BrethrenVoice

Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

2010-05-24T11:54:00.001-07:00

by - William MacDonald

“For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” (1 Cor. 1:21)

Some in the church in Corinth were trying to make the Gospel intellectually respectable. Their preoccupation with the wisdom of this world made them sensitive to those aspects of the Christian message which were offensive to the philosophers.

There was no thought of their abandoning the faith, only of redefining it so that it would be more palatable to the scholars.

Paul came down hard on this attempt to marry the world’s wisdom to God’s. He knew only too well that the achieving of intellectual status would result in a loss of spiritual power.

Let’s face it! There is that about the Christian message that is scandalous to Jews and foolish to Gentiles. And not only that—most Christians are not what the world would call wise, mighty or noble. Sooner or later we have to face up to the fact that instead of belonging to the intelligentsia, we are foolish, weak, base, despised—in fact, we are nobodies as far as the world is concerned.

But the wonderful thing is that God uses that message, which seems to be foolish, in saving those who believe. And God uses nonpersons like us to accomplish His purposes. In choosing such unlikely instruments, He confounds all the pomp and pretension of this world, eliminates any possibility of our boasting, and insures that He alone gets the credit.

This is not to say that there is no place for scholarship. Of course there is. But unless that scholarship is combined with deep spirituality, it becomes a deadening and dangerous thing. When scholarship sits in judgment on the Word of God, claiming, for instance, that some writers used more reliable sources than others, it represents departure from the truth of God. And when we court the approbation of scholars like that, we are vulnerable to all their heresies.

Paul did not come to the Corinthians with excellence of speech or of wisdom. He determined to know nothing among them but Jesus Christ and Him crucified. He knew that power lay in the simple, straightforward presentation of the Gospel, not in occupation with knotty problems or unprofitable theories, or in the worship of intellectualism.

Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

2010-01-03T10:38:00.001-08:00

William MacDonald

“In lowliness of mind, let each esteem other better than themselves.” (Philippians 2:3b)

To esteem others better than self is unnatural; fallen human nature rebels at such a blow to its ego. It is humanly impossible; we do not have the power in ourselves to live such an otherworldly life. But it is divinely feasible; the indwelling Holy Spirit empowers us to efface self in order that others might be honored.

Gideon illustrates our text. After his three hundred men had defeated the Midianites, he called for the men of Ephraim to add the final blow. They cut off the escape route and captured two Midianite princes. But they complained that they had not been called earlier. Gideon replied that the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim was better than the vintage of Abiezer (Judges 8:2), that is, the mopping-up operation conducted by the men of Ephraim was more illustrious than the whole campaign waged by Gideon. This spirit of selflessness appeased the Ephraimites.

Joab showed great unselfishness when he captured Rabbah and then called for David to come and administer the coup de grace (2 Samuel 12:26-28). Joab was quite content that David should get credit for the victory. It was one of the nobler moments in Joab’s life.

The Apostle Paul esteemed the Philippians better than himself. He said that what they were doing was the significant sacrifice to God, whereas he was nothing more than a drink offering, poured out over the sacrifice and service of their faith (Philippians 2:17).

In more recent times, a beloved servant of Christ was waiting in an anteroom with other distinguished preachers, ready to file out onto the platform. When he finally appeared at the door and a thunderous ovation took place, he quickly stepped aside so that those who were following him would receive the applause.

The supreme example of self-abnegation is the Lord Jesus. He humbled Himself that we might be exalted. He became poor that we might become rich. He died that we might live.

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.”

Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

2010-01-01T11:14:00.001-08:00

By William MacDonald

“This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.” (Exodus 12:2)

New Year’s resolutions are good but fragile, that is, easily broken. New Year’s prayers are better; they ascend to the throne of God and set answering wheels in motion. As we come to the beginning of another year, we would do well to make the following prayer requests our own:

Lord Jesus, I rededicate myself afresh to You today. I want you to take my life this coming year and use it for Your glory. “Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee.”

I pray that You will keep me from sin, from anything that will bring dishonor to Your Name.

Keep me teachable by the Holy Spirit. I want to move forward for You. Don’t let me settle in a rut.

May my motto this year be, “He must increase; I must decrease.” The glory must all be Yours. Help me not to touch it.

Teach me to make every decision a matter of prayer. I dread the thought of leaning on my own understanding. “I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps,” Jeremiah 10:23.

May I die to the world and even to the approval or blame of loved ones or friends. Give me a single, pure desire to do the things that please Your heart.

Keep me from gossip and criticism of others. Rather help me to speak what is edifying and profitable.

Lead me to needy souls. May I become a friend of sinners, as You are. Give me tears of compassion for the perishing. “Let me look on the crowd as my Savior did, till my eyes with tears grow dim. Let me view with pity the wandering sheep, and love them for love of Him.”

Lord Jesus, keep me from becoming cold, bitter or cynical in spite of anything that may happen to me in the Christian life.

Guide me in my stewardship of money. Help me to be a good steward of everything you have entrusted to me.

Help me to remember moment by moment that my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. May this tremendous truth influence all my behavior.

And, Lord Jesus, I pray that this may be the year of Your return. I long to see Your face and to fall at Your feet in worship. During the coming year, may the blessed hope stay fresh in my heart, disengaging me from anything that would hold me here and keeping me on the tiptoes of expectancy. “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!”

Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

2009-09-25T03:12:00.001-07:00

William MacDonald

“Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?” (Gal. 4:16)

Paul’s experience with the Christians in Galatia reminds us that we often make enemies of our friends when we tell them the truth. The apostle had introduced these people to the Lord and nurtured them in the faith. But later when false teachers infiltrated their Christian assemblies, Paul had to warn believers that they were forsaking Christ for the law. That caused them to become hostile toward their father in the faith.

It was also true in Old Testament times. Elijah was always honest and forthright in his messages to Ahab. Yet one day when Ahab met him, he said, “Art thou he that troubleth Israel?” (1 Ki. 18:17). “Troubleth Israel”? Why, Elijah was one of the best friends Israel ever had! But his thanks for being faithful was to be denounced as a troublemaker.

Micaiah was another fearless prophet. When Jehoshaphat asked if there was a prophet of the Lord whom they could consult, the king of Israel said, “There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of the Lord: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil.” The king didn’t want the truth, and hated the one who spoke it to him.

In the New Testament we find John the Baptist telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife” (Mk. 6:18 NIV). It was true, but such courageous handling of the truth soon led to John’s execution.

Our Lord stirred up the hatred of the unbelieving Jews. What caused this hatred? It was because He had told them the truth. He said, “But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth” (John 8:40).

Thomas Jefferson wrote, “If you meant to escape malice, you should have confined yourself within the sleepy line of regular duty. There are two sides to every question, and if you take one with decision and act on it with effect, those who take the other will, of course, be hostile in proportion as they feel that effect.”

The truth often hurts. Instead of bowing to it, men often curse the one who speaks it. The true servant of the Lord has already counted this cost. He must speak the truth or die. He knows that the wounds of a friend are faithful, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful (Prov. 27:6).

Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

2009-09-25T03:11:00.002-07:00

William MacDonald

“I have learned by experience.” (Gen. 30:27)

Laban had learned by experience that the Lord had blessed him for Jacob’s sake. It was a good lesson to learn. Experience is a great teacher.

I am impressed by the way that experience often helps us to understand verses in the Bible. We may be acquainted with the verses intellectually, but when we pass through some new experience, the verses come alive. They seem to stand out in neon lights. We have a new appreciation of them.

Martin Luther’s wife said that she would never have known what certain verses in the Psalms meant if God had not brought her under certain afflictions.

When Daniel Smith and his wife were missionaries in China, a robber band cut a wide hole through the side of their house one night. While the Smith’s slept, the robbers cleaned out the drawers and cupboards. If the missionaries had not slept soundly, they might have been killed. Later, in describing the incident, Mr. Smith said, “I never understood Habakkuk 3:17, 18 until that morning. ‘Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.’” What it means, of course, is that you can’t fully enter into Habakkuk’s joy in calamity until you have experienced the kind of loss that he described.

When Corrie Ten Boom was in a concentration camp, she had to appear before the judge. “The judge…still had his job to do, and there came a day when he showed me papers that could mean not only my death sentence but also the death sentence of family and friends.

“‘Can you explain these papers?’ he asked. ‘No, I can’t,’ I admitted. Suddenly he took all the papers and threw them in the stove! When I saw the flames destroy those condemning papers I knew I had been guarded by divine power, and understood as never before Colossians 2:14: ‘Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.’”

The new insights we gain in the sacred Scriptures through the experiences of life make those experiences tremendously worthwhile.

Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

2009-09-25T03:11:00.001-07:00

William MacDonald

“O my soul, come not thou into their secret.” (Gen. 49:6)

These words are found in Jacob’s blessing of his sons. When he thought of the cruelty which Simeon and Levi showed to the men of Shechem, he said, “O my soul, come not thou into their secret.”

I would like to borrow the words and use them in a broader sense. There are secrets connected with sin which it is better never to know.

Temptation puts on its best face and suggests that we can never be happy until we have been initiated into its mysteries. It offers thrills, physical gratification, emotional highs, and the lure of the unknown.

Many people, especially those who have lived sheltered lives, are stirred by these appeals. They feel that they have missed out on true pleasures. They consider themselves disadvantaged. They think they can never be satisfied until they get a taste of the world.

The trouble is that sin does not come alone. There are built-in hazards and enduring consequences. When we come to experience any sin for the first time, we unloose a flood of pain and remorse.

Yielding to temptation lowers our resistance to sin. Once we have committed a sin, it is always easier to do it the next time. Soon we become expert in the sin. We even become slaves to it, bound by the chains of habit.

The moment we give in to temptation, our eyes are opened to a sense of guilt that we never had before. The exhilaration of breaking the code of sin is followed by a terrible sense of moral nakedness. It is true that the sin can be confessed and forgiven, but all through life there is the embarrassment of meeting former partners in transgression. There is the stabbing of memory when we unavoidably revisit the places of our folly. There are unwanted occasions when the whole sordid episode flashes back during our most holy moments—when our bodies actually pulsate and our lips muffle a groan.

While it is wonderful to experience the forgiveness of God for these sins, it is still better not to enter into their secrets in the first place. What poses as an attractive secret proves to be a nightmare. Pleasure soon turns to horror, and a moment of passion results in a lifetime of regret.

In the hour of trial, our response should be, “O my soul, come not thou into their secret.”

Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

2009-09-25T03:10:00.002-07:00

William MacDonald

“…say Amen.” (1 Cor. 14:16)

Amen is an extremely useful word with which to express hearty approval of what is being said. Many congregations could afford to use it more often in their services.

The word is found 68 times in the Bible. From 1 Corinthians 14:15, 16 it is clear that it was used in the meetings of the early church. So we can be assured that the use of the Amen is eminently scriptural.

Not only so, it is imperative. The sublime nature of the truths we deal with require the intelligent expression of enthusiastic appreciation. It seems like ingratitude to hear such truths and never make a vocal response.

It is always an encouragement to the speaker when his audience says “Amen” at those places in his message where he has made an effective point. It tells him that the people are following him and that they share his spiritual and emotional exuberance.

And it is good for the person who says the Amen. It keeps him involved as an attentive listener. It keeps him from becoming apathetic when he should be amazed.

I would suggest that it is good for outsiders who may be present. They sense that the Christians are enthusiastic, that they enjoy their faith, that they believe what they believe. The use of the Amen expresses life and fervor. Its absence speaks of dullness and deadness.

Amen is one of three Bible words that are practically universal. In most languages these words are the same. So you can go almost anywhere and say, “Maranatha! Hallelujah! Amen!” and people will understand you as saying “The Lord is coming! Praise the Lord! So be it.”

Of course, the word “Amen” should be used discerningly. It would be inappropriate to use it to express enthusiasm over misfortune, tragedy or sorrow.

It is a shame that some bodies of Christians have stopped using the Amen because it has been abused in meetings given over to extreme emotionalism. Like all good things, it can be used or overdone. But we should not be robbed of this scriptural practice just because some have used it undiscerningly. Amen?

Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

2009-09-25T03:10:00.001-07:00

William MacDonald

“Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” (2 Tim. 4:8)

“…them also that love his appearing.” For many years I thought that this expression referred to those believers who had kindly, sentimental feelings about the coming of the Lord. They would be rewarded with a crown of righteousness because their hearts glowed warm when they thought about the Rapture.

But surely it means more than this. To love His appearance means to live in the light of His coming, to behave as if He were coming today.

Thus, to love His appearing means to live in moral purity. For, as John reminds us, “every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (1 John 3:3).

It means to stay disentangled from the things of this life. We should set our affections on things above, not on things on the earth (Col. 3:2).

It means to serve God’s people, giving them “meat in due season” (Matt. 24:45). The Lord pronounces a special blessing on those who are doing that when He comes.

In short, it means that we won’t do anything that we would not want to be found doing when He appears. We would not go anywhere that would cause shame at His coming. We would not say anything that would be offensive in His presence.

If you knew Christ were coming in a week, how would you spend the intervening days? Does it mean you would give up your job, go to a mountaintop and spend all day reading the Bible and praying? Does it mean you would go into “full-time Christian work,” preaching and teaching day and night?

If we are really walking with the Lord today and living in the center of His will, it would mean carrying on as usual. If, however, we are living for self, then it would require some revolutionary changes.

It is not enough to have kind thoughts about the Savior’s return. The crown of righteousness is reserved for those who love it enough to let the truth mold their lives. It is not enough to hold the truth about His coming; the truth must hold us.

Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

2009-09-25T03:08:00.002-07:00

William MacDonald

“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” (Rom. 5:6)

Christ did not come to call the righteous nor did He die for good people. It was not for decent, respectable, refined people that He went to the Cross. He died for the ungodly.

Of course, from God’s standpoint, all mankind is ungodly. We were all born in sin and shaped in iniquity. Like lost sheep, we have gone astray and turned to our own way. In God’s pure eyes, we are depraved, unclean and rebellious. Our best efforts to do what is right are nothing but filthy rags.

The trouble is that most people are not willing to admit that they are ungodly. By comparing themselves with the criminal elements in society, they imagine that they are quite fit for heaven. They are like the distinguished upper-class matron who prided herself on her social involvement and donations to charity. When a Christian neighbor witnessed to her, she said she felt no need of being saved; her own good works were sufficient. She reminded him that she was a church member and that she came from a long line of “Christians.” The Christian took a slip of paper, wrote UNGODLY on it in capital letters, then turned to her and asked, “Would you mind if I pinned this to your blouse?” When she saw the word UNGODLY, she bristled. “Of course, I would mind,” she said. “No one is going to tell me I’m ungodly.” He then explained to her that by refusing to admit her sinful, lost, hopeless condition, she cut herself off from any benefit in the saving work of Christ. If she wouldn’t confess she was ungodly, then Christ didn’t die for her. If she wasn’t lost, then she couldn’t be saved. If she was well, then she didn’t need the Great Physician.

A special party was once held in a large civic auditorium. It was for children who were blind, crippled or otherwise impaired. The youngsters came in wheelchairs, on crutches, and led by the hand. While the party was underway, a patrolman found a little boy crying on the front steps of the building.

“Why’re you crying,” he asked sympathetically?

“Because they won’t let me in.”

“Why won’t they let you in?”

The little fellow sobbed, “Because there’s nothing the matter with me.”

That’s the way it is with the Gospel feast. If there’s nothing the matter with you, you can’t get in. In order to gain admittance, you have to prove that you are a sinner. You have to acknowledge that you are ungodly. It was for the ungodly that Christ died. As Robert Munger said, “The Church is the only fellowship in the world where the one requirement for membership is the unworthiness of the candidate.”

Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

2009-09-25T03:08:00.001-07:00

William MacDonald

“Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?” (Lu. 17:17)

The Lord Jesus healed ten lepers but only one returned to thank Him, and that one was a despised Samaritan.

One of the valuable experiences for us in life is to encounter ingratitude, for then we can share in a small degree the heartbreak of God. When we give generously and do not receive so much as an acknowledgment, we have a greater appreciation of Him who gave His beloved Son for a thankless world. When we pour out ourselves in tireless service for others, we join the fellowship of the One who took the place of a slave for a race of ingrates.

Unthankfulness is one of the unlovely traits of fallen man. Paul reminds us that when the pagan world knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful (Rom. 1:21). A missionary to Brazil discovered two tribes who had no words for “Thank you.” If a kindness was shown to them, they would say “That is what I wanted” or “That will be useful to me.” Another missionary, working in North Africa, found that those to whom he ministered never expressed gratitude because they were giving him the opportunity of earning merit with God. It was the missionary who should be grateful, they felt, because he was acquiring favor through the kindness he showed them.

Ingratitude permeates all of society. A radio program called “Job Center of the Air” succeeded in finding jobs for 2500 people. The emcee later reported that only ten ever took time to thank him.

A dedicated school teacher had poured her life into fifty classes of students. When she was eighty, she received a letter from one of her former students, telling how much he appreciated her help. She had taught for fifty years and this was the only letter of appreciation she had ever received.

We said that it is good for us to experience ingratitude because it gives us a pale reflection of what the Lord experiences all the time. Another reason why it is a valuable experience is that it impresses on us the importance of being thankful ourselves. Too often our requests to God outweigh our thanksgiving. We take His blessings too much for granted. And too often we fail to express our appreciation to one another for hospitality, for instruction, for transportation, for provision, for numberless deeds of kindness. We actually come to expect these favors almost as if we deserved them.

The study of the ten lepers should be a constant reminder to us that while many have great cause for thanksgiving, few have the heart to acknowledge it. Shall we be among the few?

Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

2009-09-25T03:07:00.003-07:00

William MacDonald

“As the Lord lives, there shall no punishment come upon you for this thing.” (1 Sam. 28:10 NASB)

Earlier in his reign, Saul had decreed that all mediums and spiritists should be cut off from the land. But then things went from bad to worse in his personal and public life. After Samuel’s death, the Philistines massed against Saul’s army at Gilboa. When he couldn’t get any word from the Lord, he consulted a witch in Endor. She fearfully reminded him that he had ordered the removal of all witches from the land. It was then that Saul reassured her, “As the Lord lives, there shall no punishment come upon you for this thing” (1 Sam. 28:10 NASB).

The lesson is clear. People have a tendency to obey the Lord only as long as it suits them. When it no longer suits them, they can always think up excuses for doing whatever they want.

Did I say “they”? Perhaps I should have said “we”. We all tend to evade Scriptures, bend them, or explain them away when we don’t want to obey.

For example, there are some plain instructions concerning the role of women in the church. But they seem to clash with the current feminist movement.

So what do we do? We say that those commandments were based on the culture of that day and do not apply to us today. Of course, when we once admit that principle, we can get rid of almost anything in the Bible.

Sometimes we come to some hard-hitting statements of the Lord Jesus concerning the terms of discipleship. If we feel they demand too much of us, we say, “Jesus didn’t mean that we should do it, but only that we should be willing to do it.” We deceive ourselves that we are willing, when we have no intention of ever doing it.

We can be very firm in demanding that offenders be disciplined according to the stern demands of the Word. But when an offender turns out to be our relative and friend, we can insist that the demands be relaxed or overlooked altogether.

Another device we have is to classify Scripture commandments as “important” or “not important.” Those in the “not important” category can be disregarded—or at least that is what we tell ourselves.

In all of these false reasonings, we are actually wresting the Scriptures to our own destruction. God wants us to obey His Word whether it suits us or not. That is the pathway to blessing.

Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

2009-09-25T03:07:00.001-07:00

William MacDonald

“Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because of his speaking with him.” (Ex. 34:29 NASB)

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the stone tablets containing the Ten Commandments, there were two remarkable features. First of all, his face shone. He had been in the presence of the Lord, who revealed Himself in a bright, shining glory cloud known as the Shekinah. The radiance on the face of Moses was a borrowed glow. After speaking with God, the lawgiver carried away some of the splendor and effulgence of the glory. It was a transfiguring experience.

The second notable feature was that Moses did not know that his face was luminous. He was totally unconscious of the unique cosmetic he carried away from communion with the Lord. F. B. Meyer comments that that was the crowning glory of that transfiguration—the fact that Moses was unaware of it.

There is a sense in which Moses’ experience can be ours. When we spend time in the presence of the Lord, it shows. It may actually show in our faces, because there is a close link between the spiritual and the physical. But I do not press the physical, because some cultists often have very benign faces. The important point is that communion with God transfigures a person morally and spiritually. That is what Paul teaches in 2 Corinthians 3:18: “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

But the crowning glory of that transfiguration is that we ourselves are not conscious of it. Others can tell. They take knowledge of us that we have been with Jesus. But the change is hidden from our own eyes.

How is it that we are blissfully unaware that the skin of our face is shining? The reason is this: The closer we are to the Lord, the more we are aware of our sinfulness, our unworthiness, our wretchedness. In the glory of His presence, we are led to self-abhorrence and deep repentance.

If we were conscious of our own radiance, that would lead to pride and the radiance would instantly be replaced with repugnance, because pride is repugnant.

So it is a blessed circumstance that those who have been on the mount with the Lord and who carry away the borrowed glow do not realize that the skin of their face is shining.

Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

2009-09-25T03:06:00.001-07:00

William MacDonald

“But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day’s journey.” (Luke 2:44)

When Jesus was twelve, His parents and He went from Nazareth to Jerusalem to keep the Feast of the Passover. Doubtless they traveled with a large crowd of other pilgrims. It was inevitable that boys of the same age would pal together during the festivities. Therefore, on the return trip to Nazareth, Joseph and Mary assumed that Jesus was with the other young people somewhere in the caravan. But He wasn’t. He had stayed behind in Jerusalem. They traveled for a full day before they missed Him. Then they had to backtrack to Jerusalem where they found Him after three days.

There is a lesson in this for us all. It is possible for us to suppose Jesus is in our company when He is not. We may think that we are walking in fellowship with Him when actually sin has come between our souls and the Savior. Spiritual decline is subtle. We are not conscious of our coldness. We think that we are the same as ever.

But other people can tell. They can tell by our talk that we have drifted away from our first love and that worldly interests have taken precedence over the spiritual. They can detect that we have been feeding on the leeks, the onions and the garlic of Egypt. They notice that we have become critical whereas once we were loving and kind. They notice that we use a lot of street talk instead of the language of Zion. Whether they notice it or not, we have lost our song. We are unhappy and miserable ourselves and tend to make other people miserable too. Nothing seems to go right. Money leaks out of our pockets. If we try to witness for the Savior, we have little impact on others. They don’t see that much difference between themselves and us.

Usually it takes a crisis of some kind to reveal to us that Jesus is not in our company. It may be that we hear God’s voice speaking to us through some anointed preaching. Or a friend might put an arm around us and confront us with our low spiritual condition. Or it may be a sickness, the death of a loved one, or some tragedy that brings us to our senses.

When that happens, we have to do what Joseph and Mary did—go back to the place where we last saw Him. We have to go back to the place where some sin broke our fellowship with Him. By confessing and forsaking our sin, we find forgiveness, and begin traveling with Jesus in our company once more.

Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

2009-09-25T03:05:00.002-07:00

William MacDonald

“Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God…when all that thou hast is multiplied.” (Deut. 8:11, 13)

As a general rule, God’s people cannot stand material prosperity. They thrive much better under adversity. In his parting song, Moses predicted that Israel’s prosperity would ruin them spiritually: “But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation” (Deut. 32:15).

The prophecy was fulfilled in Jeremiah’s day, when the Lord complained, “…when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots’ houses” (Jer. 5:7).

Again we read in Hosea 13:6, “According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me” (Hos. 13:6).

After returning from exile, the Levites confessed that Israel had not responded properly to all that the Lord had done for them: “…so they did eat, and were filled, and became fat, and delighted themselves in thy great goodness. Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs, and slew thy prophets which testified against them to turn them to thee, and they wrought great provocations” (Neh. 9:25b, 26).

We tend to look upon material prosperity as an undeniable evidence of the Lord’s approval of what we are and do. When profits in our business soar, we say, “The Lord is really blessing me.” It would probably be more accurate to look upon those profits as a test. The Lord is waiting to see what we will do with them. Will we spend them on self-indulgence? Or will we act as faithful stewards, using them to send the good news to the uttermost parts of the earth? Will we hoard them in an effort to amass a fortune? Or will we invest them for Christ and His cause?

Said F. B. Meyer, “If it should be debated as to whether sunshine or storm, success or trial, were the severer test for character, the shrewdest observers of human nature would probably answer that nothing so clearly shows the real stuff of which we are made as prosperity, because this of all tests is the severest.”

Joseph would have agreed. He said, “God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction” (Gen. 41:52). He profited more from adversity than he did from prosperity, although he conducted himself favorably under both circumstances.

Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

2009-09-25T03:05:00.001-07:00

William MacDonald

“Pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” (Matt. 5:44)

Sometimes an illustration is the best commentary on a verse.

Captain Mitsuo Fuchida was the Japanese pilot who directed the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. He sent back the message, “Tora, Tora, Tora,” indicating the complete success of his mission. But World War II was not over. As the conflict raged on, the tide of battle turned until finally the United States was victorious.

During the war, the Japanese executed an elderly missionary couple in the Philippines. When their daughter in the U.S. got the news, she decided to visit Japanese prisoners of war and share with them the good news of the Gospel.

When they asked her why she was so kind to them, she would reply, “Because of the prayer my parents prayed before they were killed.” But that is all she would say.

After the war Mitsuo Fuchida was so bitter that he decided to bring the United States before an international tribunal to be tried for war atrocities. In an attempt to collect evidence, he interviewed Japanese prisoners of war. When he debriefed those who were held in the U.S., he was chagrined to hear, not of atrocities, but of the kindness shown by a Christian lady whose parents had been killed in the Philippines. The prisoners told how she supplied them with a book called the New Testament and mentioned that her parents had prayed some unknown prayer before they were executed. This was not exactly what Fuchida wanted to hear but he made a mental note of it anyway.

After hearing the story numerous times, he went out and bought a New Testament. When he read the Gospel of Matthew, his attention was arrested. He read through Mark and his interest deepened. When he came to Luke 23:34, light flooded his soul. “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” Instantly he knew the prayer that the elderly missionary couple had prayed before they were killed.

“He no longer thought of the American woman or the Japanese prisoners of war, but of himself, a fierce enemy of Christ, whom God was prepared to forgive in answer to the prayer of the crucified Savior. At that very moment he sought and found forgiveness and eternal life by faith in Christ.”

Plans for the international tribunal were scrapped. Mitsuo Fuchida spent the rest of his life proclaiming the unsearchable riches of Christ in many countries.

Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

2009-09-25T03:04:00.000-07:00

William MacDonald

“A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children.” (Prov. 13:22)

When we read this verse, we should not jump to the conclusion that a financial inheritance is intended. It is far more likely that the Spirit of God is referring to a spiritual heritage. A person could have been brought up by parents who were poor, yet godly; and that person might be everlastingly grateful for the memory of a mother and father who read the Bible daily, prayed together as a family, and raised him in the fear and admonition of the Lord—even though they didn’t leave him a cent when they died. A spiritual inheritance is the best kind.

Actually a son or daughter could be ruined spiritually by inheriting a large amount of money. Sudden wealth often proves intoxicating. Few are able to manage it wisely. Few who inherit fortunes go on well for the Lord.

Another consideration is that families are often torn apart by jealousy and strife when an estate is divided. It is true that “where there’s a will, there are a lot of relatives.” Family members who have lived peacefully for years suddenly become enemies over a few bits of jewelry or china or furniture.

Oftentimes Christian parents leave their wealth to unsaved children, to relatives in false religions or to ungrateful children, when that money could have been better used for the spread of the Gospel.

Sometimes this business of leaving money to children is a veiled form of selfishness. The parents actually want to hold onto it for themselves as long as they can. They know that death will one day tear it from their grip, so they then follow the tradition of bequeathing it to their children.

But no will has yet been devised that cannot be broken or eroded by legal fees. A parent can’t be sure that his wishes will be carried out after he is gone.

Therefore the best policy is to give generously to the work of the Lord while one is still alive. As the saying goes, “Do your giving while you’re living; then you’ll know where it’s going.”

And the best way to make out a will is to say, “Being of sound mind I put my money to work for God while I was alive. I leave my children the heritage of a Christian background, a home where Christ was honored, and where God’s Word was revered. I commend them to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build them up and give them an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.”

Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

2009-09-25T03:03:00.002-07:00

William MacDonald

“When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.” (Eccl. 5:4)

We have all heard of the man who, when he finds himself in a tight spot, makes a vow to God. He promises that if God delivers him, he will trust, love and serve Him forever. But when he escapes from the crisis, he forgets all about the vow and goes on living the same old life.

What place do vows have in the life of a Christian, and what guidelines are given in the Word on this subject?

First of all, it is not necessary to make vows. They are not commanded, but are generally voluntary promises made to the Lord in gratitude for His favors. Thus we read in Deuteronomy 23:22 NIV: “But if you refrain from making a vow, you will not be guilty.”

Second, we should be careful not to make rash vows, that is, vows that we won’t be able to fulfill or that we might later regret. Solomon warns us, “Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few” (Eccl. 5:2).

But if we do make a vow, we must be careful to keep it. “If a man vow a vow unto the Lord, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth” (Num. 30:2). “When you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay to pay it; for the Lord your God will surely require it of you, and it would be sin to you.” (Deut. 23:21 NKJV).

It is better not to vow than to vow and not pay. “Better it is that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay” (Eccl. 5:5).

There may be exceptional cases where it would be better to break a vow than to continue in it. Before his conversion, a man may have taken vows in a false religion or in a secret fraternal order. If it would be contrary to God’s Word to fulfill those vows, then he must obey the Scriptures, even at the cost of breaking the vows. If they were simply vows not to divulge certain secrets, then he could remain silent concerning them the rest of his life, even after severing his ties with the order.

Perhaps the vow that is most commonly broken today is the marriage vow. Solemn promises made in the presence of God are treated as of no great importance. But God’s verdict stands: “The Lord your God will surely require it of you and you will be guilty of sin” (Deut. 23:21 NIV).

Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

2009-09-25T03:03:00.001-07:00

William MacDonald

“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” (2 Cor. 6:17, 18)

What should a Christian do when he finds himself in a church that has become increasingly liberal and modernistic? This church was founded by men who believed in the inerrancy of the Bible and in all the other fundamental doctrines of the faith. It had a glorious history of evangelical fervor and of missionary endeavor. Many of its ministers were well-known scholars and faithful preachers of the Word. But the denominational seminaries have been taken over by a new breed, and now the ministers coming out of them preach a social gospel. They still use biblical phraseology but they mean something completely different by it. They undermine the major Bible doctrines, give natural explanations for the miracles, and scoff at biblical morality. They are out front in advocating radical politics and subversive causes. They speak contemptuously of fundamentalists.

What should a Christian do? Perhaps his family has been associated with this church for generations. He himself has contributed generously over the years. His closest friends are in the church. He wonders what would happen to the young people in his Sunday School class if he should leave. Shouldn’t he remain in the church and be a voice for God as long as possible?

His arguments seem plausible to him. And yet it vexes his righteous soul to see people coming to the church for bread week after week and getting nothing but a stone. He values his associations there and yet it grieves him to hear his Savior condemned with faint praise.

There is no doubt what he should do. He should leave the church. That is the clear command of God’s Word. If he removes himself from this unequal yoke, God will take care of all the consequences. God will assume responsibility for those Sunday School students. God will provide new friendships. In fact, God Himself promises to be a Father to him in a closeness that can only be known by those who are unquestioningly obedient. “The blessedness of true separation is nothing less than the glorious companionship of the great God Himself.”

Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

2009-09-25T03:02:00.000-07:00

William MacDonald

Contrary to the attitude of some, work is not a curse; it is a blessing. Before sin ever entered into the world, God assigned Adam to tend the Garden of Eden. It was after man had sinned that God cursed the ground - but not work itself. He decreed that, in trying to make a living from the ground, man would encounter sorrow, frustration and sweat (Gen. 3:17-19).

One old worthy said, “Blest work! if thou dost bear God’s curse, what must His blessing be?” But work does not bear His curse. It is part of our essential being. It is part of our need for creativity and for self-worth. It is when we succumb to idleness that the danger of sinning is greatest. And it is often when we retire from an active life that we begin to fall apart.

We should not forget that God commanded His people to work (“Six days shalt thou labor” Ex. 20:9). Men tend to overlook that and to emphasize the other part that commands them to rest on the seventh day.

The New Testament labels the loafer as “disorderly” or “unruly” and decrees that if a man won’t work, he should be allowed to go hungry (2 Th. 3:6-10).

The Lord Jesus is our supreme Example of a hard Worker. “What days of toil were His! What nights of laboring prayer! Three years in the ministry made an old man of Him. ‘Thou art not yet fifty years old,’ they said, making a rough guess at his age. Fifty? He was only thirty! I will make no secret of it.” (Ian MacPherson).

Some people develop an allergy to work because their job has some disagreeable feature. They should realize that no job is completely ideal. Every occupation has some drawback. But the Christian can do it to the glory of God, “not somehow, but triumphantly.”

The believer labors, not only to supply his own needs but to help others who are in need (Eph. 4:28). This adds a new, unselfish motive to work.

Even in eternity we will work for “his servants shall serve him” (Rev. 22:3).

In the meantime we should follow Spurgeon’s advice: “Kill yourselves with work, and then pray yourselves alive again.”

Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

2009-09-25T02:56:00.001-07:00

William MacDonald

“He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” (John 1:10-12)

He was in the world. It was incredible grace that the Lord of life and glory would ever come to live on this tiny planet. It would not be newsworthy to say of anyone else, “He was in the world.” That is something over which man has no control. But for Him, it was a deliberate choice, an act of wonderful compassion.

...and the world was made by Him. The wonder increases! The One who was in the world is the One who made the world. He who fills the universe compressed Himself into the body of a baby, a youth, a man, and in that body dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead.

...and the world knew him not. This was a case of inexcusable ignorance. The creatures should have recognized their Creator. Sinners should have been struck by His sinlessness. They should have known by His words and works that He was more than just a man.

He came unto his own. Everything in the world belonged to Him. As Creator, He had inalienable rights to it all. He did not trespass on someone else’s property.

...and his own received him not. Here was the ultimate insult. The Jewish people rejected Him. He had all the credentials of the Messiah, but they didn’t want Him to rule over them.

But as many as received him. An unrestricted invitation goes out. It is for Jews and Gentiles alike. The sole condition is that they must receive Him.

...to them gave he power to become the sons of God. What an undeserved honor—that rebel sinners should become children of God through a miracle of love and grace!

...even to them that believe on his name. The terms could not be simpler. Authority to become children of God is granted to all those who, by a definite act of faith, receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

So there is sad news and glad news. First the sad news: “the world knew him not” and “his own received him not.” Then the glad news: “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” If you have not already received him, why not believe on His Name today?

Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

2009-09-25T02:54:00.000-07:00

William MacDonald

“Then I restored that which I took not away.” (Psa. 69:4)

The speaker in Psalm 69 is the Lord Jesus. In verse 4 He is saying that in His glorious work of redemption, He made restitution to God for losses that had been caused by man’s sin. No doubt He is picturing Himself as the true trespass offering.

When a Jew stole from another Jew, the law of the trespass offering required him to repay the amount that was stolen and to add one-fifth of that value.

Now God was robbed through man’s sin. He was robbed of service, worship, obedience and glory. He was robbed of service because man turned to serve self, sin and Satan. He was robbed of worship because man bowed down to carved images. He was robbed of obedience because man rejected God’s authority. He was robbed of glory because man failed to give Him the honor that was His due.

The Lord Jesus came to restore what He did not take away.

Aside He threw His most divine array,
And veiled His Godhead in a robe of clay,
And in that garb did wondrous love display,
Restoring what He never took away.

He not only restored what had been stolen through man’s sin but added more. For God has received more glory through the finished work of Christ than He lost through the sin of Adam. “He lost creatures through sin, He gained sons through grace.” We may go so far as to say that God has been more glorified through the Savior’s work than He ever could have been even in an eternity of unfallen Adams.

Perhaps we have here an answer to the question, “Why did God allow sin to enter?” We know that God could have made men without the power of free moral choice. But He chose to make them with the ability to love and worship Him of their own volition. And that, of course, means that they also had the ability to disobey Him, to reject Him, to turn away from Him. Man chose to disobey Him, bringing in a great holocaust of sin. But God is not defeated by the sin of His creatures. In His death, burial, resurrection and ascension, the Lord Jesus triumphed over sin, hell and Satan. Through His work, God has received greater glory; and redeemed man has received richer blessings than if sin had never entered this world of ours.

Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

2009-09-25T02:53:00.001-07:00

William MacDonald

“But not as the offense, so also is the free gift: for if through the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.” (Rom. 5:15)

In Romans 5:12-21, Paul contrasts the two federal heads of the human race, Adam and Christ. Adam was the head of the first creation; Christ is the head of the new creation. The first was natural; the second is spiritual. Three times Paul uses the words “much more” to emphasize that the blessings flowing from Christ’s work superabound over the losses incurred by Adam’s sin. He is saying that “in Christ the sons of Adam boast more blessings than their father lost.” Believers are better off in Christ than they ever would have been in an unfallen Adam.

Let us suppose, for a moment, that Adam hadn’t sinned, that instead of eating of the forbidden fruit, he and his wife decided to obey God. What would have been the result in their lives? As far as we know they would have continued to live indefinitely in the Garden of Eden. Their reward would have been long life on earth. And this would have been true of their offspring.

As long as they too continued without sinning, they would have lived indefinitely in Eden. They would not have died.

But in that state of innocence, they would have no prospect of ever going to heaven. There would be no promise of being indwelt and sealed by the Holy Spirit. They would never become heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. They would never have the hope of being conformed to the image of God’s Son. And there would always be the terrible possibility that they might sin and forfeit the earthly blessings they enjoyed in Eden.

Think, by contrast, of the infinitely superior position which Christ has won for us by His atoning work. We are blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. We are accepted in the Beloved, complete in Christ, redeemed, reconciled, forgiven, justified, sanctified, glorified, made members of the body of Christ. We are indwelt and sealed by the Spirit and He is the earnest of our inheritance. We are eternally secure in Christ. We are children of God and sons of God, heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. We are as near to God and as dear to God as His own beloved Son. And there is much, much more. But that is enough to show that believers are better off today in the Lord Jesus Christ than they would have ever been in an innocent Adam.

Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

2009-09-25T02:48:00.000-07:00

William MacDonald

“And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubilee unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.” (Lev. 25:10)

Every fiftieth year in Israel’s calendar was known as the year of jubilee. The soil was supposed to lie fallow. Land reverted to its original owner. Slaves were set free. It was a joyous time of freedom, grace, redemption and rest.

When someone bought a piece of property, he had to take into account the nearness of the year of jubilee. For instance, the land would be more valuable if forty-five years remained before the next year of jubilee. But if there was only one year left, the land would hardly be worth buying. The buyer would be able to raise only one crop.

There is a sense in which the Lord’s coming will be the year of jubilee for believers today. They will enter into the eternal rest of the Father’s house. They will be set free from the shackles of mortality, and receive their glorified bodies. And all the material things that have been entrusted to them as stewards will revert to their original owner.

We should take this into account in valuing our material possessions. We may have thousands of dollars worth of real estate, investments and bank deposits. But if the Lord should come today, they would be worth nothing to us. The closer we get to His coming, the less real value they have. This means, of course, that we should put them to work today in the advancement of the cause of Christ and in the alleviation of human need.

Just as the year of jubilee was ushered in by the blowing of a trumpet, so the Lord’s return will be announced by the sound of “the last trump.” “All this teaches us a fine lesson. If our hearts are cherishing the abiding hope of the Lord’s return, we shall set light by all earthly things. It is morally impossible that we can be in the attitude of waiting for the Son from heaven, and not be detached from this present world… One who lives in the habitual expectation of Christ’s appearing must be separated from that which will be judged and broken up when He comes… May our hearts be affected and our conduct in all things influenced by this most precious and sanctifying truth” (C. H. Mackintosh).

Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

2009-09-25T02:46:00.001-07:00

William MacDonald

“What things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.” (Phil. 3:7, 8)

It is always eminently fine when a believer makes great renunciations for Jesus’ sake. Here is a man whose talents have brought him wealth and fame, yet in obedience to the divine call, he lays them at the Saviors feet. Or a woman whose voice has opened doors to the world’s great concert halls. But now she feels she must live for another world, so she gives up her career to follow Christ. After all, what are reputation or fortune or earthly distinctions when compared to the incomparable gain of winning Christ?

Ian MacPherson asks, “Is there anywhere a sight more deeply moving than that of a man laden with gifts, laying them all numbly and adoringly at the Redeemer’s feet? And that, after all is where they were meant to be. In the words of a wise old Welsh divine, ‘Hebrew, Greek and Latin are all very well in their place; but their place is not where Pilate put them, over Jesus’ head, but rather at His feet.’”

The Apostle Paul renounced wealth, culture, and ecclesiastical status and counted them loss for Christ. Jowett comments that “when the Apostle Paul regarded his aristocratic possessions as great gains, he had never seen the Lord; but when ‘the glory of the Lord’ blazed upon his wondering eyes these things faded away into shadow and even eclipse. And it was not only that the Apostle’s former gains were cheapened in the effulgence of the Lord, and stood revealed as contemptible nothings m his hands; it was that he ceased to think of them at all. They vanished entirely from the mind where they had been treated as supreme and sacred deposits.”

It is strange, then, that when a man forsakes all to follow Christ, some think that he has lost his mind. Some are shocked and uncomprehending. Some weep and offer alternate routes. Some argue on the basis of logic and common sense. A few approve and are stirred to their depths. But when a person walks y faith, he is able to appraise the opinions of others properly.

C. T. Studd forsook a private fortune and fine prospects at home to devote his life to missionary service. John Nelson Darby turned his back on a brilliant career to become an unctionized evangelist, teacher and prophet of God. The five martyrs of Ecuador renounced the comforts and materialism of the United States to bring Christ to the Auca tribe.

People call it a great sacrifice but it is no sacrifice. When someone tried to commend Hudson Taylor for the sacrifices he had made for Christ, he said, “Man, I never made a sacrifice in my life.” And Darby said, “It is no great sacrifice to give up refuse.”

Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

2009-08-29T15:19:00.000-07:00

William MacDonald

“Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine.” (1 Tim. 4:16)

One of the many noteworthy features of the Word of God is that it never isolates doctrine from duty. Take Philippians 2:1-13, for example. It is one of the classic passages in the New Testament on the doctrine of Christ. We learn there of His equality with God the Father, His self-emptying, His incarnation, His servanthood, His death and His subsequent glorification. But this is introduced, not as a doctrinal treatise, but as an appeal to the Philippians and to us to have the mind of Christ. If we live for others as He did, this will eliminate strife and vainglory. If we take the low place as He did, God will exalt us in due time. The passage is intensely practical.

I often think of this when I read books on systematic theology. In these books the authors seek to gather together all that the Bible teaches on the doctrines of the faith, whether of God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, angels, man, sin, redemption, etc. While this has definite value, it can be very cold when isolated from godly living. A person can be intellectually proficient in the great doctrines and yet be sadly deficient as to his Christian character. If we study the Bible as God has given it to us, we never get a dichotomy between doctrine and duty. The two are always beautifully balanced and woven together.

Perhaps the doctrinal subject that has been most divorced from our personal responsibility is prophecy. Too often it has been presented in such a way as to cater to curiosity. Sensational speculations concerning the identity of the Antichrist may draw the crowds but they don’t develop holiness. Prophecy was never intended to tickle itching ears but rather to shape Christian character. George Peters lists 65 ways in which the Second Advent is calculated to affect our doctrine, duty and character; and I don’t doubt that there are many more than that.

The lesson for us is that we should never divorce theology from practical godliness. In our own personal study and in teaching the Word to others, we should emphasize Paul’s exhortation to Timothy, “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine…”

Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

2009-08-10T15:12:00.000-07:00

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William MacDonald

“The people said that it thundered.” (John 12:29).

God had just spoken from heaven in clear, articulate tones. Some said that it thundered. They gave a naturalistic explanation for what was divine and miraculous.

That is one attitude we can take toward miracles today. We can try to explain them away as nothing more than natural occurrences.

Or we can say flatly that the age of miracles has passed. We can conveniently relegate them to a dispensational pigeonhole.

A third attitude is to go to the other extreme and claim to experience miracles which, in fact, are nothing but the product of a vivid imagination.

The proper approach is to acknowledge that God can and does perform miracles in our day. As the Sovereign Lord, He can do as He pleases. There is no scriptural reason why He should have abandoned miracles as a means of revealing Himself.

A miracle occurs every time someone is born again. It is a mighty demonstration of divine power, delivering that person from the kingdom of darkness and translating him into the kingdom of the Son of God’s love.

There are miracles of healing when medical science has given up and all human hope is gone. Then, in answer to believing prayer, God sometimes chooses to touch the body and restore the person to health.

There are miracles of provision, when the wallet is all but empty. And miracles of guidance, when we stand at the crossroads and don’t know which way to go.

There are miracles of preservation when, for example, someone walks away without a scratch from a tangled mass of steel that used to be an automobile.

Yes, God still works miracles, but not necessarily the same ones. He has never chosen to repeat the ten plagues which He sent on Egypt. Though Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever, it does not follow that His methods are the same. The fact that He raised the dead when He was on earth does not mean that He raises the dead today.

One final word! Not all miracles are divine. The devil and his agents can perform miracles. In a coming day, the second beast of Revelation 13 will deceive the earthdwellers by the miracles he will perform. Even today we must test all purported miracles by the Word of God and by the direction in which they lead people.
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Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

2009-08-08T14:00:00.000-07:00

William MacDonald

“…do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great.” (Lu. 6:35.)

These commandments of our Lord refer to our behavior toward all men, converted and unconverted, but we shall be thinking of them particularly in regard to financial dealings among individual Christians. It is sadly true that some of the most serious conflicts among believers arise over money matters. It shouldn’t be so, but unfortunately the old adage still holds: when money comes in the door, love goes out the window.

A simple solution might be to forbid all financial dealings among the saints, but we cannot do this as long as the Bible says, “Give to every man that asketh of thee” and “…lend, hoping for nothing again” (Lu. 6:30, 35). So we must adopt various guidelines that enable us to obey the Word and yet avoid strife and broken friendships.

We should give to any genuine case of need. The gift should be unconditional. It should not obligate the other person in any way either to vote with us in a church meeting or to defend us when we are wrong. We must not try to “buy” people with our kindnesses.

The commandment to give to every man who asks has certain exceptions. We should not give to anyone to finance gambling, drinking, or smoking. We should not give to underwrite some foolish, get-rich scheme that caters to man’s covetousness.

When we lend for a worthy cause, we should do so with the attitude that we don’t care if the money is never returned. Nonpayment will not affect our friendship. And we should not charge interest on the loan. If a Jew, living under law, could not collect interest from a fellow-Jew (Lev. 25:35-37), how much less should a Christian, living under grace, collect interest from a fellow-believer.

If a case arises where we are not quite sure whether the need is genuine, it is generally better to seek to meet the need. If we must err, it is better to do so on the side of grace.

In giving to others, we must face the fact that recipients of charity often feel resentment toward the donor. This is a price we must be willing to pay. When Disraeli was once reminded that a certain man hated him, he said, “I don’t know why. I haven’t done anything for him lately.”

Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

2009-08-08T13:53:00.000-07:00

William MacDonald

“…to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.” (Isa. 61:3)

In this exalted passage, the Messiah is describing some of the marvelous exchanges which He brings to those who receive Him. He gives beauty for ashes, joy for mourning, praise for heaviness.

We bring Him the ashes of a life burned out with pleasure, the ashes of a body ruined by liquor or drugs. We bring Him the ashes of wasted years in the wilderness, or the ashes of frustrated hopes and shattered dreams. And what do we get? He gives us beauty, the beauty of a dazzling bridal diadem. What an exchange! “The poor wearied drudge of sin is honored by becoming the consort of the holy God” (J.H. Jowett). Mary Magdalene, controlled by seven demons, is not only delivered but becomes a daughter of the King. The Corinthians come to Him in all their degradation and are washed, sanctified and justified.

We bring Him the tears of mourning. These are tears brought on by sin, defeat and failure. Tears caused by tragedy and loss. Tears over shattered marriages and wayward children. Can He do anything with these briny, scalding tears? Yes, He can wipe them away and give us the oil of joy in their place. He gives us the joy of forgiveness, the joy of acceptance, the joy of His family, the joy of finding the reason for our existence. In short, He gives us “the joy of the bridal feast for heavy-footed woe.”

Finally, He takes from us the spirit of heaviness. We all know what this spirit is like—the burden of guilt, remorse, shame and humiliation. The spirit of loneliness, of rejection, of betrayal. The spirit of fear and anxiety. He takes them all away and gives us the garment of praise. He puts a new song in our mouth, even praise to our God (Psa. 40:3). The grumbler is filled with thanksgiving, the blasphemer with worship.

Something beautiful, something good,
All my confusion He understood.
All I had to offer Him was brokenness and strife
And He made something beautiful of my life.

(Gaither)

Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

2009-08-06T13:35:00.000-07:00

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William MacDonald

“Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger.” (Lam. 1:12).

Sometimes as I sit at the Lord’s Supper, I have to ask myself, “What is the matter with me? How can I sit here and contemplate the passion of the Savior and not be melted in tears?”

An unknown poet faced the same questions; he wrote: “Am I a stone, and not a man, that I can stand,/ O Christ, beneath Thy cross,/ and number, drop by drop,/ Thy blood’s slow loss,/ and yet not weep?/ Not so the sun and moon,/ which hid their faces in a midnight sky,/ while earth convulsed and groaned —yet only I / can look, unmoved, unwooed./ Great God, I must not be,/ or I shall know the anger that He bore./ Oh Lord, I pray Thee, turn and look once more,/ and smite this rock, my heart.”

Another wrote in a similar spirit: “O wonder to myself I am,/ Thou loving, bleeding, dying Lamb,/ that I can scan the mystery o’er,/ and not be moved to love Thee more.”

I admire those sensitive souls who are so moved by the sufferings of the dying Redeemer that they break down and cry. I think of my Christian barber, Ralph Ruocco. Often as he stood over me, he would talk about the agonies which the Savior endured. Then with his tears falling on the cloth cover, he would say, “I don’t know why He was willing to die for me. I am such a wretch. Yet He bore the penalty of my sins in His body on the Cross.”

I think of the sinful woman who washed the Savior’s feet with her tears, and wiped them with her hair, and kissed His feet, and anointed them with ointment (Lu. 7:38). Although living on the other side of the Cross, she was more attuned emotionally than I with all my superior knowledge and privilege.

Why am I such a block of ice? Is it that I have been brought up in a culture where it is considered unmanly to weep? If so, then I wish I had never known that culture. It is not a disgrace to weep in the shadow of Calvary; the disgrace lies in not weeping.

Borrowing Jeremiah’s words, I must henceforth pray, “Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night” (Jer. 9:1); weep, that is, over the sufferings and death which my sins brought on the sinless Savior. And I take as my own the immortal words of Isaac Watts: Well might I hide my blushing face, while His dear cross appears; Dissolve my heart in thankfulness, and melt my eyes to tears.

Lord, deliver me from the curse of a dry-eyed Christianity!
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Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

2009-08-05T15:21:00.000-07:00

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William MacDonald

“The wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” (James 1:20)

The picture is not an unfamiliar one. A church business meeting is in progress. A decision must be made. It is not about some great doctrine of the faith, but perhaps about building an addition, or painting the kitchen, or distributing some funds. A disagreement develops, anger rises, tempers flare and shouting erupts. A few strong-minded vocal individuals finally prevail, then leave with the delusion that they have forwarded the work of God. Whatever else they have forwarded, they have not advanced God’s work or accomplished His will. Man’s wrath does not work the righteousness of God.

The story is told that Emerson rushed out of some committee meeting where there had been a lot of argument and mental strife. While he was still seething with anger, he seemed to hear the stars say to him, “Why so hot, little man?” To which Leslie Weatherhead comments: “How wonderfully the silent stars in their majesty and remote beauty, hush our spirits, as if they were really saying, ‘God is great enough to take care of you’, and ‘Nothing troubling you is as important as it seems.’”

We know, of course, that there is a time for righteous anger. That time is when the honor of God is at stake. But James is not thinking of that when he speaks of the wrath of man. He is thinking of the man who insists on having his own way, and who, when blocked, explodes in anger. He is thinking of the proud person who considers his own judgment infallible and who is therefore intolerant of dissent.

To the man of this world, an explosive temper is a sign of strength. To him it is a badge of leadership, a means of commanding respect. He thinks that meekness is weakness.

But the Christian knows better. He knows that when he loses his temper, he loses respect. Every outburst of temper is a failure. It is the work of the flesh, not the fruit of the Spirit.

Christ has taught him a better way. It is the way of self-control, of giving place to God’s wrath, of showing all meekness to all men. It is the way of patiently enduring wrong, of turning the other cheek. The Christian knows that he hinders the work of God by displays of temper, he obscures any visible difference between himself and the unconverted, and he seals his lips as far as testimony is concerned.
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Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

2009-08-04T14:11:00.000-07:00

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William MacDonald

“The righteous Lord loveth righteousness.” (Psalm 11:7)

The Lord Himself is righteous and loves to see His people acting in a righteous manner. He is pleased when believers instinctively make choices that are consistent with divine or moral law.

But it is not always easy in a world such as ours. We are constantly tempted to compromise in the areas of morals and ethics. Some or the temptations are blatant; others are insidious. It takes both discernment and backbone to walk a straight line.

It would not be possible to catalog all the problem areas, but perhaps a selective list will provide a base for future decision-making.

Bribes and kickbacks are forms of unrighteousness. So are gifts made to a purchasing agent in order to prejudice his judgment— It is wrong to kite checks, that is, to issue them without sufficient funds in the account in the hope that you can deposit enough money before the checks are collected… It’s illegal to mail a package of merchandise with writing enclosed and not pay the extra postage for the letter… A form of deceit is to tell a caller that the boss is not in when, in fact, he is sitting in the adjacent office…Any misuse of company time or expense account with personal expenditures that are not related to the business… And then of course there is the widespread practice of falsifying income tax returns, either by understating income or padding contributions and expenses… The filing of fraudulent insurance claims has reached epidemic proportions… Work slowdowns and work that is below standard are wrong… And perhaps one of the most frequent abuses is the unauthorized use of an employer’s time to transact personal business.

It is not right to stand up for relatives or friends when they are clearly in the wrong. This is misguided affection and false loyalty. The cause of righteousness is served when we stand for truth against sin, no matter who the guilty person is.

Similarly, it is wrong to side in with an excommunicated person on the sentimental notion that someone has to befriend the offender. This only succeeds in creating division in the church and hardening the offender in his wickedness.

Finally, it is never right for someone to shoulder the blame for something he hasn’t done. There are some peace-loving souls who are willing to take the blame when the guilty refuses to come forward and confess. Peace cannot be won by the sacrifice of truth.

"Courage, brother! do not stumble,Though thy path is dark as night;There’s a star to guide the humble:“Trust in God, and do the Right.”

Norman MacLeod
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Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

2009-08-03T13:47:00.002-07:00

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William MacDonald

“He taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man.” (Psalm 147:10)

What an interesting insight! The great, transcendent God doesn’t take pleasure in the legs of a man!

We can think of this in connection with the world of athletics. The track star, lithe and swift, crossing the finish line with hands flung high in victory. The basketball player, streaking down the court to sink the winning basket. The football hero, muscular and strong, irresistibly plunging through the line.

The crowd goes wild. They are jumping, shouting, cheering (or alternately booing and catcalling). They are fanatics, emotionally involved in every play. You might say that they take pleasure in the legs of a man—that is, in his ability to play the game.

Our verse is not intended to prohibit an interest in athletics. The Bible elsewhere speaks well of the value of bodily exercise. But God’s disinterest in the legs of a man should remind us to keep our priorities in balance.

It is easy for a young believer to become so engrossed in some sport that it becomes the passion of his life. All his best efforts are aimed toward achieving excellence. He disciplines his time, his food intake, his sleep. He practices endlessly, perfecting skill in every conceivable play. He maintains an exercise regimen, designed to keep him in top physical condition. He thinks and talks about this sport as if it were his life. Perhaps it actually is.

Sometimes a young Christian like this is brought up short when he realizes that God doesn’t take pleasure in the legs of a man. If he wants to walk in fellowship with God, he must adopt God’s perspective.

What, then, does God take pleasure in? The eleventh verse of Psalm 147 tells us: “The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.” In other words, God is more interested in the spiritual than in the physical. The Apostle Paul mirrors this same value system when he says that “bodily exercise profiteth (a) little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.” (1 Tim. 4:8).

One hundred years from today, when the cheers have died away, when the stadium is empty, and the score is forgotten, the thing that will really count is a life that first sought the kingdom of God and His righteousness.
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Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

2009-08-03T13:47:00.001-07:00

William MacDonald

“…they feared as they entered into the cloud.” (Lu. 9:34)

Peter, James and John were on the mount with Jesus. Sensing that this was a significant moment in history and desiring to somehow preserve its glory, Peter proposed erecting three booths—one each for Jesus, Moses and Elijah. This, of course, would have put the Lord on the same level as the two Old Testament saints. God thwarted the project by enveloping them in a cloud. Luke tells us that “they feared as they entered into the cloud.”

They shouldn’t have feared. It was a cloud of glory, not of judgment. It was a temporary phenomenon, not a permanent fact of life. God was in the cloud, even though He was not visible.

Oftentimes clouds come into our lives and, like the apostles, we fear as we enter into one of these clouds. When God calls us to a new sphere of service, for instance, there is often the fear of the unknown. We imagine the worst in the way of dangers, discomforts and disagreeable situations. Actually we are just being afraid of a blessing. When the cloud lifts, we find that God’s will is good and acceptable and perfect.

We fear as we enter the cloud of sickness. Our minds run wild with alarm. We interpret every word and facial movement of the doctor as an omen of doom. We diagnose every symptom as pointing to a terminal disease. But when the illness passes, we find ourselves saying with the psalmist, “It is good for me that I have been afflicted” (Psa. 119:71). God was in the cloud and we did not know it.

We fear when we enter the cloud of sorrow. What good, we ask, could ever come out of such tears, anguish and bereavement. Our whole world seems to collapse in ruins around us. But there is instruction in the cloud. We learn how to comfort others with the comfort with which the Lord comforts us. We come to understand the tears of the Son of God in a way we could never have known otherwise.

We needn’t fear as we enter the clouds of life. They are educative. They are temporary. They are not destructive. They may hide the Lord’s face but not His love and power. So we should take to heart the words of William Cowper:

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy, and shall break
In blessings on your head.

Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

2009-08-03T13:44:00.000-07:00

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William MacDonald

“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.” (Prov. 25:11)

The combination of golden apples in a setting of silver is pleasingly appropriate. The two go together well. It is the same with a golden word spoken at just the proper time. “A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!” (Prov. 15:23).

A veteran missionary lady is dying in the cancer ward, still conscious but too weak to talk. A godly elder goes to her bedside just as the evening visiting hours are closing. Leaning over her bed, he quotes Song of Solomon 8:5, “Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved?” She opens her eyes and smiles. That is her last contact with this sobbing, suffering world. Before dawn breaks, she has left this wilderness, leaning on her Beloved. It was just the right word!

A family is numb with grief over the loss of a loved one. Friends crowd around with messages of condolence, but none seem to assuage the heartache. Then a letter comes from Dr. H. A. Ironside, quoting Psalm 30:5, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” That proves to be the right word from the Lord to snap the chain of sorrow.

As a group of young Christians are on a long trip, one starts to share some doubts concerning the Scriptures which he has picked up in one of his college courses. After listening for a while, one of the quieter, more forgettable passengers startles the group by quoting Proverbs 19:27 from memory: “Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge.” It was an apple of gold in a setting of silver!

Then there is the familiar story of how Ingersoll, standing before a large audience, defied God to strike him dead in five minutes—if there was a God. The five minutes passed, heavy with suspense. The fact that Ingersoll was still alive was supposed to demonstrate that no God exists. Just then a nondescript Christian arose in the audience and asked, “Mr. Ingersoll, do you think you can exhaust the mercy of God in five minutes?” It was a word on target.

The proper word, spoken at the proper time, is truly a gift from God. We might well covet the gift so that the Spirit of God can use us to speak the appropriate word of comfort, encouragement, warning or rebuke.
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Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

2009-07-30T14:56:00.000-07:00

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Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time
William MacDonald

“There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s, but he shall receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.” (Mark 10:29, 30)

The greatest of all investments is the investment of one’s life for Jesus Christ. The important considerations in any investment are the safety of the principal and the rate of return. Judged on this basis, no investment can compare with the life that’s lived for God. The principal is absolutely safe because He is able to keep that which we have committed unto him (2 Tim. 1:12). As for the income, it boggles the mind by its immensity.

In today’s passage, the Lord Jesus promises to repay one hundredfold. That amounts to a 10,000% rate of interest—something that is unheard of in the world. But that is not all!

Those who have forsaken the comforts of a home in order to serve the Lord Christ are promised the warmth and conveniences of many homes, where they are shown the kindness of God for Jesus’ sake.

Those who forego the delights of marriage and a family, or who sever other tender earthly ties for the Gospel’s sake, are promised a worldwide family, many of whom actually become closer than blood-relatives.

Those who forsake lands are promised lands. They leave behind the privilege of owning a few acres of real estate, and gain the immeasurably greater privilege of claiming countries and even continents for the precious Name of Jesus.

They are also promised persecutions. At first this seems to be a sour note in an otherwise harmonious symphony. But Jesus includes persecutions as a positive return on one’s investment. To share the reproach of Christ is greater treasure than all the wealth of Egypt (Heb. 11:26).

Those are the dividends in this life. Then the Lord adds, “…and in the world to come eternal life.” This looks forward to eternal life in its fullness. Though eternal life itself is a gift received by faith, there will be differing capacities for enjoying it. Those who have left all to follow Jesus will share a greater degree of reward in the City Foursquare.

When we consider the transcendent returns from a life invested for God, it’s strange that more people do not participate. Investors can be extremely shrewd when it comes to stocks and bonds, yet strangely dense when it comes to the best investment of all.
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Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

2009-07-28T13:17:00.000-07:00

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Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time
William MacDonald

“Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” (Isa. 55:7)

The trembling sinner fears that God will not receive him. The penitent backslider doubts that God can ever forget. But our verse reminds us that those who return to the Lord are greeted with bounteous mercy and abundant pardon.

This is illustrated by a story that surfaces periodically over the years—a story in which the details change but the message lives on. It is about a rebellious son who left home, went to New York, lived in sin and shame, finally landed in jail. After four years in prison, he was paroled and desperately wanted to go home. But he was tortured by the fear that his father would not receive him. He couldn’t face the disappointment of being rejected.

Finally he wrote his dad giving no return address. He said that he would be on the train the following Friday. If the family wanted him, they should tie a white handkerchief on the oak tree in the front yard. If he saw no handkerchief as the train passed, he would keep going.

Now he is on the train, sullen and withdrawn, fearing the worst. As it happens, a Christian is sitting beside him. After several unsuccessful tries, the Christian finally gets him to open up and tell his story. They are now fifty miles from his home. The returning prodigal fluctuates between fear and hope. Forty miles. He thinks of the disgrace he has brought on his parents, and how he has broken their hearts. Thirty miles. The wasted years pass before his mind. Twenty miles. Ten miles. Five miles.

At last the house comes into view. He sits there stunned. The oak tree is covered with white strips of cloth, fluttering madly in the breeze. He gets up, brings down his suitcase and prepares to get off at the station.

The tree, of course, speaks of the Cross. With arms outstretched and decked with innumerable promises of pardon, it beckons the repentant sinner to come home. What a welcome to the Fathers house! What unbounded forgiveness when the wanderer returns!
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Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

2009-07-27T10:48:00.000-07:00

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Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time
William MacDonald

“And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not.” (Ez.33:32)

One of the ironies of declaring the word of the Lord is that people are often intrigued with the speaker but not with the message that requires action on their part.

This is true with public preaching. The people admire the preacher. They remember his jokes and his illustrations. They hang on his enunciation. Like the woman who said, “I could almost weep every time my minister says that blessed word ‘Mesopotamia.’” But they are paralyzed as far as obedience is concerned. They are immunized against action. They are anesthetized by the pleasant voice.

This is a familiar syndrome to those who carry on a counseling ministry. There are some people who get a secret satisfaction out of being counseled. They thrive on being the center of attention for that brief hour or so. They enjoy the fellowship of the counselor so much that they become chronic counselees.

Presumably they have come to get advice. But they don’t really want advice. Their minds are already made up. They know what they want to do. If the counselor’s advice agrees with their own desire, then they are fortified. If not, they will reject his advice and continue on in their stubborn way.

King Herod belonged to this class of dilettantes. He used to enjoy listening to John the Baptist (Mk. 6:20) but he was a superficial dabbler. He had no intention of letting the message change his life.

Erwin Lutzer writes, “I’ve discovered that the most frustrating problem in helping those who come for counsel is simply that most people do not want to change. Of course, they are prepared to make minor adjustments - particularly if their behavior is getting them into trouble. But most of them are comfortable with their sin as long as it doesn’t get out of hand. And often they’d prefer to have God keep His activity in their lives to a minimum.”

Some counselors have developed a stratagem to bridge the gap between hearing and doing. They give the counselee a specific assignment - something that he must do before he appears for another session. This tends to eliminate those who are not serious. It prevents wasting time for them both.

It is a serious thing to reach the stage in life where we can hear God’s Word and not be moved by it. We must pray for continued sensitivity to the voice of the Lord and a readiness to perform whatever He says.
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Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

2009-07-25T08:24:00.000-07:00

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Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time
William MacDonald

“And when the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.” (Gen. 29:31)

There is a law of compensation in life. According to that law, people who are deficient in one respect are given some counterbalancing benefit in another. The law prevents anyone from having everything. What one person lacks in beauty, she may make up for in practical wisdom. A man who is not well-coordinated in athletics may have a better disposition than if he were. Poets are not always practical, and artists are not always good managers of their finances.

When God saw that Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah, He caused Leah to be more prolific. Years later the law of compensation worked in the same way with Hannah and Peninnah. Elkanah loved Hannah more than Peninnah, but Peninnah had children and Hannah did not (1 Sam. 1:1-6).

Though Fanny Crosby did not have the gift of sight, she had the gift of song to a superlative degree. Her hymns are one of the Church’s great legacies. Alexander Crudens suffered from severe depression but he had the strength to produce the concordance that bears his name.

Here is a humble Christian who cannot preach for sour apples; he has no public gift at all. But he is a mechanical genius, and thankfully can keep the preacher’s car in operating condition. The preacher is hopeless in mechanics. When anything goes wrong with his car, all he can do is raise the hood, put his head under it and pray.

If someone objects that the law of compensation does not work perfectly in this life, we would have to agree. There are inequalities and injustices. But this life is not all! The last chapter has not been written. When God pulls back the curtain and lets us see the world beyond, we realize that the scores are evened and the tables turned. We hear Abraham, for example, say to the rich man, “Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented” (Lu. 16:25).

In the meantime, it’s good for us to take a balanced view of life. Instead of concentrating on our deficiencies, we should remember that God has given us some qualities and abilities that others who seem to be more favored do not have. This will save us from feelings of worthlessness, inadequacy and envy.
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Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

2009-07-22T12:08:00.001-07:00

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Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time
William MacDonald

“Behold, Lord…if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.” (Luke 19:8)

As soon as Zacchaeus had opened his heart to the Lord Jesus, a divine instinct told him that he should make restitution for the past. It might sound from the text that there was a question whether he had ever cheated anyone, but it is reasonable to believe that the “if” really means “since” in the case of this rich tax collector. He had gotten money dishonestly, he knew it, and he was determined to do something about it.

Restitution is good Bible doctrine and good Bible practice. When we are converted, we should restore to the rightful owner things we have taken wrongfully. Salvation doesn’t relieve a person from making right the wrongs of the past. If money was stolen before salvation, a true sense of the grace of God requires that this money be repaid. Even legitimate debts contracted during one’s unconverted days are not cancelled by the new birth.

Years ago, when hundreds of people were saved in Belfast under the preaching of W. P. Nicholson, the local factories had to build huge sheds to hold the stolen tools that were returned by the new converts.

Mammoth warehouses would be needed in this country to house the loot taken from the Armed Services alone. To say nothing of the steady leak of tools, supplies and merchandise that flows illegally from factories, offices and stores.

Ideally, when restitution is made by a believer, it should be done in the Name of the Lord Jesus. For example, “I stole these tools when I worked for you years ago, but I was saved recently and my life has been transformed by the Lord Jesus Christ. He has put it on my heart to return the tools and to ask your forgiveness.” In this way, the glory goes to the Savior, where it belongs.

There are circumstances where, as a matter of Christian testimony, interest should be paid on money that was stolen. The trespass offering in the Old Testament foreshadowed this. It required the payment of damages plus one-fifth.

Admittedly, there are situations where, because of the passing of time or because of changed conditions, it is no longer possible to make restitution. The Lord knows about this. If the sin is confessed, He accepts the sincere desire for the actual act—but only in those cases where restitution is impossible.

The salvation of babies who die (Part 4)

2009-03-14T14:00:00.001-07:00

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John MacArthur, Jr.*

And the sixth precious thought is in verse 16: “You determined my destiny”--you planned my life--“thine eyes have seen my unformed substance”--you saw me in your sovereign view before I was ever formed. And in your book, everything about me was written down, the days that were ordained for me when as yet there wasn’t one of them.

Now, these are precious thoughts. God knows everything about me even before I can talk. God is in complete control of my life. God will never lose sight of me no matter what goes on; I can never be lost to God. There is no circumstance that can in any way limit his knowledge. The reason He knows me so well is He is my personal Creator who has planned carefully my destiny. Those are precious thoughts. It’s not as if lives are being conceived willy-nilly and God is not involved. This is not just true of David; David is speaking for every man. He is speaking of intimate association between God and each human creation. God is intimately involved in every little life, every life. It’s not just a chain of procreative acts that He inaugurated; He is there in every single conception. These are precious thoughts because this indicates to us how precious every life is. Every life is so precious that God knows it all, plans it all, guards and protects it all, never loses sight of anything…and they must matter to him. They must matter to him.

We could conclude from that alone that since God is by nature a Savior and since God is not willing that any should perish but all should come to repentance and since God would have all men to be saved, there’s every reason to believe, just from that alone, that a caring God who created that life to begin with, who superintends and guards that life, who knows intimately everything about that life--should that life perish physically in its infancy, there would be every reason from that Psalm alone to trust the grace of God, who is by nature a Savior, in behalf of that life.

Let me show you a couple of other passages--and we’re just starting to build the foundation here. In Job, chapter 3, verse 16 and 17, again, I don’t like the NAS translation of this as well as I like the New King James so those of you who have the New King James version have a leg up on the translation. I’m going to read the New King James; it’s a better representation I think here. Job is in some serious despair. How do we know that? Verse 1, Job 3: “Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth”--Pretty serious despair. Job said, “Let the day perish on which I was to be born and the night which said ‘a boy is conceived!’ May that day be darkness.”

“I wish I’d never been born” this suffering is so profound. Never been born. In verses 16 and 17, this is what he says: “Why was I not hidden like a stillborn child, like infants who never saw light? Why didn’t I die in my mother’s womb? “There the wicked cease from troubling, and there the weary are at rest.” What’s he saying? He’s saying, “I’d be better off if I miscarried. I would be better off if I were stillborn, so I wouldn’t have to face a troubling life--that I would enter immediately into, what? “Rest.” “Rest.” Job understood that dying as an infant would bring one to rest and one would escape the pain of suffering. He certainly didn’t believe that infants that die go to hell and some eternal torment, but rather had the confidence that they enter into rest.

In Ecclesiastes also, in chapter 6--you don’t have to turn to it; you can just jot it down--in Ecclesiastes 6:3-5, Solomon laments. He laments that a stillborn child is better off than a person who lives a thousand years twice and doesn’t enjoy the right things. He says, “What’s the point of living two thousand years if you don’t ever enjoy true goodness? You’d be better off a stillborn child.”

In both of these cases, you have by implication the idea that being stillborn takes you to a place of rest, that being stillborn is preferable to a life of wickedness, a life of unfulfillment. Now, those are some implicit references. Next week we’re going to look at some explicit references that I think support the fact, not just implicitly but explicitly, that children who die go to heaven.
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*[All rights reserved - John MacArthur Jr.]
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The salvation of babies who die (Part 3)

2009-03-13T13:51:00.000-07:00

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John MacArthur, Jr.*

Now, that’s prose, I know, but it’s true, isn’t it? It’s right, isn’t it? To tell parents when children die, they do live happily ever after? I think the Word of God will affirm the salvation of little ones who die.

A place to begin: Psalm 139. What I’m going to do tonight is just give you a little bit of a look at Psalm 139 and then I’m going to talk a little theology with you and I’m going to be as precise as I can because this demands precision. Then, next Sunday night, I’m going to support the theology with the text of various Scriptures. So, this will be a two-part look at this issue.

Psalm 139 does provide for us a good starting place. I want you to look at verse 17. This is a place to launch our look and then we’re going to go backwards in this first part of Psalm 139. “How precious also are thy thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them.” The Psalmist David has captured some precious thoughts here, precious divine truths that mean so much to him and that’s why he calls them precious. They are treasured truths. They are gems to hold onto. And what are they? Let’s go back and find out.

The first precious truth that the Psalmist grips is that God knows everything about him, even before he could talk! Look at verse 1: “Oh Lord, Thou hast searched me and known me; Thou dost know when I sit down, when I rise up; Thou dost understand my thought from afar; Thou dost scrutinize my path and my lying down; and art acquainted intimately with all my ways.” You know everything about me, everything about me! You know me. You know when I sit down, when I rise up. In other words, you know every detail of every moment of every day. You know what I think, you know my path, you know my sleeping--you know everything intimately about all my ways and you have known it even before there is a word in my tongue! Before I could ever speak, you knew everything about me! I was known to you in every element of my life. “Behold, O Lord, you know it all.” God knows everything about me, even before I can talk.

The second precious truth is that God is actively involved in my life. Verse 5, “You have enclosed me behind and before; you have laid your hand on me.” In other words, you’ve got me backed up on both sides and covered on top. You’re active in my life. I’m in the middle and you’ve got me surrounded. Verse 6, he says, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it’s too high; I can’t attain it.” You know everything about me before I can speak. You have my life completely in your hands. You’ve pressured me from both sides. You’ve kept me contained. I can’t get out the top because you’re there. It’s a precious truth, isn’t it? From the very start, you’re actively involved in controlling my life.

The third precious thought is that God will never lose sight of, or knowledge, of me. There’s no way I can ever be lost to you. “Where can I go from your Spirit?” verse 7, “Where can I flee from your presence? If I go ascend to heaven, you are there. If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, you are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there thy hand will lead me, thy right hand will lay hold of me.” I can’t go anywhere outside of your knowledge! I can’t go anywhere outside of your vision! I will never be lost to you.

The fourth precious truth is that God will never be limited in that knowledge, no matter how dark it gets. This is sort of metaphoric language in a sense. It’s never going to be so dark--you say, well, I can see you in the light, but things might get so dark that God loses his view--no, he says in verse 11 and 12, “‘Surely the darkness will overwhelm me,’ I might say, ‘and the light around me will be night.’” In other words, I’m going to fall into some circumstance--I’m going to fall into some problem, some dilemma, some condition, and it’s going to be so dark, the Lord isn’t going to be able to find me. And then, verse 12, he says, “Even the darkness is not dark to Thee; the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to Thee.”

Now, the point of this is these are incredibly precious thoughts of the Psalmist and what they tell us is that God knows every single detail about his life from beginning to end, starting before he could ever say a word. How is it that God has this personal, intimate knowledge? Answer: because God is--and here’s the fifth precious thought--God is his personal Creator, verse 13: “For Thou didst form my inward parts…Thou didst weave me in my mother’s womb.” You put together the male chromosomes and the female chromosomes; you wove my DNA! You made me, personally.
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*[All rights reserved - John MacArthur Jr.]
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The salvation of babies who die (Part 2)

2009-03-08T12:15:00.000-07:00

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John MacArthur, Jr.*

There was a study some years ago that I read called “Mental Reactions to Paranatal Death” and it chronicled the parental reaction to the loss of a baby around the time of birth. 60 percent of the parents surveyed were angry. 50 percent of the men felt guilt--90 percent of the women felt guilt about the death of that child. 75 percent were irritable. 65 to 75 percent of the parents lost their appetite, 80 to 90 percent lost their sleep, and 95 to 100 percent of them felt a profound and deep sadness. It’s important to understand that there are some amazing impacts of this on the life of parents. So, when you look at it in the broad scale, millions upon millions of these little ones dying, or you look at the individual level and you see the sorrow and sadness that it brings into the life of a family, either perspective cries out for an answer!

[Think of] the agonizing mother in Afghanistan where 150 babies out of a thousand die, or at least that’s the figures that are reported and it’s likely double that, or the poor hungry mother in Angola where it is reported that 200 out of a thousand die and it’s likely double that, to you here in our congregation who lost a little one along the way. There needs to be an answer. There needs to be an answer from God--there needs to be an answer from God’s Word to this troubling reality of infant death. If you start adding up the years, you start adding up the millions, you start adding up the billions, the question “Where are they?” becomes a very compelling question.

And you can add to that the very, I suppose, somewhat strange biblical indication that God himself acknowledges, even authorizes the death of some infants. For example, in Isaiah 13:16, when God called for judgment on Babylon, He said, “Their little ones also will be dashed to pieces before their eyes.” When God called for Assyria to make a war of judgment on Israel, He said in Hosea 13:16, “Their little ones will be dashed to pieces”--the same statement. The same was said of Assyria’s war on Egypt in Nahum chapter 3, and verse 10. Amazingly, Psalm 137:8 and 9 says, “Oh daughter of Babylon, you devastated one, how blessed will be the one who repays you with the recompense with which you have repaid us! How blessed will be the one who seizes and dashes your little ones against the rocks!” Blessed will be a nation who punishes Babylon, even including the death of little ones. What happens to these little ones, the death of which God authorizes in a sense, in fulfilling his judgment purposes.

I suppose it would also be fair to say that when a birth is successful, this is because God has allowed that to happen. We can say what David said in Psalm 22, verse 9, “Yet thou art he who didst bring me forth from the womb: thou didst make me trust when upon my mother’s breast; upon thee I was cast from birth. Thou hast been my God from my mother’s womb!” David acknowledged that life came from God and when that life survived the womb and the birth and actually began to live, it was a life that God had allowed to live. No death occurs apart from the purpose of God. No life occurs apart from the purpose of God.

Now remember, in the original creation, there was no death, and man, according to Genesis 1:26 to 28, was given the power to procreate; that is, to produce life in a deathless world. That was God’s original intent, that Adam and Eve would be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth, and they would literally produce life in a deathless world so that no life conceived would ever die.

However, when Adam and Eve sinned, death came on all, and death comes to all, and it comes to many in infancy and childhood. I suppose it would be an educated guess to say that perhaps half of the people ever conceived die before they reach any level of maturity. And again I ask the question, “How does God deal with them?” Is the answer comforting? Is the answer encouraging? Is the answer hopeful? Or is it discouraging? Do they go instantly to heaven? Why did I say that? I’m not the first one to try to deal with this, but there are a lot of people who aren’t dealing with it today.

I was on a panel at a conference, a large conference, with three other pastors and it was a question and answer panel and I was sitting up there with these other very fine pastors whom I love and respect. And one of the questions came from the audience was, “What happens to babies that die?” They went down the first three and the answer in each case was “I don’t know,” which isn’t very comforting. It puts me in a terrible spot because when they came to me, I said, “They go to heaven. They go to heaven.” And I tried to give a brief explanation of why I believe that’s true.

But I thought as I’ve looked back on that so many times, how can you be a pastor and not get an answer to that question? Because you’re dealing with people constantly who go through this! Even C. S. Lewis agreed with me. Now, he didn’t know it. C.S. Lewis, in his wonderful book The Last Battle, wrote about a terrible train accident: one of those terrible disasters that killed all the children in a family. That surfaced the question, “What about those children?” as any disaster does. This is what he wrote: “And as God spoke, He no longer looked to them like a lion”--remember, he pictures God as a lion, Aslan. He said, “As God spoke, He no longer looked to them like a lion. But the things that began to happen after that were so great and beautiful that I cannot write them, and for us this is the end of all stories and we can say most truly that they all lived happily ever after. But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world had only been the cover of the title page. Now at last they were beginning chapter one of the great story, which goes on forever, in which every chapter is better than the one before!” That’s the inimitable C. S. Lewis saying that they were ushered into the real story.
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*[All rights reserved - John MacArthur Jr.]
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The salvation of babies who die (Part 1)

2009-03-07T13:28:00.000-08:00

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John MacArthur, Jr.*

Some of you who tuned into the Larry King Show will remember that Larry fired a question to me on the air--it came out of nowhere--a question that reveals a nagging, troubling issue in the human heart. He asked me, “What about a two-year-old baby crushed at the bottom of the World Trade Center?” I answered, “Instant heaven.” He replied with another question: “Wasn’t a sinner?” I again answered, “Instant heaven.”

That’s a compelling question: what about a baby crushed at the bottom of the Trade Center? What about any baby that dies? It’s an agonizing question. It’s a question that plagues Christians and non-Christians alike: “What happens to babies that die?” All kinds of strange answers have been offered in the past. We don’t need to deal with those; we need to know the right answer.

I said, “Instant heaven,” and what was my authority for saying that? In a sound-byte environment like that, I didn’t have time for an explanation and he didn’t ask for one. But, you deserve one so I’m going to tell you why I said what I said.

We are often hearing these days from those who are against war of any kind. The statement “many innocent children will die,” and what about them? This matter of death that exists in the world is obviously a massive force that operates in the realm of the little ones. We need to understand what it indicates, what it means. Life begins at conception--that is clear in Scripture. This is what the Bible teaches without question. So any death from the point of conception on is the death of a person and persons have eternal souls.

Millions, perhaps billions, of such souls have died throughout history. Millions continue to die today. In fact, cumulatively it will be in the modern era, billions. One report I read in a book called Empty Arms says that up to 25 percent of all human conceptions do not complete the twentieth week of pregnancy. One out of four conceived die. 75 percent of fatal deaths occur in the first twelve weeks. Neonatal death (that is, death in the womb), Paranatal death (that is, death at the time of birth) occurred in massive numbers. Even today, with medical advancement, we have a larger population in the world than we’ve ever had and we have a lower mortality rate than we’ve ever had because of medical advancement…we still have a massive amount of deaths!

The latest statistics from the year 1999 indicate 4,350,000 babies died--in that year--infant mortality. A study that concludes 4,350,000 babies died is based upon statistical information and estimates are that the figures are so low that the actuality may be more than that figure--by double! Since most losses during pregnancy may not even be reported. The highest rates of infant mortality are found in the poorest and most primitive nations, and at the same time, the most pagan nations: mostly in Africa and Asia. Take 4,350,000 in the year 1999 and just keep adding the years and you can see the numbers of deaths are massive, staggering.

And these are, as I said, eternal souls! The question about “Where are they?” then is of monumental significance: they’re either populating hell at an incredible rate or they’re populating heaven at an equally incredible rate or getting divided into heaven and hell. This is a question that needs to be answered. It needs to be answered on the large scale and it needs to be answered on the individual scale. A parent has the right to know! “Where is my baby? Where is my child? Where is that adult child of mine whose mind never developed and who for all intents and purposes mentally is still an infant?” The death of one single baby in a family--the loss of one in the womb, the loss of a child at birth--is significant.
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*[All rights reserved - John MacArthur Jr.]

"I will come again" - John 14:3 (Part 3)

2009-02-19T19:21:00.000-08:00

R.M. Goatley

‘Hold fast till I come" - Rev.2:25. These words were spoken by the Lord to the church at Thyatira. He is seen here moving among the seven churches, assessing, warning, rebuking and encouraging, out of a full knowledge of all that was going on in each one of them. In the church at Thyatira, teaching was being tolerated that had turned the hearts of His people away from Him, to find satisfaction elsewhere, and He had given them opportunity to repent. The Lord now warned that unless they did so, He would intervene with such stern measures that all the churches would learn that He does indeed search the hearts and reward accordingly. Nevertheless they still possessed things that were precious to Him and He encouraged them to hold these fast till He comes. Likewise He would encourage us, amid the weakness and failure we must so often confess, to treasure the things that honour and please Him, both in doctrine and practice, and hold them fast, by His grace, till He comes.

"Judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come" -I Cor.4:5. Some in Corinth had been criticizing Paul as to his motives and movements, but he assured them that he could look up to the Lord with a clear conscience. They were prone to favour the things that earned the praise of men, and therefore their judgment was of little account to Paul. When he said, "Judge nothing", he was not denying that there were things that they ought to be judging. He taught them emphatically that they must judge the shocking immorality that they were condoning among them. He taught them too, that they ought to judge themselves before they ate of the Lord’s Supper if they were to avoid the chastening of the Lord. But this was a different realm, one in which they had no capacity to judge, for they could not know the facts. It is the realm of hidden things, the counsels of the heart, which are only fully known to the Lord. When He comes He will bring these things to light, and the praise that each one will receive then, will be from God and not from man.

"For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death till He come" - I Cor. 11:26. It was on the same night in the upper room that the Lord Jesus instituted His Supper of Remembrance. It is His desire that we remember Him in His absence (Luke 22:19; I Cor.11:24,25). But it is only till He comes, and thus it quickens our anticipation of that glad day when we shall see Him as He is, and our faith shall give place to sight. The earthly symbols will be no longer needed for we shall be forever with the Lord. The full details of what we shall be then are not yet revealed, but we know that when we shall see Him we shall be instantly transformed into His likeness (I John 3:3; Phil.3:20,21).

As the Lord Jesus brings the New Testament Scriptures to a close, His final words to us are, "Surely I come quickly". What joy we can bring to His heart as we truly respond, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus". (Concluded)

"I will come again" - John 14:3 (Part 2)

2009-02-17T11:44:00.000-08:00

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R.M. Goatley

He gave us no sign by which we could calculate the date of His coming for us, in fact, when He next mentioned it in John 21:21-23, He introduced the possibility of John remaining alive till He returns. This was quickly misconstrued, and the report went abroad among the brethren that John would not die. However Jesus did not say, "He shall not die"; but, "If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee"?

The apostle Paul received this same promise later by direct revelation from the Lord, so that he could teach it among the Gentile believers, and the same tenor of present expectation is evident as he writes to the Thessalonians. He speaks of "we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord", and he is obviously including himself (I Thess.4:15). In 2 Cor.5:1-4 he expresses his deep desire to be among those who are alive when the Lord returns, so that instead of passing through death, ‘mortality might be swallowed up of life’. See also I Cor.15:51-58 and Phil.3:21,22. The lives of countless saints have been cheered by this glad prospect since then, as H.L. Turner wrote:

"0 joy! 0 delight! should we go without dying;
No sickness, no sadness, no dread, and no crying;
Caught up through the clouds with our Lord into glory
When Jesus receives His own."

However, some years later, as he lay a prisoner in Rome and the day of his execution was near, he realised that ‘the time of his departure was at hand’ and he had ‘finished his course’. It had now become obvious that it was not the Lord’s will that he should "tarry till He come". But he was ready to "depart and be with Christ" (Phil.l:23), confident that for the believer, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Cor.5:8). The Lord evidently intended the promise of His coming to be a present expectation that would be both an incentive and a comfort to His people. Let us therefore consider the following:

"Occupy till I come" - Luke 19:13. This quote comes from a parable which the Lord used to indicate that He would go away, and return after a period, and that He expected His servants to be active in His affairs during His absence. To ‘occupy’ is simply to ‘trade’. When we apply this to ourselves we learn that as believers, we are all equally responsible to accept what He has given us as a trust - our abilities, our time, our understanding of His will - to be used in His interests. He has left us His own example, for at twelve years of age he said, "Wist ye not that I must be about My Father’s business"? When He comes, He will require each one of us to give account of our trading, and reward us accordingly. (To be continued)

"I will come again" - John 14:3 (Part 1)

2009-02-17T11:43:00.000-08:00

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R.M. Goatley

On the night in which the Lord Jesus was betrayed, the eve of His crucifixion, He gathered His disciples around Himself in the upper room to prepare them for the events of the morrow and the days that would follow. The agony of Gethsemane and the shame and death of the Cross were looming before Him. He knew that Judas Iscariot had already left to complete the treacherous bargain of betrayal. But, having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end, and His heart was full of tender sympathy for them as He was about to be taken from them. They would be left to be His witnesses during His absence in the very world that rejected Him and crucified Him.

It was in this atmosphere of privacy and intimacy that the Lord opened His heart to them, and from John 17:20 we know that he had in mind all who would believe on Him through their word, until He comes again. He told them of the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, whom the Father would send to be in them, and with them forever, and we know from the New Testament epistles that this is still true of every believer today. He told them of the Father, of the Father’s love and of the Father’s House, and the place He would go to prepare for them there.

Then He gave them this wonderful promise, "If I go...I will come again and receive you unto Myself, that where I am, there ye may be also". Nowhere in Scripture had such a promise been disclosed before. The Old Testament prophets had foretold His coming to subdue His enemies and set up a kingdom that would fill the whole earth and stand forever. The Lord Jesus had expounded this to them only days before. He had spoken of the coming of the Son of Man predicted by the prophet Daniel (Dan.7:13,14; Matt.24:30), and He had given them a sign from Daniel by which those who would be alive at the time of the end would be able to gauge the proximity of that coming. (Dan.12:11,12; Matt.24:15). God had revealed this to His prophets long ago, and the disciples believed what God had said.

But now, as the Lord Jesus gives His new and special promise to His own, in this day of Grace, He says, "Ye believe in God, believe also in Me’. The glad news of the Father’s House above, and a place prepared for us there, and that He Himself will come personally to take us there to be with Him forever, was revealed in the New Testament by the Lord Jesus Himself. (To be continued)

How do you know you are a truly born-again?

2009-02-17T11:40:00.000-08:00

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By C.H. Spurgeon

If you have been truly born again:

You have a new and holy nature, and you are no longer moved towards sinful objects as you were before.
The things that you once loved you now hate, and therefore you will not run after them.
You can hardly understand it but so it is, that your thoughts and tastes are radically changed.
You long for that very holiness which once it was irksome to hear of; and you loathe those vain pursuits which were once your delights.
The man who puts his trust in the Lord sees the pleasures of sin in a new light; for he sees the evil which follows them by noting the agonies which they brought upon our Lord when He bore our sins in His own body on the tree.
Without faith a man says to himself, "This sin is a very pleasant thing, why should I not enjoy it? Surely I may eat this fruit, which looks so charming and is so much to be desired."
The flesh sees honey in the drink, but faith at once perceives that there is poison in the cup. Faith spies the snake in the grass and gives warning of it.
Faith remembers death, judgment, the great reward, the just punishment and that dread word, eternity.

Good Confessions

2009-02-17T11:35:00.000-08:00

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"I am Thine" - Psa 119:94

This is a statement more precious than all that earth can give, and far sweeter than honey or the honeycomb. The Christian is the purchase of Christ's precious blood, and as dear to Him as His own life. We may feel our unworthiness of such a blessing as this, and a sight of ourselves may reveal the ugliness of our deformities, but this glorious fact remains just the same - "I am Thine". It is not "I shall be Thine". No, I am His already. What a cheering thought it is for weary ways and trying days just to look up to Heaven from our depressing surroundings and say unto the Lord who loves us so greatly, "I am Thine". Those nail marks in His hands and feet are the evidences that I am His; for when He was crucified, it was for sinners, therefore, Lord, for me

"I am Thy servant" - Psa 119:125

His service is perfect freedom. To serve the Lord Christ is not an Egyptian servitude. The children of God are not "galley slaves", though we would work like any slave for love of God's dear Son. No labour is mean when performed with a single eye to God's dear Son. From the greatest to the least there is work for all - "to every man his work". Faithful and steady toil will bring its sure reward. At the close of the day each man will receive his "penny", and with a cheery word of approval will the Master address his labourers. Toil on, fellow-servant, at whatever thou art doing for Christ, and throw thy heart into it, for nothing done unto Him will be overlooked.

Saved today, and lost tomorrow? (Part 5)

2009-01-29T11:36:00.000-08:00

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By Charles E. Wigg

They shall never perish: Let us now look closely at verses (John 10:27-30), and see what the Master did say. First “My Sheep hear MY voice” This statement makes it clear that it is the habit of those that are Christ’s Sheep to hear His voice. If a person habitually feeds on this world’s garbage, and is not in the habit of reading the Bible each day, then this distinguishing feature does not mark them. It also means that the sheep of Christ habitually gather with His other sheep to listen to His voice.

“And I know them”: This beautiful statement is so comforting. He knows us through and through, and His understanding is infinite. Most of us will have to admit that we are strange creatures, and not the easiest people in the world to get along with. We are sometimes irritable and are offended easily and often unreasonable in the demands that we make upon others. But He knows us, and He knew us before we were born (Jeremiah 1:5). He knew what we would be like, He knew what we would do, and also what we would not do, yet He chose us to be his very own, and shed His own life’s blood to redeem us back to God and to purchase us to be His (spirit, soul and body) for time and for eternity.

“And they follow ME”: If a person claims to be one of Christ’s sheep, but does not follow Him, then we have reason to doubt whether their profession is genuine. If a person is able to live in habitual sin, and yet is untroubled by it, then we can rightly doubt whether that person is really one of His sheep. If a person habitually finds their interests and their pursuits amongst those that do not belong to Christ, again we may rightly doubt as to whether they are truly His. Let none who do not do these things, comfort themselves with the delusion that they truly belong to Christ.

I give unto them ETERNAL life: This eternal life is the possession of Christ’s sheep alone. They have not earned it; they do not deserve it, but it is given to each one as a free gift. Please also note that it is ETERNAL and if I can lose that life, then it is not eternal. It is in fact a different kind of life to our physical life, we can lose that life, or even lay it down, but because the Life that He has given us is ETERNAL, then we can never lose it. If we fall into sin, we may, (and we will), lose the joy of it. This joy will not be restored until the sin is repented of, judged, confessed, and forgiven and cleansed away. (1 John 1:9)

It is a Life that is sustained by our daily feeding on Christ, and on the food that our Good Shepherd provides. It is a life that consists in the knowledge and the enjoyment of the Tri-Une God (John 17:3). It will be realised in the light of this, that it is quite wrong for Christ’s sheep to hanker after the pleasures, the entertainments, or the sports of this world. It is really one of the greatest of God’s blessings.
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Saved today, and lost tomorrow? (Part 4)

2009-01-27T12:05:00.000-08:00

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By Charles E. Wigg

They hear His voice: When the Gospel is preached, most react either violently or with scoffing or with cold indifference. If it is preached in the open air, they would shout obscenities or interject in some way. Why do they do this? It is because they know that what is being said is true, and it troubles their conscience. Yet, they will not listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd. There is a very great attempt to get rid of anything that would remotely remind any of the voice of the Good Shepherd from the parliaments of (the so-called) ‘Christian Nations’. The excuse offered is that Church and State must be kept separate. But sometimes, even when the voice of the Good Shepherd is heard; there are those that do respond. They hear His voice.

This makes it abundantly clear, that to become one of Christ’s Sheep, a personal response is required. There are many who rely on the fact that their father, or their grandfather were ‘Christians’, so they must be ‘Christians’ as well. But we know those that are genuine “Christians”, are so because they hear, and respond to the voice of the Good Shepherd. When once a person hears the voice of the Good Shepherd calling them to repentance, to turn away from sin, and to turn to Him, they become eager to hear that voice continually. It is normal for such to read the Bible each day, and through that they hear the voice of the Good Shepherd, speaking to them, teaching them, calling them to Himself, and calling them away from things that would be harmful for them. It is normal for such “Sheep”, to be found with His flock, and sheltered and protected in His fold. Once He calls them by name, and they respond, He does not leave them to wander alone, or to get lost.

They follow Him: Once a person realizes that they are truly one of His “Sheep”, their strongest desire is to “Follow Him”. They desire to keep near to Him who is their “Good Shepherd’. They realize that to be near to Him, is a place of safety, because as they walk close to Him, they will be kept from eating things that would be poisonous to them. They also find pleasure in the company of other members of His Flock. That means that they will attend meetings where the presence of the Good Shepherd is known.

I have heard many people object to the doctrine of the eternal security of the believer by saying. “If once saved, I am always saved, then I can do as I like, it does not matter what I do, I can’t be lost”. My answer to such people is this. That once a person is truly saved they no longer desire to do “What they like”, (meaning that such can practice sin, and ‘get away with it’). Christ’s “Sheep”, have a great longing to please the Shepherd who has laid down His life for them. This is their consuming desire, and the fact that they follow Him, is a proof that they are indeed one of His “Sheep”.
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Saved today, and lost tomorrow? (Part 3)

2009-01-24T12:04:00.000-08:00

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By Charles E. Wigg

Called by name: First the call of God is both general, but then it is specific. Another scripture tells us that “many are called, but few are chosen”, (Matthew 22:14). We may assume that the reason that the great majority do not respond to the call of the Good Shepherd is because they refuse to hear His voice. We may state here, that God knows those who will respond to His call, and in His Great Foreknowledge, He knew even before the World began. Yet in His great mercy, the same call goes out to all. However those that do respond to His call, are brought to realize that they were known, (by Him), previous to hearing the call. They were known personally, and intimately, even known by name. They discover this, after they have responded to the call of the Good Shepherd. Saul of Tarsus is a prime example of what we mean. He was the “Chief of Sinners”, whose life ambition was to exterminate the remembrance of the name of the Lord Jesus from under heaven. To attempt to do this his principal action was to ravage the Church, to deliver its members to prison and to death. However he discovered after more than half of his life had been spent in this mindless activity, that God had set him apart from his mother’s womb, and in wondrous mercy had sovereignly chosen to reveal His Son in him. (Galatians 1:15-16). He was also called by name, “Saul”.

Some would then ask the question, “But if God knows those that will respond to the call of the Good Shepherd, why preach the Gospel”? The answer to that question is that though God knows, yet we do not know. Only when a person responds do we then know. I am sure that Stephen would never have dreamed that the young man Saul, who was listening to his masterly address in the council, would ever be the great servant of God that he became. Hence the call of the Good Shepherd goes out today, to “Whosoever will”, when the Gospel is preached.
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Saved today, and lost tomorrow? (Part 2)

2009-01-23T11:30:00.000-08:00

By Charles E. Wigg

I am sure that my brothers and sisters would agree that the words of the Lord Jesus Christ are a very firm and solid foundation on which to base our faith and doctrines. After all, He said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My word shall not pass away”. (Matthew 24:35). Please note that this statement is made three times in the Gospel records as if to provide the safest and surest foundation for our faith. With this in mind, let us turn to the Gospel of John 10:3-30. In this chapter the Lord Jesus settles forever the question of the Eternal Security of the Believer. If we rest on His holy words in this respect, then we should never have a cause to worry. Because what He said is more reliable than both Heaven and earth; they will pass away before His Word can fail.

He begins by calling Himself, “The Good Shepherd”, (a truly comforting and assuring title). But He goes on to say that the Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep. If He loved the sheep sufficiently so as to lay down His life for them, then it is reasonable to assume, that they cost Him so much and therefore He would never give them up, or let them go. From the very beginning, we are given to realize that our security is based on His love for us, (not on our love for Him). He goes on to say that His sacrifice was not out of necessity, but willingly. Though men treated Him brutally and murdered Him, yet it was He who allowed Himself to be laid down His life. This does not excuse men for what they did to Him, but it just magnifies His wondrous act of self-sacrificing love. In so doing, He gave the Father, another reason for loving Him. (verses 17 and 18).

Though this may be true, yet there lies another problem in the fact that He refers to those to whom He was speaking as “sheep”, yet they were not of His flock. Though He had the same love for all “sheep”, yet there were some that had obviously given themselves and their allegiance to another. How then are we to distinguish between those sheep that are His, and those that are not His? The short answer to this question is, “By examining their ways, their actions, and their re-actions”. In verses 3 and 4, Christ makes it plain that His sheep do certain things. First they are called, (by name), and they hear his voice, and they follow Him.
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Saved today, and lost tomorrow? (Part 1)

2009-01-22T13:03:00.000-08:00

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By Charles E. Wigg

About forty-seven years ago, my wife and I attended a meeting at the Salvation Army. Though we had been in fellowship with the Exclusive Brethren, yet we had a great respect for this particular denomination, largely because of their social work, and also because they were considered to be quite evangelical. (Sad to say they seem to have largely lost their evangelical zeal, and have become a social organization).

The preacher, (at the meeting which we attended), happened to be a lady officer, (which we considered to be quite un-scriptural); and at the end of the message she made an appeal for people to go forward to the ‘mourner’s bench’. As the response was not as great as she would have liked, she drove home her message and made the following statement: “Remember that you can be saved today, and lost tomorrow. Yesterday you may have been firmly on the way to heaven, and today you may be just as firmly on the way to hell!” One poor fellow of limited intelligence, who was addicted to smoking, went forward weeping, and knelt at the mourner’s bench. It seemed that the sin of smoking was to land him in hell. (Though I must make it plain that I do not believe that smoking is proper for the true believer). I was disgusted at the whole procedure, and I have never been near the Salvation Army meetings again.

However we need to examine the claim that the aforementioned lady made, as to whether the doctrine stands, or falls, in the light of Holy Scripture. Hence this paper! First let me make it plain that it is not my intention to launch into an attack on the worthy institution. The Salvation Army has been in existence over more than a century. It has done an enormous amount of good over many years, in going into the dens and hovels where the poor miserable slaves of sin and Satan have been held captive, and delivering many a fallen wretch from their slavery. “God bless them”, is all I would say. However this particular doctrine is quite another thing. I know that it has been held, like the sword of Damocles over the head of many, in an attempt to keep them on the “straight and narrow”. However it is not fear alone that is used by God to keep His children true to Himself. If the faithfulness of any true believer is not born out of love in the heart of such a believer, if the fear of evil that should grip each of God’s Children is not based on love for God, then it is of little value. But let us examine what the scripture says about this matter!

The Unspoken Question (2 of 2)

2009-01-18T02:43:00.000-08:00

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Charles E. Wigg

The question is repeated in the second of the two emblems, the cup. The Lord Jesus said, of this cup, “This cup is the New Testament, (Covenant), in my blood, this do, (will suffice), as often as you drink it in remembrance of Me”.

We are told in the Old Testament, that the life of the flesh is in the blood, and that God has given it on the altar to make atonement for our souls. Now our lives, we being sinners, cannot be given for any one, but they can be given to the Lord Jesus, who freely gave His life, and shed His precious blood, for us on the cruel cross on Golgotha’s hill.

It is suggested that we give our lives back to Him who gladly died for us on that same cruel cross. This is the unspoken question, that is asked of us (or the unspoken challenge given to each of us), every time that we gather to remember Him, in the way that He has appointed. It is important that we do this often, as the scriptures say, (preferably weekly),as we are told that the early Church did, as the passage in Acts twenty indicates the it was the practice for the early Church, to gather for this purpose on the first day of every week, (Acts 20:7) so that we may be constantly faced with this challenge, and this unspoken question.

Because, (as the hymn says), our love is oftimes low, and our joy still ebbs and flows. The Lord’s Supper is meant, yea is designed to stimulate our affections so that our love glows with a holy intensity, constantly. So it is that we need to have our affections stimulated.

May the blessed Lord find a worthy response, from your heart and mine while we wait for Him to come for us!
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[Reproduced by permission of the Author]

The Unspoken Question (1 of 2)

2009-01-18T02:41:00.000-08:00

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By Charles E. Wigg

When present at the Lord’s Supper, and especially when the passage in first Corinthians eleven from verse twenty three is read, I often feel that there is an unspoken question that we all must answer. When our hearts are moved as we hear the Lord Jesus say to us once again, “This is my body, which is given for you”, it often seems to me that He is saying to each of those thus gathered, “What about your body, what are you doing with it?” Let us all remember that when He willingly gave His body for us, He purchased us, set us apart that we might be used for holy purposes, sanctified us to be his own treasured possession. (Hebrews 10:10).

To use the words of the artist, He is saying to us. “All this have I done for thee, What hast thou done for me?”

We surely owe everything to Him; He gave His all for us. His sacrifice was vicarious (that is on behalf of others), but ours cannot be, but we can give our bodies to Him, yet we are so loathe to do this. We sometimes sing with great emotion, “To make a wretch His treasure”, yet do we, (in the practical sense), want to hold on to what we are, and to use our bodies for ourselves, for our own pleasure? Then let us from this very moment, give back to Him in total surrender, those bodies that He gave His body to purchase for Himself, to set us apart so that we might do the will of God each day that we live here, each day that remains to us for Him and for His glory. The word ‘sanctified’ has a double meaning. Firstly it means to make holy, and secondly it means to set apart for holy purposes, it is my hearts deep concern that the latter might be fulfilled in our lives.‘
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The importance of Repentance (Part 7 of 7)

2009-01-16T12:22:00.000-08:00

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By Charles E. Wigg

Repentance is often repeated: Salvation is never repeated, and it never needs to be, because it is God's work. Yet because of what we are, repentance often needs to be repeated, because we often sin, or offend. Jas. 3:2. (J.N.D trans.) Thus we are faced with the constant, sometimes the daily need to repent, and to confess our sins and shortcomings to the Lord Jesus who is able and righteous to forgive us our sins, (1John 1:9). We also sin against each other, and we are faced with the constant need to confess our faults to one another, and to pray for each other's healing (James, 5:16). If we have never truly repented before coming to Christ, we may find it very difficult to do so later on in life.

This is why often such difficulties arise amongst Christians, they have never truly repented to begin with, and they find it very difficult to repent later, or to forgive others, even in trivial matters. I have heard believers say, "I will forgive, but I will not forget". This is not forgiveness at all. Such people have a very shallow sense of what they have been forgiven, and by refusing to forgive others, they get into bondage, and lose their own enjoyment of forgiveness. ( Read the story in Matt. 18:22-35.) So we learn that a faulty beginning often results in greater difficulties later along the way.

Collective repentance: Before I close let me deal with this aspect of our subject, though it will not be popular with many. The Church at Ephesus had a very bright and wonderful beginning. Some that had dabbled in witchcraft and black magic were truly saved. They did not have a half hearted approach towards those things which had been such a snare to them, (though doubtless it had brought them much financial gain). They did not sell their books of charms to others, though probably they would have found many ready buyers for them. They publicly burned those books that were worth a huge sum in those days. They wished all to know that they were finished with Satan's trickery and deceit.

However as time went on, they began to listen to others that visited them, and they turned away from the beloved Apostle Paul (2Tim.1:15). Once they wept copiously when he was parting from them. They were especially pained by his word that they would see him no more. However when he visited their city later, they did not receive him, but one of their number clung to his spiritual father (Paul), and that was Onesiphorus. When he heard that Paul was in prison in Rome, he took the long and dangerous journey to Rome to visit him. He was prepared to suffer shame, and was not too proud to associate with a prisoner of the Romans.

But what was worse, the blazing fire of their 'first love' for Christ had waned, until it was just an ember, smoldering in their hearts. They had left their first love (Rev. 2:1-7). They were still very active in 'serving the Lord'. They did much, they suffered much for Christ, but not with the same pure affection that marked them in the beginning. Though the Lord Jesus gave them credit for everything that was right that they were doing, yet His faithfulness compelled Him to draw attention to their great lack. Thus He asked them to "Remember whence they had fallen". All of this activity was of little value, when the motive was not one of pure love to Christ. He urged them to REPENT, to get back to what they had left. To "do the first works", to get back to the same warmth of affection and zeal; the same willingness to unashamedly reject publicly what the world regarded as precious, but was hateful to God.

My dear brothers and sisters, do we not need that word just now? Is your love for Christ just as warm, as bright, as strong as it was when you first came to Christ? Then let us REPENT, and let us go back to our former zeal and love for Christ!

Conclusion: As I conclude, let me encourage all my brothers and sisters in Christ to come back to the practice of what is clearly taught in the word of God. It is so easy to be drawn away by plausible arguments. It is easier than we think to allow ourselves to be robbed of so much, without even realizing what we have lost. It is so easy to cater for the crowd, and to tell them what they wish to hear. The practice of what the word of God teaches will yield lasting and positive results. May God bless you all, and may His Holy Name be glorified! [Concluded]

The importance of Repentance (Part 6)

2009-01-15T09:38:00.000-08:00

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By Charles E. Wigg

The result of that experience was to be life-long. It removed all ground for boasting, the memory of what he was, kept him humble all his days. Perhaps the lack of true repentance at conversion has resulted in the manifestation of pride amongst God's people today. Perhaps that is why some brethren are so ready to quarrel with their brothers and sisters in Christ. Is it because of this that so many are prepared to go back on what they have solemnly vowed to do, in the presence of God, and of many witnesses when they were married? Perhaps this is the reason for such a shallow sense of the abhorrence and the exceeding sinfulness of sin, that we find in so many today, even though they profess to be saved.

Do children need to repent? When the Lord Jesus took the little children in His arms, He blessed them. As He rebuked His disciples, he commanded, "Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven". Matt. 19:14, Mark, 10:14, & Luke, 18:16. He says nothing here about the need of repentance. The reason for this is that He is speaking about 'little children'. It will be obvious to all of us that when children are very little, they are innocent little creatures. A.W.Tozer once said that something of the image of God still remains on such. But when they reach the years of responsibility, and they begin to exercise their own wills, that image recedes and the image of fallen Adam begins to show itself. It is true that every child of a human father inherits the fallen nature of Adam. That nature begins to show itself when any person chooses deliberately to sin. Thus it follows, that a child that has been saved early in life, has not had the exposure to the world of sin. Though a sinner by nature, yet they have not yet become involved in gross sins, and thus there is not quite the same need for repentance, that older and more obviously sinful people may require. But nevertheless, when the Holy Spirit awakens a little child, they too become aware of the need for repentance. This is what the conviction of sin produces. I have seen more than one child weep their way to the foot of the cross, to confess their guilt and need, and to find relief and salvation through faith in Christ.

Perhaps we should lay greater emphasis than we do, even in our dealings with children, on the need of repentance. So often children are urged to "Ask the Lord Jesus to come into their hearts". Even if they do this, it will probably become evident later in their lives, that their judgement of sin deepens, and they will come to a deeper knowledge of Him, and show a greater love for Him.

The importance of Repentance (Part 5)

2009-01-13T11:44:00.000-08:00

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By Charles E. Wigg

Repentance is man's responsibility: It may be rightly said that there can never be any experience of forgiveness and salvation, without repentance. However repentance is not salvation. It is possible to repent, without being saved. This is the meaning of that difficult passage in Heb. 6:4-6. There we are told that it is impossible to renew those that fall away to repentance. It does not say that it is impossible to renew them to salvation, because they were never truly saved. Once one is genuinely saved, that salvation is God's work, and it never needs to be repeated. But this passage shows us that it is possible to react to the presence and power of God, presented through His word, to truly repent, yet not to be saved. Repentance then is but the first step, but it must be followed by "faith in our Lord Jesus Christ". It is not repentance that saves, it is faith that saves, but only after the guilty sinner first repents.

It is plain that it is the goodness of God that leads to repentance Rom. 2:4, but repentance is man's responsibility. It was clear that it was the goodness of God that brought about the circumstances surrounding the repentance of the prodigal son, but it was that son himself who repented. It was the goodness of God that caused the famine to arise. It was the goodness of God that caused employment prospects to disappear, but it was the son that said to himself, "I will arise and go to my father".

There is a saying in English, that 'you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink'. I used to work on a farm during my boyhood days, and I have proved those words to be true. The goodness of God may lead us to the point of repentance, but He will never compel any to repent, hence the command given to all men to repent. Acts 17:30.

There are those that contend that because man is "Dead in offences and sins", then none are able to repent. If this reasoning is correct, then God is unrighteous, because He commands men to do what they cannot do. It is interesting to note what the father said of his prodigal son. That he "was dead, but is alive again, was lost but is found", While ever that son was in the far country, and living in sin, he was dead as far as his father was concerned. But though dead, yet he did repent and return to the father against whom he had sinned.

When Saul fell to the ground outside the walls of Damascus, he was "dead in offences and sins", But he did repent, and confess his willingness to obey the command of the Lord Jesus, whatever He wished Saul to do. While he lay there upon the road, he was "dead in his offences and sins". But after he repented of his wickedness, he was quickened from the dead. He then rose up in the power of the new life that he had received, and though led by the hand, he went into the city, there to begin the most wonderful life of service for Christ that any servant of His ever lived. Thus as we have been emphasizing we see first repentance, then the exercise of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

The importance of Repentance (Part 4)

2009-01-12T12:01:00.000-08:00

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By Charles E. Wigg

Repentance, the First step: It will be noticed in all the scriptures that we have drawn attention to, that repentance always comes first. It is repentance, then faith in our Lord Jesus, never the other way around. The word Repent is described in Strong's concordance as follows:

3340 metanoew metanoeo met-an-o-eh'-o from 3326 and 3539; TDNT-4:975,636; v AV-repent 34; 34

1. to change one's mind, i.e. to repent
2. to change one's mind for better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one's past sins.

In English, it means to turn around on the way that one had been going. It will be obvious that this is necessary before one can be saved. None are ever truly saved by God, so that they might continue in the way in which they were going before salvation. Isaiah 53:6 tells us that "All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every on to his own way". Peter confirms this when he says that "We were as sheep going astray, but we have returned to the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls". 1 Pet. 2:25

The classic example of repentance is that of the so-called Prodigal son. Luke 15:11-24. When his father bestowed the portion of the goods that he was meant to inherit on his father's death, he took all, and turned his back on his loving father, and went into a far country, putting as much distance between himself and his loving father as he could. He then set about to live in debauchery, (live a sinful life), and to dissipate the wealth that his father had given him. However when the funds ran out, there arose a violent famine in that land, and he began to be in want. In the depth of his degradation and misery, he was forced to take stock of his position, and he "came to himself". He decided to retrace his steps, and to turn around. To set his face towards the one whose wealth he had dissipated, whose name he had dishonored. He repented of the way that he had gone, and the way he had lived. He made up his mind, "I will arise and go to my father and say unto him, father I have sinned". Here then is a picture of what repentance truly is, and the kind of language it produces. (A full and frank confession of sin).

The importance of Repentance (Part 3)

2009-01-11T12:03:00.000-08:00

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By Charles E. Wigg

In chapter 3:19 Peter once more pleaded with the Jews to repent, and to be converted. In chapter 8:22, he solemnly warned the magician to repent. This man Simon, had believed but had not repented. Consequently he trembled at the prospect of the judgement of his sin, but evidently did not ever repent. When Paul spoke to the pagan citizens of Athens, he told them that God was willing to overlook the times of their ignorance, when they worshipped idols. But now He commanded all men to repent. Acts, 17:30.

When speaking to King Agrippa Paul said, that immediately after his conversion and baptism, he had at Damascus, in Judea, and then to the Gentiles, urged those to whom he spoke, "To repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance. Acts, 26:20.

The Lord Jesus said in Matt. 9:13, Mark, 2:17 and Luke, 5:32, that He had not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. In Luke 15:7, He spoke of the greater joy that would be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance". Here He was exposing the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and religious leaders, and their self-righteous attitudes. They were those that thought that they needed no repentance. In Luke 24:47, just before returning bodily to heaven, He said that "repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations".

When the prejudiced Jewish believers heard Peter's testimony about his going to the house of Cornelius, they glorified God because He had "also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life" Acts. 11:18. When recalling his ministry to the Elders of the Church of Ephesus while he was with them, he said that he had testified to both Jews and Greeks, "Repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ". Acts, 20:21. Finally Peter assures us that God is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance". 2 Pet. 3:9.

Thus we have the abundant testimony of the New Testament scriptures, in the words of the Lord Jesus and His Apostles, of the necessity of repentance, before the person puts faith in the Lord Jesus and His finished work.

The importance of Repentance (Part 2)

2009-01-09T11:32:00.000-08:00

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By Charles E. Wigg

It is a pathetic fact, that today many are 'bribed' into 'making a decision' with the offer of physical healing, or of some 'supernatural experience', or the 'receiving of the gift of the "Holy Spirit", accompanied with speaking in tongues etc. To obtain the desired response, hypnotism and crowd control are used. Then great boasting is made about the large numbers that are 'saved'. Those that respond often continue in a life of sin, and there seems to be no evident change in their lives at all. Thus the Lord's name is brought into disrepute, and even blasphemed by such behavior.

The Master's Example: Let us now look at the perfect example, that of our blessed Master, and see what He did. His is the example that we should follow, and that of His Apostles who were His followers.

In Matthew's Gospel, Ch. 4:17, we hear Him say "Repent: for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand". Here we have an account of the first public preaching of the Gospel, by The King Himself. The first call that He uttered was a call to repentance. Though He possessed the power of miraculous Divine healing, He did not use this as a bribe or an enticement for people to accept His message. Have things changed? Are things different today? Have people become so 'good' that they do not need to repent? In no way! On the contrary, though Christianity has spread to the earth's farthest bounds, yet evil has increased at a very rapid rate, and society is in a very deplorable state. We may deduce then that there is an even greater need for the preaching of repentance today than ever before.

Mark gives us his account of the first public preaching of the Gospel from the lips of the Lord Jesus. Of course He had spoken in the synagogue at Nazareth before this, but there He did not preach the Gospel, but instead introduced Himself, and prophesied His rejection. According to Mark, His first words were, "Repent ye, and believe the Gospel". John the Baptist before Him, had preached against sin, and powerfully emphasized the need for repentance. He preached the baptism of repentance. That those that wished their lives to be changed and cleaned up should be baptized by him. This was a form of ritual purification, and a testimony to that desire.

When the Lord Jesus sent out the twelve, first He gave them power, then instructed them as to what attitude they were to have regarding supplies, money etc. They then went out, and as they began to preach, they "preached that men should repent", Mark, 6:12. This pattern is repeated again and again throughout the New Testament. In Luke 13:3 & 5, the Lord Jesus warned those to whom He spoke what would be the consequence of them refusing to repent. In Luke 16:30, the once rich man, longed for, and prayed that some one would even rise from the dead and go and warn his five brothers not to go to hell. He was convinced that if Lazarus was to rise from the dead and go to them, they would then repent. However Abraham assured him that if they would not listen to the Gospel, and the warnings of scripture, then they would not repent at the preaching of one that rose from the dead. In Acts 2:38, Peter called on the Jews present to repent and to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. This coupling of baptism with repentance had a special significance for the Jews. They were guilty not only of personal sins, but also of national sins. Their representatives had said, "His blood be upon us and our children", Matt. 27:25. For those national sins to be forgiven they needed to be baptized by immersion, thereby cutting themselves off from that nation forever. For in being baptized they professed to die and be buried, as far as the nation of Israel was concerned. Thus they needed to repent of their personal sins, as well as their national sins.

The importance of Repentance (Part 1)

2009-01-09T01:46:00.000-08:00

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By Charles E. Wigg

[I have received a number of requests to reproduce the timeless articles of our brethren whom God used to teach us the Scriptures, particularly, the New Testament doctrines. Charles Wigg of Australia has contributed a number of such articles and I am happy to bring to you the once again, with one of his articles on the Importance of Repentance. God has been using Charles [Appachen] as a blessing to many, including me, personally. I request you to continue praying for him as he, although in 80s, is kept well to his age. The article is sent in seven "bitable" pieces so that you might "chew" and "chew-the-cud" until it is absorbed thoroughly in your soul. - Ben@brethrenvoice.net]

"This article is a response to an inquiry from a brother who was most concerned that in these days, (even in brethren Assemblies), it seems that it is no longer fashionable to insist on the necessity for the preaching of repentance as a pre-requisite to salvation.

Though one has no desire to buy into any controversy, yet it seems vital that the truth of the scriptures must be emphasized. Perhaps the lack of the preaching of repentance may account for the very shallow sense of the sinfulness of sin that exists today with many individuals, and in many Assemblies and Churches. I use these two words to describe gatherings of believers. Though the word Assembly is the scriptural meaning of the Greek word 'Ecclesia' yet some believers object to its use, claiming that it is a 'Brethrenism', (which it is not). What I am about to write applies to all evangelical believers, wherever they gather.

We have to admit that it is a very rare occurrence today for genuine conversions to take place. This is very regrettable, and may be attributed to several things. One of these is the 'lukewarm' state of the Church. This is in part brought about by the comforts of materialism that many believers in Western Countries enjoy. Many are more concerned about making money, than they are to be found walking in obedience to the word of God. Most still maintain an affiliation with the local Church, because it is considered respectable to do so. The local Church has become, (to such), a kind of Sunday social club. To attend once a week, especially on Sunday mornings, where the Lord's Supper is observed, is enough for them. They are not interested in attending meetings for the study of the scriptures, or especially for prayer. The burden for lost souls seems almost extinct today with most.

Another thing is that most have no wish to work for the Lord, to undertake responsibilities in the local Church. They will leave that to others, and they wish only to be entertained. Of course if there is an opportunity to show off, to get up on the platform and play some instrument, jigging about with sensual actions copied from the 'pop stars', which are designed to awaken lusts in the hearts of the viewers. But to take a Sunday School class, or to witness for the Lord in their daily life and occupation such persons have neither the desire or the interest. Nevertheless such people are very copious in their criticism of others who do have a burden to serve the Lord.

A study of history will prove that, (in the past), the preaching that was so mightily blessed of God, to the awakening and the conversion to Christ from a life of sin of so many; was preceded by a thunderous condemnation of sin. One man who was mightily used of God in the awakening and the genuine conversion of very many was Mr. Charles Finney. He stated that it was always his practice to preach the law first, as the scripture states that by the Law is the knowledge of sin. Rom. 3:20. The absence of such a clear and powerful preaching of the Law, which magnifies the holiness of God, will lead to a great lack of conviction, and a very shallow sense of the sinfulness of sin. It will lead to the 'easy believe-ism' that is so prevalent today."