Salvation is not to “try God,” it is to \u201cknow God.” Salvation is not moral reformation, but regeneration. Salvation is not decide for Christ, it is to receive Christ. Your salvation only surprises you, God purposed it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
~Henry Mahan<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord.”–Hosea 6:3<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n “To know the Lord” is to know experimentally and spiritually the power of Jesus’ blood and righteousness; to know our eternal union with him; to know him so as to be led by the Spirit into soul communion with him, that we may talk with him as a man talks with his friend; to know him so that the secrets of his heart should be revealed to us, and we enter by faith into the length and breadth and depth and height of the love of Christ which passes knowledge; to know him so as to drink into his spirit, and to have his image stamped by the Holy Spirit upon our souls; to know him as coming down into our hearts out of his glorious sanctuary, filling our souls with his presence and his love; to know him as formed in us the hope of glory, making our bodies his temple, dwelling in us, breathing himself into us, speaking in us, moving as it were every affection of our heart and every faculty of our soul. Thus to know the Lord is the sum and substance of vital godliness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And, as “to know the Lord,” implies, as well as comprehends, the knowledge of Jehovah in his Trinity of Persons and Unity of Essence, well may we say that, to know Jehovah the Father in his eternal love, to know Jehovah the Son in his redeeming blood, and to know Jehovah the Spirit in his divine operations and blessed teaching, is the foretaste of bliss below; and to know and see God as he is, is the consummation of bliss above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n J.C.Philpot<\/p>\n\n\n\n “BEHOLD, A SOWER WENT FORTH TO SOW.”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Matthew 13:1<\/p>\n\n\n\n The man who preaches the gospel is compared to a farmer who sows his fields with seed. As a farmer broadcasts the seed, some falls upon the hard, beaten path, some falls upon stony ground, and some falls among thorns. Of course, seed falling in such places never yields any real fruit. But some of the seed falls into the good soil. And that seed brings forth fruit. Even so, we preach the gospel earnestly to all men, broad-casting the precious seed. But only when the gospel is received “in an honest and good heart” does it bring forth fruit. In this parable of the sower our Lord tells us three things about all true believers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. The True Believer Receives The Word In An Honest And Good Heart. No man’s heart is honest by nature. It must be made honest by the grace of God. This is one of the first acts of divine grace in a man’s soul, his heart is renewed, and made to see things in their true light (Ezek. 36:26; John 3:19-21). We see who God is, what sin is, and what we are. A good heart is a broken and contrite heart. In order for soil to be good and ready to receive seed, it must be broken by the plow. Even so, a good heart is one that has been broken by God the Holy Spirit. Until the heart is broken, it is unfit to receive the seed of the gospel. It must be broken by the conviction of sin, the severity of the law, the sight of a crucified Christ, and the knowledge of Divine love. A good heart is one that has been made tender and soft. There the seed takes deep and permanent root.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. The True Believer Not Only Receives The Word, He Keeps It. The gospel is kept in the heart of faith. Our Lord holds us, and we go on holding him. True faith is persevering faith. True grace is enduring grace. When God prepares the heart and sows the seed, the plant cannot die (Heb. 3:6; 10:23,38,39).<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. And The True Believer Brings Forth Fruit. He does not produce fruit, but brings it forth. The fruit is the produce of the Spirit of God. The fruit has not yet come to perfection, but it is real. Mark my words, There is no such thing as a fruitless believer. They all repent. They all believe. They all obey. (John 15:5,6,16). They bring forth heart fruit (Gal. 5:22-23). They bring forth lip fruit (Heb. 13:15). And they bring forth life fruit (Rom. 6:14-16).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Has God Almighty prepared your heart and caused you to receive the gospel of his Son? If so, you will surely keep the Word in your heart and bring forth fruit by his grace, even the fruit of Faith, Hope, and Love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don Fortner<\/p>\n\n\n\n GOD with us!<\/strong> A union which will last forever!<\/strong> “Should it be according to your mind?” (Job 34:33)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n James Smith<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do You Trust Doctrine or Jesus Christ?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Total Depravity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Knowing that you are a sinner, wretched, depraved and spiritually dead will profit you nothing if you do not come to Christ for perfect righteousness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unconditional Election. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Believing that God in sovereign mercy, elected a chosen people before the foundation of the world, will profit you nothing if you do not see that God elected (chose) certain sinners in His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Those that come to HIM as their only hope of redemption are the Elect of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Limited Atonement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To believe that Christ died for certain, particular sinners will not profit you a thing if you do not trust in Him alone. God\u2019s atonement is limited to those who believe and trust in His Son. If atonement is universal, then all men and women will trust and believe on Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Irresistible Grace. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To understand that God\u2019s grace is effectual and accomplished only by His sovereign grace will profit you nothing if you do not come to Christ the Redeemer with nothing in your hand to bring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Perseverance (Preservation) of the Saints. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can believe the precious doctrine of eternal security. However, if you do not cling to, lean on, and trust in God\u2019s beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, enduring to the end, you will die in your sin, believing only in a doctrine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Salvation is in a person and that person is Jesus Christ. The believer knows these five things to be true doctrine, but they know that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in CHRIST ALONE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ~David Eddmenson<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Salvation is not to “try God,” it is to \u201cknow God.” Salvation is not moral reformation, but regeneration. Salvation is not decide for Christ, it is to receive Christ. Your salvation only surprises you, God purposed it. ~Henry Mahan “Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord.”–Hosea 6:3 “To know the […]<\/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-7093","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\/7093","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=7093"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7093\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7094,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7093\/revisions\/7094"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7093"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7093"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7093"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
<\/strong>
(Octavius Winslow’s, “Emmanuel; or God with Us”)<\/em>
<\/em>
The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel,
which means, ‘GOD with us<\/strong>.’
God, in the infinite counsels of His own mind, resolved upon the salvation of His eternally
chosen and loved people.
He saw that there was no eye to pity them, and no arm to save them. He resolved upon
our salvation, embarked in it, accomplished it; and eternity, as it rolls upon its axis, will
magnify His name, and show forth His praise.
O beloved! what an assuring and comforting truth is this: GOD with us!<\/strong> Now we feel……
equal to every service,
prepared for every trial,
armed for every assault.
Deity is our shield!
Deity is our arm!
Deity is our Father and our Friend!
Deity has died for us!
Deity has atoned for us!
Deity has saved us!
And Deity will bring us safely to the realms of bliss!
Come, then, and lean upon His omnipotent arm!
You have no need which from His infinite supplies cannot be met; no stone of difficulty in your pilgrimage which His might cannot remove; no burden which His arm of power cannot bear, no perplexity which His wisdom cannot guide. In a word, you have no condition
to which Christ, our ever present God, is not equal.
In faith and humility make practical use of your Saviour\u2019s divinity; and when all that is merely ‘human’ has failed, broken like a rope of sand, dissolved like a passing vapour;
or has pierced your too fondly leaning hand like a shattered reed; then take hold of this precious truth, and say, “My Saviour God is with me in all the boundless resources of His Godhead, why then should I fear?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(John MacDuff, “The Christian’s Pathway” 1858″)
“My Beloved is mine \u2014 and I am His!” Song of Songs 2:16
This is the language of the Christian in the book of Canticles. How great is the blessedness involved in such an assurance! My beloved Jesus is mine . . .
in the dignity of His person;<\/em>
<\/em> <\/em>in the suitability of His offices;<\/em>
<\/em> <\/em>in the immensity of His love;<\/em>
in the efficacy of His atonement;<\/em>
in the riches of His abounding grace!<\/em>
<\/em>
His righteousness <\/em>is mine \u2014 to justify me,
His Spirit <\/em>is mine \u2014 to sanctify me,
His power <\/em>is mine \u2014 to defend me,
His wisdom <\/em>is mine \u2014 to guide me, and
His Heaven <\/em>is mine \u2014 to receive me!
And what does Christ <\/strong>say to the believer in return?
“I am yours \u2014 and all that I have is yours! I have boundless and unsearchable riches<\/em> \u2014 and those riches are for you! I have happiness <\/em>to bestow, such as the mind in its largest grasp has never been able to conceive \u2014 and that happiness is for you! I have crowns and sceptres at My disposal \u2014 and all those honours <\/em>are for you! Yes, to him who overcomes, I will grant to sit with Me on My glorious throne!”
The Christian’s exaltation and bliss is not a matter of doubtful disputation. And what makes it so certain? It is the blessed truth that the union <\/em>which exists between him and Christ \u2014 is an indissoluble union!<\/em> All other relations, however close and endearing, must be broken. That union of husband and wife; and soul and body \u2014 has no power to resist the assault of death, the great destroyer<\/em>.
All earthly ties must then be severed. But death, which breaks every other bond<\/em> \u2014 only strengthens the bond between the Christian and Christ! Death, which quenches every other love<\/em> \u2014 only kindles that of the believer for Jesus, into a purer and intenser flame! Death, which snatches every other object <\/em>from our grasp \u2014 only brings us to the full enjoyment of Him, who is the fountain of life, the great centre and source of all blessedness.
Christian, rejoice in your union with Jesus!
The changes of time<\/em> cannot touch it!
The storms of life<\/em> cannot injure it!
The sword of persecution<\/em> cannot sever it!
The damps of death<\/em> cannot affect it!
The malice of hell <\/em>cannot move it!
It is a union which will last forever! <\/strong>It follows, therefore, that you, if a partaker of it \u2014 will be rich <\/em>forever, safe <\/em>forever, dignified <\/em>forever, and blessed <\/em>forever!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We are prone . . .
to be fretful,
to complain of the dispensations of Divine Providence,
and to reflect harshly upon the Lord’s dealings with us.
We want our own way.
We wish to carve for ourselves.
We would be treated as God’s favorites.
We want our ease, and prosperity, and pleasure, consulted in all things. And . . .
if this does not appear to be done,
if our wills <\/em>are crossed,
if our schemes <\/em>are frustrated,
if our purposes <\/em>are broken off,
then we stumble, think ourselves badly treated, and look for everybody to sympathize with us.
Under these circumstances, God comes to us as we sit among our broken cisterns, surrounded by our dethroned idols, and puts this question to us:”Should it be according to your<\/em> mind?”
Are you wiser<\/em> than God?
Are you kinder<\/em> than God?
Are you holier<\/em> than God?
Are you more just<\/em> than God?
Are you better informed<\/em> than God?
May not your mind be dark, or selfish, or foolish?
Should it then be according to your <\/em>mind?
Should you<\/em> reign–or God?
<\/strong>Remember that . . .
God acts in the highest wisdom,
His motives are grace and justice,
and all His purposes are worthy of Himself.
The least the Christian can do is to submit, and to prefer God’s perfect wisdom, ways, and works–to his own. Seeing God has so arranged all events, that all things must work together for the good of His people–they, at least, should daily say, “Father, may Your <\/em>will be done!”
O my soul, seek grace from God, not only to submit and be resigned to the dispensations of Divine Providence, but to acquiesce<\/em> in them, and be pleased<\/em> with the whole of them! Your good is consulted; your best interests are secured. Soon, very soon, it will be seen that infinite wisdom and mercy, grace and goodness–have marked out every step<\/em> of your road!
“Jesus replied: You do not understand what I am now<\/em> doing, but someday you will.” (John 13:7).<\/p>\n\n\n\n