Bulletin Edition July 2021

There are many things that we ask the Lord to give us in prayer. But did you know there is something that we ought to ask from above all things?  “And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves.” Love is “That more excellent way” which we should “Follow after”, or make our aim.  The Scriptures tell us that “Knowledge (only) puffs up, but charity edifieth.” It is not simply the truth that we are to receive, but “The love of the Truth.”  The Lord gives this as the true badge of discipleship.  “By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another.”  Never forget, “For now abideth faith, hope, and charity, these three: but the greatest of these is charity.”   

Todd Nibert

“HE BROUGHT HIM TO  JESUS.”

Don Fortner

John 1:42

Yes, salvation is all of grace. It is the Good Shepherd who goes out to seek his sheep. He finds them. And he brings them home. But according to his infinite wisdom and condescending grace, it is our Lord’s good pleasure to employ men in this heavenly work. Andrew was present when John said, “Behold the Lamb of God!” And Andrew beheld him. Immediately, Andrew went and found Simon, and told him “We have found the Christ,” “And he brought him to Jesus.” Andrew could not give Simon faith. He could not show him Christ’s glory. He could not save him. But there was something he could do – He could tell Simon what he had seen. He could tell Simon about Christ. And he could bring Simon to the place where he might meet Christ for himself. You know the result of Andrew’s effort. Simon was converted and he became the mighty spokesman of the early church.

                Andrew never preached like Peter did. But had it not been for Andrew’s witness to his brother, Peter would never have preached either. Maybe you can’t preach. But you can be an Andrew. Go and tell men what you have experienced, tell them about the Christ of God. Then bring them with you to the place where they are most likely to meet Christ for themselves. Bring others with you to the house of God to hear a man preach the gospel of Christ.

                I cannot believe that a man has tasted the honey of the gospel if he is content to eat it all by himself. Free grace compels a man to be generous. We do not want to bring others to our Lord that they may enjoy his riches with us. You have a tremendous opportunity before you. How many people do you know who are perishing for a lack of knowledge? You have at your disposal tracts, articles, tapes, and your own experience by which you can share the knowledge of Christ and his gospel. Who knows? Maybe God will be pleased to use you to bring another sinner like yourself to a saving knowledge of Christ.

What a glorious prospect! Let it inspire you to begin the work today. Andrew brought Simon to the Savior. Philip brought Nathanael. Who will you bring?

“For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.” 1 Cor. 11:31

Octavius Winslow

Self-condemnation averts God’s condemnation. When a penitent sinner truly, humbly, graciously sits in judgment upon himself, the Lord will never sit in judgment upon him. The penitent publican, who stood afar off, wrapped in the spirit of self-condemnation, retired from His presence a justified man. The proud, self-righteous Pharisee, who marched boldly to the altar and justified himself, went forth from God’s presence a condemned man. When God sees a penitent sinner arraigning, judging, condemning, loathing himself, He exclaims, “I do not condemn you; go and sin no more.” He who judges and condemns himself upon God’s footstool shall be acquitted and absolved from God’s throne. The Lord give unto us this secret spirit of self-judgment. Such was Job’s, when in deep contrition he declared, “I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” Such was David’s, when he penitentially confessed, “Against You, You only have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight.” Such was Peter’s, when he vehemently exclaimed, “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” Such was Isaiah’s, when he plaintively cried, “Woe is me, for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips.” Such was the publican’s, when he humbly prayed, “God be merciful to me a sinner.” Oh lovely posture! Oh sacred spirit of self-abhorrence, of self condemnation! The Holy Spirit works it in the heart, and this stamps it as so precious, so salutary, and so safe. The great day of the Lord will unveil blessings passing all thought, and glories passing all imagination, to the soul who beneath the cross lies prostrate, in the spirit of self-condemnation. The judgment-day of the self-condemning soul is on this side of eternity; while the judgment-day of the self-justifying soul is on the other side of eternity. And oh, how terrible will that judgment be!

“Thou Art The Christ”      

 Matthew 16:16

 We who believe rest our immortal souls upon one thing. We build all our hopes of peace, pardon, and eternal life upon one foundation. We believe that Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph and Mary, who was crucified as a common felon at Jerusalem nearly 2000 years ago, is the Christ, the Messiah, promised by God in all the Old Testament prophets. Peter’s confession is the foundation upon which the whole gospel is built, the foundation upon which the whole church and kingdom of God is built, and the foundation upon which the whole of our faith is built. – “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” With the disciples of old, we confess, “We believe, and are sure, that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God” (John 6:69). How important is this issue?

(1.) If Jesus of Nazareth is not the Christ, the Mesiah, promised in the Old Testament Scriptures, then HE IS NOT THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD! The prophecies of the Old Testament plainly declare that the Messiah, when he appears, though he must be a man of the house and lineage of David (Psa. 132:11; Isa. 11:1), must also be the Son of God (Psa. 45:6-7). To deny the deity of the Lord Jesus is to deny his messiahship. And to deny his messiahship is to deny his deity.

(2.) If Jesus of Nazareth is not the Christ, the Messiah, then HIS OBEDIENCE TO GOD IS OF NO BENEFIT OR MERIT TO ANYONE. Though he was “holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners,” though he perfectly obeyed the law, though he had no sin and knew no sin, if he were only a man,his righteous obedience is nothing more than a good example. It could not be of infinite merit to make us righteous. It is the deity of our Savior that makes his obedience to God as a man meritorious for us.

(3.) If Jesus of Nazareth is not the Christ, then HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS HAS NO SAVING EFFICACY. The blood of one man, however innocent, cannot atone for the sins of many. Only that Man who is himself God can make atonement for and redeem a multitude of lost sinners. He must be man, or he could not suffer and die. But he must be God or he could not satisfy the justice of God.

(4.) If Jesus is not the Messiah, then WE ARE ALL YET IN OUR SINS. We have no hope, no pardon, no righteousness, because we have no Savior!

 Don Fortner

Oh, the atrocity of the sin of a pardoned soul!

(Charles Spurgeon)

“O Lord, we are covered with shame—because we have sinned against You!” Daniel 9:8

A deep sense and clear sight of sin—its heinousness and the punishment which it deserves—should make us lie low before God’s throne. As Christians—we have sinned! Alas! that it should be so. Favored as we have been—we have yet been ungrateful. Privileged beyond most—we have not brought forth fruit in proportion. What Christian is there—who will not blush when he looks back upon his past sins?

As for our days before we were regenerated, may they be forgiven and forgotten; but since then, though we have not sinned as before, yet we have sinned against light and against love—spiritual light which has really penetrated our minds, and the love of Jesus which we have experienced.

Oh, the atrocity of the sin of a pardoned soul! An unpardoned sinner sins cheaply—when compared with the sin of one of God’s redeemed ones, who has had communion with Christ and leaned his head upon Jesus’ bosom.

Look at David! Many will talk of his sin—but I beg you to look at his repentance, and hear his broken bones, as each one of them moans out its dolorous confession! Mark his tears, as they fall upon the ground, and the deep sighs with which he accompanies the softened music of his harp! We have erred—let us, therefore, seek the spirit of penitence.

Look, again, at Peter! We speak much of Peter’s denying his Master. But remember that it is written, “He wept bitterly!” Have we no denials of our Lord to be lamented with tears?

Alas! these sins of ours would consign us to the place of inextinguishable fire—if it were not for God’s sovereign mercy which has made us to differ, snatching us like brands from the burning! My soul, bow down in humility under a sense of your natural sinfulness, and worship your God. Admire . . .

  His grace which saves you;

  His mercy which spares you;

  His love which pardons you!

“In Me Dwelleth No Good Thing!”

Romans 7:18

 Opening my heart’s door, as best I can, entering into its most secret chambers, I see the most foul, abominable, and frightful things imaginable. In my sinful heart of flesh I see every evil thing that man has ever done or imagined against God and his fellow man. I make no exceptions (Matthew 15:19). I see evil thoughts, murderous imaginations, vile adulteries, fornications and perversions, deceit, thefts, lying, and blasphemies.

 Progressive Holiness

Let other men talk of progressively getting more sanctified, holy, and righteous, and less sinful if they dare speak so proudly. As for me, “I know”, by the testimony of Holy Scripture and by painful experience, “that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing!” — “I am carnal, sold under sin!”

Before God saved me, I thought things would be different if ever God was pleased to save me. I knew my sins would not be eradicated. But I did think they would at least be fewer, weaker, and less troublesome. But things are not as I dreamed! I was shocked to wake up one day and realize that I am still just as sinful as ever by nature.

My flesh is still flesh. And it always will be. Until this body of flesh dies, my sin will never die, or even diminish! The outward deeds are not so bad as they once were. But the inward corruptions are worse, far worse.

 Be Honest

I am trying to be honest with you, because I want you to be honest with yourself and with God. Before God saved you, did you ever imagine that a saved person could be so vile as you are? I never thought a saved man could love Christ so little as I do and love the world so much, trust God so little and fret so much, have such a cold heart of indifference to the things of God and such a lively spirit to the things of the world, have such a hard time praying and reading God’s Word, and be so impatient, murmuring, and resentful of God’s providence.

In myself I honestly see nothing good, righteous, or holy. I pray. But my prayers are full of selfish desires. I read God’s Word. But my mind runs to every evil thing. I love Christ. But my love for him is shameful. I trust my God. But my faith is mixed with unbelief.

 Only Hope

This is my confession: I am a sinner, nothing else. I have never done or thought even one truly righteous and holy thing, and never can while in this mortal frame. My only hope is God’s free grace in Christ. My only grounds of acceptance with God is the righteousness and shed blood of Christ, the sinner’s Substitute.

            The only righteousness I have is the righteousness of Christ, his obedience to God as my Substitute. The only atonement I have for all my sin is Christ’s precious blood poured out by the sword of divine justice at Calvary, when he who knew no sin was made sin for me. The only holiness I have is that new man in me created by God in righteousness and true holiness, Christ Jesus.

 Don Fortner

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