Mar 19
10
“Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the
LORD filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter into the
tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory
of the LORD filled the tabernacle.” Exodus 40:34-35.
The glory of the Lord God is that which distinguishes Him from all
others and all else. It is said of Him in Holy Writ “Who is like unto
Thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like Thee, glorious in holiness,
fearful in praises, doing wonders?” As there was no room for Moses in
the tabernacle because it was filled with God’s glory, there is no place
for man or the works of the law in the gospel of God’s grace or in the
salvation of the elect. The glory and wonder of God’s grace fills the
Lord Jesus Christ – “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,
(and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the
Father,)full of grace and truth” John 1:14. This simple guide to
distinguish truth from error is perpetual and can never be wrong – ‘That
which gives God and His Son all the glory is the truth and that which
does not is a lie’. The message that is filled with Christ is full of
the glory of God and there is no room for anything else. The message
that enthrones man, his works and freewill leaves no room for Christ.
Man is unable to enter into the glorious work of God in Christ. There is
just no room! All the glorious virtues and attributes of God in Christ
permeate every aspect of the purpose of God in the redemption of
sinners. The Lord Jesus Christ is glorious, His righteousness is
glorious, His sacrificial death is glorious, His accomplishment is
glorious, and His position now as our Sovereign Great High Priest is
glorious in Holiness. My friend, if you have a problem with the message
that renders all the glory to God, your problem is with God and is far
greater than you can imagine. Tommy Robbins
“YE ARE COMPLETE IN HIM”
Colossians 2:10
The believers standing in Christ does not fluctuate with his feelings,
not even the increase or decrease of his faith or understanding or
anything else. He stands complete in Christ. God would never trust any
of His children to stand before him at anytime in their own selves –
that is, in their merits or certain good frames of mind. He knows our
frame. He remembers that we are yet dust. Therefore, He has on purpose
provided for them this perfect standing in Christ Jesus. “Ye are
complete in Him,” the Holy Ghost said. He says in another place, “Ye are
perfect in Christ Jesus,” (Col. 1:28.) The very nature of our God
requires us to be perfect and complete before Him at all times. He, out
of necessity, therefore provided all this for His children: a
perfection, a completeness, which can never be diminished. It is as
unchanging as God himself, (Hebrews 6:17; 13:8). Every true believer may
walk through this world in perfect liberty, free from anything and
everything – yes, even his sin, fear of condemnation, and all else that
would cause him to doubt of his completeness. He may freely come to God,
worship Him, call Him “Father,” and this he may do at all times with the
utmost confidence and thankfulness, because in Christ he stands, first
and foremost and always, complete before God. “O thanks be to God for
Jesus Christ.
By Bruce Crabtree
Washed or Whitewashed
Satan’s master plan is to get man religious without Christ. He would
rather you be WHITEWASHED than WASHED WHITE in the blood of the Lamb.
White washing will not save! I must be washed white in the BLOOD OF CHRIST.
Don Bell
HOW IS A SINNER SAVED?
How is a sinner saved? The apostle Paul very plainly tells us how! In
Ephesians 2:8 he said, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and
that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” Salvation is a work of
God’s grace. It was God’s grace that chose the sinner before the
foundation of the world. It was God’s grace that sent Christ in due time
to die on the cross as a substitute for all of His chosen people. And it
is God’s grace that sends His Holy Spirit to each one of those
particular people with the gift of faith. Faith believes totally on
Christ. Faith believes His Word. Faith causes sinners to believe that
The Father did all of the choosing in salvation, and The Son did all of
the redeeming work in salvation. Faith causes sinners to cry: “It is not
of ourselves… it is of Christ alone!” A truly saved sinner will know
that he cannot take any credit for any part of his salvation, not even
for the faith that believes. Even that is “the gift of God”. Pastor Gabe
Stalnaker
Law or Grace — You Cannot Have Both!
Galatians 5:4
Most religious people attempt to mix man’s works of obedience to the law
with God’s works of grace for sinners, making salvation a mixture of
works and grace. Fallen men have been attempting to mix law and grace
since the days of Cain and Abel. Very few are the blasphemers who openly
assert, “Salvation is by works;” but almost everyone believes it. When
salvation by God’s free grace alone is plainly declared, lost
religionists cling to and defend their works, denouncing the one who
dares to affirm that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone,
in Christ alone as a promoter of licentiousness and a vile antinomian,
Yet, the truth must be declared in plain, unmistakable terms.
Mutually Exclusive
Grace and works are mutually exclusive. They annihilate one another. If
we are saved by our own works in any way, to any degree, in whole or in
part, then we are not saved by the grace of God. If we are saved by the
grace of God alone, then we are not saved by our own works of obedience
to the law of God (Romans 11:6). The doctrine of Holy Scripture is
unmistakable. — The whole work of salvation (election, redemption,
regeneration, sanctification, preservation and glorification) is by the
grace of God alone (Romans 8:28-30; 2 Timothy 1:9; Ephesians 2:8-9}.
Heretical Doctrine
All churches, religions and systems of doctrine which teach salvation by
the works of the law are heretical. I mean to be understood. I am saying
that any teaching that says sinners are justified, given favor with God,
sanctified, preserved, or shall inherit the reward of heavenly glory
upon the basis of their own personal obedience to the law of God is
legalism, anti-christ and damning to all who receive it (Galatians 5:1-4).
Sanctification Too
This gospel doctrine of salvation by grace alone does, most certainly,
extend even to the believer’s sanctification in Christ. To be sanctified
is to be set apart by God for holy service, declared to be holy and
actually made holy. If, as all agree, sanctification is that without
which no man shall see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14), then sanctification can
no more be a matter of works than justification. That is precisely what
the Word of God declares. The Bible nowhere presents sanctification as a
conditional thing, depending upon the believer’s works. Like every other
aspect of salvation, sanctification is an unconditional work of grace,
performed for us and in us by the triune God (Jude 1, Hebrews 10:10; 2
Thessalonians 2:13). — “By grace ye are saved!” — “Salvation is of the
Lord!”
Don Fortner
THE CONSTRAINING LOVE OF CHRIST
2 Corinthians 5: 14: For the love of Christ constraineth us;
When it came to believing and preaching Christ, some accused the apostle
Paul of being beside himself. Others accused him of being too serious.
But by the Holy Spirit of God, he answered, “Whether we be beside
ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause.
For the love of Christ constraineth us” (2Co 5:13-14). The love of
Christ toward his people constrains every believer to do all that we do
for God and for our brethren.
We see Christ’s love for God his Father and his brethren on the cross.
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for
his friends” (Jn 15:13). The greatest love of all is the love of Christ
manifest when he laid down his life to declare God the Father the
Justifier of his elect while justifying his people. Christ’s love is the
love of the law that he declared to be the fulfillment of the law! When
this love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, Christ
constrains his redeemed to believe on him and to love our brethren for
whom Christ redeemed by his precious blood. Faith in Christ and love
toward our brethren is lived out as we, the church and body of Christ
who he has fitly framed together, assemble ourselves together under the
preaching of Christ crucified. In love to our brethren we do for one
another whatever our Head enables us to do so that our brethren can
focus on Christ rather than the trials of life which are so distracting.
At the same time, in faith to our Lord, we trust our brethren to their
own Master, knowing that Christ alone is able to make them stand and
shall make them stand (Rom 14: 4).
Does the love of Christ really accomplish this in his people? Did
Christ’s love for Paul really make him forsake will-works religion and
publicly identify himself with the church of our Redeemer? Did the love
of Christ really constrain Paul to never forsake assembling together
with his brethren under the preaching of the gospel? Did Christ’s love
really constrain Paul to hazard his own life as he preached the
unsearchable riches of Christ? This is not a theory to those Christ has
united. It is not merely a doctrine to those in whom Christ dwells. This
is a sure and certain reality that Christ’s sanctified people experience
from the first hour he calls us to the last. “Whosoever believeth that
Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that
begat loveth him also that is begotten of him” (1 Jn 5:1) Christ’s great
love for us really constrains his people to persevere in faith and love,
“endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph
4:3).
Let folks say we are crazy or let them say we are too serious. We say
with Paul “the love of Christ constraineth us!”
Clay Curtis.