Purposed Grace Articles

Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore

(Psalm 16:11)

[Beloved] …imagine that moment to have arrived! All of earth’s attraction ceases, all of creature-succor fails. Everything is failing — heart and strength failing — mental power failing— medical skill failing — human affection and sympathy failing; the film of death is on the eye, and the invisible realities of the spirit-world are unveiling to the mental view. Bending over you, the loved one who has accompanied you to the shore of the cold river, asks a sign. You are too weak to conceive a thought, too low to breathe a word, too absorbed to bestow a responsive glance. You cannot now assert your faith in an elaborate creed, and you have no profound experience, or ecstatic emotions, or heavenly visions to describe. One brief, but all-emphatic, all-expressive sentence embodies the amount of all that you now know, and believe, and feel; it is the profession of your faith, the sum of your experience, the ground of your hope — “Christ Is Precious to My Soul!” [My sufficiency]! The dying Christian can give, and the inquiring friend can wish no more. Dearest Savior, be close to me in that solemn moment! Tread the valley by my side, pillow my languid head upon Your bosom, speak these words of heart-cheer to my struggling, panting, departing soul, “Fear not, I Am with you” (Isaiah 43:5). Then, it will be happiness for me to die — death will have no venom — the grave no gloom — eternity no dread; and, from the measured experience of Your preciousness on earth, I shall pass in triumph through the shadowy portal into the full sunshine and perfect realization and eternal enjoyment of all that faith believed, and love desired, and hope expected, of Your full-orbed glory and preciousness in heaven. “In your presence is fulness of joy; and at your right hand there are pleasures for evermore!” [Psalm 16:11]

Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God

(1 Peter 1:21)

All false religion is under the delusion th at salvation is granted through something man does; nothing could be further from the truth!

I trust you will notice these two blessed words in 1st Peter chapter 1 verse 21 “by Him”. To my awakened brother and sister, I trust those two words testify to your experience in Christ, that “by Him”, by the Lord Jesus Christ, you find yourself believing God.

God’s people are not born of blood (a believer is not made a believer because his parents are Christian, as is the case with the Islamists and Roman Catholics). God’s people are not born of the will of the flesh (one does not become a believer because one exercises his or her own will to make a decision). God’s people are not born of the will of man (one does not become a believer because a group of people got together to pray). If you find yourself believing God, it is by God’s redeeming, regenerating power in Christ. Beloved, the eternal gospel declares that His people “were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:13).

Our Lord declared “thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him” (John 17:2) The power our Lord has over all flesh is the life giving power He gives to His people, whereby He grants them eternal life, making them willing and able to truly believe God (The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit).

Beloved, “by Him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God” (1 Peter 1:21).

If you find yourself believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, it is by Him you believe God. Just as Lazarus was made to come out of the tomb by the Lord Jesus Christ, your coming forth from the tomb of your unbelief was “by Him” beloved. AMEN!

…Who then can be saved? And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible

(Mark 10:26-27)

The message of the Gospel

God’s people, believing sinners, are in Christ “holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight” before the Father (Colossians 1:22).

The disciples asked this question “who is able to be saved?” Our Lord answered “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God” (Mark 10:26-27).

Only in Christ can sinful men be found holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight. Beloved, look to Christ and be saved; the author and finisher of our faith, indeed of all our salvation (Hebrews 12:2).

The minister of the Gospel

The minister of the Gospel can say with Paul, I am made a minister. You see, he is not self made, he’s not man made, he’s God made. Well, that begs the question; how can you know that a minister is God made and truly sent of God? They fulfill the word of God: how is that? They preach the word of truth. In a word they preach Christ: what does that mean? Our Lord said “He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him” (John 5:23). Beloved, God’s minister does not shun to declare unto you all the counsel of God. A so called minister that says Christ died for the sins of everyone, neither honors the Son nor the Father; and rejects to declare the Gospel of Christ’s own words “this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I SHOULD LOSE NOTHING” (John 6:39).

The miracle of the Gospel

Friend, let me tell you plainly, God is 100% sovereign and you are 100% responsible for your sins. If you neglect such a great salvation, indeed such a great Saviour, and end up in the lake of fire: The blame will be entirely yours and you’ll perish along with your wicked thoughts; wicked thoughts of being reconciled to God through your person and works and not through the blessed person and the finished saving work of Christ. How fearful it will be for those that neglect such a great salvation! (Hebrews 2:3)

Repent sinner and believe Christ. It is the desire of every believer, it is my desire, if God be pleased, according to the good pleasure of His will, that you be made to know you are made perfect by the righteousness of Christ for ever. (Isaiah 32:17)

I pray that our sovereign God would be pleased to use the gospel of His dear Son to show you the miracle of the Gospel. Beloved, you are found perfect in Christ Jesus to the honour and praise of His name. AMEN! (Colossians 2:10)

…wait on the Lord, and He shall save thee

(Proverbs 20:22)

Beloved, just before the Lord went to the cross to accomplish our salvation; just before He went to the cross to give His life a ransom for many, His people, He said “I pray for them” (John 17:9). I want to know that when He prayed ‘for them,’ He prayed for me — don’t you? The apostle wrote “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life” (1 John 5:12).

You see, there is nothing more important than to know if in truth you have the Son. There is no subject of more importance than to know if you are truly united to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Many religious pretenders say that they know the Lord, but my friend, the question I want to press is this, does the Lord Jesus Christ know you? Does He in fact know me? If He does, be sure of this, He prayed for you and me and shall save us.

In so many blessed places in holy scripture God comforts believing sinners, in setting forth our blessed Lord and Saviour as the God who shall save His people. The proverb of God very blessedly declares “Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the Lord, and He shall save thee” (Proverbs 20:22).

Friend, don’t try to fix it! Don’t try to get things right before God, before you come to Christ—you never will. There is only one who can recompense for all the evil you are! Wait on the Lord, and He shall save thee!

Are you surprised at my speech evil sinner? Do you consider yourself otherwise? The Lord Jesus Christ came into the world to save ungodly, evil, sinners. Friend, if God has not taught you as yet, that you are unquestionably evil — I fear that you are, even now, without Christ.

The Lord himself declares “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (Luke 11:13) Do you remember what our Lord explained to His step brothers? He said to them “The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil” (John 7:7).

This unbelieving world hates the Lord’s testimony, but oh how I love Him for it! If He had not shown me that I am evil, I would never have come to Him to recompense for all of it, and wait on Him to save me.

Beloved, the Lord Jesus Christ is the One that does not fall short of the glory of God. He is the One who gives His own glory to those who have given up pretending to have their own. Our Lord declared to our heavenly Father “the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one” (John 17:22).

Friend, believe on the Lord, wait on the Lord Jesus Christ and He shall save thee. AMEN! (Acts 18:8, Proverbs 20:22)

…but now commandeth all men every where to repent

(Acts 17:30)

Observe that the Word of God shows us that the Gospel is not an offer as some men claim, but rather the Gospel is a command. We read in Acts chapter 17 beginning in verse 28…

“…in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but NOW commandeth all men every where to repent” (Acts 17:28-30).

I want you to understand what you are reading in God’s word, and receive it as it is in truth—the word of God.

We read in God’s only holy book that the Gospel is a command; God commands all men everywhere to repent and believe the Gospel of His Son. Repent of your sin of unbelief and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. My sinner friend, trust Him alone for all your salvation; trusting His blessed person and finished work of salvation…

…for ALL your justification,

…for ALL your sanctification,

…for ALL your glorification,

… and ultimately for ALL your acceptance with God our Father.

You see, Christ is not made King and Lord by men. Rather, our heavenly Father made Him King of kings and Lord of lords; He is the redeemer and the saviour of His elect. God declares “I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.” And further says “Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and ye perish from the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him” (Psalm 2:6,12)

Oh what an unspeakable blessing for you who believe on Christ! A full and complete pardon of sin, and a perfect righteousness acceptable to God. Worship the Son, reverence the Son, kiss the feet of God’s King, and be ye saved!

Through the Gospel our heavenly Father commands us to repent of our sin of unbelief and to believe His Son. He commands us to believe on His Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ, trusting in His doing and dying alone for our justification, for our sanctification, for our glorification; ultimately for our complete acceptance before Him. So what is it that you and I must do to obey the command of the Gospel? Our Lord tells us very plainly and simply — “He that believeth on me hath everlasting life” (John 6:47)

That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish

(Ephesians 5:25-27)

Beloved, believe it and rejoice. Before the throne of God you are without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; for Christ gave Himself for you that you should and shall be, on that day before Him in love, HOLY AND WITHOUT BLEMISH! Oh Lord, I believe it, help me to believe! [Mark 9:24]

Revelation 7:9-14: “…I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

It almost seemed like our brother John had to be reminded… The elder asked John “What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?” and John replied almost as if what he beheld was too wonderful to confirm with his own judgement, but rather committed it to the judgement of the elder by saying “Sir, thou knowest” and he said to John “These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

Beloved, it is by the doing and dying of the Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, that a sinner like me, and a sinner like you are doubly saved by His hand. We are sanctified by His doing and made Holy by His righteousness. The one who knew no sin, the Lord Jesus Christ, was made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).

And beloved, we are cleansed by His blood—made blameless by our faithful and justifying Saviour, Christ Jesus the Lord, that our heavenly Father “might be just, and the justifier of [the sinner] which believeth in [His Son] JESUS” (Romans 3:26).

In the cross of Christ “Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.” Oh what a gospel beloved, may the LORD grant us grace to believe it! Lord I believe it, help my unbelief! “Shew us thy mercy, O Lord, and grant us thy salvation” (Psalm 85:10,7). AMEN!

For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ

(Read 1 Corinthians 3:11-15)

In this day of big business religion, when churches are measured not by their orthodoxy, but by the opinions of men, when a preacher’s success is measured not by his faithfulness, but by the number of names added to the church roll, it might be wise to consider what a successful ministry is according to the measure of Holy Scripture.

According to the word of God those preachers and churches are successful who are faithful to the work to which God has called them. Never in the Old Testament or in the New was a prophet, apostle, or preacher measured by the opinions of men. God’s servants never courted the favor of men, and were never favored by the majority of the people. The church of God has always been out of step with society. The servants of God have always been looked upon as peculiar, bigoted dogmatists, intolerant and incapable of compromise. But they were faithful, faithful to God, faithful to His truth, and faithful to the souls of men.

Do not be so foolish as to measure God’s work by man’s yardstick. Do not measure the success or failure of preachers and churches by men, by numbers, or by popular opinion. THE ONLY MEASURE OF SUCCESS FOR CHURCHES AND PREACHERS IS FAITHFULNESS (1 CORINTHIANS 4:2). Those who faithfully seek and promote the glory of GOD, who faithfully proclaim the truth of GOD, and who faithfully serve the eternal interests of immortal souls are successful. Those who are not are failures. The one will stand the fire of judgment. The other will not.

What blessed words are here contained in this verse. May God grant both the writer and the reader of this article, grace to see and understand the gospel of our Salvation declared in this verse, and be comforted in Christ.

“…He shall sit…”

The prophet sets forth here in these words that our Sovereign Redeemer will finish the saving work of His people. The prophet declares “He shall sit”. Paul writes, in fulfillment of this gospel promise, that our God and King, Christ the Lord “sat down” (Hebrews 1:3, 10:12).

Perhaps you’ve heard the expression ‘stop sitting on the job’, it carries with it the idea that someone has unfinished work to do, and rather than finish it, lazily sits around. Beloved, when Paul tells us that our blessed Lord “sat down”, he is declaring the gospel of our salvation. Everything a sinner like me, and a sinner like you, desperately needs to be saved before our Heavenly Father, our Lord Jesus has accomplished! A full and complete pardon of sins, and a perfect spotless righteousness that lacks nothing. Our Lord declared “It is finished” (John 19:30). Beloved “ye are complete in HIM”! (Colossians 2:10)

“…He shall purify…”

Throughout this verse the prophet sets forth our salvation, by telling us plainly that “He shall purify”! What gospel comfort is here contained for you beloved. Do you remember what the angel of the Lord declared to Joseph? “[Mary] shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Beloved, the Holy Spirit, tells us through His servant Paul that our Lord Jesus (The brightness of the Father’s glory, the express image of the Father’s person, the One who upholds everything) “by Himself purged our sins” (Hebrews 1:3). Beloved, “All things were made by [Christ]; and without Him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:3). Our God, Christ Jesus the Lord, whom the prophet declared “SHALL SIT” and “SHALL PURIFY” — has “SAT DOWN”! Beloved, He has by Himself “PURIFIED” us from all our sins. Ye sons of Levi, rejoice! He has “by himself purged our sins.”

Those who have been saved are those who “are being saved” (1 Corinthians 1:18; Philippians 2:12,13). Those who have learned of Christ are those who are also “learning” of Him (John 6:45; Matthew 11:29). Those who truly know the LORD are those who “desire to know Him” (Philippians 3:7-10). Those who have seen the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ are those who continue to cry unto the LORD, “I beseech Thee, show me Thy glory” (Exodus 33:18). These are the people who say, from the heart, “As for me, I will behold Thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Thy righteousness” (Psalm 17:15)

“Now I know.” Did not the Lord know before? Oh yes; but He that gave Abraham the faith, now afforded an opportunity for the exercise of it. My soul, how blessed is it to remark, that the largest gifts of grace are dispensed, when there is the largest occasion for them. “As thy days, so shall thy strength be.” And, my soul, do not forget to remark also, that our Isaacs, our children, our earthly comforts, are most likely to be continued to us, when the Lord gives grace and faith to be most ready at His holy will to part with them. When I can say, LORD, all that Thou hast given me is Thine; and if Thou art pleased to take all, or any part back again, still it is Thine own—not mine, but lent. Oh, for grace, like Abraham, to bless a taking God, as well as a giving God, and to withhold nothing from Him. Pause, my soul, one moment longer over this precious portion. Is there nothing more to be gathered from it? Look again; read it over once more. Pass beyond Abraham, and contemplate the God of Abraham, and see if thou canst not discover the infinite, unequalled, astonishing love of God the Father typified in this solemn transaction; and while we behold Abraham, at the call of God, giving up his son, his only son; may we not behold God, uncalled, unsought, and without any one cause but his own free everlasting love, giving up his only begotten Son, as a sacrifice for the redemption of His people? The patriarch gave up his son but in intention; but God in reality. And, my soul, what oughtest thou now to say to God in the view of this transaction? Methinks I find authority, from these sweet words, to make a paraphrase upon them, and to make application of them, for all and every circumstance with which I may be exercised; and, looking up to God my Father in Christ Jesus, I would say, ‘Now, O LORD and Father, I know thou dost love a poor, sinful, unworthy worm as I am, seeing thou hast not withheld thy Son, thine only Son from me.’