Heaven, Perfection and Immortality

In hope we saw the promise of the full harvest in the firstfruits.  Sin has been subdued by grace, but we expect to see it utterly exterminated.  When the Holy Spirit came to dwell within us, our hope concluded that the body would be delivered as surely as the soul had been.  The moment that faith introduced hope into the heart, hope said, “I have complete salvation – not in the sense that I am experiencing it now, but Christ Jesus holds it in trust for me.”

As the priest in the Old Testament waved the sheaf of the firstfruits before the Lord as an acceptable sacrifice, we in hope, offered the firstfruits of our faith to God and so took possession of the full harvest of salvation.  When God gave you and me a love for Jesus and deliverance from the dominion of evil, these firstfruits signified a perfect salvation that has yet to be revealed in us.  Our first joy in salvation was like a tuning of our harps for everlasting song.  Our first peace was like the dawning light of a never-ending day.  When we first saw Christ and worshiped Him, our adoration was our initial bowing before the throne of God and of the Lamb.  Therefore, in hope we were saved.  Hope brought us the source of perfection, the pledge of immortality, the beginnings of glorification.

Moreover, in hope, we are so sure about his coming blessing that we consider it already obtained.  Suppose you get a confirmation from a trader with whom you have conducted overseas business.  He says, “I have procured the goods you have ordered and will send them by the next ship, which will probably arrive at such and such a time.” Then another trader calls and asks you if you want to buy the same kind of goods, and you reply, “No, I already have them.”  Have you spoken the truth? Certainly, for although you do not have them in your warehouse, they have been invoiced to you.  You know that they are on the way, and you are so used to trusting your foreign trader that you regard the goods as yours.  The agreement has been made that makes them yours.

It is the same way with heaven, perfection, and immortality.  The deed has been done that makes these the heritage of believers.  We have confirmation from One whom we cannot doubt, our Lord Jesus, that He has gone to heaven to prepare a place for us and that He will come again and receive us to Himself (John 14:3).  In hope, we are so sure of this fact that we consider it done.  We may also draw practical conclusions from our hope.

(Charles Spurgeon ~ Stand in Hope)

GLAD TIDINGS!

What is the meaning of gospel?  Glad tidings.  What are these tidings?  Pardon, Justification, Sanctification, Redemption, and Glory.  For what are these blessings? For all who believe Acts 16: 31;  Who are they that 'will believe . As many as are ordained to eternal life, Acts 13: 48. Why are these tidings denominated glad tidings? Because they are bestowed upon, secured for, and wrought in all the objects of electing love by Jehovah, in his Trinity of Persons; independent of creature merit in creature wisdom creature seeking creature asking or creature diligence.

So that God the Father in sovereignty declares, I will put my fear in their hearts, and they shall not depart from me. I will set up one shepherd over them, into whose hands I will give my people, and he shall feed them with my pardoning love through his redeeming blood; even my servant David, David's Lord and David's son; he shall feed them, with the counsels of my heart as seen in his person, with the purposes of my mind as known in his life, with the honors of my law as discovered in his death, and with the glory of my designs as exhibited in his exaltation. I will make with them a covenant of peace, in their covenant head, the Shepherd who shall feed them, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land, will cause the reigning power of indwelling corruption to cease, so that it may annoy but shall not destroy my true-born children; they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, notwithstanding their enemies, conflicts, and dangers; and sleep in the woods I will occasionally indulge them with my smile upon earth, and as the effect thereof, they shall repose upon my bosom while traveling a waste howling wilderness.

Thus we see the blessings of the gospel given in sovereignty, and not one word can be found about the gift of these unspeakable blessings depending upon any act, skill or worth of the creature.

(By William Tant 1837 – An Offering of the Gospel)

 

The Law of God is in His Heart

The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.

Psalm 37:31

Put the law into the heart, and the whole man is right.  This is where the law should be; for then it lies, like the tables of stone in the ark, in the place appointed for it.  In the head it puzzles, on the back it burdens, in the heart it upholds.

What a choice word is here used; ‘the law of God’! When we know the Lord as our own God his law becomes liberty to us.  God with us in covenant makes us eager to obey his will and walk in his commands.  Is the precept my father’s precept? Then I delight in it.

We are here guaranteed that the obedient-hearted man shall be sustained in every step that he takes.  He will do that which is right, and he shall therefore do that which is wise.  Holy action is always the most prudent, through it may not at the time seem to be so.  We are moving along the great high road of God’s providence and grace when we keep to the way of his law.  The Word of God has never misled a single soul yet; its plain directions to walk humbly, justly, lovingly, and in the fear of the Lord, are as much words of wisdom to make our way prosperous as rules of holiness to keep our garments clean.  He walks surely who walks righteously.

C. H. Spurgeon

GOD'S ELECTION...(Charles Spurgeon)

“The Lord has an elect people,” someone may be saying, “and this discourages me.”  Why should it?  Do not contradict that truth; believe it as you read it in God’s Word.  Instead, hear how Jesus put it:

“I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. (Matthew 11:25).

To you who are as weak, simple, and trustful as a baby, the doctrine is full of comfort.  If the Lord will save a multitude that no person can number, why should He not save me?  It is true that it is written, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me” (John 6:37), but that statement continues, “And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out (v. 37).  Let the second half of the verse be accepted as well as the first.

Some people are puzzled by the sovereignty of God.  We see in Scripture that “He [will have] mercy on whom he will have mercy” (Romans 9:18).  God may justly ask, “Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own?”  (Matthew 20:15).  Beloved, do not dispute the rights of the eternal God.  “It is the LORD; let him do what seemeth him good” (1 Samuel 3:18).  Do not quarrel with the King, but come humble to Him and plead with Him in this way:  “O Lord, You alone have the right to pardon.  Your Word declares that “if we confess our sins, [You are] faithful and just to forgive us our sins” (1John 1:9).  And You have said that whoever believes in the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved.”  This pleading will prevail.

When you read, “Ye must be born again” (John 3:7), do not be angry.  It is true that to be born again is a work beyond your power, for it is the work of the Holy Spirit.  Your need of a work beyond your reach may very well distress you, but the same chapter that says, “Ye must be born again,” also says, “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (v. 16).  Thus, it is clear that he who believes in Jesus is born again.

“Blessed are they that mourn; for they shall be comforted”

                                        Matthew 5:4     

By the valley of weeping we come to Zion.  One would have thought mourning and being blessed were in opposition, but the infinitely wise Saviour puts them together, in this beatitude.  What he has joined together let no man put asunder.  Mourning for sin – our own sins, and the sins of others – is the Lord’s seal set upon his faithful ones.

When the Spirit of grace is poured upon the house of David, or any other house, they shall mourn.  By holy mourning we receive the best of our blessings, even as the rarest commodities come to us by water.  Not only shall the mourner be blessed at some future day, but Christ pronounces him blessed even now.

The Holy Spirit will surely comfort those hearts which mourn for sin.  They shall be comforted by the application of the blood of Jesus, and by the cleansing power of the Holy Ghost.  They shall be comforted as to the abounding sin of their city and of their age by the assurance that God will glorify himself, however much men may rebel against him.  They shall be comforted with the expectation that they shall be wholly freed from sin before long, and shall soon be taken up to dwell for ever in the glorious presence of their Lord.

(C. H. Spurgeon)

You Are Weak

It may be that your worst point is that you feel very feeble.  You say, "I would not mind that persecution if I felt strong, but I am so weak."

Well now, always distinguish between feeling strong and being strong.  The person who feels strong is weak; the person who feels weak is strong.  Paul said, "When I am weak, then am I strong"
(2 Cor. 12:10).  David prayed, "Deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I" (Psalms 142:6).

I am glad that there is some trouble in being a Christian, for it has become a very common thing to profess to be one.  If I am right, it is going to become a much less common thing for a person to say, "I am a Christian."  There will come times when sharp lines will be drawn between the world and true believers.  Some of us will help to draw them if we can.  The problem is that many people bear the Christian name but they act like worldlings and love the amusements and the follies of the world. 

It is time for a division in the house of the Lord in which those for Christ go into one camp and those against Christ go into the other camp.  We have been mixed together too long.

I, for one, say, "May the day soon come when every Christian will have to run the gauntlet!"  It will be a good thing for genuine believers.  It will just blow some of the chaff away from the wheat.  We will have all the purer gold when the fire gets hot and the crucible is put into it, for then the dross will be separated from the precious metal.

Be courageous, my fellow believer.  If you are now in the cave, the Lord will bring you out of it in His own good time.

(Spurgeon on Prayer & Spiritual Warfare)

MAKE A FULL CONFESSION...

"Do not think that the use of pious words can be of any help.  It is not merely words that you have to utter; you have to lay all your trouble before God.  As a child tells his mother his griefs, tell the lord all your griefs, your complaints, your miseries, your fears.  Get them all out, and great relief will come to your spirit."

Pour out your heart.  David said, "I poured out my complaint before him; I showed before him my trouble" (v. 2).  The human heart longs to express itself.  An unuttered grief will lie and smolder in the soul until its black smoke blinds the very eyes of the spirit.

Sometimes it is not a bad thing to speak to a Christian friend about the anguish of your heart.  I would not encourage you to make it a priority -- far from it -- but it may be helpful to some.  However, I do encourage you to make a full confession unto the Lord.  Tell Him how you have sinned.  Tell Him how you have tried to save yourself and have failed.  Tell Him what a wretch you are, how fickle, how proud, how unruly.  Tell Him how your ambition carries you away like an unbridled horse.  Tell Him all your faults, as far as you can remember them.  Do not attempt to hide anything from God.  You cannot do so, for He knows all.  Therefore, do not hesitate to tell Him everything -- the darkest secret, the sin you would not even wish to whisper to the evening's breeze.  Tell it all.  Confession to God is good for the soul.  "Whoso confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall have mercy" (Proverbs 28:13).

I urge you who are now in a gloomy cave to seek a secret, quiet place and alone with God, to pour out your heart before Him.  David said, "I showed before him my trouble" (Psalms 142:2). 

(Spurgeon on Prayer & Spiritual Warfare - Charles Spurgeon)

Exclamatory Prayer

Do you think that there is a temptation before you?  Do you begin to suspect that somebody is plotting against you?  Now offer a prayer:  "Lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies" (Psalms 27:11).

Are you at work at the bench or in a shop or in a warehouse where lewd conversation and shameful blasphemies assail your ears?  Now lift up a short prayer.  Have you noticed some sin that grieves you?  Let it move you to prayer.  These things ought to remind you to pray.  I believe the Devil would not let people swear so much if Christian people always prayed every time they heard an oath.  He would then see it did not pay.  Their blasphemies might somewhat be hushed if they provoked us to supplication.

Do you feel your own heart going off track?  Does sin begin to fascinate you?  Now utter a prayer -- a warm, earnest, passionate cry -- "Lord, hold thou me up'" (Psalms 119:117).  Do you see something with your eye, and did that eye infect your heart?  Do you feel as if your "feet were almost gone; (and your) steps had well nigh slipped" (Psalms 73:2)?  Now offer a prayer:  "Hold me, Lord, by my right hand."  Has something quite unlooked-for happened?  Has a friend treated you badly?  Then, like David say, "Lord, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness" (2 Samuel 15:31).  Breathe a prayer now.

Are you eager to do some good?  Be sure to have a prayer over it.  Do you mean to speak to that young man as he goes out of the church tonight about his soul?  Pray first, Christian.  Do you mean to address yourself to the members of your class and write them a letter this week about their spiritual welfare?  Pray over every line, Christian.  It is always good to have praying going on while you are talking about Christ.  I always find I can preach better if I can pray while I am preaching.

The mind is very remarkable in its activities.  It can be praying while it is studying.  It can be looking up to God while it is talking to man.  There can be one hand held up to receive supplies from God while the other hand is dealing out the same supplies that He is pleased to give.

Pray as long as you live.  Pray when you are in great pain; the sharper the pang, the more urgent and persistent should your cry to God be.  And when the shadow of death gathers around you and when strange feelings flush or chill you and plainly tell that you near the journey's end, then pray.  Oh, that is a time for exclamation!  Short and pithy prayers like this:  "O Lord...hide not thy face from me" (Psalms 143:7), or this:  "O God, 'Be not far from me'" (Psalms 22:11) will doubtless suit you.  "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit" (Acts 7:50) were the thrilling words of Stephen in his extremity.  "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit" were the words that your Master Himself uttered just before He bowed His head and "gave up the ghost" (Like 23:46).  You may well take up the same strain and imitate Him.

(The Power in Prayer by Charles H. Spurgeon)