Believing is the most wonderful thing in\nthe world! Put anything of your own to it, and you spoil it. Christ\nwill not look on that as believing. When you believe and come to Christ, you\nmust leave behind your own righteousness and bring nothing but your sin (Oh!\nThat is hard!), leaving behind all your holiness, sanctification, and duties or\nChrist is not fit for you, nor you for Christ. Christ will be a pure\nRedeemer and Mediator, and you must be an undone sinner, or Christ and you will\nnever agree. \n~Thomas Wilcox<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Forgiveness And Fear<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut there is\nforgiveness with Thee, that Thou mayest be feared\u201d (Psalm 130:4). <\/em>The only people who\nfear God are people who have been forgiven. This is not the fear of\npunishment, but the fear of awe at the forgiveness of sins. Fear sees\nthat the sins that are forgiven were punished when Christ bare them in His own\nbody on the tree, and put away by what He accomplished on Calvary. Because that\nsin is put away and Christ\u2019s righteousness is given to us, we stand before God\nas having never sinned and as having perfectly obeyed Him. He remembers\nour sins no more because there are no sins to remember. When we see the\nmanner of His forgiveness, all there can be on our part is fear, awe,\nreverence, respect, faith, and love! \n ~Todd Nibert<\/p>\n\n\n\n “He grew up before Him like a tender\nshoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to\nattract us to Him. There was nothing in His appearance that we should\ndesire Him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and\nfamiliar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces–He was\ndespised and we esteemed Him not.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \n \n(Isaiah 53:2-3)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n It is astonishing that with such plain\nprophecies concerning the Messiah, the Jews should have made such a fatal\nmistake in reference to Him. They looked for a temporal<\/em> conqueror<\/em> who\nwould come in splendor, notwithstanding that this and many other Scriptures\nspeak of His coming in humiliation <\/em>in express terms. Every\nunprejudiced person might have seen from this passage, that the Messiah when He\ncame, was not to be surrounded with pomp–but would come as “a man of\nsorrows, and acquainted with grief,” and be “despised and rejected by\nmen.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Though this truth was written as with a\nsunbeam, and the Jewish people were acquainted with their own Scriptures–yet\nwhen the Messiah came unto them, they did not receive Him. Though favored with\nthe clearest prophecies concerning Him, they rejected His claims and cried,\n“Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n *This teaches us that <\/strong>the plainest\ninstruction, however earnestly and forcibly delivered–cannot be rightly\nunderstood by the unregenerate mind. <\/em>The carnal mind cannot discern spiritual\nthings–its eye<\/em> is darkened, and its ear<\/em> is\nheavy. The inspired Word itself, cannot put a spiritual truth so clearly that\nlost men will understand it–unless their eyes are opened by the Holy Spirit.\nVain is the best light to blind<\/em> men.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How ardently we should adore the Holy\nSpirit, that He stoops to our spiritual blindness–and is pleased to remove the\nscales, and pour light into our souls. Whatever we have rightly discerned, has\nbeen revealed to us by His teaching, for apart from His illumination, we would\nhave been as obstinately unbelieving as the Jews who crucified their King.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “For the carnal mind is enmity against\nGod;<\/p>\n\n\n\n for it is not subject to the law of\nGod, nor indeed can it be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So then, those who are in the\nflesh cannot<\/em> please God.” (Romans 8:7-8).<\/p>\n\n\n\n “No one can<\/em> come\nto Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws<\/em> him” (John\n6:44).<\/p>\n\n\n\n “No one can<\/em> come\nto Me, unless the Father has enabled<\/em> him” (John\n6:65). <\/p>\n\n\n\n \n \n \n Charles H. Spurgeon<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy doctrine shall\ndrop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the\ntender herb, and as the showers upon the grass.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Deuteronomy 32:2<\/p>\n\n\n\n We have in our text\nfour degrees of precipitation – the rain, the dew, the small rain, and the\nshowers, and this graduated scale of heavenly moisture shows that there are\ndegrees of spiritual blessing. We must not expect all to be blessed to\nthe same extent, nor all to receive the same measure. Yet these\nblessings are all of the same nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Examine the\ndew; it is water. The small rain is water also, as is the rain,\nand the showers. They are all water. You cannot find\nany difference between the water of the dew, the water of the small rain, of\nthe heavy rain, or of the showers \u2014 it is all alike pure water, distilled from\nthe sky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So it is with the\nblessing upon the soul. It may fall upon one almost unnoticed as\nthe dew, or upon another as the small rain, upon a third as the showers, or on\na fourth as an outpouring of heavy rain; yet all are equally and alike\nspiritual and Devine. It is given by the same God; comes\nthrough the same Jesus; and is communicated by the same Spirit. \n In every soul it produces more or less the same effects to soften,\nto moisten, to fertilise, and to revive. It all descends from the\nheaven of Christ\u2019s gospel and falls from the same skies of grace and mercy,\ntruth and love, and redeeming blood and salvation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Therefore, only the\nteaching that testifies of Christ and only the speech that proclaims Him to be\na Rock and declares His work to be perfect, \u2018drops as the rain and distils as\nthe dew\u2019. There is a power in truth when God is pleased to apply\nit to the heart; and whether it come in large or in small measure,\nwhether it be dew or shower, it is equally a proof of His mercy and love, and\nequally a proof that His power attends His own divine truth to our soul. <\/p>\n\n\n\n J.C. Philpot<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut our God is in the heavens:\nHe has done whatsoever He has pleased\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Psalms 115:2)<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you tell men today that God\nis Holy and just, righteous and<\/p>\n\n\n\n true, patient, gracious, and\ngood, they agree. But here David sets forth that one<\/p>\n\n\n\n attribute of God which this\nrebellious generation hates, and since this is man\u2019s<\/p>\n\n\n\n point of rebellion, we must\ninsist upon it. The attribute which David describes<\/p>\n\n\n\n is God\u2019s absolute and\nindisputable sovereignty. \u201cOur God is in the heavens;<\/p>\n\n\n\n and He hath done whatsoever he\nhas pleased.\u201d As His people, we rejoice in<\/p>\n\n\n\n God\u2019s sovereign mercy. ~ Pastor\nScott Richardson<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe Spirit itself beareth\nwitness with our spirit, that we are the children of<\/p>\n\n\n\n God: And if children, then heirs;\nheirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if<\/p>\n\n\n\n so be that we suffer with him,\nthat we may be also glorified together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Romans 8:16-17)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here we learn from the Holy\nScriptures that God\u2019s Spirit testifies and<\/p>\n\n\n\n gives evidence unto our spirit,\nthat new spirit imparted in regenerating grace<\/p>\n\n\n\n through the preaching of the\nGospel, that we are God\u2019s children, adopted in<\/p>\n\n\n\n Christ Jesus. This blessed\nwitness, the witness from God\u2019s Spirit that the<\/p>\n\n\n\n sheep are heirs of God\u2019s grace\nand blessings and are joint-heirs with Christ, is<\/p>\n\n\n\n a testimony of indescribable\ncomfort and joy. The natural unregenerate man,<\/p>\n\n\n\n the old man born in Adam, will\nnot receive or believe the witness of the<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gospel, it\u2019s foolishness unto\nhim, but to every one born from above, it is a<\/p>\n\n\n\n witness willingly received by\nfaith in the day of God\u2019s power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Marvin Stalnaker<\/p>\n\n\n\n ADAM AND CHRIST<\/p>\n\n\n\n Two men represent the whole race\nbefore God. The first man, Adam,<\/p>\n\n\n\n represented all men in a covenant\nof works. What Adam did, we all did in<\/p>\n\n\n\n Adam. While he stood, we stood.\nWhen he fell, we fell. “IN ADAM ALL<\/p>\n\n\n\n DIED.” All who were in Adam\ndied in Adam. The second Man, Christ, the<\/p>\n\n\n\n God-man, represented all of God’s\nelect in a covenant of grace. What he did,<\/p>\n\n\n\n all of God’s elect did in him.\nWhen he lived in righteousness, we lived. When<\/p>\n\n\n\n he died under penalty of the law,\nwe died. When he arose, we arose. “IN<\/p>\n\n\n\n CHRIST SHALL ALL BE MADE\nALIVE.” All who are in Christ must<\/p>\n\n\n\n forever live. ~ Pastor Don\nFortner<\/p>\n\n\n\n SANCTIFICAITON<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Here is every\ntext in the New Testament where the words \u201csanctify\u201d, \u201csanctifieth\u201d,\n\u201csanctified\u201d, and \u201csanctification\u201d are used. Study each reference in its\ncontext. Believers are said to be sanctified by the Word of God, by God the\nFather, by the blood of Christ, by the Holy Spirit, and by faith. Never once\nare we said to sanctify ourselves by something we do. The only exception is 2\nTimothy 2:21, where a pastor is said to be sanctified by purging himself from\nthat which is dishonorable. But the context makes that work of sanctification\nto be a matter of separation, not a matter of being righteous or holy. And not\none reference speaks of the believer\u2019s sanctification as a progressive\nwork. Sanctification, as taught in the Bible, is altogether a work of\ngrace.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n John\n17:17 “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is\ntruth.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n John\n17:19 “And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also\nmight be sanctified through the truth.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ephesians\n5:26 “That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of\nwater by the word,”<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1 Thessalonians\n5:23 “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray\nGod your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming\nof our Lord Jesus Christ.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hebrews\n13:12 “Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people\nwith his own blood, suffered without the gate.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1 Peter\n3:15 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready\nalways to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the\nhope that is in you with meekness and fear:”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Matthew\n23:17 “Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or\nthe temple that sanctifieth the gold?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Matthew\n23:19 “Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or\nthe altar that sanctifieth the gift?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hebrews\n2:11 “For both he that sanctifieth and they who are\nsanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them\nbrethren,”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hebrews\n9:13 “For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of\nan heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the\nflesh:”<\/p>\n\n\n\n John\n10:36 “Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent\ninto the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of\nGod?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n John\n17:19 “And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also\nmight be sanctified through the truth.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Acts\n20:32 “And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word\nof his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance\namong all them which are sanctified.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Acts\n26:18 “To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to\nlight, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness\nof sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in\nme.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Romans\n15:16 “That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the\nGentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles\nmight be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1 Corinthians\n1:2 “Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them\nthat are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in\nevery place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and\nours:”<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1 Corinthians\n6:11 “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are\nsanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the\nSpirit of our God.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1 Corinthians\n7:14 “For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife,\nand the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children\nunclean; but now are they holy.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1 Timothy\n4:5 “For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2 Timothy\n2:21 “If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be\na vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and\nprepared unto every good work.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hebrews\n2:11 “For both he that sanctifieth and they who are\nsanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them\nbrethren,”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hebrews\n10:10 “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering\nof the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hebrews\n10:14 “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that\nare sanctified.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hebrews\n10:29 “Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be\nthought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted\nthe blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and\nhath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jude\n1:1 “Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James,\nto them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ,\nand called:”<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1 Corinthians\n1:30 “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made\nunto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:”<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1 Thessalonians\n4:4 “That every one of you should know how to possess his\nvessel in sanctification and honour;”<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2 Thessalonians\n2:13 “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God\nfor you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning\nchosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the\ntruth:”<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1 Peter\n1:2 “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father,\nthrough sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the\nblood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Believing is the most wonderful thing in the world! Put anything of your own to it, and you spoil it. Christ will not look on that as believing. When you believe and come to Christ, you must leave behind your own righteousness and bring nothing but your sin (Oh! That is hard!), leaving behind all […]<\/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-6794","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\/6794","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=6794"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6794\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6795,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6794\/revisions\/6795"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6794"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6794"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6794"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}