Blessings are upon the head of the just: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked. The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot. The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating fool shall fall. He that walketh uprightly walketh surely: but he that perverteth his ways shall be known. Proverbs 10:6-9

PARDON FROM ALL SIN

The Lord our merciful and gracious God and Saviour has promised to fully pardon His elect. Not based upon their faith, repentance or works of faith or labors of love; but for one single and solitary reason; for Christ’s sake and the gospel’s sake (Eph. 4:32).

Consider these precious promises and rejoice in Christ:

Psalm 25:11; “For thy name’s sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great.”

Neh. 9:17; “But thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness.”

Isaiah 55:7; “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”

Jer. 50:20; “In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found: for I will pardon them whom I reserve.”

Faithfulness to The Lord

“Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful” (1 Cor. 4:2).

A local church is a company of brothers and sisters. We are one family; one life is ours; one love is ours; and one objective (to know and glorify the Lord Jesus) is ours. This is the comfort and strength of all: that we are all one in Christ. We cannot pro­perly minister the gospel of Christ without one an­other. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you."

Spurgeon once said, "I don't know which renders the greater service - the man who preaches or the man who prays, but I know this, we can do better without the voice than without the heart of prayer!"

Blessed and happy is that assembly of redeemed people, brought together and baptized into one body by His Spirit, whose love for the Lord Jesus and for one another enables them to sing with one voice, pray with one heart, walk in one direction, and worship with one Spirit! Where each member realizes the importance of his presence, his prayers, his support, and his co-operation. Where Christ is Lord and all others are servants! Where the will of Christ is pre­eminent and all other wills and desires are in sub­jection! Where there are no young and old, rich and poor, educated and uneducated, but only Christ, who is all and in all.

"Moreover it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful" (1 Cor. 4:2). It is easier to be faithful in that which is seen than in that which is unseen; that which is at the front rather than at the rear. But neither is more or less important than the other. It is that service which seems most commonplace among men which is often the most precious to our Lord. If I can do what I do for the glory of God, then it will bless both me and His church.

Pastor Henry T. Mahan (bulletin 1980)

A Remnant

“Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.” (Isaiah 1:9).

The Apostle Paul tells us that among the fallen, depraved, lost, condemned ruins of humanity “there is a remnant according to the election of grace” (Romans 11:5). And he assures us that that “remnant shall be saved” (Romans 9:27).

With men a remnant is something leftover, waste material, material for which there is no plan, purpose, or intended use. With God it is exactly opposite. God’s remnant is the kernel; everything else is husk. God’s remnant is that for which all things were planned and purposed. Without that elect remnant, everything else would be useless.

It was true in Isaiah’s time and it is true today, that the Church and people of the living God are a poor, needy remnant, a remnant scattered among the nations, an elect remnant, a redeemed remnant, a protected remnant, but a remnant still. We are God’s remnant in Christ’s hands, under Christ’s care. The God of all grace deals with a remnant. He seeks a remnant. He builds his house with a remnant. His treasure is a remnant.

This remnant is Christ’s seed in the earth that shall serve him, the generation accounted to the Lord to serve him (Psalm 22:30), Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise. — The remnant is God’s elect, all those who must and shall be saved by his grace, the whole Church of God, the whole Israel of God, all who have been, all who are, and all who shall be saved in Christ. — Blessed are they who are included in the number of that remnant!