How often we\njeopardise the hope and joy of our salvation, by looking for the work of God\ndone IN us, or BY us, rather than looking to the work of Christ done FOR\nus. \n <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Greg Elmquist<\/p>\n\n\n\n
_<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My spiritual life began in looking to Christ only. The way I\npersevere in the faith is by continuing to look to Christ only. My desire is\nthat the last breath I take here on earth will be looking to Christ only. The\nemployment of eternity, albeit without this sinful nature, will be looking to\nChrist only! \u201cWe shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is\u201d (I John\n3:2), and will still look to Him only. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pastor Todd Nibert<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n When I was young, I was sure of many things. But now that I am\nold, there are only two things of which I am sure. One is that I am a miserable\nsinner! Secondly, that Christ is an all-sufficient Savior! He is well taught \u2013\nwho learns these two lessons. \u201cThis is a faithful saying, and worthy of\nall acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom\nI am chief\u201d<\/em> (I Timothy 1:15).<\/p>\n\n\n\n John\nNewton<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCome, buy wine and\nmilk, without money, and without price.\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Isaiah. 54:1.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Surely, no man can\nplead poverty as an excuse for not buying, when the things sold are not only\nwithout money, but without even the proposals for money; not only without ready\nmoney, but without any money. Here is not even a price given. My soul, remember\nthis. The poorer the wretch, the more welcome to this market. But what are the\nthings sold? Both wine and milk. A blessed variety in the gospel feast \u2013 wine\nto cheer, and milk to nourish. Yes, blessed Jesus, thy love is better than\nwine, and thy salvation more healing than milk. Besides, it comes free, it\ncomes pure, it comes in\nplenty. \n ~Robert Hawker<\/p>\n\n\n\n When the dust of\ndivision settles, those who are true followers of Christ will be made\nmanifest. They may waver in the confusion, but God\u2019s saints will not be\nmoved away from the hope of the Gospel. When the sowers of discord have\nhad their last fling, the cause of Christ will not be hindered, and believers\nwill still cling to Christ with stronger faith than ever before.\n Don Fortner<\/p>\n\n\n\n For he says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have\nmercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. Romans 9:15<\/strong> THERE is a sovereignty in all the works and dealings of God. If\nit be asked, what God’s own definition of His sovereignty is, we refer the\ninquirer to His words, “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy.”\nHere is the Sovereign! How like Himself He speaks! He carries forward His\ngracious purposes of infinite wisdom and love\u2014chooses or rejects\u2014reveals or\nwithholds, “working all things after the counsel of His own will,”\nand “giving no account,” either to angels or to men, “of any of\nHis matters.” We will not expand this part of the subject, by citing the\nnumerous examples of this truth which abound in the Scriptures. We would urge\nthe reader to examine the cases of Jacob and Esau\u2014the Publican and\nPharisee\u2014Saul of Tarsus and the men who journeyed with him\u2014the two thieves upon\nthe cross\u2014and mark, if the sovereignty of the Divine choice, and the operation\nof the Eternal Spirit, are not written out in their histories as with a\nsunbeam. Religion<\/em><\/strong> <\/em>will\nnot hinder rejection of Christ. Christ was crucified by men who had more of\nwhat man calls religion <\/em>than any other on the earth. They\nprayed, they fasted, they gave alms, they multiplied sacrifices\u2014yet they\ncrucified Christ! It was the Scribes and Pharisees, the religious and\nrespectable men of Israel, who were the foremost in rejecting Messiah. God’s\nway of dealing with them, as announced by Christ, was so opposed to their ideas\nof the way in which they ought to be dealt with, that rejection of the claims\nof Jesus, and hatred of his person, were necessary elements in, or at least\nindispensable deductions from, their religion. How often among ourselves, does\na man’s religion, or religiousness, or ritualism, form the great hindrance to\nhis reception of the gospel! It is not Christ that is his religion; it is his\nreligion that is his Christ! This being the case, Christ cannot be prized, or\nloved, or trusted in; he can only be rejected, hated, crucified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This rejection of Christ showed itself in various aspects, in\nthe different character and events described by the evangelists, in this last\nscene in Jerusalem. In all of them, however, it is unbelief <\/em>that\nis showing itself\u2014the same unbelief which still induces opposition to Christ,\nthe same unbelief which keeps an anxious sinner oftentimes so long in darkness\nand distrust. And, as we judge of the real nature of a thing best, when fully\ndeveloped and carried out\u2014so we learn the true nature of all unbelief, from the\nmodes in which it expressed itself at this great scene of rejection, enacting\nat Jerusalem, from the hour that Judas sold his Master, up to the moment when\nthe thief railed on him from the cross.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Horatius Bonar \u2013 excerpt from \u201cThe cross \u2013 Expression of\nman\u2019s unbelief\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n “THERE WAS A\nDIVISION AMONG THE PEOPLE BECAUSE OF HIM.”<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n John 7:43<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was true then, and\nit is true today: the Lord Jesus Christ is the cause of great division among\nmen. (Read Matthew10:34-36 and Luke 12:51-53). Spurgeon said,\n“Between the poorest saint and the brightest moralist, there is a great\ngulf. We may not be able to perceive it in the outward character, but there is\nas deep a gulf as there is between the feeblest form of life and death, – a\ngulf which only omnipotent grace can cause any man to pass over. “The\nradical difference between the true believer and the unbeliever lies in their\nrelation to Christ. That is the point of divergence.”<\/strong> It is\nfoolish for us to refuse to recognize this division. The seed of the serpent\nhates the seed of the woman. The child of bondage and the free born son cannot\nlive together in the same house. There no compatibility between\nbelievers and unbelievers.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n To\nthe unbeliever Christ is nothing; but to the believer Christ is everything. The\nunbeliever trusts himself, his works, his priest, or his church for acceptance\nbefore God; but the believer trusts Christ alone for his whole salvation. To\nthe unbeliever Christ is a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence; but to the\nbeliever Christ is exceedingly precious. The unbeliever is motivated by pride,\nseeks his own gain, lives by the principle of covetousness, and has his heart\nattached to this world. But the believer is not the same sort of man. He is\nmotivated by the glory of Christ, seeks the will of Christ, lives in this world\nby the principles of love and faith, and has his heart fixed upon eternity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The\npoint is this – If you trust Christ, love Christ, serve Christ, and seek the\nglory of Christ, you will be wise not to seek the companionship of men and\nwomen who care nothing for Christ. Such companionship can only bring you pain\nand misery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don Fortner<\/p>\n\n\n\n Christ The Stumbling\nStone — <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 1 Peter 2:6-8<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n There\nare many who do not believe the testimony of Scripture regarding the death of\nChrist. Rather than believing on the Son of God unto life everlasting, trusting\nhim alone for redemption and righteousness, the vast majority of religious\npeople in this world stumble over the gospel doctrine of limited atonement,\neffectual, accomplished redemption, and perish in their sins. They willingly\ntrample the precious blood of Christ under their feet and despise the Spirit of\ngrace (Heb. 10:29; 1 Pet. 2:6-8).<\/p>\n\n\n\n As\nhe is revealed in Holy Scripture, the Lord Jesus Christ is to reprobate,\nunbelieving, self-righteous men a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence; and\nthis is by divine arrangement. God has so written his Word that reprobate men\nwill get tripped up by it and stumble over the Scriptures as stumbling stones\nto hell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n God\nhas fixed it, so that those who are determined to cling to their own\nrighteousness, who are determined not to submit themselves to the righteousness\nof God established by, revealed in, and found in Christ alone, will stumble\nover him and fall into hell. This is exactly what happened to those Jews\ndescribed in Romans 9:31-33. Those very same Scriptures which, by the blessing\nof God the Holy Spirit, are as stair steps to God\u2019s elect, are stumbling stones\nto the reprobate and unbelieving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\nare numerous texts of Scripture which are often pointed to, quoted, twisted,\nand perverted by dishonest blasphemers, and by those who are confused by their\nteachings to refute the blessed gospel doctrine of Limited Atonement.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/strong>Sometimes,\nwhen we try to teach people the gospel, explaining passages like John 3:16 and\n1 John 2:2, they respond by saying, \u201c\u2018All\u2019 means all, \u2018world\u2019 means world, and\n\u2018every\u2019 means every. When the Bible uses the words \u2018all\u2019 and \u2018every,\u2019 it mean\neveryone, every human being, without exception. When the Bible uses the word\n\u2018world\u2019 it means everyone, every human being without exception.\u201d But that\nsimply is not the case. And the fact that that is not the case is obvious to\nany one who cares to look. Let me give you one example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Luke\n2:1-3 “And it came to pass in those days, that there went\nout a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed\u2026And all\nwent to be taxed, every one into his own city.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Obviously,\nthe words \u201call,<\/em>\u201d \u201cworld<\/em>,\u201d and \u201cevery,<\/em>\u201d as they are used in\nthis text refer to all within a specific, limited range, a specific group. They\nrefer only to all the world and everyone in it, which was under Caesar\u2019s\ndominion. They have absolutely no bearing upon or reference to you and me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So,\ntoo, when those words are used in reference to the saving purpose of God the\nFather, the redemptive work of God the Son, and the blessed call of God the\nHoly Spirit, the words \u201call,\u201d \u201cevery,\u201d and \u201cworld\u201d must be defined by the context\nin which they are found. It is utterly dishonest to tear them from their\ncontext and pervert them into a doctrine that blasphemes the triune God and\nwould rob him of the glory of his grace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don Fortner<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" How often we jeopardise the hope and joy of our salvation, by looking for the work of God done IN us, or BY us, rather than looking to the work of Christ done FOR us. Greg Elmquist _ My spiritual life began in looking to Christ only. The way I persevere in the faith […]<\/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-6357","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\/6357","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=6357"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6357\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6358,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6357\/revisions\/6358"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6357"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6357"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6357"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n
\nOctavius Winslow<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
\nIs the reader a child of God? Then we will not confine him to\nthe word of Divine truth. We summon him as a witness to the sovereignty of the\nblessed Spirit’s operation. “You are my witnesses,” says God. Who and\nwhat made you to differ? You have been taken out of your family, your kindred,\nyour friends, your companions. From this circle you alone have been selected,\ncalled, and made a child of grace, an heir of glory. The others, where are\nthey? Still dead in trespasses and sin. Where are they? Living in the world,\nand to the world\u2014lovers of pleasure, lovers of self, lovers of sin, hating God,\nrejecting Christ, and warring against the Spirit speaking to them in the word,\nthrough providences, and by the conscience. Where are they? Bursting through\nevery restraint, and bending their footsteps down to the doom of the lost.\nWhere are they? Gone, many of them, into eternity\u2014past the confines of mercy,\n“in hell lifting up their eyes, being in torments.” And what are you?\nA sinner saved by grace\u2014a sinner chosen and called, pardoned and justified,\nwashed and clothed, adopted and sanctified\u2014brought to the foot of the cross,\nconstrained to welcome Jesus, to take up His cross, and to follow Him. Oh the\nelecting love of God! Oh the distinguishing grace of Jesus! Oh the sovereign\noperation of the Eternal Spirit! “Who are you, O man, that replies against\nGod?” Bow down to the sovereignty of His will\u2014silently wonder, and adore\nHim who says, “Be still, and know that I am God.”
\n
\nHas my reader hitherto found this doctrine a “hard\nsaying”? Has he been prone to cavil at it, or passed it by? I would with all\nmeekness and affection urge him seriously, candidly, and prayerfully to examine\nit by the light of the Divine word\u2014to cavil not at it, lest he be found to\n“fight against God;”\u2014to pass it not by, lest he “grieve the\nSpirit,” and rob his own soul of an inestimable blessing. Oh precious\ntruth! It stains the pride of human merit\u2014it lays the axe at the root of\nself\u2014it humbles and abases\u2014it empties and lays “low in a low place,”\nand ascribes all the praise, honour, and glory, might, majesty, and dominion of\nthe new creation in the soul to the Triune God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n A MISERABLE SPECTACLE<\/strong>
\n <\/em><\/strong>
\n <\/em>-Spurgeon, “The Honored Guest”<\/em>
\n <\/em>
\n You never know how bad man is
\n till he comes in contact with the Cross.
\n
\n To despise the grace of Jesus,
\n to reject the love of God,
\n to conspire against the Ambassador of peace,
\n to take the inhuman, devilish counsel–
\n “This is the heir; let us kill him!”
\n
\n This is the greatest offence of human nature, when it says,
\n in effect– “This is the Incarnate God, let us reject\n him;
\n this is the Word made flesh, let us traduce him;
\n this is the Father’s beloved Son–let us betray him!”
\n
\n Oh! Human Nature, how blind must be your heart, how
\n seared your conscience, not to see the beauties of Christ!
\n
\n How base must you be to despise the love
\n and tenderness of such a Savior!
\n
\n Ah! brethren, this is a\n miserable spectacle<\/strong>—
\n It is a dreary sight to see a sinner despising mercy,
\n a drowning man rejecting the life-belt,
\n a sick man declining the physician,
\n a man entering the gates of death refusing life and\n immortality.
\n
\n Oh! sin, how you have befooled men!
\n How you have made them hate themselves,
\n and act cruelly to their own souls!
\n What suicides they commit!
\n What a sacrifice of their noblest nature!
\n They have destroyed themselves!
\n They reject him shamefully whom
\n they should have received joyfully.
\n They carry out their own will,
\n and they perish in their wilfulness.\n <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n