September 5th, 2014. LET THE DEFEATS ESCORT Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16 The law is beyond our capacity. The Lords words in Matthew 5- 7 are beyond our capacity. Our environments also push us beyond our capacity. All these things are absolutely Gods favor to us, because He is not leaving us to ourselves. He exhausts us. He allows us to be defeated and feel discouraged. But the problem is this-- we do not see discouragement as an escort to Christ! May the Lord open our eyes to see what is happening to us in the midst of our reactions, that we might seize our discouragement and let it escort us to Christ Have you had any escorts lately? There is great hope in our escorts. They turn defeat into hope. The most defeated can use their very defeat as an escort to Christ. Whatever the Lord may expose in our lives-- our reasoning mind, our divided heart, our motives-- causes us to feel undone, naked, and defeated before Him. We need to realize at that time that the Lord is simply escorting us to Himself. Paul says in Hebrews 4:13, And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. Following this verse, in which we are exposed to the core of our being, Paul says in Hebrews 4:16, Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. This speaks of being escorted to Christ at the very time of being naked and laid bare. Thus, all the demands and all the defeats are our personal escorts to Christ. The demand of the law, the demand of Matthew 5- 7, and the demands of our environment are all arranged by God to lead us out of our own limited capacity and ability. Gods intention is to bring us into Another life. He wants us to touch the life that now dwells in our spirit. Touch the life that has already made it into glory! Touch the life who is the victory! Let us therefore come boldly, or, with confidence, etc. He draws this conclusion, — that an access to God is open to all who come to him relying on Christ the Mediator; nay, he exhorts the faithful to venture without any hesitation to present themselves before God. And the chief benefit of divine teaching is a sure confidence in calling on God, as, on the other hand, the whole of religion falls to the ground, and is lost when this certainty is taken away from consciences. It is hence obvious to conclude, that under the Papacy the light of the Gospel is extinct, for miserable men are bidden to doubt whether God is propitious to them or is angry with them. They indeed say that God is to be sought; but the way by which it is possible to come to him is not pointed out, and the gate is barred by which alone men can enter. They confess in words that Christ is a Mediator, but in reality they make the power of his priesthood of none effect, and deprive him of his honour. For we must hold this principle, — that Christ is not really known as a Mediator except all doubt as to our access to God is removed; otherwise the conclusion here drawn would not stand, We have a high priest Who is willing to help us; therefore we may come bold and without any hesitation to the throne of grace. And were we indeed fully persuaded that Christ is of his own accord stretching forth his hand to us, who of us would not come in perfect confidence? It is then true what I said, that its power is taken away from Christs priesthood whenever men have doubts, and are anxiously seeking for mediators, as though that one were not sufficient, in whose patronage all they who really trust, as the Apostle here directs them, have the assurance that their prayers are heard. The ground of this assurance is, that the throne of God is not arrayed in naked majesty to confound us, but is adorned with a new name, even that of grace, which ought ever to be remembered whenever we shun the presence of God. For the glory of God, when we contemplate it alone, can produce no other effect than to fill us with despair; so awful is his throne. The Apostle, then, that he might remedy our diffidence, and free our minds from all fear and trembling, adorns it with grace, and gives it a name which can allure us by its sweetness, as though he had said, Since God has affirmed to his throne as it were the banner of grace and of his paternal love towards us, there are no reasons why his majesty should drive us away. The import of the whole is, that we are to call upon God without fear, since we know that he is propitious to us, and that this may be done is owing to the benefit conferred on us by Christ, as we find from Ephesians 3:12; for when Christ receives us under his protection and patronage, he covers with his goodness the majesty of God, which would otherwise be terrible to us, so that nothing appears there but grace and paternal favour. THAT WE MAY OBTAIN MERCY. This is not added without great reason; it is for the purpose of encouraging as it were by name those who feel the need of mercy, lest any one should be cast down by the sense of his misery, and close up his way by his own diffidence. This expression, that we may obtain mercy, contains especially this most delightful truth, that all who, relying on the advocacy of Christ, pray to God, are certain to obtain mercy; yet on the other hand the Apostle indirectly, or by implication, holds out a threatening to all who take not this way, and intimates that God will be inexorable to them, because they disregard the only true way of being reconciled to him. He adds, TO HELP IN TIME OF NEED, or, for a seasonable help; that is, if we desire to obtain all things necessary for our salvation. Now, this seasonableness refers to the time of calling, according to those words of Isaiah, which Paul accommodates to the preaching of the Gospel, Behold, now is the accepted time, etc., (Isaiah 49:8; 2 Corinthians 6:2;) for the Apostle refers to that today, during which God speaks to us. If we defer hearing until tomorrow, when God is speaking to us today, the unseasonable night will come, when what now may be done can no longer be done; and we shall in vain knock when the door is closed. September 5 MORNING AS THE BODY IS ONE, AND HATH MANY MEMBERS,... SO ALSO [IS] CHRIST. He is the head of the body, the church.-- The head over all [things] to the church, Which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all.-- We are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. A body hast thou prepared me.-- Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all [my members] were written, [which] in continuance were fashioned, when [as yet there was] none of them. Thine they were, and thou gavest them me.-- He hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world.-- Whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate [to be] conformed to the image of his Son. Grow up into him in all things, which is the head, [even] Christ: from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth,... maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. 1 COR 12:12. Col 1:18.-- Eph 1:22, 23.-- Ep 5:30. Heb 10:5.-- Ps 139:16. Jn 17:6.-- Ep 1:4.-- Ro 8:29. Ep 4:15, 16. September 5 EVENING THE FOUNTAIN OF LIVING WATERS. How excellent [is] thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. For with thee [is] the fountain of life. Thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty.-- Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.-- This spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive. Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters.-- The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. Jer 2:13 Ps 36:7- 9 Isa 65:13 Jn 4:14 7:39 Isa 55:1 Re 22:17
Posted on: Fri, 05 Sep 2014 11:02:56 +0000
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