No “Free Will” for me either…

[Admin note: Luther confesses here what we must all confess — although we like to pretend we have the same intentions as GOD, our flesh and remaining sinful nature would never let us pursue righteousness on our own. It is through GRACE ALONE by FAITH ALONE does CHRIST ALONE save. It is ONLY by CHRIST ALONE that we are redeemed and receive the promise of sanctification. I truly believe Lord Tennyson would amend his attributed statement from “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely” to “our will is corrupt and free will corrupts absolutely”. Thank you Mawtin.]

“I frankly confess that, for myself, even if it could be, I should not want “free-will” to be given me, nor anything to be left in my own hands to enable me to endeavour after salvation; not merely because in face of so many dangers, and adversities and assaults of devils, I could not stand my ground ; but because even were there no dangers. I should still be forced to labour with no guarantee of success.¦ But now that God has taken my salvation out of the control of my own will, and put it under the control of His, and promised to save me, not according to my working or running, but according to His own grace and mercy, I have the comfortable certainty that He is faithful and will not lie to me, and that He is also great and powerful, so that no devils or opposition can break Him or pluck me from Him. Furthermore, I have the comfortable certainty that I please God, not by reason of the merit of my works, but by reason of His merciful favour promised to me; so that, if I work too little, or badly, He does not impute it to me, but with fatherly compassion pardons me and makes me better. This is the glorying of all the saints in their God.” – Martin Luther, The Bondage of the Will (Grand Rapids:  Revell, 1957), 313-314.

By George! Honest Heathen OR Fake Christian?

From George Swinnock (by george, I think he has it!)

He who seems to be righteous toward men, but is impious towards God — is but an HONEST HEATHEN!

He who seems to be pious towards God, but is unrighteous toward men — is but a FAKE CHRISTIAN!

Calvin: Avoid BRASH Preachers

[Admin note: Many of today’s preachers are trying to be bold in the proclamation of what they say is “God’s Word” but WATCH OUT for those who “take the Scripture to the next level” or “show you the true meaning behind the Word” — WATCH OUT for the BRASH ONES who take a Scripture and JUMP OFF to “applying it to your lives” — WATCH OUT for the BRASH ONES who tell you they will give you a “quick overview” of what they said they studied (not really!). WATCH OUT for the WOLVES in SHEEP’S CLOTHING who FEAST on the FLOCK of GOD.]

Here, indeed, if anywhere in the secret mysteries of Scripture, we ought to play the philosopher soberly and with great moderation; let us use great caution that neither our thoughts nor our speech go beyond the limits to which the Word of God itself extends.

For how can the human mind measure off the measureless essence of God according to its own little measure . . . ? Let us then willingly leave to God the knowledge of himself. . . . But we shall be “leaving it to him” if we conceive him to be as he reveals himself to us, without inquiring about him elsewhere than from his Word. . . .

And let us not take it into our heads either to seek out God anywhere else than in his Sacred Word, or to think anything about him that is not prompted by his Word, or to speak anything that is not taken from his Word.

by John Calvin from The Institutes of the Christian Religion I.XIII.21

Herman Knows: GOD’s Word Not Humiliating

[Admin note: Herman Bavinck is right! GOD’s Word is sacred and worthy to be trusted and followed.]

There is nothing humiliating, nor anything that in any way detracts from a person’s freedom, in listening to the word of God like a child and in obeying it. Believing God at his word, i.e., on his authority, is in no way inconsistent with human dignity, anymore than that it dishonors a child to rely with unlimited trust on the word of her or his father. So far from gradually outgrowing this authority, Christian believers rather progressively learn to believe God at his word and to renounce all their own wisdom. On earth believers never move beyond the viewpoint of faith and authority. To the degree that they increase in faith, they cling all the more firmly to the authority of God in his word. – Herman Bavinck

JC Ryle: Focus on your heart

The heart is the main thing in true religion. I make no excuse for asking the special attention of my readers, while I try to say a few things about the heart. The head is not the principal thing. You may know the whole truth as it is in Jesus, and consent that it is good. You may be clear, correct, and sound in your religious opinions. But all this time you may be walking in the broad way which leads to destruction. It is your heart which is the main point. Is your heart right in the sight of God? Your outward life may be moral, decent, respectable, in the eyes of people. Your minister, friends and neighbors, may see nothing very wrong in your general conduct. But all this time you may be hanging on the brink of everlasting ruin. It is your heart which is the main thing. Is that heart right in the sight of God? ~ J.C. Ryle

JC RYLE: Duties of Believers

[Admin note: If you are tempted to say “I am being still and waiting for GOD”, a decidedly Old Testament notion among many other OT notions, please read the below post. Please think about this: while GOD is the same in the past, the present and the future, OUR duties as NEW TESTAMENT believers are not the same as the OLD TESTAMENT crowd — OURS include PREACHING THE GOSPEL as well as REPENTANCE and FAITH in the TRUE CHRIST JESUS (you know, the one from the BIBLE, not the one preached in most “felt-needs” American churches — see 1 Corinthians 15). PLEASE DO what NEW TESTAMENT/ NEW COVENANT BELIEVERS DO and NOT some OT practice for your own sakes.]

What are the practical duties of all true believers in the prospect of the second coming of Jesus Christ? Our Lord mentions three things, to which His people should attend. He tells them plainly that He is coming again one day, in power and great glory. He tells them at the same time, that the precise hour and date of that coming are not known. What then are His people to do? In what position of mind are they to live? They are to watch. They are to pray. They are to work.

We are to WATCH. We are to live always on our guard. We are to keep our souls in a wakeful, lively state, prepared at any time to meet our Master. We are to beware of anything like spiritual lethargy, dulness, deadness, and torpor. The company, the employment of time, the society which induces us to forget Christ and His second advent, should be marked, noted, and avoided. “Let us not sleep as do others,” says the apostle, “but let us watch and be sober” (1 Thess 5:6)

We are to PRAY. We are to keep up habits of regular communion and communion with God. We are to allow no coldness to come in between us and our Father in heaven, but to speak with Him daily; that so we may be ready at any moment to see Him face to face. Moreover, we are to make special prayer about the Lord’s coming, that we may be “found in peace, without spot and blameless,” and that our hearts may at no time be “overcharged” with the cares of this life, and so the day come upon us unawares. (2 Peter 3:14; Luke 21:34)

We are to WORK. We are to realize that we are all servants of a great Master, who has given to every man his work, and expects that work to be done. We are to labor to glorify God, each in our particular sphere and relation. There is always something for every one to do. We are to strive each of us to shine as a light–to be the salt of our own times–to be faithful witnesses for our Master, and to honor Him by conscientiousness and consistency in our daily lives. Our great desire must be to be found not idle and sleeping, but working and doing.

Summary: Such are the simple injunctions to which our Lord would have us attend. They ought to stir up in the hearts of all professing Christians great self-examination. Are we looking for our Savior’s return? Do we long for His appearing? Can we say with sincerity, Come, Lord Jesus? Do we live as if we expected Christ to come again? These are questions which demand serious consideration. May we give them the attention which they deserve! ~ J.C. Ryle

AW Pink Explains HOLINESS

[FYI – Even after you are saved, you are still a sinner. Yes, your sin has been paid but your behavior is not perfect — HE will sanctify us through HIS Word (John 17:17) — BUT you won’t be perfect until you are with JESUS.

The Christian life, contrary to most church teachings in America, is not about getting you saved and then improving your life. If they aren’t preaching the Gospel, then they aren’t even getting people saved before they improve lives.]

Because God is holy, acceptance with Him on the ground of creature doings is utterly impossible. A fallen creature could sooner create a world than produce that which would meet the approval of infinite Purity. Can darkness dwell with Light? Can the Immaculate One take pleasure in “filthy rags” (Isa. 64:6)? The best that sinful man brings forth is defiled. A corrupt tree cannot bear good fruit. God would deny Himself, vilify His perfections, were He to account as righteous and holy that which is not so in itself; and nothing is so which has the least stain upon it contrary to the nature of God. But blessed be His name, that which His holiness demanded His grace has provided in Christ Jesus our Lord. Every poor sinner who has fled to Him for refuge stands “accepted in the Beloved” (Eph. 1:6). Hallelujah! ~AW Pink~

Ryle: Who Sits Next to You in Church?

[Admin note: JC Ryle hits the ball out of the park here.]

Until the Bridegroom comes there will always be some in the visible Church who have grace—and some who have no grace. Some will have nothing but the name of Christian—others will have the reality. Some will have the profession of religion—others will have the possession also. Some will be content to belong to the church—others will never be content unless they also belong to Christ. Some will be satisfied if they have only the baptism of water—others will never be satisfied unless they also feel within the baptism of the Spirit. Some will stop short in the form of Christianity—others will never rest unless they have also the substance.

The visible Church of Christ is made up of these two classes. There always have been such; there always will be such until the end. Gracious and graceless, wise and foolish, make up the whole Church of Christ. You are all written down in this parable yourselves. You are all either wise virgins—or foolish . You have the oil of grace—or you have none. You are all either members of Christ—or not. You are all either traveling towards heaven—or towards hell. ~ J.C. Ryle

Ryle: Five Gospel Truths

[Admin Note: The GOSPEL is sacred and pronounced — 1 Corinthians 15:1-8.]

1. Substitute anything for Christ, and the Gospel is totally spoiled!
2. Add anything to Christ, and the Gospel ceases to be a pure Gospel!
3. Put anything between a person and Christ, and that person will neglect Christ for that very thing!
4. Spoil the proportions of Christ’s Gospel, and you spoil its efficacy!
5. Evangelical religion must be the Gospel, the whole Gospel and nothing but the Gospel.
~ J.C. Ryle

 

Never Tolerate False Doctrine

If we would hold fast that which is good, we must never tolerate or support any doctrine which is not the pure doctrine of Christ’s Gospel. There is a hatred which is downright charity – that is the hatred of erroneous doctrine. There is an intolerance which is downright praiseworthy – that is the intolerance of false teaching in the pulpit. Who would ever think of tolerating a little poison given to them day by day? If men come among you who do not preach “all the counsel of God,” who do not preach of Christ, sin, holiness, of ruin, redemption, and regeneration, and do not preach of these things in a Scriptural way, you ought to cease to hear them. ~ J.C. Ryle

[ADMIN NOTE: Take Ryle’s first phrase: “If we would hold fast that which is good” — this is a requirement in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 which why he mentioned it — please look at its context. IMPORTANT FOR BELIEVERS! Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.  Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.]