Special Thursday service with Pastor Gabe Stalnaker.

Faith

The medium by which the gospel becomes the power of God is FAITH. Faith is a reliance upon the Lord Jesus Christ for all the blessings, benefits, ends, and purposes for which the gospel reveals Him; such as pardon of sin, peace of conscience, strength for obedience, and eternal life.

Faith is wrought in us by the Holy Spirit through His Word and presupposes a knowledge of Christ and of ourselves; of our emptiness and His fullness; of our unworthiness and His merits; of our weakness and His power.

The true believer believes, receives, and builds upon the person and word of Christ as the only foundation of his hope; he enters by Him as the only door to the knowledge, communion, and love of God; he feeds upon Him as the only bread of life; he embraces only Him as his redemption, wisdom, and sanctification; he derives all his strength and comfort from only Him.

Pastor Henry T. Mahan (Bulletin 1983)

BELIEVE YE THAT I AM ABLE?

And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us. And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord (Matthew 9:27-28).

The only cry from a troubled soul is a cry for mercy. Help does not come to the saved sinner by earning, meriting or deserving something from God our Savior. We have no personal righteousness to offer Him Who is perfectly holy and righteous. The cry and request of the true sinner when they see their blind state and sightless condition is one of two simple words! “Have mercy.” Salvation for the chosen sinner begins with knowing and understanding that they are in desperate need of what only God can give. Do you see that you are spiritually blind? Do you love your darkness rather than light? Are you seeking the only One who can give you sight?

Here our Lord asks a paramount question to these two blind men. “Believe ye that I am able to do this?” The correct answer can only be given by Divine revelation. The first word in our Lord’s question is “BELIEVE.” Receiving our sight has something to do with FAITH. “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” (Hebrews 11:16) The child of God “walks by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7) The second word in this all-important question is “YE.” Faith is personal. I cannot believe and trust Christ for you, and you cannot for me. I must believe in a Savior who can put MY sin away. (Matthew 1:21) The third consideration is, “Believe ye THAT I AM ABLE?” Has God shown you that Jesus Christ is God? Do you believe that God is able? True faith has an Object and that Object is the Lord Jesus Christ. True faith believes that Christ can do “anything and everything.” (Genesis 18:14, Job 42:2) Our Lord is “able to do exceeding abundantly above all we could think or ask.” (Ephesians 3:20) Our Lord is able to “save His people to the uttermost.” (Hebrews 7:25) The life and death question our Lord asks to every blind seeking sinner is, “Believe ye that I am able to do this for you?” No elaboration with enticing words of man’s wisdom is required, a simple, “Yea Lord” will suffice.

Pastor David L. Eddmenson

A PEOPLE NEAR UNTO THE LORD

“He also exalteth the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the LORD” (Psalm 148:14).

There are at least five blessed truths revealed in this verse.

1). What the Lord does for His covenant people, “He also exalteth the horn of His people.” The Lord exalts them, lifts them up in Christ; (Psalm 113:7-8; 138: 147:6). Christ is “the horn” (power) of our salvation (Luke 1:69; 4:18; Rom. 1:16). The Lord Jesus Christ is the only reason for our salvation (John 1:16; Col. 2:9-10).

2). What the Lord makes them, “the praise of all His saints.” Every believer is a sinner made to be a saint (Rom. 1:7). They are sanctified by the Father in eternal election (Jude 1:1). Sanctified by the Lord Jesus in His redeeming blood; (1 Cor. 1:2; Heb. 10:14). Sanctified by the Holy Spirit in regenerating grace; (Rom. 15:16; 2Thes. 2:13; 2 Peter 1:4).

3). Who they are; "children of Israel." Not all people of the earth were considered children of Israel, only those descendants of Jacob (1 Sam. 12:22). Even so, not all people of the earth are children of God; they are all part of His creation in Adam but only those chosen in Christ are the true spiritual seed of Abraham (Rom. 9:7-8; Gal. 3:16; 1 John 3:1).

4). Where they are: "Near unto him." Near unto Christ by covenant union; (John 17:19-23). Near unto Christ by kinship union, He is our kinsman Redeemer; (John 1:14; Heb. 2:14). Near unto Christ by access union of faith (Heb. 4:16; Heb. 9:19). Near unto Christ by indwelling union; (Col. 1:27; 2 Peter 1:4).