Devotions

The Last Things (1)

Tue, 11 May 2010 12:00:41 +0100

THE LAST THINGS (1)
The Bible bids us look forward to those things specially which certainly are in the future. There are many things in it, of more or less importance, which are to us uncertain, which we cannot foresee. There are three things of supreme importance, which are absolutely certain, which every one may confidently expect. These are included in the comprehensive description, our “latter end.” They are included by theologians under the head of “the last things.” Absolutely certain, waiting every one of us, are Death, and Judgment, and Eternity. And the Bible bids us live our present life in the view and expectation of these supreme realities.
There have always been men who bid us think only of the present; who tell us that to occupy ourselves with the future is folly, is to distract our minds from present duties and enjoyments.
The word of God, however, bids us not only look upward to things unseen, but forward to things yet to come, and regulate our present dispositions, conduct, life with a view to these. And it tells us that this view to supreme realities in the future is one instrument of producing the Divine virtue of wisdom, whose ways are ways of pleasantness, whose paths are paths of peace (Proverbs 3:17), which leads us not merely to temporal comfort and success, but to eternal bliss and glory. In truth, the due consideration of our “latter end,” of “the last things,” cannot fail to lead us to the “wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:24), must “shut us up to the faith” of Jesus Christ the Saviour. If any man has not believed, it is on this account, among others, that he has not duly considered Death, and Judgment, and Eternity.

1. Death
(1) “It is appointed unto men once to die” (Hebrews 9:27). This is one great fact in the future history of one and all of us. Our soul must part from our body. We must part from the world. We must face the king of terrors. We must pass through the dark valley of his shadow. Wisdom, prudence, commonsense declare, that our life is a madness unless we are prepared to die; for life is uncertain, death is certain.
(2) According as we live, so we shall die. In one way or other we are all preparing, we are prepared to die our death; we are making the death that is before us; either weaving for him a thorny crown of terror, or weaving for him a flowery crown of festive gladness. On the one hand, there is the death of the wicked, crowned with terrors, robed in darkness, dragging them away from their only life, and laying them, spiritually dead, beneath the lightning bolts of an angry God: this death they have prepared for themselves (Proverbs 1:24-31). On the other hand, there is the death of the righteous (Numbers 23:10), invested with a certain shadowy awe and darkness to their flesh and blood, but robed with gladness, crowned with flowers, to their spirits. He has no power to injure them (Romans 8:38, 39); he has been conquered by their Redeemer (1 Corinthians 15:55-57); he does but lead them, as the Redeemer’s servant, through a dark valley (Psalm 23:4), and lay them gently asleep (1 Corinthians 15:6-13), on the bosom of a reconciled God, lull them into a sleep from which they instantly awaken to the joys of paradise (Luke 23:43). This death they have prepared for themselves, by believing in Christ, taking Him for their ever-living Redeemer (Job 19:27); by dwelling in Christ, and having Christ dwelling in them, who is the resurrection and the life (John 11:25), in whose service death becomes but the messenger to call the children home (Luke 2:29, 30).
(3) The date of our death is ordinarily uncertain, though comparatively near. It is near comparatively, in comparison with the whole duration- of our being as eternal, even though many should reach the three-score and ten, or four-score years or more of extreme old age. And though we were to live a thousand years, that old age itself, our whole time on earth, would be but a span, “a parenthesis between two eternities”; our life on earth would be but a shadow, a breath, in comparison with that eternal existence on which we enter at its close. The mountain looks large when I am at its foot; at a few miles’ distance, it begins to dwindle; seen from the moon, it is no larger than a mole-hill; looked for from the distance of the fixed stars, it has altogether disappeared. So, as seen from the eternal world, the space between our cradle and our grave is but a step, a line; our life is but an instant, in which we linger on the shore, and look upon the rower that is coming to bear us away on the shore-less ocean. But, short though it be, the life that is given us is supremely important. It is the only opportunity we have of preparing for death, and all that lies beyond. “Behold, now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). Surely it is our only true wisdom to be duly prepared for death, by being in Christ, and having Christ in us, who has conquered death; to be earnest and instant in the work, for “the work is great, and the time is short, and the Master is at hand.”
The date is uncertain. Like all other things, it is certainly foreknown, because foreordained by God (Psalm 31:15). But ordinarily, the precise date of our death is hid from ourselves (Matthew 24:42-44). He may come at any instant. Not only the old man, but the middle-aged, the youth, the child, may be called hence in a year, a week, a day, an hour. Consequently, we ought to be always ready for death, i.e., always in Christ, the resurrection and the life; so that, come when he may, we may be ready, he may lead us from a sorrowful mortality to a joyful immortality (Matthew 25:6-13).
We ought to sit loose to the world; to be as warriors in the field, in the face of the enemy, sleeping on their arms, ready to spring up full armed at any instant when the battle-cry may sound; not like the base scum of camps, who tarry by the spoil, and load themselves like thieves, and gorge themselves like vultures, and in so doing lay themselves open and helpless to the sword and the terror of the foe (Luke 12:6-21).

James MacGregor

[James MacGregor (1830-1894) was a Free Church minister and Professor of Theology at New College, Edinburgh (1868-1881). This is from his Christian Doctrine (1861)]

True Christian Separation

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 10:18:31 +0100

By A. W. Pink

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? (2 Cor. 6:14-18)

This passage gives utterance to a Divine exhortation for those belonging to Christ to hold aloof from all intimate associations with the Ungodly. It expressly forbids them entering into alliances with the unconverted. It definitely prohibits the children of God walking arm-in-arm with worldlings. It is an admonition applying to every phase and department of our lives—religious, domestic social, commercial. And never, perhaps, was there a time when it more needed pressing on Christians than now. The days in which we are living are marked by the spirit of compromise. On every side we behold unholy mixtures, ungodly alliances, unequal yokes. Many professing Christians appear to be trying how near to the world they may walk and yet go to Heaven.

"Be ye not unequally yoked together." This is a call to godly separation. In each dispensation this Divine demand has been made. To Abraham Jehovah’s peremptory word was, "Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house." To Israel He said, "After the doings of the land of Egypt wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do; neither shall ye walk in their ordinances." (Lev. 18:3) And again, "Ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation which I cast out before you." (Lev. 20:23) It was for their disregard of these very prohibitions that Israel brought down upon themselves such severe chastisements.

At the beginning of the New Testament we are shown the forerunner of Christ standing outside the organized Judaism of his day, calling on men to flee from the wrath to come. The Savior announced that, "He calleth His own sheep by name, and leadeth them out." (John 10:3) On the day of Pentecost the word to believers was, "Save yourselves from this untoward generation." (Acts 2:40) Later, to the Christian Hebrews Paul wrote, "Let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp." (13:13) God’s call to His people in Babylon is, "Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." (Rev. 18:4)

"Be ye not unequally yoked together." This is God’s word unto His people today. Nor does it stand alone. In Rom. 16:17 it is said, "Mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned, and avoid them." In 2 Tim 2:20 we read, "In a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honor, and some to dishonor. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the Master’s use." 2 Tim. 3:5 speaks of those "having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof," then it is added, "from such turn away." What a word is that in 2 Thess. 3:14, "If any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him." How radical is the admonition of 1 Cor. 5:11, "Now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner: with such an one no, not to eat."

"Be ye not unequally yoked together." We are fully persuaded that it is disregard of this commandment, for command it is, which is largely responsible for the low state which now obtains so generally among Christians, both individually and corporately. No wonder the spiritual pulse of many churches beats so feebly. No wonder their prayer-meetings are so thinly attended; Christians who are unequally yoked have no heart for prayer. Disobedience at this point is a certain preventative to real and whole-hearted devotion to Christ. No one can be an unshackled follower of the Lord Jesus who is, in any way, "yoked" to His enemies. He may be a truly saved person, but the testimony of his life, the witness of his walk, will not honor and glorify Christ.

"Be ye not unequally yoked together." This applies first to our religious or ecclesiastical connections. How many Christians are members of so-called "churches," where much is going on which they know is at direct variance with the Word of God either the teaching from the pulpit, the worldly attractions used to draw the ungodly, and the worldly methods employed to finance it or the constant receiving into its membership of those who give no evidence of having been born again. Believers in Christ who remain in such "churches" (?) are dishonoring their Lord. Should they answer: "Practically all the churches are the same, and were we to resign, what could we do? We must go somewhere on Sundays," such language would show they are putting their own interests before the glory of Christ. Better stay at home and read God’s Word, than fellowship that which His Word condemns.

"Be ye not unequally yoked together." This applies to membership in Secret Orders. A yoke is that which unites. Those who belong to a "lodge" are united in solemn oath and covenant with their "brother" members. Many of their fellow members give no evidence of being born again. They may believe in a "Supreme Being," but what love have they for God’s Word? what is their relation to God’s Son? "Can two walk together except they be agreed?’ (Amos 3:3) Can those who owe their all to Christ, both for time and eternity, have fellowship with those who "despise and reject" Him? Let any Christian reader who is thus unequally yoked get from under it without delay.

"Be ye not unequally yoked together."This applies to marriage. There are but two families in this world: the children of Cod, and the children of the devil. (1 John 3:10) If. then, a daughter of God marries a son of the evil one, she becomes a daughter-in-law to Satan! If a son of God marries a daughter of Satan, he becomes a son-in-law to the devil! By such an infamous step an affinity is formed between one belonging to the Most High and one belonging to His archenemy. "Strong language!" Yes, but not too strong. And oh the bitter reaping from such a sowing. In every case it is the poor Christian who suffers. Read the inspired histories of Samson, Solomon, and Ahab, and see what followed their unholy alliances in wedlock. As well might an athlete, who attached to himself a heavy weight, expect to win a race, as a Christian to progress spiritually by marrying a worldling. Oh what watchfulness in prayer is needed in the regulation of our affections!

"Be ye not unequally yoked together." This applies to business partnerships. Disobedience at this point has wrecked many a Christian’s testimony and pierced him through with many sorrows. Whatever may be gained of this world by seeking its avenues to wealth and social prestige, will but poorly compensate for the loss of fellowship with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. Read Prov. 1:10-14. The path which the disciple of Christ is called to tread is a narrow one, and if he leaves it for a wider road, it will mean severe chastenings, heart-breaking losses, and perhaps the forfeiting the Savior’s "Well done" at the end of the journey.

We are to hate even the "garment"—figure of our habits and ways—spotted by the flesh (Jude 23), and are to keep ourselves "unspotted from the world." (James 1:27) What a searching and sweeping word is that in 2 Cor. 7:1, "Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." it any occupation or association is found to hinder our communion with God or our enjoyment of spiritual things, then it must be abandoned. Beware of "leprosy" in the garment. (Lev. 13:47) Anything in my habits or ways which mars happy fellowship with the brethren or robs me of power in service, is to be unsparingly judged and made an end of—"burned." (Lev. 13:52) Whatever I cannot do for God’s glory must be avoided.

"For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?" How explicit and emphatic are the terms used there! No excuse whatever is there for failing to understand the terms of this exhortation, and the reason with which it is supported. "Fellowship, communion, concord, part, agreement" are so plain they require no interpreter. All unions, alliances, partnerships, entanglements, with unbelievers are expressly forbidden to the Christian. It is impossible to find within the whole range of Holy Scripture plainer language on any subject than we have here. "Righteousness, unrighteousness; light, darkness; Christ, Belial"—what have they in common? What bond is there between them?

The contrasts presented are very pointed and searching. "Righteousness" is right doing; "unrighteousness" is wrong doing. The unerring and only standard of right doing is "the Word of Righteousness." (Heb. 5:13) By this alone is the Christian’s life and walk to be regulated. But the worldling disregards and defies it. Then what "fellowship" can there be between one who is in subjection to God’s Word with one who is not? "Light" and "darkness." God is light (1 John 1:5) and His saints are "the children of light." (Luke 16:8) But the children of the Wicked One are darkness" (Eph. 5:8) What communion, then, can there be between members of families so dissimilar? "Christ" and "Belial"—what concord can there be between one to whom Christ is everything, and one who despises and rejects Him?

"For ye are the temple of the living God: as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people." How blessed is this! First, we have the exhortation given, "Be ye not unequally yoked together"; second, the reason adduced, "for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?"; third, the inducement proffered. This is a divine promise, and it is striking to note it is a sevenfold one:

1) "I will dwell in them,"
2) "and walk in them,"
3) "And I will be their God,"
4) "And they shall be My people,"
5) "And I will receive you,"
6) "And will be a Father unto you,"
7) "And ye shall be My sons and daughters."
"I will dwell in them," is fellowship; "and walk in them," is companionship; "and I will be their God," is relationship. First, in them, then for them; and "if God be for us, who can be against us?" (Rom. 8:31) "And they shall be My people," is ownership, acknowledged as His. ‘And I will receive you," means being brought to the place of experimental and conscious nearness to God. "And will be a Father unto you" means "‘I will manifest Myself to you in this character, and impart to your hearts all the joys of such." "And ye shalt be My Sons and daughters" means, that such godly separation from the world will afford demonstration that we are His "sons and daughters." Compare Matt. 5:44.

"Saith the Lord Almighty." This is the only time the divine title "Almighty" is found in all the twenty-one Epistles of the New Testament! It seems to be brought in here for the purpose of emphasizing the sufficiency of our Resource. As another has said, "Let any Christian act on the command of separation given in 2 Cor. 6:14-17, and he will find his path so beset with difficulties and so tending to arouse the hostility of all, that if his eyes are not kept fixed on the Almighty God who has thus called him out, he will surely have a breakdown." But let it be noted that these promises are conditional, conditional on obeying the preceding exhortations. Yet if the heart lays hold of this blessed inducement, then obedience to the command will be easy and pleasant.

The Thrice Holy God 2

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 20:18:31 +0000

Isaiah 6v3
In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

Holy: His Anger with sinners
So God’s holiness concerns his exalted majesty above creation. But of course that leads us to his holiness as a moral distinction. Holiness also speaks to us about the infinite perfection of his sinlessness; of his goodness and righteousness. It tells us of his innate hostility to what is less holy than himself. We see this with Adam, with Noah, with Moses.
Now holiness doesn’t make God so far away as to be aloof and disinterested. That is a wrong view of God. Holiness tells us that God is too holy to ignore us in our sin.

In his holiness he demands our perfection, dictates to us his commandments, requires our obedience. In his holiness he is roused by our flaws; in his holiness he is angry with our transgressions; and in his holiness he is determined to work vengeance and extract justice for our depravities.

How should we react to this? There ought to be some reaction of fear and the sense of impurity, a consciousness of sin, of offence, and of conviction, v5. The offended holiness of God is not a trifle, it is not a performance or a put on. It is the true expression of the very who God is when confronted with sinners.

Holy: His Salvation of Sinners
Now we love to think about salvation. God proclaims peace on earth, god will toward men. His Son is anointed to preach the Gospel to the poor, to bind up the brokenhearted, to set at liberty them that are bound. It is a marvellous salvation.

But it is a holy salvation. Here sinners are being handled by God, accepted by God, changed by God, inhabited by God, fathered by God, loved by God. The worst sinners and the lowest classes are in fellowship with God. And yet it is a most Holy salvation.

It was always a holy salvation. Ever since the Fall, amidst all the types and pictures God was making clear that his way of salvation would be holy. It could not be anything else. It had to be holy, for he is holy.

Of all the holy places recorded in the Old Testament (think of Eden, or Bethel, or Sinai) - where was the most holy place of all for any saints of that time? The answer is easy: The Holy of Holies, that innermost sanctum of the tabernacle or temple. Now that most holy place is also the place that most clearly spoke about salvation, about God dwelling with men. This is no coincidence.

And in the Old Testament what was the most holy object? Not the ten commandments on stone, nor the brasen altar even. The ark of the covenant.
And what part of the ark of the covenant was most holy - ah the mercy seat! There even the cherubim sought to cover it with their wings.
God was always teaching that salvation would be holy.

Now let us come to the salvation of Christ on the Cross. It was a vile scene. A repulsive view. Three men torn and in the agonies of death. The crowd baying for their end. The soldiers exercising their cruelty. The highest classes of the Jews debasing themselves to name-calling, to mockery and to taunts. There you have the full depravity of man in plain view.
But also there is the spiritual presence of evil. There is Satan, dancing his victory-dance. There are the hounds of hell, opening their jaws against Christ. What a scene it is!

And there still, more awesome yet - God is dealing with his Son, as though he were the greatest of sinners. As though he had lived the lives of millions of sinners. He was made sin. And oh, friend, of all the scenes in the Bible that you would go to if you were looking for holiness, who would go to Calvary?!

But listen. Listen to the word of Christ on the Cross, as recorded in Ps 22:
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent. But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
In all his dealings with his Son, God acted in deepest holiness at Calvary.
There, as nowhere else, we see the holiness of his anger at sin. There as nowhere else we see how God is above us, utterly different from us - this salvation would never have entered into the heart of man. 1 Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God did it.

Neither was the holiness of the Son ever lost or compromised at Calvary. Listen again to the Scriptures on this point: against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,

Holy, Holy, Holy. Separate. Angry. Saving. Holy. Holy. Holy.
Christian, do not fall into the trap of thinking that now, in the New Testament age, that the God of the Cross is less holy than before. See the care that ancient Israel took in their approaches to God. Be aware of his holiness when you approach him, publicly and privately.

Don’t think that, since Calvary, you only have to deal with a forgiving God, not a Holy God. God was fully holy at the Cross. His holy anger with sin rained blows on the representative of sinners. His holy majesty exalted over Creation; working salvation in a way that could not have been accomplished by any creature, nor even thought of.

Calvary is holy. Christian, you are reconciled with God in all his holiness. Take courage on this very point. God took of all his ire, but he did not take of one whit of his holiness. All the holiness of God was present and approved of your Saviour and your salvation.
Seeker - come to this point with confidence. If you’ve been hiding from the holiness of God, you have been hiding from the Cross of Christ, where your only hope of salvation lies. Meet him today, in the holiness of his salvation.

The Thrice Holy God

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 12:41:36 +0000

Extract from The Beauties of Boston

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 09:37:38 +0000

How the Spirit Enables Us to Pray
by Thomas Boston

It is by the help of the Holy Spirit that we are able to pray, Gal 4:6, "And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!" Rom 8:26, "Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered."

There Are Two Sorts of Prayers.
Firstly, A prayer wrought out by virtue of a gift of knowledge and utterance. This is bestowed on many reprobates, and that gift may be useful to others, and to the church. But as it is merely of that sort, it is not accepted, nor does Christ put it in before the Father for acceptance.
For, secondly, There is a prayer wrought in men by virtue of the Holy Spirit, Zech. 12:10, "And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication," and that is the only acceptable prayer to God. James 5:16, "Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." The word "effective" is from the Greek word "inwrought." Right praying is praying in the Spirit. It is a gale blowing from heaven, the breathing of the Spirit in the saints, that carries them out in the prayer, and which comes the length of the throne.

Spirit Helps Us to Pray Two Ways
1. As a teaching and instructing Spirit, furnishing proper matter of prayer, causing us to know what we pray for, Rom. 8:26, enlightening the mind in the knowledge of our needs, and those of others. The Spirit brings into our remembrance these things, suggesting them to us according to the word, together with the promises of God, on which prayer is grounded, John 14:26,"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you." Hence it is that the saints are sometimes carried out in prayer for things which they had no view of before, and carried by some things they had.
1. As a quickening, exciting Spirit, Rom. 8:26.; the Spirit qualifying the soul with praying graces and affections, working in the praying person sense of needs, faith, fervency, humility, etc. Psa 10:17, "Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear,"

The man may go to his knees in a very unprepared attitude for prayer, yet the Spirit blows, he is helped. It is for this reason the Spirit is said to make intercession for us, namely, in so far as he teaches and quickens, puts us in a praying frame of mind, and draws out our petitions, as it were, which the Mediator presents.

Special Giftedness in Prayer?
This praying with the help of the Spirit is particular to the saints, Jam. 5:16.; yet they do not have that help at all times, nor always in the same measure; for sometimes the Spirit, being provoked, departs, and they are left in a withered condition. So there is great need to look for a breathing, and pant for it, when we are to go to duty: for if there be not a gale, we will tug at the oars but heartlessly.
Let no man think that a readiness and flowing of expression in prayer, is always the effect of the Spirit's assistance. For that may be the product of a gift, and of the common operations of the Spirit, removing the impediment of the exercise of it. And it is evident one may be scarce of words, and have groans instead of them, while the Spirit helps him to pray, Rom. 8:26. Neither is every flood of emotions in prayer, the effect of the Spirit of prayer. There are of those which puff up a man, but make him never a whit more holy, tender in his walk, etc. But the influences of the Spirit never miss to be humbling but sanctifying. Hence, says David, "But who am I, and who are my people, That we should be able to offer so willingly as this? For all things come from You, and of Your own we have given You," 1 Chr 29:14; and, says the apostle, "We have no confidence in the flesh," Phil. 3:3.