The biggest loser!
(James Smith, "The Safe Side!")
There are usually two sides:
the one dangerous--the other safe;
the one is uncertain--and the other is sure.
It is always the wisest--to be found on the safe side!
Look at the unbeliever:
He denies the Bible to be God's book.
He walks by his own reason.
He gratifies his senses and his lusts.
He lives in sin.
He must soon die.
He has no Savior.
He has no true hope.
If the Bible is false--then he is safe; BUT
if the Bible is true--then he is damned forever!
He is certainly not on the safe side!
There are many things in the Bible which he does not like.
He is prejudiced against it.
It never prophecies good concerning him--but always evil.
It requires him to change his present sinful course--but he loves it.
He loves sin--and the Bible condemns it.
He gratifies the lusts of the flesh--and the Bible bids him to mortify them.
In a word, there is as much opposition between the Bible and him--as between light and darkness, holiness and sin, truth and error. Therefore he hates it!
At the best, with him all is uncertain, unsatisfactory, and vexatious.
He is certainly not on the safe side!
Now look at the true Christian:
He believes the Bible to be from God. He has examined it. He has evidence of its inspiration in his heart. He fully believes it.
What the Bible says of himself as a sinner--he knows to be true.
What it says of Jesus as a Savior--he has proved to be a fact.
As guilty--he has applied to God for pardon, and obtained it.
As impure--he has sought the cleansing operations of the Holy Spirit, and has experienced them.
His guilt is gone--therefore he has no slavish fears.
His soul is justified--therefore he has peace with God.
He approves of the inspired precepts--and regulates his life by them.
He carries his cares to God--and is sustained under them.
He realizes that God is his Friend, his Father, and his everlasting Portion.
He is peaceful.
He is often happy.
To him death has no sting--and eternity has no terror.
He knows Jesus as his Savior--and trusts in Him.
He knows God as his Father--and walks with Him.
He knows the Holy Spirit as his comforting Teacher--and listens to Him.
He is, perhaps, more tried than the unbeliever--but he has supports, consolations, and pleasures--of which the unbeliever knows nothing. He lives to bless others, to honor God, to prepare for a glorious immortality.
He would not change his worst day--for the unbeliever's best day!
He is on the safe side!
If the unbeliever should be right--then the Christian is no loser.
But if the Christian is right--and he is--then the unbeliever is the biggest loser--an infinite loser!
Reader, on which side are you? There is but one safe side.
There is no safety for a sinner now--but at the Cross!
There will be no safety at death and judgment--but in Christ!
He who is on the safe side now--will be on the safe side then!
There will be no changing sides then!
"But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit upon His glorious throne! All the nations will be gathered in His presence, and He will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at His right hand--and the goats at His left.
Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed by My Father--inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world!' (the safe side)
Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, 'Away with you, you cursed ones--into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons!' (the perilous side)
And they will go away into eternal punishment--but the righteous will go into eternal life!" Matthew 25:31-46
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Reader! You might want to forward this gem on to your unsaved friends!
Grace Gems
Friday, July 30, 2010
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
The Plan!
The following is from Spurgeon's sermon,
"A Feast for Faith" No. 715. Isaiah 28:29.
God does not work without a plan.
God has not left the world to chance.
There are some men who are always kicking
against the doctrine of an eternal purpose,
and who grow angry if you assert that God
has settled what shall occur.
It is by the consent of all agreed that men
are foolish if they work without a plan, and
yet they cry out when we insist that God
also, in all his working, is fulfilling a well
arranged design.
Depend upon it, however, let men rebel
against this truth as they will, that God has
determined the end from the beginning.
He has left no screw loose in the machine,
he has left nothing to chance or accident.
Nothing with God is the subject of an "if" or a
"peradventure," but even the agency of man,
free as it is, as untouched and undisturbed as
if there were no God, even this is guided by His
mysterious power, and works out thoroughly
His own purpose in every jot and tittle.
God wings the thunderbolt, and shall He
not guide the most passionate spirit?
God puts a bit into the mouth of the whirlwind,
and shall He not control the most ambitious will?
God takes care that even the sea shall come no
farther than He bids it, and shall not the heart
of man be equally subject to the Divine purpose?
Yielding to man his free agency, giving to him his
responsibility, leaving him as free as if there were
no purpose and no decree, yet the eternal Jehovah
works out His plans, and achieves His purpose to
the praise of His glory.
Everything that has moved or shall move in heaven,
and, earth, and hell, has been, is, and shall be,
according to the counsel and foreknowledge of God,
fulfilling a holy, just, wise, and unalterable purpose!
God is wonderful in His design and excellent in His working.
Believer, God overrules all things for your good.
The needs-be for all that you have suffered, has
been most accurately determined by God.
Your course is all mapped out by your Lord.
Nothing will take Him by surprise. There will be
no novelties to Him. There will be no occurrences,
which He did not foresee, and for which, therefore,
He was not provided. He has arranged all, and
you have but to patiently wait, and you shall
sing a song of deliverance.
Your life has been arranged on the best possible
principles, so that if you had been gifted with
unerring wisdom, you would have arranged a life
for yourselves exactly similar to the one through
which you have passed.
Let us trust God where we cannot trace Him.
In the end we shall read the whole of God's
purpose as one grand poem, and there will not
be one verse in it that has a syllable too much,
or a word too little. There will not be one stanza
or letter redundant, much less one that is erased.
But from beginning to end we shall see the master
pen and the master-mind drawing forth the glorious
array of majestic thoughts. And with angels, and
seraphs, and principalities, and powers, shall burst
forth into one mighty song, "Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!"
We shall see how from the first even to the last, the
King has been ruling all things according to His own will.
Gracegems.org
"A Feast for Faith" No. 715. Isaiah 28:29.
God does not work without a plan.
God has not left the world to chance.
There are some men who are always kicking
against the doctrine of an eternal purpose,
and who grow angry if you assert that God
has settled what shall occur.
It is by the consent of all agreed that men
are foolish if they work without a plan, and
yet they cry out when we insist that God
also, in all his working, is fulfilling a well
arranged design.
Depend upon it, however, let men rebel
against this truth as they will, that God has
determined the end from the beginning.
He has left no screw loose in the machine,
he has left nothing to chance or accident.
Nothing with God is the subject of an "if" or a
"peradventure," but even the agency of man,
free as it is, as untouched and undisturbed as
if there were no God, even this is guided by His
mysterious power, and works out thoroughly
His own purpose in every jot and tittle.
God wings the thunderbolt, and shall He
not guide the most passionate spirit?
God puts a bit into the mouth of the whirlwind,
and shall He not control the most ambitious will?
God takes care that even the sea shall come no
farther than He bids it, and shall not the heart
of man be equally subject to the Divine purpose?
Yielding to man his free agency, giving to him his
responsibility, leaving him as free as if there were
no purpose and no decree, yet the eternal Jehovah
works out His plans, and achieves His purpose to
the praise of His glory.
Everything that has moved or shall move in heaven,
and, earth, and hell, has been, is, and shall be,
according to the counsel and foreknowledge of God,
fulfilling a holy, just, wise, and unalterable purpose!
God is wonderful in His design and excellent in His working.
Believer, God overrules all things for your good.
The needs-be for all that you have suffered, has
been most accurately determined by God.
Your course is all mapped out by your Lord.
Nothing will take Him by surprise. There will be
no novelties to Him. There will be no occurrences,
which He did not foresee, and for which, therefore,
He was not provided. He has arranged all, and
you have but to patiently wait, and you shall
sing a song of deliverance.
Your life has been arranged on the best possible
principles, so that if you had been gifted with
unerring wisdom, you would have arranged a life
for yourselves exactly similar to the one through
which you have passed.
Let us trust God where we cannot trace Him.
In the end we shall read the whole of God's
purpose as one grand poem, and there will not
be one verse in it that has a syllable too much,
or a word too little. There will not be one stanza
or letter redundant, much less one that is erased.
But from beginning to end we shall see the master
pen and the master-mind drawing forth the glorious
array of majestic thoughts. And with angels, and
seraphs, and principalities, and powers, shall burst
forth into one mighty song, "Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!"
We shall see how from the first even to the last, the
King has been ruling all things according to His own will.
Gracegems.org
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Take Heed-
I am going to vomit you out of My mouth!
(James Smith, "Daily Bible Readings for the Lord's Household")
"I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either cold--or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold--I am going to vomit you out of My mouth!" Revelation 3:15-16
The Lord Jesus hates lukewarmness! He would rather we made no profession of religion at all--than to profess--and then not practice His precepts!
He loves to see His people zealous--and it is a shame to us, when we are dull and lifeless in His ways.
It is to be feared, that many professors do not realize that their 'indifference' is a sin! They think that having professed Christ, if they just attend to a few religious duties, and creep along in a certain religious course--that this is enough. They are never hot--and they do not really like to see others on fire for the Lord.
Professor of religion, Jesus says, "Be hot--or be cold!"
Be altogether a Christian--OR throw off your vain profession!
Do not wear the Christian name--only to dishonor it!
Professing Christian--are you hot, or cold--or lukewarm?
(From Grace Gems)
(James Smith, "Daily Bible Readings for the Lord's Household")
"I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either cold--or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold--I am going to vomit you out of My mouth!" Revelation 3:15-16
The Lord Jesus hates lukewarmness! He would rather we made no profession of religion at all--than to profess--and then not practice His precepts!
He loves to see His people zealous--and it is a shame to us, when we are dull and lifeless in His ways.
It is to be feared, that many professors do not realize that their 'indifference' is a sin! They think that having professed Christ, if they just attend to a few religious duties, and creep along in a certain religious course--that this is enough. They are never hot--and they do not really like to see others on fire for the Lord.
Professor of religion, Jesus says, "Be hot--or be cold!"
Be altogether a Christian--OR throw off your vain profession!
Do not wear the Christian name--only to dishonor it!
Professing Christian--are you hot, or cold--or lukewarm?
(From Grace Gems)
Monday, July 5, 2010
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