God's Sovereignty

There is no attribute of God more comforting to his children than the doctrine of Divine Sovereignty. Under the most adverse circumstances, in the most severe troubles, they believe that Sovereignty hath ordained their afflictions, that Sovereignty overrules them, and that Sovereignty will sanctify them all. There is nothing for which the children of God ought
more earnestly to contend than the dominion of their Master over all creation — the kingship of God over all the works of his own hands — the throne of God, and his right to sit upon that throne. On the other hand, there is no doctrine more hated by worldlings, no truth of which they have made such a foot-ball, as the great, stupendous, but yet most certain doctrine of the Sovereignty of the infinite Jehovah. Men will allow God to be everywhere except on his throne. They will allow him to be in his workshop to fashion worlds and to make stars. They will allow him to be in his almonry to dispense his alms and bestow his bounties. They will allow him to sustain the earth and bear up the pillars thereof, or light the lamps of heaven, or rule the waves of the ever-moving ocean; but when God ascends his throne, his creatures then gnash their teeth; and when we proclaim an enthroned God, and his right to do as he wills with his own, to
dispose of his creatures as he thinks well, without consulting them in the matter, then it is that we are hissed and execrated, and then it is that men turn a deaf ear to us, for God on his throne is not the God they love. They love him anywhere better than they do when he sits with his scepter in his hand and his crown upon his head. But it is God upon the throne that we
love to preach. It is God upon his throne whom we trust.

C.H. Spurgeon on Matthew 20:15

I have no reason to why the Lord would look upon me with anything but divine judgement. But "while we were yet sinners Christ died for the ungodly". It is His sovereign grace and mercy that chose me, nothing else could I have done. Praise Him Forever. Let us seek this Sovereign Lord even when we do not like His great control over everything.
Bro. Zac

Evangelicalism Today

"There is no doubt that Evangelicalism today is in a state of perplexity and unsettlement. In such matters as the practice of evangelism, the teaching of holiness, the building up of local church life, the pastor’s dealing with souls and the exercise of discipline, there is evidence of widespread dissatisfaction with things as they are and of equally widespread uncertainty as to the road ahead. This is a complex phenomenon, to which many factors have contributed; but, if we go to the root of the matter, we shall find that these perplexities are all ultimately due to our having lost our grip on the biblical gospel. Without realising it, we have during the past century bartered that gospel for a substitute product which, though it looks similar enough in points of detail, is as a whole a decidedly different thing. Hence our troubles; for the substitute product does not answer the ends for which the authentic gospel has in past days proved itself so mighty. The new gospel conspicuously fails to produce deep reverence, deep repentance, deep humility, a spirit of worship, a concern for the church. Why? We would suggest that the reason lies in its own character and content. It fails to make men God-centred in their thoughts and God-fearing in their hearts because this is not primarily what it is trying to do. One way of stating the difference between it and the old gospel is to say that it is too exclusively concerned to be “helpful” to man—to bring peace, comfort, happiness, satisfaction—and too little concerned to glorify God. The old gospel was “helpful,” too—more so, indeed, than is the new—but (so to speak) incidentally, for its first concern was always to give glory to God. It was always and essentially a proclamation of Divine sovereignty in mercy and judgment, a summons to bow down and worship the mighty Lord on whom man depends for all good, both in nature and in grace. Its centre of reference was unambiguously God. But in the new gospel the centre of reference is man. This is just to say that the old gospel was religious in a way that the new gospel is not. Whereas the chief aim of the old was to teach men to worship God, the concern of the new seems limited to making them feel better. The subject of the old gospel was God and His ways with men; the subject of the new is man and the help God gives him. There is a world of difference. The whole perspective and emphasis of gospel preaching has changed."
J. I. Packer (The Death of Death)

Amen and Amen, I could not have said it better myself.
Bro. Zac

Holiness is God's Plan

If man had kept the righteousness which God originally created in him, Christ's pain would have been spared, for it was man's lost holiness He came to recover. Neither God's glory nor man's happiness could be attained until this holiness was restored. As God is glorious in the holiness of His own nature and works, so He is glorified by the holiness of His people's hearts.
When man's carnal nature bows to the influence of sin, can he give God glory and defy Him at the same time? If God's purpose had been merely to forgive man but not to restore his holiness, He would have been sin's minister, and man would have unrestrained freedom to dishonor God.
Man's happiness rests in his likeness to God and his enjoyment of Him. But he must be like God before God can take pleasure in him. Further, God must take full contentment in man before He lets before He lets him enjoy Him - so then Christ undertakes the miracle of making His people holy: 'Be ye holy; for I am holy' (1Pet. 1:16)
God's purpose for man, then, underscores the unrighteousness of a saint and hands down a more serious verdict upon his sin than upon the sin of others because it has committed against such a mighty work of His Spirit. A sin in the temple was more grave than that same sin committed by a Jew in his house, because the temple was a consecrated place. Because the saint is a consecrated person, then, his unholy act profane God's temple. The sin of natural man is theft because he robs God of the glory due to Him; but the sin of a saint is sacrilege because he robs God of the sacredness which his profession of faith has vowed to Him.
Surely it is better not to repent at all than to repent of our repentance. Scripture says it is better for us not to vow and dedicate ourselves to Him than later to scheme so we can sidestep that promise (Ecc. 5:5). To do this, the person must tell the world a baneful lie - that he has found some weakness or iniquity in God which changed his mind about following Him.
The more unatural a sin is , the more horrible it is. For example, it is not natural for a mother to kill the child in her womb. Yet by your unholy walk you are killing the babe of grace in your soul. Herod has been branded a bloody criminal because he would have butchered Christ when He was a newborn on earth; so can you continually attempt the murder of Christ newly formend in your heart and expect to escape God's anger? (The Christian in Complete Armour)

In today's age, most think the subject of God's holiness, and man's holiness, are "old fashioned" or "outdated". Here we can see that even in 1655, when this book was first written, that this subject is very relevant today. God does not wink at sin, and unrighteousness. It is not something to be taken lightly. God requires holiness, plain and simple, it isn't easy or fun, in fact, I would venture to say it cannot be done without the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit.
Yes true christians sin, but it is not a continual lifestyle, Christians are human, the only differance between them and the world is power of the Holy Spirit to live a godly life in Christ Jesus. But most so-called christians say "hath God said", they negotiate the gospel or restrict holiness to mere feeling or social works. God forbid. It is the power in the Lord Jesus Christ to live in holiness, godliness, righteousness, yes, even when thing arent' going our way. God requires it no matter what. Holiness is a command, not a request.
Not too many days.....you better be living holy.
God help us.

Bro. Zac

The Progressive Saint

"The Christian never comes to journey's end until he gets to heaven. This keeps him always leaning into God, thankful for each little favor but not smugly content with great measures of grace. 'When I awake,' said David, 'I shall be satisfied with thy likeness' (Ps. 17:15). He had enjoyed many sweet hours of communion at the house of God; and the Holy Spirit had brought him covered dishes of inward comfort from God's banquet table, dishes of which the world knew nothing. Yet David realized he would never have enough until heaven gave him his full portion.

When the Gauls first tasted the wines of Italy, they were so impressed by their sweetness that they would not just trade for this wine but resolved to conquer the whole land which furnished the grapes! Thus the sincere Christian does not think it is enough to receive samples of grace and comfort from heaven on special occasions, doing long distance business with God. No, he meditates on taking that holy and blessed place which is the source of these riches and looks forward to drinking the wine of the kingdom in the kingdom.

This kind of meditation raises the soul to climb nearer and nearer to heaven. The man who aims at the sky shoots higher than he who intends only to hit a tree. Paul said, 'I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus' (Phil. 3:14). Other people admired the apostle's spiritual achievements and would have been most unhappy had he never scaled new heights of God's grace. He admitted that he had not apprehended what he was running for. The prize does not appear at mid-way but at the end of the race; and ;Paul ran toward it with full speed.

Only the hypocrite shortchanges himself in the things among religious people; other wise he leaves it alone. He chooses enough good works and church attendance to be seen and respected and avoids socially unacceptable sins; but he would never bother to press in for a deeper communion with a holy God. He is like an irresponsible businessman who does not care much about making profits but is content merely to keep his store open stay out of jail, though engaged in a thousand compromising schemes.

You have seen the inside of a sincere heart; and after examining yourself in the light of these characteristics, your conscience will returen one of three reports. Conscience will condemn you as hypocrite; it will confirm your sincerity; or it will leave you in ignorance and doubt because you dare not accept your sincerity."

William Gurnall (The Christian in Complete Armour)

Most people just want to go to heaven for 'get out of hell' insurance. They do not believe that Jesus Christ is a 'rewarder of those that diligently seek him'. They do not want Jesus at all, they just want to feel good and be accepted by everyone. But, we are never promise in the Word of God a 'feel good life', full of sunshine and roses, accepted by everyone and their brother. Do not get me wrong, we are promise many blessings from the Lord, only if we are departing from iniquity and living in true holiness. But we are never promised acceptation from the world. Most in the secular and religious world are not striving for true holiness. They all want their "Best Life Now", not their best life later. They are not willing to suffer for the cause of Christ. They don't want to be rejected of men, because they like 'praise of man more than the praise of God.

"...The Lord knoweth them that are his. And let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity." (2Tim. 2:19)

This same portion of scripture says if we purge ourselves from all iniquity we will be fit for the Master's use. Dear souls depart from all iniquity, there is great liberty and freedom in doing so. We need to be fit for the Master, in all sincerity, not defending ourselves. Like David, the man after God's own heart, laying all sin on the table. Opening our mouths, declaring our own sin as rebellion and witchcraft. Repentance is not a one time thing, at the moment of salvation, it is a daily occurance. It should be a daily occurance. We are to deny ourselves daily. Have you been hypocritical or insincere towards the Lord? The cure is.....repentance. It is that easy. The word says 'He is nigh to our mouth'. He is that close. Fall upon His mercy while there is time. There are not too many days!!!!

Only Jesus can do helpless sinners good. (Joseph Hart)

Amen and amen,

Zac