Faith, dear reader, is neither encouraged nor discouraged by anything we find in ourselves; it is neither encouraged by our graces nor discouraged by our sinfulness; for faith LOOKS OUT OF SELF UNTO ANOTHER. Nothing will afford such encouragement to believing prayer as a sight of the LAMB on His mediatorial throne (Revelation 5:6). No matter how desperate may be our case, how often we have failed and fallen, how low we have sunk, it is ALWAYS the believer’s privilege to turn unto his Redeemer and say, “Look Thou upon me, and be merciful unto me, as is your way unto those that love Thy name” (Psalm 119:132).
– A. W. Pink
MY TIMES ARE IN THY HANDS
Psalm 31:15
Not only does God love us and desire our good – but His wisdom is infinite. He knows what is best for us, what things will do us the good we need. We ourselves do not know. The things we think would bring us blessing – perhaps would bring us irreparable harm! The things we dread as evil, and shrink from – perhaps are the bearers to us of divinest good! We would make pitiful work of our lives – if we had the ordering of our affairs in our own hands. If for but one day we could take matters into our own hands, out of God’s hands – we would wreck everything!
-- Copied
CHRIST IS OUR LIFE AND RIGHTEOUSNESS
It is as clear as the noonday sun that the law is neither the ground of life to the sinner nor the rule of life to the Christian. The Lord Jesus Christ is both the one and the other; He is our life and our rule of life. The law can only curse and kill; Christ is our life and righteousness. He became our curse by hanging on a tree. He went down into the place of death and judgment and by His death completely discharged all that was or could be against us. “Bless the Lord, O my soul!”
-- Pastor Scott Richardson
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:18)
“A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS”
Many people today describe salvation as “entering into a personal relationship with Jesus.” They may or may not understand what they mean by this statement or how it comes about. Many rely on religious experiences to claim this salvation. What does the Bible, God’s Word, say about this? It tells us that God chose a people before the foundation of the world and gave them to Jesus Christ Who is their Substitute and Surety – “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began” (2 Timothy 1:9). It tells us that Jesus Christ came to earth to die for their sins and establish righteousness that demands and secures their salvation and eternal life – “But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles” (2 Timothy 1:10-11). It tells us that every sinner whom God has chosen and whom Christ redeemed will be brought by the Holy Spirit to believe and rest in Jesus Christ for all salvation – “For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day” (2 Timothy 1:12). When a spiritually dead sinner is brought by the Holy Spirit under the preaching of the Gospel of God’s free and sovereign grace, when he is given spiritual life and the Spirit reveals his sin and depravity in light of God’s holiness and justice, when he is born again from above, he by faith enters into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He sees Christ as ALL in salvation, and the love of God is shed abroad within his new heart to cause him to love and follow Christ in the obedience of faith.
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