{"id":1325,"date":"2011-10-01T07:48:35","date_gmt":"2011-10-01T07:48:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=1325"},"modified":"2011-10-01T07:49:21","modified_gmt":"2011-10-01T07:49:21","slug":"bulletin-articles-issue-90-october-2011","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=1325","title":{"rendered":"Bulletin Articles Issue #90 October 2011"},"content":{"rendered":"

A strange college!<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Salvation is of the Lord.” -Jonah 2:9.
\nJONAH learned this sentence of good theology in a strange college.<\/p>\n

He learned it in the whale’s belly, at the bottom of the mountains, with the weeds wrapped about his head, when he supposed that the earth with her bars was about him forever.<\/p>\n

Most of the grand truths of God have to be learned by trouble;they must be burned into us with the hot iron of affliction, otherwise we shall not truly receive them. An extract from \u2018God’s conscious comforting presence!\u2019\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0by Spurgeon<\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

Beginning the Year with Jesus<\/strong><\/p>\n

Then Moses said to him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from
\nhere…..” Exodus 33:15<\/p>\n

What a needed and solemn petition!<\/p>\n

God’s presence, going with us! Such is the response of every true God fearing, Christ\u00a0 loving heart. The believer has learned to understand the nature of God’s favour, to know the value of His presence, to test the wisdom of His guidance, and to experience the blessedness of the light of His countenance. And now, the one desire and prayer of his heart is, “Let Your presence go with me. Let it accompany me in all the chequered, changeful history of this year. May Your Presence….
\ncounsel me in difficulty, soothe me in sickness, cheer me in solitude, keep me in danger, shield me in temptation, strengthen me in service, sustain me in suffering, and deliver me from evil.”<\/p>\n

Let, then, the accompanying presence of God be the intense desire of your heart, and the principal
\nelement of your Christian experience. \u00a0God’s conscious comforting presence has been the experience and the solace of His people in all ages and in all circumstances. David felt it in the cave.
\nDaniel in the lion’s den. \u00a0Jeremiah in the dungeon. \u00a0Jonah in the whale’s belly. \u00a0Paul and Silas in the Philippian jail, and John on the Island of Patmos. And why not you, O child beloved of God, in all the varied journeyings and trials and circumstances of your history? Earnestly covet this blessing: the sensible presence of God throughout your personal history.<\/p>\n

Realize that, whatever the varied incidents and afflictions in your experience may be, you are not
\nalone, because your Father is with you. Live as in His continual atmosphere. His presence is promised, His help is pledged. “Lo! I am with you always.”
\nAspire after the Psalmist’s enviable experience: “I am continually with You. You have held me
\nby my right hand. You shall guide me with Your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.”
\nOur safety alone is in nearness to the cross; is in walking in close communion with God, in the holy,
\nfilial, happy enjoyment of His encircling presence.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Octavius Winslow<\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

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The righteous never forsaken<\/strong><\/p>\n

David said, \u201cI have been young, and now am old: yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread\u201d (Psalm 37:25).<\/p>\n

God will never forsake a righteous man. This gives us some glimpse of what was going on while Christ hung on the cross. He was certainly the righteous man. He never sinned! Yet He cried, \u201cMy God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?\u201d God has never and will never forsake a righteous man. As the sin-bearing substitute, Christ was so truly made sin, that the Father forsook Him. In bearing our sins in His own body on the tree, he deserved to be forsaken by God! It was the justice and righteousness of God that caused Him to forsake His Son.<\/p>\n

But there is wonderful assurance here. Just as Christ was truly made sin, everybody for whom he died as a substitute is made the very righteousness of God. And the righteous will never be forsaken\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Todd Nibert.<\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

How Does The God Of The Bible Save Sinners <\/strong>Jonah 2:9<\/p>\n

The essential difference between false and true religion is this: All false religion makes salvation to be ultimately dependent upon and determined by the worth, work, or will of the sinner; whereas true religion declares, with Jonah, “Salvation is of the Lord!” In its planning, in its purchase, in its performance, in its preservation, and in its perfection, salvation is of the Lord. Here are five ways revealed in the Scriptures by which the sovereign God saves sinners.<\/p>\n

1. GOD SAVED HIS ELECT BY HIS SOVEREIGN, ETERNAL PURPOSE OF GRACE IN CHRIST (II Tim. 1:9; Rom. 8:28-30). Election and predestination are precious truths of God, full of comfort to needy sinners. Had there been no election, none would be saved. Election is the infallible purpose of God to save some of Adam’s fallen race. And, in one sense, election is salvation. Is this not what Paul teaches in these two passages? In the mind and purpose of God all who shall be saved were saved from eternity!<\/p>\n

2. GOD SAVED HIS ELECT BY HIS SON’S SIN-ATONING BLOOD (Rom. 5:8-9). The Lord Jesus Christ has, by the sacrifice of himself, forever justified all for whom he died. He put away our sins, satisfied the justice of God for sin, and obtained eternal redemption for us.<\/p>\n

3. GOD SAVES SINNERS BY THE ALMIGHTY, IRRESISTIBLE REGENERATING GRACE AND POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (Rom. 9:16; Eph. 2:1-5). To deny the irresistibility and efficacy of God’s grace in regeneration is to deny the total depravity and spiritual death of the sinner. Regeneration is a resurrection from spiritual death. It is necessarily God’s work alone.<\/p>\n

4. GOD SAVES SINNERS BY HIS GRACIOUS GIFT OF FAITH IN CHRIST (Eph. 2:8-9). Our Lord said, to the woman of ill-repute, “Thy faith hath saved thee” (Lk. 9:50). Be sure you understand this: God will not save any apart from personal faith in Christ; and he will save all who believe on Christ (Mk. 16:16). Faith is the proof and fruit of election, redemption, and regeneration.<\/p>\n

5. AND GOD WILL SAVE HIS ELECT BY HIS SON’S SECOND COMING IN THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD (Rom. 13:11). When Christ comes our salvation will be complete. In that glorious day we shall be perfectly conformed to our Redeemer, in body, soul, and spirit!\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Don Fortner<\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

Salvation is of the Lord.<\/strong><\/p>\n

When the Lord Jesus Christ met that young-rich ruler, who sought salvation by his good works, He quickly showed this man that he actually had no good works that would justify his soul. Although this man had claimed he had kept the law, “All these have I observed from my youth” (Mark 10:20); it is clear he had no idea what the LAW demanded. His spiritual ignorance was revealed by his self-righteous answer. The Law reaches to the inward parts of a mans soul. “God requires truth in the inward parts” (Psalm 51:6). The Law reaches not only to the outward act, but also to the inward motive, lust and attitude of the heart (Matt. 5:27-28). It is most evident that those who seek their salvation by the deeds of the Law have absolutely no idea of the scheme of God’s salvation (Gal. 2:21). To be ignorant of the Law is to be ignorant of the character of God He is holy in all His actions, and attributes (Rom. 10:1-4). To be ignorant of the Law of God is to be ignorant of our own sinful character. We are at our best state sinful by nature, choice and practice (Rom. 3:9-20). To be ignorant of the Law is to be ignorant of the provisions provided in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our Lord Jesus Christ honored the holy Law of God for the believer. He fulfilled every precept of that Law for us and died a sacrificial death to satisfy the penalty (2 Cor. 5:21). Christ Jesus has by His life and death redeemed us from the curse of the Law (Gal. 3:10-13). All those who try to satisfy the offended and holy justice of God by their feeble works will go away just as this young man did in Mark 10:22, “Sad and grieved”.<\/p>\n

The disciples asked a good question after this man walked away from the Lord, “Who then can be saved?” Our Lord, with all the power of His wisdom, simply answered, “With men it is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Yes indeed your salvation is impossible, with your righteousness and works. But thanks be to God, with our Lord Jesus Christ even your salvation is possible. Only God can work upon the affections, the heart, the mind to cause a sinner to look to Him. Only God can renew and change the will to cause a sinner to seek Him. Only God can bestow spiritual life, quickening and regenerating dead sinners to life in Christ.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Tom Harding<\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

The great fish college! <\/strong><\/p>\n

The following is from Spurgeon’s sermon,
\n“The Perseverance of the Saints” #872. Phil.1:6.<\/p>\n

Along the road from sin to heaven, from the
\nfirst leaving of the swine trough of sin, right
\nup to the joyful entrance into the eternal
\nbanquet, and the music and dancing of
\nglorified spirits, every step we take must
\nbe enabled to take by divine grace!<\/p>\n

Every good thing that is in a Christian,
\nnot merely begins, but progresses and is
\nconsummated by the fostering grace of
\nGod, through Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n

If my finger were on the golden latch of
\nparadise, and my foot were on its jasper
\nthreshold, I should not take the last step
\nso as to enter heaven, unless the grace
\nwhich brought me thus far should enable me
\nfully and fairly to complete my pilgrimage.<\/p>\n

Salvation is God’s work, not man’s!<\/p>\n

This is the theology which Jonah learned in
\nthe great fish college, in the university
\nof the great deep, to which college it
\nwould be a good thing if many of our pastors
\nin these days could be sent; for human learning
\noften puffs up with the idea of human sufficiency.<\/p>\n

But he that is schooled and disciplined in the
\ncollege of a deep experience, and made to know
\nthe vileness of his own heart, as he peers into
\nits chambers, will confess that from first to
\nlast salvation is not of him who wills, nor of
\nhim who runs, but of God that shows mercy!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A strange college! “Salvation is of the Lord.” -Jonah 2:9. JONAH learned this sentence of good theology in a strange college. He learned it in the whale’s belly, at the bottom of the mountains, with the weeds wrapped about his head, when he supposed that the earth with her bars was about him forever. Most […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1325","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bulletin-editions"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1325","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1325"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1325\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1328,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1325\/revisions\/1328"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1325"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1325"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1325"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}