Bible Heaven/Bible Heaven.iso/online/mhcc03/v05200

Text File | 1994-03-02 | 11KB | 194 lines

05209
 #17-20 How earnest, how endearing are these exhortations!
 Whatever differs from the sound doctrine of the Scriptures,
 opens a door to divisions and offences. If truth be forsaken,
 unity and peace will not last long. Many call Christ, Master and
 Lord, who are far from serving him. But they serve their carnal,
 sensual, worldly interests. They corrupt the head by deceiving
 the heart; perverting the judgments by winding themselves into
 the affections. We have great need to keep our hearts with all
 diligence. It has been the common policy of seducers to set upon
 those who are softened by convictions. A pliable temper is good
 when under good guidance, otherwise it may be easily led astray.
 Be so wise as not to be deceived, yet so simple as not to be
 deceivers. The blessing the apostle expects from God, is victory
 over Satan. This includes all designs and devices of Satan
 against souls, to defile, disturb, and destroy them; all his
 attempts to keep us from the peace of heaven here, and the
 possession of heaven hereafter. When Satan seems to prevail, and
 we are ready to give up all as lost, then will the God of peace
 interpose in our behalf. Hold out therefore, faith and patience,
 yet a little while. If the grace of Christ be with us, who can
 prevail against us?

05213
 #21-24 The apostle adds affectionate remembrances from persons
 with him, known to the Roman Christians. It is a great comfort
 to see the holiness and usefulness of our kindred. Not many
 mighty, not many noble are called, but some are. It is lawful
 for believers to bear civil offices; and it were to be wished
 that all offices in Christian states, and in the church, were
 bestowed upon prudent and steady Christians.

05217
 #25-27 That which establishes souls, is, the plain preaching of
 Jesus Christ. Our redemption and salvation by our Lord Jesus
 Christ, are, without controversy, a great mystery of godliness.
 And yet, blessed be God, there is as much of this mystery made
 plain as will bring us to heaven, if we do not wilfully neglect
 so great salvation. Life and immortality are brought to light by
 the gospel, and the Sun of Righteousness is risen on the world.
 The Scriptures of the prophets, what they left in writing, is
 not only made plain in itself, but by it this mystery is made
 known to all nations. Christ is salvation to all nations. And
 the gospel is revealed, not to be talked of and disputed about,
 but to be submitted to. The obedience of faith is that obedience
 which is paid to the word of faith, and which comes by the grace
 of faith. All the glory that passes from fallen man to God, so
 as to be accepted of him, must go through the Lord Jesus, in
 whom alone our persons and doings are, or can be, pleasing to
 God. Of his righteousness we must make mention, even of his
 only; who, as he is the Mediator of all our prayers, so he is,
 and will be, to eternity, the Mediator of all our praises.
 Remembering that we are called to the obedience of faith, and
 that every degree of wisdom is from the only wise God, we
 should, by word and deed, render glory to him through Jesus
 Christ; that so the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ may be with
 us for ever.
05220
 ** The Corinthian church contained some Jews, but more Gentiles,
 and the apostle had to contend with the superstition of the one,
 and the sinful conduct of the other. The peace of this church
 was disturbed by false teachers, who undermined the influence of
 the apostle. Two parties were the result; one contending
 earnestly for the Jewish ceremonies, the other indulging in
 excesses contrary to the gospel, to which they were especially
 led by the luxury and the sins which prevailed around them. This
 epistle was written to rebuke some disorderly conduct, of which
 the apostle had been apprized, and to give advice as to some
 points whereon his judgment was requested by the Corinthians.
 Thus the scope was twofold. 1. To apply suitable remedies to the
 disorders and abuses which prevailed among them. 2. To give
 satisfactory answers on all the points upon which his advice had
 been desired. The address, and Christian mildness, yet firmness,
 with which the apostle writes, and goes on from general truths
 directly to oppose the errors and evil conduct of the
 Corinthians, is very remarkable. He states the truth and the
 will of God, as to various matters, with great force of argument
 and animation of style.

 * A salutation and thanksgiving. (1-9) Exhortation to brotherly
 love, and reproof for divisions. (10-16) The doctrine of a
 crucified Saviour, as advancing the glory of God, (17-25) and
 humbling the creature before him. (26-31)

 #1-9 All Christians are by baptism dedicated and devoted to
 Christ, and are under strict obligations to be holy. But in the
 true church of God are all who are sanctified in Christ Jesus,
 called to be saints, and who call upon him as God manifest in
 the flesh, for all the blessings of salvation; who acknowledge
 and obey him as their Lord, and as Lord of all; it includes no
 other persons. Christians are distinguished from the profane and
 atheists, that they dare not live without prayer; and they are
 distinguished from Jews and pagans, that they call on the name
 of Christ. Observe how often in these verses the apostle repeats
 the words, Our Lord Jesus Christ. He feared not to make too
 frequent or too honourable mention of him. To all who called
 upon Christ, the apostle gave his usual salutation, desiring, in
 their behalf, the pardoning mercy, sanctifying grace, and
 comforting peace of God, through Jesus Christ. Sinners can have
 no peace with God, nor any from him, but through Christ. He
 gives thanks for their conversion to the faith of Christ; that
 grace was given them by Jesus Christ. They had been enriched by
 him with all spiritual gifts. He speaks of utterance and
 knowledge. And where God has given these two gifts, he has given
 great power for usefulness. These were gifts of the Holy Ghost,
 by which God bore witness to the apostles. Those that wait for
 the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, will be kept by him to the
 end; and those that are so, will be blameless in the day of
 Christ, made so by rich and free grace. How glorious are the
 hopes of such a privilege; to be kept by the power of Christ,
 from the power of our corruptions and Satan's temptations!

05229
 #10-16 In the great things of religion be of one mind; and where
 there is not unity of sentiment, still let there be union of
 affection. Agreement in the greater things should extinguish
 divisions about the lesser. There will be perfect union in
 heaven, and the nearer we approach it on earth, the nearer we
 come to perfection. Paul and Apollos both were faithful
 ministers of Jesus Christ, and helpers of their faith and joy;
 but those disposed to be contentious, broke into parties. So
 liable are the best things to be corrupted, and the gospel and
 its institutions made engines of discord and contention. Satan
 has always endeavoured to stir up strife among Christians, as
 one of his chief devices against the gospel. The apostle left it
 to other ministers to baptize, while he preached the gospel, as
 a more useful work.

05236
 #17-25 Paul had been bred up in Jewish learning; but the plain
 preaching of a crucified Jesus, was more powerful than all the
 oratory and philosophy of the heathen world. This is the sum and
 substance of the gospel. Christ crucified is the foundation of
 all our hopes, the fountain of all our joys. And by his death we
 live. The preaching of salvation for lost sinners by the
 sufferings and death of the Son of God, if explained and
 faithfully applied, appears foolishness to those in the way to
 destruction. The sensual, the covetous, the proud, and
 ambitious, alike see that the gospel opposes their favourite
 pursuits. But those who receive the gospel, and are enlightened
 by the Spirit of God, see more of God's wisdom and power in the
 doctrine of Christ crucified, than in all his other works. God
 left a great part of the world to follow the dictates of man's
 boasted reason, and the event has shown that human wisdom is
 folly, and is unable to find or retain the knowledge of God as
 the Creator. It pleased him, by the foolishness of preaching, to
 save them that believe. By the foolishness of preaching; not by
 what could justly be called foolish preaching. But the thing
 preached was foolishness to worldly-wise men. The gospel ever
 was, and ever will be, foolishness to all in the road to
 destruction. The message of Christ, plainly delivered, ever has
 been a sure touchstone by which men may learn what road they are
 travelling. But the despised doctrine of salvation by faith in a
 crucified Saviour, God in human nature, purchasing the church
 with his own blood, to save multitudes, even all that believe,
 from ignorance, delusion, and vice, has been blessed in every
 age. And the weakest instruments God uses, are stronger in their
 effects, than the strongest men can use. Not that there is
 foolishness or weakness in God, but what men consider as such,
 overcomes all their admired wisdom and strength.

05245
 #26-31 God did not choose philosophers, nor orators, nor
 statesmen, nor men of wealth, and power, and interest in the
 world, to publish the gospel of grace and peace. He best judges
 what men and what measures serve the purposes of his glory.
 Though not many noble are usually called by Divine grace, there
 have been some such in every age, who have not been ashamed of
 the gospel of Christ; and persons of every rank stand in need of
 pardoning grace. Often, a humble Christian, though poor as to
 this world, has more true knowledge of the gospel, than those
 who have made the letter of Scripture the study of their lives,
 but who have studied it rather as the witness of men, than as
 the word of God. And even young children have gained such
 knowledge of Divine truth as to silence infidels. The reason is,
 they are taught of God; the design is, that no flesh should
 glory in his presence. That distinction, in which alone they
 might glory, was not of themselves. It was by the sovereign
 choice and regenerating grace of God, that they were in Jesus
 Christ by faith. He is made of God to us wisdom, righteousness,
 sanctification, and redemption; all we need, or can desire. And
 he is made wisdom to us, that by his word and Spirit, and from
 his fulness and treasures of wisdom and knowledge, we may
 receive all that will make us wise unto salvation, and fit for
 every service to which we are called. We are guilty, liable to
 just punishment; and he is made righteousness, our great
 atonement and sacrifice. We are depraved and corrupt, and he is
 made sanctification, that he may in the end be made complete
 redemption; may free the soul from the being of sin, and loose
 the body from the bonds of the grave. And this is, that all
 flesh, according to the prophecy by Jeremiah, #Jer 9:23-24|, may
 glory in the special favour, all-sufficient grace, and precious
 salvation of Jehovah.