Aug 21
9
“Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us
from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar
people, zealous of good works.” Titus 2:14
There is no victory over the indwelling power of sin, and
there is no pardon for the guilt of sin, but as the soul deals
with the blood of Christ. The great end of our dear Lord’s
death was to destroy the works of the devil. Sin is the great
work of Satan. To overcome this, to break its power, subdue
its dominion, repair its ruins, and release from its condemnation,
the blessed Son of God suffered the ignominious death of the
cross. All that bitter agony which He endured, all that mental
suffering, the sorrow of His soul in the garden, the sufferings
of His body on the cross–all was for sin.
See, then, the close and beautiful connection between the death
of Christ–and the death of sin. All true sanctification comes
through the cross! Seek it there. The cross brought into your
soul by the eternal Spirit will be the death of your sins. Go to the
cross! Oh, go to the cross of Jesus! In simplicity of faith, go with
the strong corruption; go with the burden of guilt; go to the cross!
You will find nothing but love there, nothing but welcome there,
nothing but purity there. The precious blood of Jesus “cleanses us
from all sin.” And while you are kept low beneath the cross, your
enemy dares not approach you, sin shall not have dominion over
you, nor shall Satan, your accuser, condemn you!
Octavius Winslow
Holding Forth The Word Of Life
Philippians 2:16
“Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.”
How many times have you heard someone say, “I don’t read the Bible because I don’t understand it, and since I don’t understand it, very quickly I lose interest in it.”
There was once a young lady that began reading a novel and after a chapter or two, she found the book dull, and losing interest, she placed the book upon her shelf. Later she met a young man, and when the relationship became more serious, she discovered that he was an author. The title of one of his novels sounded very familiar, and sure enough, it was the same book in which she had lost interest. She immediately began reading the book again, and this time she couldn’t put the book down. She didn’t stop reading the book until she had finished.
What made the difference in this young lady’s attitude toward the same book? She now was fascinated in the book because she had affection for and interest in the author. To some, the Word of God, the Bible, may be nothing but fables, dull and confusing. But to the one who personally knows the Author, the Book of life becomes fascinating to them, and they rejoice in the words of the One who wrote it. ~David Eddmenson
A union which will last forever!
(John MacDuff, “The Christian’s Pathway” 1858″)
“My Beloved is mine — and I am His!” Song of Songs 2:14
This is the language of the Christian in the book of Canticles. How great is the blessedness involved in such an assurance! My beloved Jesus is mine . . .
in the dignity of His person;
in the suitability of His offices;
in the immensity of His love;
in the efficacy of His atonement;
in the riches of His abounding grace!
His righteousness is mine — to justify me,
His Spirit is mine — to sanctify me,
His power is mine — to defend me,
His wisdom is mine — to guide me, and
His Heaven is mine — to receive me!
And what does Christ say to the believer in return?
“I am yours — and all that I have is yours! I have boundless and unsearchable riches — and those riches are for you! I have happiness to bestow, such as the mind in its largest grasp has never been able to conceive — and that happiness is for you! I have crowns and scepters at My disposal — and all those honors are for you! Yes, to him who overcomes, I will grant to sit with Me on My glorious throne!”
The Christian’s exaltation and bliss is not a matter of doubtful disputation. And what makes it so certain? It is the blessed truth that the union which exists between him and Christ — is an indissoluble union! All other relations, however close and endearing, must be broken. That union of husband and wife; and soul and body — has no power to resist the assault of death, the great destroyer.
All earthly ties must then be severed. But death, which breaks every other bond — only strengthens the bond between the Christian and Christ! Death, which quenches every other love — only kindles that of the believer for Jesus, into a purer and intenser flame! Death, which snatches every other object from our grasp — only brings us to the full enjoyment of Him, who is the fountain of life, the great center and source of all blessedness.
Christian, rejoice in your union with Jesus!
The changes of time cannot touch it!
The storms of life cannot injure it!
The sword of persecution cannot sever it!
The damps of death cannot affect it!
The malice of hell cannot move it!
It is a union which will last forever! It follows, therefore, that you, if a partaker of it — will be rich forever, safe forever, dignified forever, and blessed forever!
Wash me, gracious Lord!
(John MacDuff, “Evening Incense” 1856)
O my God, I desire to approach the footstool of Your throne of grace. Glory be to Your holy name that I can enjoy freedom of access into Your presence, and with the confidence of Your child, unburden and unbosom to You . . .
all my needs and sins,
all my sorrows and infirmities,
all my perplexities and cares.
Lord, how unworthy I am of the least of all Your mercies! What righteous cause have You to cut me down as a cumberer of the ground. How cold my love, how infrequent my prayers! How full is my heart, of pride and vain-glory, self and sin! How little have I habitually realized Your nearness, and sought Your favor as my chief good! There is enough of coldness and formality in my best approaches to Your footstool, to lead You in Your wrath to spurn me forever away!
Let me see all my sin in the light of Calvary’s cross!
I cast myself as a worthless unworthy sinner, at the feet of Jesus. I need daily, hourly washing at that fountain which He has opened for sin and for uncleanness. Wash me, gracious Lord—fully, freely, and forever! Let me know the blessedness of “no condemnation.” I come with all the great burden of my great guilt—to my great Savior! I seek to bring the unrighteousness of an unworthy creature, to the infinite righteousness and everlasting faithfulness of my loving Redeemer.
You have borne with all my obstinacy, all my perverseness, and waywardness, and ingratitude. I am at this hour, the monument of a divine love—as wondrous, as it is undeserved.
Where would I have been, blessed Jesus—but for You!
All that I am, and all I have—I owe to Your free, sovereign, unmerited grace!
Whom have I in Heaven but You—and there is none in all the earth I desire besides You. You alone can fill up the aching voids of my heart. In vain can I look to a transient world, or to the perishable creature—for solid peace and permanent enjoyment. You are the only refuge for my sin-stricken, woe-worn spirit.
I rejoice in the inexhaustible riches treasured up in You—that Your fullness is adequate to supply all my necessities; and out of that fullness I may still continue receiving, and that forever and ever!
“The Blood Of The Everlasting Covenant”
Hebrews 13:20
The force of a testament, or covenant, is the death of the testator (Heb. 9:16-17). Even so, with regard to the everlasting covenant, its benefits and blessings flow to chosen sinners only upon the condition of Christ’s death as our Substitute. This was the ultimate stipulation of the covenant. But once fulfilled, the covenant was ratified by blood and its blessings cannot, upon any grounds, be withheld from those whose names are written in the book of life from eternity. I see a fivefold connection between the shed blood of Christ and the covenant of grace.
1. WITH REGARD TO GOD THE SON, the shedding of his blood fulfilled everything the Father required and everything the Son agreed to for the salvation of his people. At the close of his earthly life the Son of God had finished the work of establishing a righteousness to be imputed to us (John 17:4). When he died at Calvary, our Substitute, by the sacrifice of himself, finished the work of atonement and satisfaction (John 19:30).
2. WITH REGARD TO GOD THE FATHER, the shed blood of his darling Son puts the Almighty under obligation, inescapable obligation, to save all the redeemed,pardon all the ransomed, and give grace and glory to all for whom atonement was made. Both the oath of God (Heb. 6:17-18) and the justice of God (Rom. 3:24-26) compel him to save every soul for whom Christ shed his blood.
3. WITH REGARD TO GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT, the blood of Christ is that which he sprinkles and effectually applies to the hearts of chosen sinners in effectual calling (Heb. 9:12-14), by which he proclaims peace.
4. WITH REGARD TO BELIEVERS, the sin-atoning blood of the Lord Jesus Christ is the solitary ground of peace and assurance before God. His blood is God’s token to us for good (Rom. 8:32).
“His oath, His covenant and His blood
Support me in the whelming flood!”
5. WITH REGARD TO GUILTY SINNERS, the shed blood of Jesus Christ, the sinner’s Substitute, is the only way of access to God (Heb. 10:22). But it is a sure way of access to him! Come to God through the blood and he cannot refuse you!
Don Fortner
This alone is the vexed soul’s refuge!
(Horatius Bonar, 1808-1889)
“In Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge!” Colossians 2:3
The one true resting-place where doubt and weariness, the stings of a pricking conscience, and the longings of an unsatisfied soul would all be quieted—is Christ Himself!
Not the church, but Christ.
Not doctrine, but Christ.
Not religious forms and ceremonies, but Christ.
Christ the God-man . . .
giving His life for ours,
sealing the everlasting covenant, and
making peace for us through the blood of His cross!
Christ the divine storehouse of all light and truth, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge!
Christ the infinite vessel—the enlightener, the teacher, the quickener, the comforter—so that out of His fullness we may receive grace upon grace.
This, this alone is the vexed soul’s refuge, its rock to build on, its home to abide in—until the great tempter is bound and every conflict ended in victory.
“The iniquity of the holy things.” Exodus 28:38
C.H.Spurgeon
What a veil is lifted up by these words—and what a disclosure is made! It will be humbling and profitable for us to pause awhile, and see this sad sight. The iniquities of our public worship—its hypocrisy, formality, lukewarmness, irreverence, wandering of heart and forgetfulness of God—what a full measure have we there! The iniquities of our work for the Lord—its ambition, selfishness, carelessness, slackness, unbelief—what a mass of defilement is there! Our private devotions—their laxity, coldness, neglect, sleepiness, and vanity—what a mountain of dead earth is there! If we looked more carefully—we would find this iniquity of the holy things, to be far greater than appears at first sight.
Payson, writing to his brother, says, “My parish, as well as my heart, very much resembles the garden of the sluggard; and what is worse, I find that very many of my desires for the improvement of both, proceed either from pride or vanity or indolence. I look at the weeds which overspread my garden, and breathe out an earnest wish that they were eradicated. But why? What prompts the wish? It may be that I may walk out and say to myself, ‘In what fine order is my garden kept!’ This is pride. Or, it may be that my neighbors may look over the wall and say, ‘How finely your garden flourishes!’ This is vanity. Or I may wish for the destruction of the weeds, because I am weary of pulling them up. This is indolence.”
Even our desires after holiness—may be polluted by ill motives. Under the greenest sods—worms hide themselves; we need not look long to discover them. How cheering is the thought, that when the High Priest bore the iniquity of the holy things he wore upon his brow the words, “Holiness to the Lord!” Just so, while Jesus bears our sin, He presents before His Father’s face, not our unholiness—but His own holiness. O for grace to view our great High Priest by the eye of faith!