{"id":2915,"date":"2014-06-21T09:12:12","date_gmt":"2014-06-21T09:12:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=2915"},"modified":"2014-06-21T09:12:12","modified_gmt":"2014-06-21T09:12:12","slug":"bulletin-edition-216-june-2014","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=2915","title":{"rendered":"Bulletin Edition #216 June 2014"},"content":{"rendered":"

WHAT IS THE NEW BIRTH?<\/strong><\/p>\n

In conversion the soul is ushered into a new, spiritual world\u2014emphatically born again. The first birth introduces us into the natural world; the second introduces us into a spiritual world. The first birth ushers us into a world of sin, and woe, and death; the second birth, into a world of holiness, and happiness, and life. It is the birth of the soul into grace\u2026<\/p>\n

The truly-converted soul is a living soul, quickened from a death of sin into a life of righteousness. The life, the new-born life, which now animates him, is the life of God, communicated in virtue of his union with Christ, who is our Life, and by the agency of the Holy Spirit, the Divine Quickener. All now is life: new, spiritual, holy, deathless life. The bitterness of spiritual death is past, its sovereign dethroned, its dominion destroyed and the glory, the reign, and the power of a divine and new-born life triumphantly enter the soul; and from henceforth exists an empire as lasting as the being of Him who created it\u2026<\/p>\n

And now the soul begins really to live. It swims in an infinite sea of life, the life of God. As from and in Him, so to and for Him that life is now lived. Christ is his life, and to Christ that life is consecrated. Spiritual death\u2014dead faith, dead obedience, dead hope\u2014is abolished, and the spiritually-quickened soul bathes itself in a divine ocean of vitality and bliss\u2026How precious are its actings! Prayer, is life breathing; faith, is life trusting; love, is life adoring; service, is life laboring; submission, is life patiently suffering. Life of God in the soul of man!…<\/p>\n

The New Birth likewise consists in the restoration of the Divine image to the soul. The moral image of God was effaced in the fall of the first Adam\u2026The righteousness and holiness in which God originally created us gave place to the empire and reign of sin\u2026But the New Birth is a restoration of the lost image of God to man. By Christ, the Second Man, it is effectually and indelibly recovered\u2026<\/p>\n

The New Birth, then, is the restoration of the image of God to the soul of man. But the apostle puts it yet more distinctly, “The new man, which after God [or, the image of God] is created in righteousness and true holiness.” (Eph 4:24.) We know not a more correct, and at the same time a more precious, view of the New Birth than this\u2026”Partakers of the divine nature”\u2014”Partakers of His holiness”\u2014for these are the expressions of the Holy Spirit.\u00a0 Octavius Winslow (1808-1878)<\/em><\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

EVERY SERMON<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mt 28:20: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Every sermon, no matter the text or subject, must be preached with the awareness that there are sinners listening who do not know Christ, do not know themselves to be ruined in sin, nor do they know that God saves sinners by grace, through God\u2019s gift of faith in Christ, altogether by the finished work of Christ alone. Every sermon must be preached with the awareness that the only way sinners, believers or otherwise, are profited, reproved, corrected, and instructed in righteousness, and that by the effectual grace of God, is by preaching Christ and him crucified\u2014absolutely no other way!<\/p>\n

Therefore, every sermon must clearly declare who Christ is, why Christ came, what Christ accomplished, where Christ is now and what Christ is doing now. Every verse or passage is best expounded by first, and as quickly as possible, declaring how Christ fulfilled it, how Christ glorified the Father and how Christ accomplished the salvation of the elect thereby. Then, if the verse or passage applies to the believers walk, if God gives a spiritual understanding in the heart, the believer will be comforted that Christ alone has made them the righteousness of God thereby; their flesh will be mortified as they behold how far short they come of heeding the instruction; and they will be given a desire in the inward man to heed the instruction constrained only by the love of Christ for them\u2014our only motive.<\/p>\n

Before every sermon is preached it is best to ask oneself, \u201cIf I were a lost sinner, after hearing this sermon will I be shut up to the truth that salvation is by God\u2019s sovereign grace alone, through God\u2019s gift of life and faith in Christ alone, and left with absolutely no room to conclude anything else but that my flesh profits nothing.\u201d If so the sermon will declare the one thing needful; if not, it must be discarded for a sermon that does!<\/p>\n

Clay Curtis.<\/p>\n

—<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

Christ’s Estimate of His Church<\/strong><\/p>\n

James Smith, 1865
\n“You are absolutely beautiful<\/em>, My love; there is no spot <\/em>in you!” Song of Solomon 4:7<\/p>\n

Solomon’s Song<\/em> represents the love <\/em>of Christ to His people, His admiration <\/em>of them, and communion <\/em>with them. Every spiritual person more or less understands it; but it requires deep spirituality, much intimacy with Jesus, and some knowledge of the manners and customs of the East \u2014 to fully enter into it. It is a most precious part of God’s inspired Word. In the Old Testament, it is like Paradise <\/em>among the gardens, or the tree of life <\/em>among the trees of that garden. May the Holy Spirit lead us into it, and favor us with the rich enjoyment of the fellowship represented by it.<\/p>\n

The OBJECT of Christ’s love, is His Church.<\/strong><\/p>\n

All that were given <\/em>to Him by His Father.<\/p>\n

All that are redeemed <\/em>by His most precious blood.<\/p>\n

All that are quickened <\/em>and sanctified <\/em>by His Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n

Such He calls “My love.” He compares them to a lovely and delicate woman.<\/p>\n

In His <\/em>view<\/strong> \u2014 she is incomparably beautiful; but in her <\/em>own eyes \u2014 she is black, unsightly as the tents of Kedar. She sees so much of her own inward depravity, and feels so much of the working of the law of sin in the members \u2014 that she often loathes herself, and lying low at His feet, exclaims, “Behold, I am vile!”<\/em><\/p>\n

In her conduct<\/strong>, she is represented as at times unstable <\/em>and unkind<\/em>; refusing to rise from the pillow of ease to admit her Beloved, though He was saturated with the dews, and called to her, saying, “Open to me, my love!” She was drowsy and cold, so that He had to call to her, invite her, and exhort her to rise up and accompany Him to enjoy the pleasures He had provided for her.<\/p>\n

She was as timid <\/em>as the dove, without heart or courage; which led Him to say, “My dove, who is in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me hear your voice, let me see your countenance; for sweet is your voice, and your countenance is lovely.”<\/p>\n

She was too pleased, intimate, and affected with the company of others<\/em>; in consequence of which, he calls to her, saying, “You who dwell in the gardens with friends <\/em>in attendance, let ME hear your voice!”<\/p>\n

How exactly like us \u2014 so unstable<\/em>, so unkind <\/em>to Jesus, so dull <\/em>and drowsy<\/em>, so timid <\/em>and fearful<\/em>, so much taken up with the things of time<\/em>. Yet her love to Him was sincere<\/em> \u2014 and so is ours. We do love Him \u2014 though not so ardently as we wish. We are sincere \u2014 and we can often say, “You know all things \u2014 You know that I love <\/em>You!” Even at the lowest, we can say, “You know that I desire <\/em>to love You.”<\/p>\n

Yes, Jesus has our hearts; if we love anyone \u2014 we love Him. If we desire union with anyone \u2014 it is with Him. If we enjoy the company of anyone \u2014 it is His company. We have loved Him ever since He was made known to us by His Holy Spirit, and we love Him still. There have been interruptions <\/em>in the exercise <\/em>of our love \u2014 but it is still embedded in our hearts. We can find no substitute for Jesus, nor do we desire to find any. He is all our salvation, and all our desire. If we could love Him as we wish \u2014 our souls would be all on flame, and always on flame, with love to Him!<\/p>\n

The ESTIMATE Jesus has of His Church is, that she is absolutely beautiful, and without spot.<\/strong> “You are absolutely beautiful, my love.” He views her now as she will be <\/em>by-and-bye. She will be absolutely beautiful and faultless; as it is written, “Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the Word, and to present her to Himself as a glorious <\/em>church, without stain <\/em>or wrinkle <\/em>or any other blemish<\/em> \u2014 but holy and blameless!”<\/p>\n

He looked upon her with a lover’s eyes<\/em> \u2014 which overlooked all her defects<\/em>, and fixed only on her excellencies<\/em>. He admired the work of His own SPIRIT in her<\/em>. That work is a holy <\/em>work; a beautiful <\/em>work; a work of the highest excellence<\/em>. It produces love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, and faith \u2014 all of which are lovely in the eyes of Jesus.<\/p>\n

“There is no spot <\/strong>in you.” His perfect righteousness covers her \u2014 and hides every spot! Looking upon herself, she exclaims, “We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags!” Very unfit to be the bride of Him who is the brightness of the Father’s glory, and the express image of His person. But, looking upon herself in Jesus, she says, “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed <\/em>me with the garments of salvation; He has covered <\/em>me with the robe of righteousness; as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels!”<\/p>\n

Precious Savior! You not only worked out this magnificent garment \u2014 but You put it upon our souls with your own hands! He has clothed <\/em>me; He has covered <\/em>me. Yes! Jesus makes <\/em>us lovely \u2014 and then calls <\/em>us so. His own graces <\/em>adorn His beloved, His blood-bought bride, until, as it is said by the prophet, “Your renown went forth for your beauty; for it was perfect through My loveliness which I put upon you, says the Lord God.”<\/p>\n

Her perfect <\/em>image was before Him \u2014 when He thus commended <\/em>her, “You are absolutely beautiful, My love; there is no spot <\/em>in you!” He saw the purpose <\/em>of His Father fulfilled; the end of His work <\/em>accomplished; as it is written, “For those God foreknew<\/em> \u2014 He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son. And those He predestined<\/em> \u2014 He also called; those He called<\/em> \u2014 He also justified; those He justified<\/em> \u2014 He also glorified!”<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/em><\/p>\n

The TITLE by which Jesus calls His Church is, “My love.”<\/strong> This expresses His choice <\/strong>of us, for He has chosen us to be His, from all around us. This expresses His preference <\/strong>of us, for He prefers His people to all the universe besides. This expresses His strong attachment<\/strong> to us, for His love is as strong as death, and stronger too. This expresses His high esteem<\/strong> of us, for He esteems His people even above angels. He saw the angels <\/em>fall \u2014 and He did not take their nature to redeem them. But when His people <\/em>fell \u2014 He assumed their nature, took their place, became their Substitute, died in their stead, went into heaven to plead their cause, and will soon come again to receive them to Himself! Well may He exclaim, “You have not chosen <\/em>Me \u2014 but I have chosen you.” “I have loved you with an everlasting love, therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn <\/em>you.” O wondrous love! <\/em>O more wondrous Lover!<\/em><\/p>\n

Believer, Christ’s <\/em>views of you \u2014 are not like your own<\/em>. He speaks of you in very different language \u2014 from what you would speak of yourself. He says, you are “absolutely beautiful; there is no spot <\/em>in you;” and what He calls you \u2014 He will make you! He calls things that are not, as though they were \u2014 to express the certainty <\/em>of their being so; because He is determined and engaged to make <\/em>them so.<\/p>\n

We shall soon be all that Christ says that we are! All His purposes <\/em>towards us \u2014 are love. All His thoughts <\/em>of us \u2014 are thoughts of love. If Christ <\/em>thinks thus of us \u2014 never mind what others <\/em>think; His thoughts are right \u2014 theirs are wrong; His are wise \u2014 theirs are foolish; His shall be realized \u2014 theirs disappointed. Christ often commends \u2014 when man <\/em>condemns. His apostles, the first believers, and the holy martyrs, were condemned by man, and considered unfit to live<\/em>! But Jesus commended<\/em>, sustained<\/em>, and will reward <\/em>them.<\/p>\n

As Christ speaks to us on earth<\/em>, so He speaks of us to His Father in heaven<\/em>. There He pleads <\/em>our cause \u2014 because He loves us; there He will carry <\/em>our cause \u2014 for He has wisdom, weight, and worth enough to do it. He opens His heart, expresses His desire, utters His will; saying, “Father, I will that those whom You have given Me, shall be with Me where I am \u2014 that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.” Blessed be Jesus for His love<\/em>, His love to us<\/em>; for the revelation of His love in the Word; especially by His Spirit in the heart!<\/p>\n

Let us therefore close our meditation in the language of Jude, “Now unto Him who is able to keep us from falling, and to present us faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy; to the only wise God our Savior \u2014 be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever! Amen.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

WHAT IS THE NEW BIRTH? In conversion the soul is ushered into a new, spiritual world\u2014emphatically born again. The first birth introduces us into the natural world; the second introduces us into a spiritual world. The first birth ushers us into a world of sin, and woe, and death; the second birth, into a world […]<\/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-2915","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\/2915","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=2915"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2915\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2916,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2915\/revisions\/2916"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2915"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2915"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2915"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}