Bible Heaven/Bible Heaven.iso/online/mhcc03/v04250

Text File | 1994-03-02 | 9KB | 163 lines

04250
 #32-37 The resurrection of Christ was the great proof of his
 being the Son of God. It was not possible he should be held by
 death, because he was the Son of God, and therefore had life in
 himself, which he could not lay down but with a design to take
 it again. The sure mercies of David are that everlasting life,
 of which the resurrection was a sure pledge; and the blessings
 of redemption in Christ are a certain earnest, even in this
 world. David was a great blessing to the age wherein he lived.
 We were not born for ourselves, but there are those living
 around us, to whom we must study to be serviceable. Yet here is
 the difference; Christ was to serve all generations. May we look
 to Him who is declared to be the Son of God by his resurrection
 from the dead, that by faith in him we may walk with God, and
 serve our generation according to his will; and when death
 comes, may we fall asleep in him, with a joyful hope of a
 blessed resurrection.

04256
 #38-41 Let all that hear the gospel of Christ, know these two
 things: 1. That through this Man, who died and rose again, is
 preached unto you the forgiveness of sins. Your sins, though
 many and great, may be forgiven, and they may be so without any
 injury to God's honour. 2. It is by Christ only that those who
 believe in him, and none else, are justified from all things;
 from all the guilt and stain of sin, from which they could not
 be justified by the law of Moses. The great concern of convinced
 sinners is, to be justified, to be acquitted from all their
 guilt, and accepted as righteous in God's sight, for if any is
 left charged upon the sinner, he is undone. By Jesus Christ we
 obtain a complete justification; for by him a complete atonement
 was made for sin. We are justified, not only by him as our Judge
 but by him as the Lord our Righteousness. What the law could not
 do for us, in that it was weak, the gospel of Christ does. This
 is the most needful blessing, bringing in every other. The
 threatenings are warnings; what we are told will come upon
 impenitent sinners, is designed to awaken us to beware lest it
 come upon us. It ruins many, that they despise religion. Those
 that will not wonder and be saved, shall wonder and perish.

04260
 #42-52 The Jews opposed the doctrine the apostles preached; and
 when they could find no objection, they blasphemed Christ and
 his gospel. Commonly those who begin with contradicting, end
 with blaspheming. But when adversaries of Christ's cause are
 daring, its advocates should be the bolder. And while many judge
 themselves unworthy of eternal life, others, who appear less
 likely, desire to hear more of the glad tidings of salvation.
 This is according to what was foretold in the Old Testament.
 What light, what power, what a treasure does this gospel bring
 with it! How excellent are its truths, its precepts, its
 promises! Those came to Christ whom the Father drew, and to whom
 the Spirit made the gospel call effectual, #Ro 8:30|. As many as
 were disposed to eternal life, as many as had concern about
 their eternal state, and aimed to make sure of eternal life,
 believed in Christ, in whom God has treasured up that life, and
 who is the only Way to it; and it was the grace of God that
 wrought it in them. It is good to see honourable women devout;
 the less they have to do in the world, the more they should do
 for their own souls, and the souls of others: but it is sad,
 when, under colour of devotion to God, they try to show hatred
 to Christ. And the more we relish the comforts and
 encouragements we meet with in the power of godliness, and the
 fuller our hearts are of them, the better prepared we are to
 face difficulties in the profession of godliness.
04271
 * Paul and Barnabas at Iconium. (1-7) A cripple healed at
 Lystra, The people would have sacrificed to Paul and Barnabas.
 (8-18) Paul stoned at Lystra, The churches visited again.
 (19-28)

 #1-7 The apostles spake so plainly, with such evidence and proof
 of the Spirit, and with such power; so warmly, and with such
 concern for the souls of men; that those who heard them could
 not but say, God was with them of a truth. Yet the success was
 not to be reckoned to the manner of their preaching, but to the
 Spirit of God who used that means. Perseverance in doing good,
 amidst dangers and hardships, is a blessed evidence of grace.
 Wherever God's servants are driven, they should seek to declare
 the truth. When they went on in Christ's name and strength, he
 failed not to give testimony to the word of his grace. He has
 assured us it is the word of God, and that we may venture our
 souls upon it. The Gentiles and Jews were at enmity with one
 another, yet united against Christians. If the church's enemies
 join to destroy it, shall not its friends unite for its
 preservation? God has a shelter for his people in a storm; he
 is, and will be their Hiding-place. In times of persecution,
 believers may see cause to quit a spot, though they do not quit
 their Master's work.

04278
 #8-18 All things are possible to those that believe. When we
 have faith, that most precious gift of God, we shall be
 delivered from the spiritual helplessness in which we were born,
 and from the dominion of sinful habits since formed; we shall be
 made able to stand upright and walk cheerfully in the ways of
 the Lord. When Christ, the Son of God, appeared in the likeness
 of men, and did many miracles, men were so far from doing
 sacrifice to him, that they made him a sacrifice to their pride
 and malice; but Paul and Barnabas, upon their working one
 miracle, were treated as gods. The same power of the god of this
 world, which closes the carnal mind against truth, makes errors
 and mistakes find easy admission. We do not learn that they rent
 their clothes when the people spake of stoning them; but when
 they spake of worshipping them; they could not bear it, being
 more concerned for God's honour than their own. God's truth
 needs not the services of man's falsehood. The servants of God
 might easily obtain undue honours if they would wink at men's
 errors and vices; but they must dread and detest such respect
 more than any reproach. When the apostles preached to the Jews,
 who hated idolatry, they had only to preach the grace of God in
 Christ; but when they had to do with the Gentiles, they must set
 right their mistakes in natural religion. Compare their conduct
 and declaration with the false opinions of those who think the
 worship of a God, under any name, or in any manner, is equally
 acceptable to the Lord Almighty. The most powerful arguments,
 the most earnest and affectionate addresses, even with miracles,
 are scarcely enough to keep men from absurdities and
 abominations; much less can they, without special grace, turn
 the hearts of sinners to God and to holiness.

04289
 #19-28 See how restless the rage of the Jews was against the
 gospel of Christ. The people stoned Paul, in a popular tumult.
 So strong is the bent of the corrupt and carnal heart, that as
 it is with great difficulty that men are kept back from evil on
 one side, so it is with great ease they are persuaded to evil on
 the other side. If Paul would have been Mercury, he might have
 been worshipped; but if he will be a faithful minister of
 Christ, he shall be stoned, and thrown out of the city. Thus men
 who easily submit to strong delusions, hate to receive the truth
 in the love of it. All who are converted need to be confirmed in
 the faith; all who are planted need to be rooted. Ministers'
 work is to establish saints as well as to awaken sinners. The
 grace of God, and nothing less, effectually establishes the
 souls of the disciples. It is true, we must count upon much
 tribulation, but it is encouragement that we shall not be lost
 and perish in it. The Person to whose power and grace the
 converts and the newly-established churches are commended,
 clearly was the Lord Jesus, "on whom they had believed." It was
 an act of worship. The praise of all the little good we do at
 any time, must be ascribed to God; for it is He who not only
 worketh in us both to will and to do, but also worketh with us
 to make what we do successful. All who love the Lord Jesus, will
 rejoice to hear that he has opened the door of faith wide, to
 those who were strangers to him and to his salvation. And let
 us, like the apostles, abide with those who know and love the
 Lord.
04299
 * The dispute raised by Judaizing teachers. (1-6) The council at
 Jerusalem. (7-21) The letter from the council. (22-35) Paul and
 Barnabas separate. (36-41)

 #1-6 Some from Judea taught the Gentile converts at Antioch,
 that they could not be saved, unless they observed the whole
 ceremonial law as given by Moses; and thus they sought to
 destroy Christian liberty. There is a strange proneness in us to
 think that all do wrong who do not just as we do. Their doctrine
 was very discouraging. Wise and good men desire to avoid
 contests and disputes as far as they can; yet when false
 teachers oppose the main truths of the gospel, or bring in
 hurtful doctrines, we must not decline to oppose them.