April 27, 2014

And Peter
I John 21: 1-17

"Tell my disciples and Peter
To meet me in Galilee."
So commands the risen Savior;
"Tell the one who denied me."
Peter said he would die with Him;
Yet, said he, "I know Him not!"
The cock crowed; our Lord looked at him;
Peter went away distraught.

O, the grace of our loving Lord;
He met Peter by the sea.
"Do you love me?" Was the Lord's word.
"Do you love me more than these?"
Thrice our Lord gave Peter this test.
Thrice He told him, "Feed my sheep."
Peter answered, "Lord, Thou knowest;
Only You know I love Thee."

Our Sov'reign God reveals His love
To all those who are His sheep.
He will convert them from above.
He knows that the flesh is weak.
Jesus Christ died for all their sin;
Paid for them eternally.
Just like Peter He comes to them.
They are condemnation free!

By Gary Spreacker

Tune: Holy Manna, #15

GRACE OR WORKS?

And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. (Rom 11:6).

Is the whole of our salvation accomplished by the finished work of our Holy Substitute? Or, is there something else that man can do to make himself more fit, qualified, holy, or otherwise more acceptable in the sight of God? Can man establish his righteousness more securely by his supposed performance of the law? Or, is the righteousness of Christ our all and only means of acceptance before a Holy God? The message of free and sovereign grace is an offense to men's pride because they refuse to admit that they are totally incapable of doing anything good (Rom. 3:10-12). Men, refusing to find their satisfaction in the righteousness of Christ, go about to establish their own righteousness (Rom. 10:1-4). Though they often succeed in impressing other men, most especially themselves, God is worse than not impressed. He is infinitely offended by their attempt to rob Christ of His glory.

God says works and grace are mutually exclusive. Grace by definition means the total absence of works. Once you introduce works into grace you no longer have grace but only works. A little bit of leaven leavens the whole lump. You can not mix works and grace any more than you can mix oil and water. Regardless of how hard you shake the bottle the heavier water gravitates to the bottom and the lighter oil to the top. So it is with works and grace. The living water of God's grace will be completely covered by the oil of man's works, so that if one attempts to find refreshment from that glass they will ingest nothing but sickening oil. Not only will it not satisfy, it will cause them to lose even what they have.

- Pastor Greg Elmquist

CHRIST'S ATONEMENT

Some people love the doctrine of universal atonement because, they say, "It is so beautiful. It is a lovely idea that Christ should die for all people on the earth." They say, "Universal atonement commends itself to the instincts of human nature; there is something in it that is beautiful." I admit there are some times when beauty may be associated with error; but while natural men admire the doctrine of universal atonement, I will show you what such a supposition involves.

1. If Christ on the cross intended to save every person by His death, then He intended to save people who were already dead and in eternal condemnation; for there were myriads already cast away because of their sins for which (you say) He died.

2. If it were our Lord's intention to save all people, how deplorably has He been disappointed; for we have His own testimony, "Broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and MANY THERE BE WHICH GO IN THERE AT."

3. To imagine for a moment that our Lord was the substitute for the sins of all men and that God, the Father, having poured out His wrath on their substitute, afterwards will punish the sinners themselves for the same sins for which Christ died, seems to conflict with ideas of divine justice. In fact, to hold that Christ offered an atonement and satisfaction for the sins of all men, and that some of those people will be condemned for those same sins, appears to be monstrous inequity! God forbid that we should attribute such conduct to our just and wise God!

- C. H. Spurgeon

Paul spoke of his death as a departure. The word means "an unloosing, a dissolving into separate parts". When the believer dies, he is set free. The holy nature and the evil nature, which are together here, are finally separated. When my sinful nature is gone, I will truly be set free. Is it any wonder Paul said, "To die is gain." Truly, if I am a believer, the day of death is better than the day of birth. - Todd Nibert