I am what I am!” God’s grace is always particular, distinctive, and distinguishing. Those who are saved are distinguished from those who are lost by five acts of grace.
1. The first distinguishing act of God’s grace is his ETERNAL ELECTION. If you can, with the eye of faith, trace every spiritual blessing that you now enjoy, and those which you hope to enjoy, back to the place of their original source, the place of their origin would be spelled “E L E C T I O N” (Eph. 1:3-4; II Thess. 2:13; Jer. 1:4; 31:3).
2. The second act of grace by which God has distinguished his elect from the rest of mankind is EFFECTUAL REDEMPTION. By his precious blood, poured out unto death upon the cross, the Lord Jesus Christ has effectually ransomed God’s elect from the hands of divine justice, by satisfying the claims of justice against us (Isa. 53:8-11; Gal. 3:13; Heb. 9:12).
3. The third act of grace by which the Lord has distinguished us from the rest of the world is his ADORABLE PROVIDENCE. Our God governs all the affairs of this world. And he has governed all the affairs and circumstances of our lives to bring us to the place where we now are, and to eternal glory in Christ (Matt. 10:29-31; Rom. 8:28).
4. The fourth act of grace by which we are distinguished from all other men is GOD’S SOVEREIGN WORK OF REGENERATION. The only thing that makes you different from any other being on this planet, if you are born again, is the fact that God has saved you. He gave you life and faith in Christ by the irresistible power of his Spirit (Eph. 2:1-10).
5. The fifth act of grace by which God distinguishes his elect from the unbelieving is his MERCIFUL PRESERVATION. The only thing that keeps us in grace is grace itself. The only thing that holds us to Christ is Christ himself (Jer. 32:38-40).
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The great secret of vital godliness the great secret of vital godliness is to be nothing—that Christ may be all in all. Every stripping, sifting, and emptying—every trial, exercise and temptation that the soul passes through, has but one object—to beat out of man’s heart that cursed spirit of independence which the devil breathed into him when he said, “You shall be as gods”. A man must well near be bled to death before this venom can be drained out of his veins!
J.C Philpot
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Our refuge!
“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation—my stronghold.” Psalm 18:2. On every side are hosts of enemies ever invading our souls—trampling down every good thing in our hearts—accompanied by a flying troop of temptations, doubts, fears, guilt and bondage sweeping over our soul. And we, as regards our own strength, are helpless against them. But there is a refuge set before us in the gospel of the grace of God. The Lord Jesus Christ, as King in Zion, is there held up before our eyes as . . . the Rock of our refuge, our strong Tower, our impregnable Fortress; and we are encouraged by every precious promise and every gospel invitation when we are overrun and distressed by these wandering, ravaging, plundering tribes—to flee unto and find a safe refuge in Him.
J.C. Philpot
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“Keep me safe, O God, for in You I take refuge.” Psalm 16:1
“O Lord my God, I take refuge in You; save and deliver me from all who pursue me.” Psalm 7:1
Our only preservation Our only preservation against the winds of error which are blowing on every side—our only safety amid the perils and evils which daily beset us from without or from within—is a personal, experimental knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus!
Grievously wounded in the spiritual battle
“A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not snuff out.” Matthew 12:20. Never deal too harshly with those who, in some unguarded, unsuspected moment, have fallen out of the ranks, or by their own folly or cowardice have been grievously wounded in the spiritual battle.
John MacDuff
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His children began to hiss!
Since I last wrote, I have preached in Abingdon Great Church, on Christmas evening. I preached the truth, I trust, to a very crowded congregation, supposed to be (sitting and standing, who were able to get in) about 5,000 people. I pleased the believers; but very much displeased the carnally-minded, who were never before so puzzled and confounded in all their lives! I spoke the truth faithfully, and so as all could hear; but I had no idea that the gospel would have given so much offence! It is the truth that offends and disturbs Satan’s kingdom! The neighboring clergymen, who are in darkness, say of me, “Away with such a fellow from the earth; it is not fit that he should live! “My mind is not moved by the persecution. I believe if God has a work for me to do, I shall do it, in spite of the devil and all his children!
Nature is not changed, the gospel is not changed, and Christ is not changed. What reason is there why they should not hate the truth now, as much as in the time of the apostles? I never saw any fruits of my labors until I roused and disturbed the ‘roaring lion’. When, through the grace of God, I began to disturb his kingdom, I soon found that his children began to hiss! The world and Satan hate believers. The Pharisees hate me the most. I cut off all their rotten props, and all their fleshly devotion!
It is not coming near to the truth, it is not the ‘mere letter’ of the gospel, that will convert men; but the Holy Spirit. Make the Word of God your study. Pin your faith to no man’s views! I scarcely read any other book. Beware of those who want to exalt man in any manner.
William Tiptaft
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Shame on you—O silly heart!
“What makes you better than anyone else? What do you have—that God hasn’t given you? And if all you have is from God—why boast as though you have accomplished something on your own?” 1 Corinthians 4:7
Christian! By nature—you are no better than others! What would you be—without the continual influence of the Spirit? O believer, whatever you are—you have nothing to make you proud. The more you have—the more you are in debt to God—and should you be proud of that which renders you a debtor?
Consider your origin—look back to what you were. “Once you were dead, doomed forever because of your many sins!” Ephesians 2:1. Consider what you would have been—but for divine grace!
It is only God’s grace—which has made you to differ! Great believer—you would have been a great sinner—if God had not made you to differ! O you who are valiant for truth—you would have been as valiant for error—if grace had not laid hold upon you!
Therefore, do not be proud, though you have a wide domain of grace—for once, you had not a single thing to call your own—except your sin and misery!
Oh! strange infatuation, that you—who have borrowed everything, should think of exalting yourself! How foolish—that you—a poor dependent pensioner upon the bounty of your Savior—are yet proud! Shame on you—O silly heart!
Charles Spurgeon.
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As each part does its work
“From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” Eph. 4:16
In a gigantic piece of machinery the small wheels have their place and purpose as well as the large ones. God gives His weak ones work to do, for which even His strong ones are unequal.-
John MacDuff