It Is God Who Justifies - Romans 8:33

Behold the eternal security of the weakest believer in Jesus. The act of justification, once passed under the great seal of the resurrection of Christ, God can never revoke without denying Himself. Here is our safety. Here is the ground of our dauntless challenge, ‘Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God who justifies.’ What can I need more? What more can I ask?

If God, the God of spotless purity, the God of inflexible righteousness, justifies me, ‘who is he that condemns?’ 

Sin may condemn, but it is God that justifies! 

The law may alarm, but it is God that justifies! 

Satan may accuse, but it is God that justifies! 

Death may terrify, but it is God that justifies! 

‘If GOD is for us, who can be against us?’ Who will dare condemn the soul whom He justifies?

How gloriously will this truth shine forth in the great day of judgment! Every accuser will then be dumb. Every tongue will then be silent. Nothing shall be laid to the charge of God’s elect. GOD Himself shall pronounce them fully, and forever justified: ‘And those He justifies, He also glorifies.’

~Octavius Winslow, Morning Thoughts (emphasis mine)

Depth of Mercy

Depth of mercy! Can there be

Mercy still reserved for me?

Can my God His wrath forbear,

Me, the chief of sinners, spare?

I have long withstood His grace,

Long provoked Him to His face,

Would not hearken to His calls,

Grieved Him by a thousand falls.

I my Master have denied,

I afresh have crucified,

And profaned His hallowed Name,

Put Him to an open shame.

If I rightly read Thy heart,

If Thou all compassion art,

Bow Thine ear, in mercy bow,

Pardon and accept me now.

Jesus speaks, and pleads His blood!

He disarms the wrath of God;

Now my Father’s mercies move,

Justice lingers into love.

There for me the Savior stands,

Shows His wounds and spreads His hands.

God is love! I know, I feel;

Jesus weeps and loves me still.

~Charles Wesley - Depth of Mercy (more verses here!)

Spurgeon on Sin

"She caught him by his garment, saying, "Lie with me." But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house." Genesis 39:12

In contending with certain sins, there remains no mode of victory except by running away quickly. He who would be safe from acts of evil must hasten away from occasions of it. A covenant must be made with our eyes not even to look upon the cause of temptation, for such sins only need a spark to begin with and a blaze follows in an instant!

Who would casually enter the leper's hut and sleep amid its horrible corruption? He alone who desires to be leprous himself would thus court contagion. If the sailor knew how to avoid a storm, he would do anything rather than run the risk of weathering it. Cautious pilots have no desire to try how near the quicksand they can sail, or how often they may touch a rock without springing a leak; their aim is to keep as nearly as possible in the midst of a safe channel.

This day I may be exposed to great peril; let me have wisdom to keep out of it and avoid it. The wings of a dove may be of more use to me than the jaws of a lion. I may be an apparent loser by declining evil company, but I had better leave my coat than lose my character! It is not needful that I should be rich, but it is imperative upon me to be pure. No ties of friendship, no chains of beauty, no flashings of talent, and no shafts of ridicule must turn me from the wise resolve to run from sin. I am to resist the devil and he will flee from me. But the lusts of the flesh I must flee or they will surely overcome me!

~C. H. Spurgeon

Made Me Laugh...

Q: What do you call four bull fighters in quicksand?

A: Quatro sinko.

[Still laughing even as I type this...]

J.C. Ryle - "As a Man..."

This entire quote is good--but I think my favorite part is: "He plunged into the waters Himself".

Christ saw us ruined by the fall, a world of poor, lost, ship-wrecked sinners. He saw and He pitied us; and in compliance with the everlasting counsels of the Eternal Trinity, He came down to the world, to suffer in our stead, and to save us.

He did not sit in heaven pitying us from a distance: He did not stand upon the shore and see the wreck, and behold poor drowning sinners struggling in vain to get to shore. He plunged into the waters Himself: He came off to the wreck and took part with us in our weakness and infirmity becoming a man to save our souls.

As man, He bore our sins and carried our transgressions; as man, He endured all that men can endure, and went through everything in man’s experience, sin only excepted; as man He lived; as man He went to the cross; as man He died. As man He shed His blood, in order that He might save us, poor shipwrecked sinners, and establish a communication between earth and heaven! As man He became a curse for us, in order that He might bridge the gulf, and make a way by which you and I might draw near to God with boldness, and have access to God without fear.

Billy Graham - "The Call"

I don't agree with everything Mr. Graham has said and done (especially in most recent years), yet it is obvious that the Spirit has used Him in dramatic (and everlasting) ways for the furtherance of the Kingdom.

Whether or not you agree with his "altar call" method, you cannot help but recognize that when he preaches the gospel, people respond.

In Tenderness He Sought Me

Last Wednesday we were driving to the chapel for prayer meeting when Chloe asked me an interesting question. She's learning to spell--and so occasionally she spells out the words that she knows when she's talking. The short conversation went something like this:

Chloe: "D-A-D, how do you spell 'Oh'"?

Intelligent-And-Expert-Speller-D-A-D: "Well, Chloe--usually the word is spelled O-H, but sometimes in the hymnbook--or in the Bible, you might find it just spelled 'O'.

It was quiet after that. I'm not sure if she was pondering the brevity of the word or trying to figure out how to use it in a sentence herself, but apparently her question was answered at least for the time being.

I'm not really sure what that has to do with this post--other than the word "Oh" is used repeatedly in the refrain. [Does anyone know the difference (technical or otherwise) between a refrain and a chorus? Anyway...when I woke up this morning--this old hymn was on my mind. I especially appreciate the lyrics: He whispered to assure me, “I’ve found thee, thou art Mine”!

In tenderness He sought me,

Weary and sick with sin;

And on His shoulders brought me

Back to His fold again.

While angels in His presence sang

Until the courts of Heaven rang.

REFRAIN

Oh, the love that sought me!

Oh, the blood that bought me!

Oh, the grace that brought me to the fold,

Wondrous grace that brought me to the fold.

He washed the bleeding sin wounds,

And poured in oil and wine;

He whispered to assure me,

“I’ve found thee, thou art Mine”;

I never heard a sweeter voice;

It made my aching heart rejoice!

He pointed to the nail prints,

For me His blood was shed,

A mocking crown so thorny

Was placed upon His head;

I wondered what He saw in me,

To suffer such deep agony.

I’m sitting in His presence,

The sunshine of His face,

While with adoring wonder

His blessings I retrace.

It seems as if eternal days

Are far too short to sound His praise.

So while the hours are passing,

All now is perfect rest,

I’m waiting for the morning,

The brightest and the best,

When He will call us to His side,

To be with Him, His spotless bride.

~In Tenderness He Sought Me