A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness. The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. Proverbs 15:1-3
I am scheduled to preach for the Lincolnwood Baptist Church in Houston, Texas on Oct. 7-9; David Pledger is the Pastor. Brother John Chapman will be with you next Sunday to bring the gospel message. No midweek service this week on Wednesday evening.
God has left in all His children the old man, to remind us of our base origin, to hide pride from our eyes, to exclude boasting from our lips, and to keep us from putting any confidence in the flesh. It is to exercise our grace, especially patience; to make us watchful, to make us sensible of the depth of man’s fall, and finally, to exalt the grace of God; to make us sick of self, and sick of the world, sick of sin, and to teach us to prize Christ the Great Physician, and to make us long for that perfect rest which remaineth to the people of God.
William Huntington 1745-1813
Grace Or Judgment
“Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:19-20).
Brother Scott Richardson once said, "There is a point where God and men must meet, whether in GRACE or JUDGMENT; and that point is where both are revealed AS THEY ARE."
If a man meets God NOW IN GRACE, God will be revealed to that man in His true nature and character; holy, just, and righteous! That man will also have his own nature and character revealed; crooked, unclean, and corrupt, by birth, practice, and choice. The grace which prevails on behalf of the sinner is God's grace in Christ, God's mercy in the person of a Mediator and Advocate, the Lord Jesus Christ.
If a man meets God IN JUDGMENT AT THAT GREAT DAY, God will be revealed as He has been, is, and always will be; holy, just, and righteous! That man will also stand before God as he has been, is, and always will be; unclean, unrighteous, and corrupt. The difference in that day will be: no Mediator, no Advocate, no Saviour! The man will be left to answer alone for all his ungodliness and indifference (Rom. 3:19-20).
This is the essence of our message to you. "All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him WITH WHOM WE HAVE TO DO" (Heb. 4:13). We have no choice in the matter. As we are, WE MUST MEET GOD AS HE IS. If we find grace in His sight and by faith meet Him in Christ, there will be no meeting in judgment; for there is no judgment to them who are in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1). But if we have no saving interest in Christ, what a fearful and dreadful day that final meeting will be!
Pastor Henry T. Mahan (bulletin 1982)
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8).
Of all things spoken, concerning man’s salvation, one question stands out more than any other; who gets the glory for that salvation? Is the glory given to a spiritually dead sinner because somehow he was able to perceive the depth of his own depravity, work out a perfect righteousness before the holy law of God, and then keep himself secured by perfect faith? Or is the glory, honor, and praise for that salvation given to Him who alone saves His people apart from any work on their part? The Scripture declares salvation to be by grace through faith; and that (faith) is not of ourselves: it is the gift of God. Pastor Marvin Stalnaker
Humbled Or Angered
“Rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee” (Proverbs 9:8).
Someone has said, "Faithful reproofs, if they don't profit you will provoke you." God's prophet, John the Baptist, faithfully rebuked Herod for taking his brother's wife (Matt. 14:4). Herod's response to the truth of God was anger and murder toward God's prophet. On another occasion, the prophet of God, Nathan, rebuked King David for taking Bathsheba to be his wife and for the murder of Uriah the Hittite, her husband (2Sam. 12:7-14). David, instead of being angry, was humbled and confessed before God that he was a sinner and begged for mercy. David expressed this in Psalm 51, “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me”. Now here is the question for us. How do we react to the rebuke of Holy Scripture? Are we humbled and broken hearted? Do we beg God for mercy and forgiveness or do we get angry and upset? Believers are humbled, those who don't believe God are only angered and enraged.
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