Aug 25
17
So obvious to the believer in the Lord Jesus is the presence of the old man within and therefore his own doubts concerning his sincerity to Christ, that the finds himself continually flying back to Christ Jesus, his only Hope of security, assurance and comfort. While the natural man finds false peace in his own works of self-righteousness, the vessel of God’s mercy is given faith to believe the word of the Lord, “All the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that come to Me I will no wise cast out” John 6:37.
Pastor Marvin Stalnaker
“Jesus is the Christ”
John 20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
We believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, the Messiah, promised by God in all the Old Testament prophets. Peter’s confession, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16), is the basis of all true Christianity, the foundation upon which the church of God is built, and vital revelation of the gospel of God. If Jesus of Nazareth is not the Christ, the Messiah promised in the Old Testament Scriptures, then…
· He is not the Son of God.
· His obedience to God is of no benefit to us.
· His birth is of no greater importance than the birth of any other great and noble man.
· His death upon the cross has no saving virtue.
· And we are yet in our sins.
Peter said, “We believe and are sure that thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (John 6:69). Can you say the same? Are you really sure? There have been many others who have claimed to be Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God, the Saviour of the world. Perhaps it would be good for us to ask of Jesus of Nazareth what John the Baptist asked of him — “Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?” (Matthew 11:3). How can we know that Jesus is the Christ?
The man Gabriel appeared to Daniel, assuring him of the coming of Christ and of our Savior’s great accomplishments as our Saviour at God’s appointed time (Daniel 9:20-24). By the accomplishment of these six great feats of grace, “Messiah the Prince” is identified. He who accomplished these things is the Christ, the Son of God, our Savior.
Transgression Finished
First, Gabriel told Daniel that when the Christ appeared, he would, by the sacrifice of himself, “finish the transgression.” That is precisely what our blessed Saviour did when our transgressions were laid on him and borne by him, and he carried them all away in the stream of his precious blood when he made satisfaction for us. They shall never be seen or brought up again!
Sins End
Second, the Lord Jesus came here in our flesh to “make an end of sins.” Yes, our blessed Saviour abolished the sins of his people forever when he paid to the full the price of our ransom, by the sacrifice of himself! — He made an end of all the sins of all his redeemed forever (1 John 3:5; Psalm 32:1; Romans 4:8; Numbers 23:21, 23). No charge can be brought against us. No, the curse of the law cannot reach us. No sentence of the law can be executed upon us. No punishment can be inflicted upon us. We are entirely and completely saved from all our sins and all the evil consequences of them forever!
Reconciliation for Iniquity
Third, the Son of God came into the world to save his people from their sins by making “reconciliation for iniquity,” by making blood atonement for it. By his precious blood, by the sacrifice of himself, by his sufferings and death, the law and justice of God were fully satisfied; full reparation was made for the injury done by sin (2 Corinthians 5:17-21). For all our iniquities, our dear Savior has made complete reconciliation!
Everlasting Righteousness
Fourth, our dear Saviour came here “to bring in everlasting righteousness” for his elect, righteousness by which he magnified the law and made it honourable. He brought in this perfect righteousness for us by his perfect life of obedience to the law and will of God as our Representative, even his obedience unto death as our covenant Surety and Substitute. This is the righteousness he bestows upon his redeemed, the righteousness we have received by faith in him, that everlasting righteousness in which we stand and shall forever stand before the holy Lord God in the perfection of beauty! This righteousness is a robe of righteousness that will never wear out. Its virtue to justify will continue forever. It is perfect righteousness, the very righteousness of God; and it is ours in Christ Jesus!
Seal Up the Vision
Fifth, by his obedience unto death and his resurrection from the dead, our Lord Jesus Christ “sealed up the vision and prophecy.” That is to say, he fulfilled it all — All the Law — All the Prophets — All the Types — All the Promises — All the Old Testament!
Anoint the Most Holy
Sixth, Christ came here “to anoint the most holy.” Christ’s ransomed ones, God’s elect, his church (poor, ruined, wretched sinners like you and me), are here called “the most holy.” — Imagine that! Washed in the blood of Christ, clothed with his righteousness, and sanctified by his Spirit, we are in union with the Lamb of God, “the most Holy!”
“With His spotless garments on,
Holy as the Holy One!”
Rejoice, O my soul, rejoice, and give praise to God forever! — “We believe and are sure that thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God!” Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph and Mary, who was crucified at Jerusalem two thousand years ago, is indeed the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Don Fortner
FINAL REST AND BEATIFIC PRESENCE
John MacDuff
“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. 5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No.
John 21:4-5
Weary and burdened with new apprehensions and desponding thoughts were these pilgrims of Galilee. Even Peter, despite of former protestations, now chafing under deferred and disappointed hope, seems to say, “I can wait on no longer; I shall resume the old daily occupation I had readily surrendered for a nobler, diviner mission. I am going fishing.” And the others followed suit. It was a night of unremunerated toil. When their boat was drawing near to the western shore, a Figure stood out in the tender mystery of the dawn–the dim morning light that was breaking over the hills of Naphtali. At first the jaded toilers knew Him not. The very tones of His voice seemed unfamiliar, even though the well-known greeting, “Children,” reached their ears. But the Bidder of welcome was in due time recognised. The word passed from lip to lip, “It is the Lord!” A meal was ready spread on the shore; while a miraculous draught corroborated their surmises, and crowned the unrecompensed labor of “a night on the deep.” The net was dragged ashore with its encumbering load, and the Lord of love was once more surrounded with loving hearts. It was parable and miracle in one.
After our night, too, on the world’s sea of trial, life’s varied and chequered appointments, there is to be a blessed day-dawn for all those that “love His appearing.” In the morning of immortality, Jesus will meet us on the heavenly, as He did His disciples on the earthly shore, with the same gracious welcome. The prize which strewed the margin of the Lake of Galilee will have its emblematic counterpart in the recompense for faithful, though in the case of some it may be fruitless, labour. As with the miraculous draught, then at least nothing will be lost, nothing lacking in the final gathering–no baffled hopes, or frustrated toil, or impeded work. “And for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.”
In His own beatific Presence, too, the feast will be spread. That Presence and Love will consecrate and glorify the banquet–this not for a fleeting hour, but for eternity. Paul, in his great eighth chapter of Romans, ascends to the highest Hospice built on this side of heaven; and reaching these serene heights, where the toiling pilgrim breathes the air of the everlasting hills, he exclaims–“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” In that “morning without clouds” will the challenge attain its highest meaning and significance.
Lord Jesus, Giver of Rest and Peace, let me hear Your voice even now on the celestial shore, saying, “Come unto Me, you weary ones, and I will refresh you.” Let me see in their spiritual symbolism (it may be yet dimly discernible) the lighted coal-fire, the fish laid thereon, and bread. Let the thought of that glad morning reconcile to all present experiences–storms, and buffetings, and night-watchings. Let the restful lullaby close alike this meditation and our volume– “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”
“What time I am awake I am still with You.”
“This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing.” Isaiah 28:12
“The night is over, the
sleep is slept,
They are called from the shadowy place;
The Pilgrims stand in the glorious land,
And gaze on the Master’s face.”
Blessed be the Lord, that hath given REST unto His people Israel, according to all that He promised: there has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised by the hand of Moses His servant. (1 Kings 8:56.)
It was Jesus who cried to them, “Children, have you any meat?” It was he who said, “Bring of the fish which you have now caught.” It is he who gives the invitation, “Come and break your fast.” Jesus is Master of the feast. He condescends to the feast. Is it not wonderful that the Holy Lord should have communion with his faulty followers? Yet he will breakfast with us – with us who doubted him, as Thomas did; with us who denied him, as Peter did; with us who forsook him and fled, as all the rest did. He, always sinless, was now without physical necessities. He had risen from the dead, and he did not need to eat, yet did he still have familiar fellowship with sinful man. On one occasion he ate a piece of a broiled fish and of a honeycomb; and I suppose that on this occasion he also ate with them; for one does not ask others to come and dine, and then himself refrain from eating. He communed with them by that bread and by that fish. It was wonderful condescension. But will the Lord still come and commune with us? Will he, “without whom was not anything made that was made,” have fellowship with a sinful mortal like me? Take comfort, you who are conscious of sin, from the fact that his last near companion here below was a thief, and the first that passed the pearly portal with him and entered into his kingdom, was that self-same justly executed one. Come along with you, you child of God, conscious of your gross unworthiness; come, for he invites you now to feast with himself. This shall be your nourishment, not alone the food which he prepares for you, as his own company.
C.H.Spurgeon
“But my God shall
supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:19
For all the exigencies of the Christian journey God has amply
provided. The Lord Jesus being the believer’s “way,” all nourishment
for the pilgrimage of the saints is laid up in Him. All supply of wisdom for
the perplexing way, of strength for the wearisome way, of grace for the
perilous way, of sympathy for the trying way, is in Jesus. In Him has the
Father laid up the provision for the wilderness journey. And what storehouses
of nourishment–both testifying of Jesus–are the word of God and the covenant of
grace! How full, how rich and ample the supply! All the soul-establishing
doctrines, all the sanctifying precepts, and all the precious, comforting
promises go to make up the nourishment for the wilderness journey. Sometimes
the Lord brings us into the very heart of the wilderness, just to prove to us
how easily and how readily He can provide a table for us even there. And when
all other resources are exhausted, and all supply is cut off, and every spring
of water is dried up, lo! He opens the eye of our faith to see what His heart
of love has prepared.
Are you, dear reader, sitting down to weep like Hagar, or to die
like Elijah, in the wilderness–desolate, weary, and exhausted? Oh, see what
appropriate and ample nourishment your God and Father has provided for you. The
Angel of the covenant touches you with the right hand of His love, and bids you
rise and eat and drink, yes, to “drink abundantly.” In the glorious
gospel are “all manner of pleasant fruits, new and old,” which the
Lord has laid up for His people. “Go your way, eat your bread with joy,
and drink your wine with a merry heart,” for all this storehouse of
nourishment, this table of provision, is for you. All the love that is in God’s
heart, all the grace that is in the Saviour’s nature, all the comfort that is
in the Spirit’s tenderness, all the sanctifying truths, free invitations, and
precious promises which cluster in the Gospel of Christ, all are yours–the
sacred nourishment provided for the your journey to the mount of God. Listen to
the voice of Jesus, saying to you, as of old, “Come and dine.”
Octavius Winslow
Such a
dead dog as me!
(C.H.Spurgeon)
“And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou
shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am!“2
Samuel 9:8
If Mephibosheth was thus humbled by David’s kindness-then what
should we be in the presence of our gracious Lord?
The more grace we have-the less we shall think of ourselves; for
grace, like light, reveals our sinfulness.
Eminent saints have scarcely known what to compare themselves
to, as their sense of unworthiness has been so clear and keen. “I
am,” says holy Rutherford, “a dry and withered branch, a piece of
dead carcass, dry bones.” In another place he writes, “I am
essentially no different than Judas and Cain.”
The basest objects in nature appear to the eminent Christian, to
be better than himself, because they have never contracted sin. A dog may
be greedy, fierce or filthy-but it has no conscience to violate and no Holy
Spirit to resist. A dog may be a worthless animal, and yet by a little kindness
it is soon won to love its master, and is faithful unto death. But we often
forget the goodness of the Lord, and follow Him poorly.
The term “dead dog” is the most expressive of all
terms of contempt-but it is none too strong to express the self-abhorrence of
eminent believers. They do not affect mock modesty; they mean what they say;
they have weighed themselves in the balances of the sanctuary, and found out
the vanity and depravity of their hearts.
At best, we are but clay, animated dust, mere walking dirt!
But viewed as sinners-we are monsters indeed!
Let it be published in Heaven as a wonder, that the Lord Jesus
should set His heart’s love upon such as we are! Dust and ashes though we are,
we must and will magnify the exceeding greatness of His grace.
Could not His heart find rest in Heaven? Must He needs come to
these black tents of Kedar for a spouse, and choose such an unlovely bride? O
heavens and earth, break forth into a song, and give all glory to our sweet
Lord Jesus!