When all of the redeemed of the Lord are assembled in glory with\ntheir great Redeemer, perfected and glorified forever, the only visible\nevidence of the consequences of sin will be seen on the Redeemer Himself. The\nwounds inflicted upon Him when He delivered Himself to be crucified as the\nSubstitute for sinners, to suffer, \u201cthe Just one for the unjust,\u201d that He might\nbring them to God. What an eternal reminder that it is \u201cBy His stripes they are\nhealed!\u201d What amazing love and grace! What an amazing Redeemer-God!!! Maurice\nMontgomery<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gal. 1:1. Paul,\nan apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and<\/p>\n\n\n\n
God the Father,\nwho raised him from the dead).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
St. Paul wrote\nthis epistle because, after his departure from the Galatian churches,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jewish-Christian\nfanatics moved in, who perverted Paul’s Gospel of man’s free<\/p>\n\n\n\n
justification by\nfaith in Christ Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The world bears\nthe Gospel a grudge because the Gospel condemns the religious<\/p>\n\n\n\n
wisdom of the\nworld. Jealous for its own religious views, the world in turn<\/p>\n\n\n\n
charges the\nGospel with being a subversive and licentious doctrine, offensive to<\/p>\n\n\n\n
God and man, a\ndoctrine to be persecuted as the worst plague on earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a result we\nhave this paradoxical situation: The Gospel supplies the world with<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the salvation of\nJesus Christ, peace of conscience, and every blessing. Just for that<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the world abhors\nthe Gospel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These\nJewish-Christian fanatics who pushed themselves into the Galatian<\/p>\n\n\n\n
churches after\nPaul’s departure, boasted that they were the descendants of<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Abraham, true\nministers of Christ, having been trained by the apostles themselves,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
that they were\nable to perform miracles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Martin Luther\u2019s\nopening words in his commentary on Galatians<\/p>\n\n\n\n
PAID IN\nFULL!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
from\nSpurgeon, “IT IS FINISHED!” (No. 421)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\nsatisfaction which Jesus rendered<\/p>\n\n\n\n
to the\nJUSTICE OF GOD was finished!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The debt\nwas now, to the last farthing, all discharged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\natonement and propitiation were made once for all, and<\/p>\n\n\n\n
forever,\nby the one offering made in Jesus’ body on the tree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There was\nthe cup, hell was in it, the Saviour drank it — not a<\/p>\n\n\n\n
sip and then\na pause; not a draught and then a ceasing, but he<\/p>\n\n\n\n
drained it\ntill there is not a dreg left for any of his people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The great\nten-thonged whip of the law was worn<\/p>\n\n\n\n
out upon\nhis back, there is no lash left with<\/p>\n\n\n\n
which to\nsmite one for whom Jesus died.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The great\ncannonade of God’s justice has exhausted<\/p>\n\n\n\n
all its\nammunition, there is nothing left to be<\/p>\n\n\n\n
hurled\nagainst a child of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sheathed\nis your sword, O Justice!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Silenced\nis your thunder, O Law!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\nremains nothing now of all the griefs, and<\/p>\n\n\n\n
pains, and\nagonies which chosen sinners ought to have<\/p>\n\n\n\n
suffered\nfor their sins, for Christ has endured all<\/p>\n\n\n\n
for his\nown beloved, and “it is finished.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Christ has\ndone what all the flames of the pit could<\/p>\n\n\n\n
not do in\nall eternity– Christ has paid the debt which<\/p>\n\n\n\n
all the\ntorments of eternity could not have paid!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As your\ndays, so shall your strength be. Deut. 33:25<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Octavius\nWinslow<\/p>\n\n\n\n
CHRISTIAN,\nconsider this new epoch of time, unfold a new page of your<\/p>\n\n\n\n
yet\nunwritten history, with the full, unwavering conviction that God is<\/p>\n\n\n\n
faithful;\nthat in all the negotiations, transactions, and events of the<\/p>\n\n\n\n
unknown\nfuture, in all the diversified and fluctuating phases of<\/p>\n\n\n\n
experience\nthrough which you may pass, it will be your mercy to do with<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Him of\nwhom it is said, “It is impossible for God to lie.” Oh, take this<\/p>\n\n\n\n
precious\ntruth into your heart, and it will shed a warm sunlight over<\/p>\n\n\n\n
all the\nlandscape of your yet shadowy existence. “He abides faithful: He<\/p>\n\n\n\n
cannot deny\nHimself.” Standing yet within the solemn vestibule of this<\/p>\n\n\n\n
new and\nportentous year, could our fluttering hearts find repose in a<\/p>\n\n\n\n
more\nappropriate or sweeter truth than the Divine faithfulness of Him,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“with\nwhom there is no variableness neither shadow of turning”? As a new<\/p>\n\n\n\n
period of\ntime slowly rises from the depths of the unknown and<\/p>\n\n\n\n
mysterious\nfuture, shrink we from its stern and solemn duties, its<\/p>\n\n\n\n
bosomed\nsorrows, its deep and impenetrable decrees? Why shrink we?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Infinite\nresources unveil their treasures upon its threshold. Christ’s<\/p>\n\n\n\n
atoning\nmerits confront our vast demerit. Christ’s boundless grace<\/p>\n\n\n\n
confronts\nour deep necessities. Christ’s promised presence confronts our<\/p>\n\n\n\n
sad and\ngloomy loneliness. Jesus thus filled with grace so overflowing,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
with love\nso tender, with sympathy so exquisite, with power so<\/p>\n\n\n\n
illimitable,\nwith resources so boundless, with a nature so changeless,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
stands\nbefore us and says to each trembling heart, “Fear not!” We<\/p>\n\n\n\n
commence a\nnew march under his convoy. We prepare for a new conflict<\/p>\n\n\n\n
with his\narmor. We renew our pilgrimage with fresh supplies of ‘angels’<\/p>\n\n\n\n
food,’\naffording nourishment for the present and pledges for the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For that\nfuture do not be needlessly, unbelievingly anxious. It is all<\/p>\n\n\n\n
in God’s\nhands. He would that you should live each day upon Him as a<\/p>\n\n\n\n
little\nchild\u2014simple in your faith, unshaken in your confidence, clinging<\/p>\n\n\n\n
in your\nlove. Let each morning’s petition be\u2014ever linking it with the<\/p>\n\n\n\n
precious\nname of Jesus\u2014”My Father! give me this day my daily bread.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then shall\nthe promise be fulfilled, and its fulfillment shall be the<\/p>\n\n\n\n
immediate\nanswer to your prayer\u2014”As your days so shall your strength be.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And let\nus, on this birthday of the year, renew each his personal and<\/p>\n\n\n\n
solemn\ndedication to God; supplicating forgiveness for the past, and<\/p>\n\n\n\n
invoking\ngrace to help in every time of need for the future. The atoning<\/p>\n\n\n\n
blood of\nJesus! How solemn and how precious is it at this moment! Bathed<\/p>\n\n\n\n
in it\nafresh, we will more supremely, unreservedly, and submissively<\/p>\n\n\n\n
yield\nourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead. We will<\/p>\n\n\n\n
travel to\nthe open fountain, wash, and be clean. Christ loves us to come<\/p>\n\n\n\n
as we are.\nWe may approach all clothed with shame for the past, but not<\/p>\n\n\n\n
a\nreproving look will dart from His eye, nor an upbraiding word will<\/p>\n\n\n\n
breathe\nfrom his lips. Nor shall abused and ill-requited mercies past<\/p>\n\n\n\n
seal our\nlips from supplicating blessings for the future. “Open your<\/p>\n\n\n\n
month\nwide, and I will fill it,” is still the Divine promise and He who<\/p>\n\n\n\n
gave it\nhas added a supplementary one, if possible, yet ampler and<\/p>\n\n\n\n
richer,\n“Call unto me, and I will answer you, and show you great and<\/p>\n\n\n\n
mighty\nthings which you know not.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
RESTORING\nGRACE<\/p>\n\n\n\n
John\nMacDuff<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I\nwill heal your backslidings.” \u2014Hosea 14:4<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wandering\nagain! And has He not left me to perish? Stumbling and<\/p>\n\n\n\n
straying\non the dark mountains, away from the Shepherd’s eye and the<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shepherd’s\nfold, shall He not leave the erring wanderer to the fruit of<\/p>\n\n\n\n
his own\nways, and his truant heart to go hopelessly onward in its career<\/p>\n\n\n\n
of guilty\nestrangement? “My thoughts,” says God, “are not as your<\/p>\n\n\n\n
thoughts,\nneither are your ways My ways.” Man would say, “Go, perish!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ungrateful\napostate!” God says, “Return, O backsliding children!” The<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shepherd\nwill not, cannot allow those sheep to perish which He has<\/p>\n\n\n\n
purchased\nwith His own blood! How wondrous His forbearance towards<\/p>\n\n\n\n
it!\u2014tracking\nits guilty steps, and ceasing not the pursuit until He lays<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the\nwanderer on His shoulders, and returns with it to His fold<\/p>\n\n\n\n
rejoicing!\nMy soul! why increase by farther departures your own distance<\/p>\n\n\n\n
from the\nfold?\u2014why lengthen the dreary road your gracious Shepherd has<\/p>\n\n\n\n
to\ntraverse in bringing you back? Do not delay your return! Do not<\/p>\n\n\n\n
provoke\nHis patience any longer! Do not venture farther on forbidden<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ground! He\nwaits with outstretched arms to welcome you once more to His<\/p>\n\n\n\n
bosom. Be\nhumble for the past, trust Him for the future. Think of your<\/p>\n\n\n\n
former\nbackslidings, and tremble\u2014think of His patience, and be filled<\/p>\n\n\n\n
with holy\ngratitude; think of His promised grace, “and take courage.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Go and lay\nyour icy heart upon<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His\nflaming heart of love!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(From\nOctavius Winslow’s, “Christ, the Everlasting Father”)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\neverlasting love of Christ never veers, never<\/p>\n\n\n\n
chills,\nand knows not the shadow of a change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Measuring\nChrist’s love to us by our love to Him,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
we often\nimagine that it must necessarily be<\/p>\n\n\n\n
affected\nby the cold, chilling atmosphere of our<\/p>\n\n\n\n
hearts;\nthat when our love to Him ebbs, His love<\/p>\n\n\n\n
to us also\nebbs; that when ours proves fickle<\/p>\n\n\n\n
and\ntreacherous, wandering after some creature<\/p>\n\n\n\n
idol, then\nHis love, exacting reprisals, in like<\/p>\n\n\n\n
manner\nstarts off, and leaves us for another<\/p>\n\n\n\n
and\nperhaps more faithful object.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No! the\nlove of Jesus to His saints, is as eternal<\/p>\n\n\n\n
as His\nbeing, is as unchangeable as His nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Who\nshall separate us from the love of Christ?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yield not,\nthen, to despondency, beloved, when<\/p>\n\n\n\n
you\ndiscover the mercury of your love sink, even<\/p>\n\n\n\n
though it\nbe to freezing point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There may\nbe times when you can scarcely<\/p>\n\n\n\n
detect its\nexistence, so faint its beating pulse,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
so\ncongealed its warm current.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But since\nChrist’s love is not the effect, but the<\/p>\n\n\n\n
cause of\nours to Him, and is an everlasting love,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
glowing in\nHis heart ages that cannot be numbered<\/p>\n\n\n\n
or\nmeasured, before one pulse throbbed in ours;<\/p>\n\n\n\n
we may\ntake comfort in the assurance that no<\/p>\n\n\n\n
variation\nof affection in us towards the Savior<\/p>\n\n\n\n
can in the\nslightest degree affect the tenderness,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
depth, or\nimmutability of the great love with<\/p>\n\n\n\n
which He\nhas loved us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Look,\nthen, to Christ’s love to you,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
and not to\nyour love to Christ!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Go and lay\nyour icy heart upon His flaming<\/p>\n\n\n\n
heart of\nlove! Go to His cross, and there muse<\/p>\n\n\n\n
upon the\nlove that bore your sins, that suffered<\/p>\n\n\n\n
and bled,\nthat wept, and groaned, and died for you,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
paying the\ndeath penalty of your transgressions;<\/p>\n\n\n\n
and, while\nyou thus muse, the flame will kindle,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the fire will\nburn, and your tongue will break forth<\/p>\n\n\n\n
into\nsinging!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“For\nhe is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the<\/p>\n\n\n\n
middle\nwall of partition between us.” Ephes. 2:14<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Octavius\nWinslow<\/p>\n\n\n\n
BEHIND\nthis wall Jesus did once stand, and although thus partially<\/p>\n\n\n\n
obscured,\nyet to those who had faith to see Him, dwelling though they<\/p>\n\n\n\n
were in\nthe twilight of the Gospel, He manifested Himself as the true<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Messiah,\nthe Son of God, the Savior of His people. “Abraham rejoiced to<\/p>\n\n\n\n
see my\nday,” says Jesus, “and he saw it, and was glad.” But this wall\nno<\/p>\n\n\n\n
longer\nstands. The shadows are fled, the darkness is dispersed, and the<\/p>\n\n\n\n
true light\nnow shines. Beware of those teachers who would rebuild this<\/p>\n\n\n\n
wall; and\nwho by their superstitious practices, and legal<\/p>\n\n\n\n
representations\nof the Gospel, do in effect rebuild it. Remember that<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Christ\nis the end of the law for righteousness to every one that<\/p>\n\n\n\n
believes.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is\nbehind “our wall” that Jesus stands\u2014the wall which we, the new<\/p>\n\n\n\n
covenant\nsaints, erect. Many are the separating influences between<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Christ and\nHis people; many are the walls which we, alas! allow to<\/p>\n\n\n\n
intervene,\nbehind which we cause Him to stand. What are the infidelity,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I had\nalmost said atheism, the carnality, the coldness, the many sins of<\/p>\n\n\n\n
our\nhearts, but so many obstructions to Christ’s full and frequent<\/p>\n\n\n\n
manifestations\nof Himself to our souls? But were we to specify one<\/p>\n\n\n\n
obstruction\nin particular, we would mention unbelief as the great<\/p>\n\n\n\n
separating\nwall between Christ and His people. This was the wall which<\/p>\n\n\n\n
obscured\nfrom the view of Thomas his risen Lord. And while the little<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Church was\njubilant in the new life and joy with which their living<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Savior\ninspired them, he alone lingered in doubt and sadness, amid the<\/p>\n\n\n\n
shadows of\nthe tomb. “Except I thrust my hand into His side, I will not<\/p>\n\n\n\n
believe.”\nNothing more effectually separates us from, or rather obscures<\/p>\n\n\n\n
our view\nof, Christ than the sin of unbelief. Not fully crediting His<\/p>\n\n\n\n
word\u2014not\nsimply and implicitly relying upon His work\u2014not trusting His<\/p>\n\n\n\n
faithfulness\nand love\u2014not receiving Him wholly and following Him<\/p>\n\n\n\n
fully\u2014only\nbelieving and receiving half that He says and commands\u2014not<\/p>\n\n\n\n
fixing the\neye upon Jesus as risen and alive, as ascended and enthroned,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
leaving\nall fullness, all power, all love. Oh this unbelief is a dead,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
towering\nwall between our Beloved and our souls!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And yet\ndoes He stand behind it? Does it not compel Him to depart and<\/p>\n\n\n\n
leave us\nforever? Ah no! He is there! Oh wondrous grace, matchless love,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
infinite\npatience! Wearied with forbearing, and yet there! Doubted,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
distrusted,\ngrieved, and yet standing there\u2014His locks wet with the dew<\/p>\n\n\n\n
of the\nnight\u2014waiting to be gracious, longing to manifest Himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nothing\nhas prevailed to compel Him to withdraw. When our coldness might<\/p>\n\n\n\n
have\nprevailed, when our fleshliness might have prevailed, when our<\/p>\n\n\n\n
neglect,\ningratitude, and backslidings might have prevailed, never has<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He\nentirely and forever withdrawn. His post is to watch with a sleepless<\/p>\n\n\n\n
eye of\nlove the purchase of His dying agonies, and to guard His<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“vineyard\nof red wine night and day, lest any hurt it.” Who can<\/p>\n\n\n\n
adequately\npicture the solicitude, the tenderness, the jealousy, with<\/p>\n\n\n\n
which the\nSon of God keeps His especial treasure? And whatever would<\/p>\n\n\n\n
force Him\nto retire\u2014whether it be the coldness that congeals, or the<\/p>\n\n\n\n
fierce\nflame that would consume\u2014yet such is His deathless love for His<\/p>\n\n\n\n
people,\n“He withdraws not His eyes front the righteous” for one moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\nstands the “Friend that sticks closer than a brother,” waiting to<\/p>\n\n\n\n
beam upon\nthem a glance of His love-enkindled eye, and to manifest<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Himself to\nthem as He does not unto the world, even from behind our wall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When all of the redeemed of the Lord are assembled in glory with their great Redeemer, perfected and glorified forever, the only visible evidence of the consequences of sin will be seen on the Redeemer Himself. The wounds inflicted upon Him when He delivered Himself to be crucified as the Substitute for sinners, to suffer, […]<\/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-5612","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\/5612","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=5612"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5612\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5613,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5612\/revisions\/5613"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5612"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5612"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5612"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}