“The gospel is not, “Give your hearts to Christ, and you shall be saved.” The gospel is, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,”- that is, trust him, “and thou shalt be saved.” When you do that, you will be sure to give him your heart by-and-by, if not at once. Salvation is not by your giving anything to Christ, but by Christ giving something to you. I am glad that you have given your heart to Christ; but have you learnt first this lesson, that he gave his heart for you? We do not find salvation by giving Christ anything. That is the fruit of it; but salvation comes by Christ giving us something - something, did I say? - by Christ giving us everything, by his giving us himself. I used to notice that a good deal of Sunday-school teaching to the children was, “Dear child, love Jesus.” That is not the way of salvation. The way of salvation is to trust Jesus. The fruit of salvation is that the dear child does love Jesus; but that is not the way of salvation. The way of salvation is to take Christ, to trust Christ. When you are saved, the proof of it will be that you will give your heart to Christ; but do not let us turn things upside down lest, beginning with a little blunder, we should go on to some great error, and set up again the ruinous doctrine which once sank the world in darkness, the doctrine of an imaginary salvation by our own works.”
Charles H. Spurgeon, Sychar’s Sinner Saved
http://www.monergism.com/directory/link_in_frame.php?link=22500
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
grounds of assurance - D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
“but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.” Romans 5:8-10
“Apostle Paul wants these people to rejoice in their salvation and ‘the hope of the glory of God’, and He show that they will only rejoice in it as they understand and grasp God’s great love to them. That is why I say that this demonstration, this proof of the love of God, is one of the profoundest sources of assurance that one can ever have.
How does this gratuitous element in our salvation provide me with grounds of assurance? Let me put it like this. Imagine what the position would be if our salvation were not entirely of grace. If, for instance, I believed that Christ had died for me because I loved God, and because I was trying to please God, and because I was a good man who was striving to keep the Law, and who had succeeded up to a point, if I believed that my salvation was the result of the fact that I was such a good man, then the inevitable corollary would be, that I would say to myself, “What if in the future, sometime or another, I should love God less, what if I failed to keep His Commandments, what if I failed to seek God and to please Him and to live for Him as I have been doing in the past? If my salvation depends upon what I am, and what I have done, and what I desire, if it in any sense depends upon me, what security have I got? I may change, I may falter, I may fail.’
If our salvation depended in any sense, or to any extent at all, upon ourselves, our position would always be precarious. We might fail at any moment and would then lose all. But, thank God, says the Apostle, that is not the position. Our salvation in no respect at all depends upon ourselves, it is entirely dependent upon the love of God. And because my salvation depends upon the love of God and on that alone, and on nothing in me, I am sure of it, I am certain of it. Why? Because God does not change, and cannot change, and if I am within the ambit and the scope of the love of God now, I always shall be. The love of God, the gratuitous character of my salvation, my realization that I was without strength, that I was ungodly, a sinner, and that it is entirely in spite of me that Christ died for me, these are the ultimate ground of my assurance. And on this ground I am assured, not only that I am saved now, but that I shall remain saved, that because I am justified I am also glorified, and therefore I rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
- D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Romans: Assurance, Exposition of Chapter 5
“Apostle Paul wants these people to rejoice in their salvation and ‘the hope of the glory of God’, and He show that they will only rejoice in it as they understand and grasp God’s great love to them. That is why I say that this demonstration, this proof of the love of God, is one of the profoundest sources of assurance that one can ever have.
How does this gratuitous element in our salvation provide me with grounds of assurance? Let me put it like this. Imagine what the position would be if our salvation were not entirely of grace. If, for instance, I believed that Christ had died for me because I loved God, and because I was trying to please God, and because I was a good man who was striving to keep the Law, and who had succeeded up to a point, if I believed that my salvation was the result of the fact that I was such a good man, then the inevitable corollary would be, that I would say to myself, “What if in the future, sometime or another, I should love God less, what if I failed to keep His Commandments, what if I failed to seek God and to please Him and to live for Him as I have been doing in the past? If my salvation depends upon what I am, and what I have done, and what I desire, if it in any sense depends upon me, what security have I got? I may change, I may falter, I may fail.’
If our salvation depended in any sense, or to any extent at all, upon ourselves, our position would always be precarious. We might fail at any moment and would then lose all. But, thank God, says the Apostle, that is not the position. Our salvation in no respect at all depends upon ourselves, it is entirely dependent upon the love of God. And because my salvation depends upon the love of God and on that alone, and on nothing in me, I am sure of it, I am certain of it. Why? Because God does not change, and cannot change, and if I am within the ambit and the scope of the love of God now, I always shall be. The love of God, the gratuitous character of my salvation, my realization that I was without strength, that I was ungodly, a sinner, and that it is entirely in spite of me that Christ died for me, these are the ultimate ground of my assurance. And on this ground I am assured, not only that I am saved now, but that I shall remain saved, that because I am justified I am also glorified, and therefore I rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
- D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Romans: Assurance, Exposition of Chapter 5
Sunday, January 3, 2010
“Bombard God. Bombard heaven until the answers come." - Martyn Lloyd-Jones
“Bombard God. Bombard heaven until the answers come.
We have the authority of our Lord for this, have we not? In Genesis 32 we read that Jacob did something like that: ‘I will not let Thee go,’ he said.
The man wrestled with him & said, ‘It is the dawn, it is the breaking of day, let me go.’
‘But I will not let Thee go, said Jacob. ‘I’m not letting go until you give me my request’ – wrestling Jacob…
And our Lord has taught us to pray like this. It is one of the most glorious, & wonderful statements even he ever made about God & God’s relationship with us. He said, ‘you know, you must not just pray fitfully, you must become importunate. You must be like that man who suddenly is visited by a friend late at night. He has no food to give him, so he says, ‘oh, my friend up the street will have some loaves.’ So he goes and hammers at the door.
But the friend shouts and says, ‘I cannot come down, I am in bed and my children are with me.’
‘No,’ says the man, ‘you must give me something, I know you have got bread & I’ve got a stranger here, I can’t let him go without a meal.’ He goes on hammering.
‘I can’t,’ says the man, ‘I’m in bed.’
But the suppliant goes on and on, until at last the man gets up and gives him the bread.
The man in the bed, in our Lord’s illustration, is none other than God Himself. Because of his neighbor’s importunity he arose and gave him the bread. And if we, who are earthly, sinful, evil fathers, know how to give good gifts to our children, how much more shall our Father which is in heaven give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him? (Luke 11:5-13). He will not mock us.
But, like a father, He seems to keep us waiting. He seems to say ‘no’ at first, that we may go on asking, and we must become importunate.”
Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Revival
We have the authority of our Lord for this, have we not? In Genesis 32 we read that Jacob did something like that: ‘I will not let Thee go,’ he said.
The man wrestled with him & said, ‘It is the dawn, it is the breaking of day, let me go.’
‘But I will not let Thee go, said Jacob. ‘I’m not letting go until you give me my request’ – wrestling Jacob…
And our Lord has taught us to pray like this. It is one of the most glorious, & wonderful statements even he ever made about God & God’s relationship with us. He said, ‘you know, you must not just pray fitfully, you must become importunate. You must be like that man who suddenly is visited by a friend late at night. He has no food to give him, so he says, ‘oh, my friend up the street will have some loaves.’ So he goes and hammers at the door.
But the friend shouts and says, ‘I cannot come down, I am in bed and my children are with me.’
‘No,’ says the man, ‘you must give me something, I know you have got bread & I’ve got a stranger here, I can’t let him go without a meal.’ He goes on hammering.
‘I can’t,’ says the man, ‘I’m in bed.’
But the suppliant goes on and on, until at last the man gets up and gives him the bread.
The man in the bed, in our Lord’s illustration, is none other than God Himself. Because of his neighbor’s importunity he arose and gave him the bread. And if we, who are earthly, sinful, evil fathers, know how to give good gifts to our children, how much more shall our Father which is in heaven give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him? (Luke 11:5-13). He will not mock us.
But, like a father, He seems to keep us waiting. He seems to say ‘no’ at first, that we may go on asking, and we must become importunate.”
Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Revival
Monday, December 28, 2009
What is justifying faith? - D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
“What is justifying faith? It is the faith that believes what God says in Christ in spite of all I know about myself, my past sins, my present sinfulness, in spite of the fact that I know that I still have an evil nature within me which make me say with Paul, ‘In me, that is, in my flesh, dwells no good thing’. Justifying faith is that which enables a man to believe the Word of God in spite of all that, to believe the Word of God in spite of knowing his own weakness, his own proneness to fall, his own proneness to fail – that is justifying faith…
This is Christian faith. That is justifying faith. It is faith that enables the believer to dare to believe on the bare word of God, that one day he will be ‘faultless & blameless, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing’. Through this faith he can believe ‘that He which hath begun a good work in us will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ’ [Philippians 1:6], & can stand confidently & defy everybody & everything. Possessing it he no longer fears death & the grave. Indeed, he no longer fears the final judgement because he knows that he has ‘passed from judgement into life’ in Christ Jesus.”
- D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Romans: An Exposition of Chapters 3.20-4.25 Atonement and Justification
This is Christian faith. That is justifying faith. It is faith that enables the believer to dare to believe on the bare word of God, that one day he will be ‘faultless & blameless, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing’. Through this faith he can believe ‘that He which hath begun a good work in us will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ’ [Philippians 1:6], & can stand confidently & defy everybody & everything. Possessing it he no longer fears death & the grave. Indeed, he no longer fears the final judgement because he knows that he has ‘passed from judgement into life’ in Christ Jesus.”
- D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Romans: An Exposition of Chapters 3.20-4.25 Atonement and Justification
Saturday, December 26, 2009
The man who is truly blessed by God - D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
“And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:
"Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin." – Romans 4:5-8
“The man who is truly blessed is the man whose sin is forgiven as debt, whose sin is covered up so that God will never look at it again. He is one to whom it is never going to be imputed as a crime. There is the negative aspect. But it goes beyond that; he is also one to whom God reckons this righteousness of Jesus Christ. That is the doctrine of justification by faith. Here are we – all of us – sinners in the sight of God. What does the doctrine tell me? It tells me that as I stand there on trial, my debt is cancelled, my sin is covered. God has cast my sin ‘behind his back’. He will never look at it again; He will never see it again. It is blotted out – out of His sight for all eternity. And I shall never be charged with it as a crime. I’m completely delivered from it. But over and above that, God puts to my account, and reckons to me, this righteousness of Jesus Christ His Son.
What the Apostle has clearly demonstrated is that that has always been God’s way and method of dealing with man in sin. It was what He did to Abraham. David says that He does it…
God took our sins, and instead of imputing them to us and to our account, He put them to His Son’s account. He put them on Him and He punished them in Him. Christ came into the world deliberately in order to do it. This is how we are saved and reconciled to God – instead of reckoning my sins to me God reckoned them to Christ, and punished them in Him…We had no righteousness at all. He has a perfect righteousness. God reckons His righteousness to us.”
- D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Romans: An Exposition of Chapters 3.20-4.25 Atonement and Justification
"Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin." – Romans 4:5-8
“The man who is truly blessed is the man whose sin is forgiven as debt, whose sin is covered up so that God will never look at it again. He is one to whom it is never going to be imputed as a crime. There is the negative aspect. But it goes beyond that; he is also one to whom God reckons this righteousness of Jesus Christ. That is the doctrine of justification by faith. Here are we – all of us – sinners in the sight of God. What does the doctrine tell me? It tells me that as I stand there on trial, my debt is cancelled, my sin is covered. God has cast my sin ‘behind his back’. He will never look at it again; He will never see it again. It is blotted out – out of His sight for all eternity. And I shall never be charged with it as a crime. I’m completely delivered from it. But over and above that, God puts to my account, and reckons to me, this righteousness of Jesus Christ His Son.
What the Apostle has clearly demonstrated is that that has always been God’s way and method of dealing with man in sin. It was what He did to Abraham. David says that He does it…
God took our sins, and instead of imputing them to us and to our account, He put them to His Son’s account. He put them on Him and He punished them in Him. Christ came into the world deliberately in order to do it. This is how we are saved and reconciled to God – instead of reckoning my sins to me God reckoned them to Christ, and punished them in Him…We had no righteousness at all. He has a perfect righteousness. God reckons His righteousness to us.”
- D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Romans: An Exposition of Chapters 3.20-4.25 Atonement and Justification
Thursday, December 24, 2009
The promises of God, the power of God, faith and the glory of God – John Calvin
“No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what He had promised.” - Romans 4:20-21
“All things around us are in opposition to the promises of God: He promises immortality; we are surrounded with mortality and corruption: He declares that he counts us just; we are covered with sins: He testifies that he is propitious and kind to us; outward judgments threaten his wrath. What then is to be done? We must with closed eyes pass by ourselves and all things connected with us, that nothing may hinder or prevent us from believing that God is true…It is hence the chief thing in honoring God, obediently to embrace his promises: and true religion begins with faith…
But we do not sufficiently exalt the power of God, unless we think it to be greater than our weakness. Faith then ought not to regard our weakness, misery, and defects, but to fix wholly its attention on the power of God alone; for if it depends on our righteousness or worthiness, it can never ascend to the consideration of God’s power. And it is a proof of the unbelief, of which he had before spoken, when we mete the Lord’s power with our own measure. For faith does not think that God can do all things, while it leaves him sitting still, but when, on the contrary, it regards his power in continual exercise, and applies it, especially, to the accomplishment of his word: for the hand of God is ever ready to execute whatever he has declared by his mouth.”
- John Calvin
“All things around us are in opposition to the promises of God: He promises immortality; we are surrounded with mortality and corruption: He declares that he counts us just; we are covered with sins: He testifies that he is propitious and kind to us; outward judgments threaten his wrath. What then is to be done? We must with closed eyes pass by ourselves and all things connected with us, that nothing may hinder or prevent us from believing that God is true…It is hence the chief thing in honoring God, obediently to embrace his promises: and true religion begins with faith…
But we do not sufficiently exalt the power of God, unless we think it to be greater than our weakness. Faith then ought not to regard our weakness, misery, and defects, but to fix wholly its attention on the power of God alone; for if it depends on our righteousness or worthiness, it can never ascend to the consideration of God’s power. And it is a proof of the unbelief, of which he had before spoken, when we mete the Lord’s power with our own measure. For faith does not think that God can do all things, while it leaves him sitting still, but when, on the contrary, it regards his power in continual exercise, and applies it, especially, to the accomplishment of his word: for the hand of God is ever ready to execute whatever he has declared by his mouth.”
- John Calvin
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
A Sinner and his Saviour - Dora Greenwell
“I sought Thee, weeping, high and low;
I found Thee not; I did not know
I was a sinner; even so
I missed Thee for my Saviour.
I saw Thee sweetly condescend
Of humble men to be the friend;
I chose Thee for my way — my end.
But found not yet my Saviour.
Until upon the cross I saw
My God, who died to meet the law
That man had broken; then I saw
My sin, and then my Saviour.
What seek I longer? let me be
A sinner all my days to Thee
Yet more and more — and Thou to me
Yet more and more my Saviour,
A sinner all my earthly days,
A sinner who believes and prays,
A sinner all his evil ways
Who leaves for his dear Saviour.
Who leaves his evil ways, yet leaves
Not Him to whom his spirit cleaves
More close, that he so often grieves
The soul of his dear Saviour.
Be Thou to me my Lord, my Guide,
My Friend, yea everything beside;
But first, last, best, whate'er betide.
Be Thou to me my Saviour!”
- Dora Greenwell
I found Thee not; I did not know
I was a sinner; even so
I missed Thee for my Saviour.
I saw Thee sweetly condescend
Of humble men to be the friend;
I chose Thee for my way — my end.
But found not yet my Saviour.
Until upon the cross I saw
My God, who died to meet the law
That man had broken; then I saw
My sin, and then my Saviour.
What seek I longer? let me be
A sinner all my days to Thee
Yet more and more — and Thou to me
Yet more and more my Saviour,
A sinner all my earthly days,
A sinner who believes and prays,
A sinner all his evil ways
Who leaves for his dear Saviour.
Who leaves his evil ways, yet leaves
Not Him to whom his spirit cleaves
More close, that he so often grieves
The soul of his dear Saviour.
Be Thou to me my Lord, my Guide,
My Friend, yea everything beside;
But first, last, best, whate'er betide.
Be Thou to me my Saviour!”
- Dora Greenwell
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