“He would have given you living water.” John 4:10
\nHow blessed a thing is vital godliness! That is the thing I always wish to contend for. Not for forms and ceremonies, or doctrines floating in the brain\u2014but for the life of God in the soul. That is the only thing worth knowing\u2014the only thing to live by\u2014and the only thing to die by. How different is vital godliness received into the heart and conscience, by the operation of God the Spirit! How different is this fountain of living water from the ‘stagnant, dead water’ of lip service, formality, and hypocrisy! We cannot now be satisfied with lip religion, pharisaical religion, doctrinal religion, a name to live while dead, the form of godliness without the power. A living soul can no more satisfy his thirst with mere forms and ceremonies\u2014than a man naturally thirsty can drink out of a pond of sand. He must have living water\u2014something given by the Lord Himself, springing up in his soul. J.C.Philpot.
\nAn angel on the outside\u2014and a devil within<\/p>\n
(Thomas Brooks, “A Cabinet of Choice Jewels” 1669)<\/p>\n
“Hypocrites! You are so careful to clean the outside
\nof the cup and the dish; but inside you are filthy\u2014
\nfull of greed and self-indulgence!” Matthew 23:25<\/p>\n
A hypocrite’s outside never corresponds with his inside.
\nA hypocrite’s outside is one thing\u2014and his inside another.
\nA hypocrite’s outside is religious\u2014but his inside is wicked. <\/p>\n
Hypocrites are like the Egyptian temples, which were beautiful
\noutside\u2014but within there was nothing to be found but serpents
\nand crocodiles, and other venomous creatures. They are like
\nwhite silver\u2014but they draw black lines. They have a seeming
\nsanctified outside\u2014but are stuffed within with malice, pride,
\nworldliness, envy, etc. They are like window cushions, made up
\nof velvet and richly embroidered\u2014but stuffed within with hay. <\/p>\n
A hypocrite . . .
\nmay offer sacrifice with Cain,
\nand fast with Jezebel,
\nand humble himself with Ahab,
\nand lament with the tears of Esau,
\nand kiss Christ with Judas,
\nand follow Christ with Demas,
\nand be baptized with Simon Magus;
\nand yet for all this, his inside is as bad as any of theirs! <\/p>\n
A hypocrite is . . .
\na Jacob on the outside\u2014and an Esau within;
\na David on the outside\u2014and a Saul within;
\na John on the outside\u2014and a Judas within;
\na saint on the outside\u2014and a Satan within;
\nan angel on the outside\u2014and a devil within.<\/p>\n
But let all such hypocrites know, that pretend sanctity
\nis double iniquity\u2014and accordingly at last they shall be
\ndealt with. “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will
\nyou escape being condemned to hell?” Matthew 23:33<\/p>\n
Doctrine and Doctrines: Doctrine means teaching or instruction. Concerning Christ Jesus we read, “And they were astonished at his [DOCTRINE]: for he [TAUGHT] them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes” (Mar 1:22.) Throughout scripture, the word doctrine is always in the singular when it describes God’s doctrine (Joh 7: 16, 17; 2 Joh 1: 9; Rom 16: 17.) Usually, when the scriptures refer to man’s teachings the word is in the plural (Mat. 15:9; Mar 7: 7; Col 2: 22; I Tim 4: 1; Heb 13: 9.) The doctrine of Christ is singular because no matter the subject (or where it is found in scripture) it is concerning Christ Jesus the Son of God whose person and office never changes. God’s doctrine feeds the appetite Christ gives. The appetite he gives in spirit is for Christ Jesus the same yesterday and today and forever. The doctrines of men are many because they feed only the flesh of men and the appetites of men change and vary from one moment to the next. Clay Curtis.<\/p>\n
White feathers\u2014but black skin<\/p>\n
(Thomas Watson, “The Godly Man’s
\nPicture Drawn with a Scripture Pencil)<\/p>\n
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you
\nhypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which
\nlook beautiful on the outside but on the inside are
\nfull of dead men’s bones and everything unclean.
\nIn the same way, on the outside you appear to
\npeople as righteous but on the inside you are full
\nof hypocrisy and wickedness.” Matthew 23:27-28 <\/p>\n
Here is a sharp rebuke to such as are “glittering dross”
\nChristians, who only make a show of godliness. These
\nour Savior calls whitewashed tombs. Their beauty is all
\npaint! Many are painted over with a religious profession,
\nwhose seeming luster dazzles the eyes of beholders; but
\nwithin there is nothing but putrefaction! <\/p>\n
Hypocrites are like the swan, which has white feathers
\n\u2014but black skin; or like that flower, which has a lovely
\nappearance\u2014but a foul scent.<\/p>\n
The hypocrite deceives others while he lives\u2014but deceives
\nhimself when he dies! What good will it do a man when he
\nis in hell\u2014that others think he has gone to heaven? Oh,
\nbeware of this! <\/p>\n
Counterfeit piety is double iniquity. What is this but to abuse
\nGod to his face, and to serve the devil in Christ’s livery? <\/p>\n
To have only a pretense of godliness will yield no comfort
\nafter death. Will painted gold enrich a man? Will painted
\nwine refresh him who is thirsty? He who has only a painted
\nholiness shall have only a painted happiness! Let us take
\nheed of this pious pageantry and devout stage-play!
\nHalifax nuts<\/p>\n
(Thomas Brooks, “The Crown and Glory of Christianity,
\nor, HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness”, 1662)<\/p>\n
A man may be visibly holy\u2014who is not inwardly holy.
\nA man may have an outward dress of holiness upon him
\n\u2014who has not the spirit and vitality of holiness in him. <\/p>\n
They say of Halifax nuts, that they are all shells\u2014with
\nno kernels. Just so, there are many who make a glorious
\nshow before men\u2014who are abominable in the sight of
\nGod; who are gold in man’s eyes\u2014but dirt in God’s sight.<\/p>\n
“In the same way, on the outside you appear to people
\nas righteous; but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy
\nand wickedness.” Matthew 23:28<\/p>\n
They were outwardly religious\u2014but inwardly wicked; they
\nhad the semblance of sanctity\u2014but inwardly very full of
\nimpurity; they were fair professors\u2014but foul sinners; they
\nwere gracious without\u2014but impious within. Look! as those
\nare the worst of vices which are covered over with the show
\nof virtue; so they are the worst of sinners, who cover over
\ntheir inward filthiness with the disguises of outward holiness. <\/p>\n
The Egyptian temples were fair on the outside\u2014but foul and
\nfilthy within. Such were the Scribes and Pharisees in Christ’s
\ndays\u2014and such are many professors in our days! <\/p>\n
God will at last hate that man to hell, yes, cast him into the
\nhottest place in hell\u2014who has a form of godliness upon him;
\nbut nothing of the reality and power of holiness in him.<\/p>\n
“You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape
\nbeing condemned to hell!” Matthew 23:33<\/p>\n
An apostolic face and a Judas heart-J.C. Philpot.<\/p>\n
Many think that a minister is exempt from such
\ncoldness, deadness, and barrenness, as private
\nChristians feel. And the hypocritical looks and
\nwords of many of Satan’s ministers favor this
\ndelusion. Holiness is so much on their tongues,
\nand on their faces, that their deluded hearers
\nnecessarily conclude that it is in their hearts.<\/p>\n
But, alas! nothing is easier or more common,
\nthan an apostolic face and a Judas heart.<\/p>\n
Most pictures that I have seen of the “Last Supper”
\nrepresent Judas with a ferocious countenance. Had
\npainters drawn a holy, meek-looking face, I believe
\nthey would have given a truer resemblance. <\/p>\n
Many pass for angels in the pulpit, who if the truth
\nwere known, would be seen to be devils and beasts
\nin heart, lip, and life at home.<\/p>\n
“How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious
\nlaw and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! You are so careful
\nto clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside
\nyou are filthy\u2014full of greed and self-indulgence! You try
\nto look like upright people outwardly, but inside your
\nhearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.”
\nMatthew 23:25, 28<\/p>\n
At all times, and under all circumstances<\/p>\n
“God has said\u2014Never will I leave you; never
\nwill I forsake you.” Hebrews 8:5<\/p>\n
All the promises of God are faithful and true,
\nand have never been forfeited yet. They are
\ncalled precious promises, and while there are
\nmany particulars which render them such,
\ntheir absolute certainty is one of the chief. <\/p>\n
“God has said”\u2014He is not a man that He would
\nlie, or change His mind. He with whom saying
\nand doing, promising and performing\u2014as far as
\nsureness is concerned\u2014are one and the same.
\nMan, weak, fickle, faithless man\u2014may deceive
\nus; but if we make the Great Unchangeable our
\ntrust, disappointment is a thing altogether
\nimpossible. <\/p>\n
But what has He said? “Never will I leave you;
\nnever will I forsake you.” The believer is thus
\nassured that God will be with him at all times,
\nand under all circumstances, and that He will
\nespecially be with him in every time of need. His
\npresence shall go with him when he is called to
\nthe performance of any arduous duties; it shall
\ngo with him when he has to pass through the
\nfurnace of affliction; and, above all, it shall go
\nwith him when he has to enter the dark valley,
\nand bid a final adieu to all things here below.
\n“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be
\ndismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen
\nyou. I will help you. I will uphold you with My
\nvictorious right hand.” Isaiah 41:10<\/p>\n
We might confidently conclude that God will be
\nthen with the Christian, even had no express
\nintimation been given us on the subject. It is
\nnot likely that He who was with him during the
\nwhole of his voyage, to preserve him from the
\nwinds and waves, the rocks and quicksands\u2014will
\nforsake him when the vessel is entering the port.
\nIt is not likely that He who shielded him during the
\nheat of the battle\u2014will desert him when the victory
\nis about to be won. It is not likely that He who was
\nwith him through his wanderings in the desert,
\nsupplying all his needs, delivering him from all his
\nenemies, and directing him during the entire course
\nof his pilgrimage\u2014will abandon him when he treads
\nthe verge of Jordan, and beholds beyond its foaming
\nbillows the brightness and the beauty of the promised
\nland. The thing is not for a single moment, to be
\nsupposed! God’s love and compassion, as well as
\nHis faithfulness and truth, forbid the entertainment
\nof such a thought! John MacDuff.<\/p>\n
Grace denial?
\n(adapted from Octavius Winslow’s, “The
\nGlory of the Redeemer in His People”)
\nBe cautious of grace denial.
\nYou will need much holy wisdom here, lest
\nyou overlook the work of the Spirit within you.
\nYou have thought, it may be, of the
\nglory that Christ receives from….
\nbrilliant genius,
\nand profound talent,
\nand splendid gifts,
\nand glowing zeal,
\nand costly sacrifices,
\nand even extensive usefulness.
\nBut have you ever thought of the glory, the far
\ngreater, richer glory, that flows to Him from….
\nthe contrite spirit,
\nthe broken heart,
\nthe lowly mind,
\nthe humble walk;
\nthe tear of godly repentance that falls
\nwhen seen by no human eye;
\nthe sigh of godly sorrow that is breathed
\nwhen heard by no human ear;
\nthe sin abhorrence;
\nthe self loathing;
\nthe deep sense of vileness, and poverty, and
\ninfirmity that takes you to Jesus with the prayer:
\n“Lord, here I am; I have brought to You….
\nmy rebellious will,
\nmy wandering heart,
\nmy worldly affections,
\nmy peculiar infirmity,
\nmy besetting and constantly overpowering sin.
\nReceive me graciously, put forth the mighty power
\nof Your grace in my soul, and subdue all, and rule
\nall, and subjugate all to Yourself! Will it not be for
\nYour glory, the glory of Your great name…..
\nif this strong corruption were subdued by Your grace;
\nif this powerful sin were nailed to Your cross;
\nif this temper so volatile,
\nif this heart so impure,
\nif these affections so truant,
\nif this mind so dark,
\nif these desires so earthly,
\nif these pursuits so carnal,
\nif these aims so selfish,
\nwere all entirely renewed by Your Spirit, sanctified by
\nYour grace, and made each to reflect Your image? Yes,
\nLord, it would be for Your glory, through time and
\nthrough eternity.” <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
“He would have given you living water.” John 4:10 How blessed a thing is vital godliness! That is the thing I always wish to contend for. Not for forms and ceremonies, or doctrines floating in the brain\u2014but for the life of God in the soul. That is the only thing worth knowing\u2014the only thing to […]<\/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-2048","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\/2048","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=2048"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2048\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2049,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2048\/revisions\/2049"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2048"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2048"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2048"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}