APRIL 25, 2023

 “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (II Corinthians 5:21)

The heart of the Gospel is redemption, and the essence of redemption is the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus Christ. To preach this truth is to preach the Gospel. They who preach not the Atoning Work of Christ, whatever else they may declare, have missed the soul and substance of the Divine message.

In a day when many voices are declaring many things (perverse things) in the name of Christ; when novel and strange interpretations are abroad which virtually deny the faith and trouble the soul, woe be unto us if we preach not the true Gospel of Christ. It is by the Gospel as defined in our text that sinners are made righteous. The basis and power of the appeal, which it is our duty to make to the consciences of men is here stated: “…he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

Nothing touches the heart like the cross of Christ, when the Spirit of God causes our eyes to look upon Him whom we have pierced, i.e. seeing Him dying under the weight of our sin as our substitute. Thus, when we see men quickened and converted by the doctrine of the substitutionary sacrifice, we may justly conclude that it is the true doctrine of the atonement. It is only by the doctrine of the cross (the atoning work of Christ) that souls are converted and made to live unto God and holiness. Hearts of stone have been turned to flesh when made to understand that the sinless Son of God was crucified for them.

This is the great doctrine of the Gospel, the greatest of all, that God, seeing men to be lost by reason of their own sin, has taken that sin of theirs and laid it upon His only begotten Son, making Him to be sin for us, even Him Who knew no sin. In consequence of this transference of sin, he that believeth in Christ Jesus is made just and righteous in God’s sight. This righteousness is the very righteousness of God. That which is revealed and provided in the Gospel is “the righteousness of God.” (Rom. 1:17) Christ was made sin so that sinners have His perfect righteousness.

Now think about that! Who was made sin for us? Let this one description suffice which our text provides. It was He Who knew no sin. Our Substitute was spotless, innocent, and pure. Jesus Christ, the Son of God became incarnate, and was made flesh, and dwelt among men. But though He was “made in the likeness of sinful flesh” (Rom. 8:3), He knew no sin. He had no personal knowledge of sin. Throughout His whole life, He never committed an offense against the Holy Law. The law was in His heart; it was His nature to be holy. None, when challenged, could convince Him of even one transgression. Even His vacillating judge enquired of His false accusers, “Why, what evil hath He done?”

He was truly a spotless Lamb. The sacrificial lamb, under the Mosaic system, underwent great scrutiny in order to be sure that it was without spot or blemish. Only then did the high priest lay his hands on its head, figuratively transferring to it the sin of the people. So also, did God’s Lamb undergo intense and thorough examination. Even the all-seeing eye of God could find no blemish in Him. Never was He guilty of so much as a sinful thought or desire.

Had any sin been found in Him, He could not have become our Substitute. But since He knew no sin,“(God) hath made Him to be sin for us,” that He should become our Sin-Bearer (Isa. 53:6); and “that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.”

This great truth is the heart of the Gospel!

APRIL 20, 2023

 “And Gideon came to Jordon, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them.” (Judges 8:4)

These three hundred men, though faint, were not faint-hearted. If they had been cowards, they would have left Gideon when he gave all who were fearful their leave. He had said to them at the outset, “Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from Mount Gilead.” They would hardly have been noticed among the twenty and two thousand who accepted the offer, leaving their general with an army of ten thousand men. Out of that small company, which was yet too large, these three hundred were selected as the men who lapped. These men, when allowed to drink, did not take their leisure, but ran to the stream and lapped the water like a hunting dog that laps and runs, wasting no time in the process. They were men who had given themselves up to this necessary war against the murdering, plundering Midianites who had driven the Israelites into hiding in dens and caves. Gideon had been raised up by God to deliver His people from these oppressors, and his loyal army of three hundred stayed with him all the way.

Here we find them, “faint, yet pursuing.” They were not faint because they were dispirited, for they had just won a great victory. They had broken the pitchers, unveiled the lamps, blown the trumpets, and shouted, “The sword of the Lord and of Gideon.” They plunged themselves into the battle, chasing the fleeing Midianite warriors, slaying thousands of them. Every man among them was a hero, and yet they were faint.

What a picture of the persevering child of God! He has long fought the good fight, served his Master well, and won great victories through grace, yet he is faint. This faintness is certainly not to his shame; it rather testifies to what true stuff he is made. Could there be a better illustration of Christian Perseverance? Their step has slowed, but they are still pressing on. They may become weary in the way, but not weary of the way; they are weary, but not “weary in well doing.” (Gal. 6:9) The Savior gently rebuked His sleepy disciples who had not been able to watch with Him just one hour, saying, “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Here, however, faithful Gideon and his persevering men did not succumb to the natural weakness and fatigue of the flesh; they were “faint, yet pursuing.”

Let us not grow weary in well-doing. Let us pursue on in spite of the weariness and waning stamina that we might be experiencing. Let us not allow physical weakness, bodily infirmity, mental depression, or any other malady related to these mortal frames hinder us in this holy warfare. After all, these faint, yet pursuing warriors were well aware of what we also know: it was not their vigor and strength that had gotten them the initial victory over the Midianites, who outnumbered them by fifteen hundred to one. Therefore, they continued to pursue, even in weakness, knowing that the Lord’s “strength is made perfect in weakness.” Just as He is “able to save by many or by few,” He is able to give victory regardless of whether we are full of vigor and vitality or faint and weary in battle. Gideon’s men were so very few, and they were faint, and yet they pursued the enemy expecting victory. We too are few and often reminded of our weakness but let us remember that our extremity is God’s opportunity.

It is our great duty and privilege to serve the Lord Who has saved us by His grace. We have been washed in the blood of the Lamb and clothed in the righteousness of Christ. We rejoice in a finished work whereby we are saved. Let us, therefore, serve our Lord to the last fragment of our strength. Let us give Him all the strength we have until we are fairly exhausted and ready to faint, and even then let us be yet pursuing.

APRIL 18, 2023 

 “When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes:) Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea farther; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.” (Ecclesiastes 8:16-17)

A man can contemplate or even consider the wisdom that goes into creation or providence, but it’s all so various and uncertain that a man cannot find the work done under the sun.

We can acknowledge it, but we can’t know it fully. We can find out that it is done, but not why it is done. The ways of God are inscrutable by the wisest of men, and though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it. Even diligent or laborious people cannot find what has been concealed by the Lord unless God expressly reveals it.

The simple truth is God does not reveal His secret plans to His creatures for our good. The problem of evil has vexed Christians for centuries. Non-Christians often handle it by saying, “If God is so good and sovereign, then why did He allow evil? Therefore, He’s either not completely good or not fully in control.” They restrict God’s options to one’s that are easy to imagine. It never occurs to them that God is protecting us from the information we are not able to handle.

We might ask whether we could at least get a peek at the board that illustrates the outline of God’s plan for our lives, but we can’t. That is because much of this information would be highly damaging to us or too toxic to handle. For example, we might think it is reassuring to see the list of those chosen by God for eternal life. We could ensure we were among them or know that we missed the boat and stop trying. However, learning with the certainty of God’s knowledge that we’d be saved no matter what we did or believed would corrupt us beyond recognition as Christians. This knowledge would be too toxic to our Christian walk. Some people lust for God’s understanding of the future. They are willing to trade their souls for a fragment of that knowledge.

One day we will learn the answers to all our questions, the things that finite creatures couldn’t understand or would be paralyzing if they were exposed now. For now, we are in a position where we must depend on the judgment of the Father who loves us. The answers to many of our questions about the will of God are best left to God.

God promises to take care of the obstacles in the paths of those who trust Him. In the book of Matthew, Jesus encourages us to seek His kingdom and righteousness first, and we will receive all future needs.

APRIL 13, 2023  

 “And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, And rose up and thrust him out of the city…” (Luke 4:28, 29a)

“All they” refers to the people of Nazareth who were gathered together on the Sabbath Day. Luke tells us how they had just witnessed with great wonderment the gracious words which Jesus had spoken in their midst. He had read to them out of the Prophet Isaiah (Ch. 61:1, 2) about Messiah, Who would come. He then declared the present fulfillment of that prophecy in Himself and His Gospel work.

What Jesus said next was in response to the thoughts that were going through their minds: “Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.” To this, Jesus responds by pointing out that God’s works of mercy and grace are done according to His Sovereign prerogative. This He does by using a couple of examples from the Old Testament taken from the ministries of Elijah and Elisha. Did Elijah go to Sarepta to bring relief to a Gentile widow who was in need because there were no needy widows in Israel? And was it because there were no lepers among his own people that Elisha decided to perform his healing miracle upon a Syrian by the name of Naaman?

When Jesus had thus spoken, the multitudes, who only moments before were marveling at His gracious words, were now infuriated. Not only did they thrust Him from their city, they fully intended to kill Him. (See Vs. 29b)

We learn from this event how bitterly human nature dislikes the doctrine of the sovereignty of God. When our Lord reminded the people of His own hometown that God was under no obligation to work miracles among them, their admiration immediately turned to hatred, and they were “filled with wrath.”The fact that He had done “many mighty works,” in Capernaum did not put Him in debt to the folks at Nazareth. “He doeth according to His will…and none can stay his hand, or say unto Him, what doest thou.” God is no respecter of persons, and He is not beholden to any man. The people of Nazareth felt that they deserved special favor because Jesus’ family lived there, and Jesus was brought up there. The Jews, we understand, were very resentful because Paul disallowed them any advantage over the Gentiles. In order to confirm the truth of his argument the Apostle quoted the Lord’s words to none other than Moses himself, “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” (Rom. 9:15; Ex. 33:19)

Men in general will passionately protest this undeniable truth, which both Scripture and common reasoning declare to be true. But, as is usually the case, human nature curses that which it ought to bless. I can say that I am saved because God is no respecter of persons, and because He will have mercy on whom He will, and He will have compassion on whom He will. If you are a child of grace, it is only because God saves whom He will. We are not required to somehow “qualify” for salvation. “He is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him.” If you are not saved, your hope of ever being saved lies in the fact that God sheds His grace on whom He will regardless of race, gender, pedigree, social status, or any other classification that might exist. Just cast yourself on His mercy and see for yourself that it is true.

Whether we like it or not, the sovereignty of God is a doctrine clearly set forth in Scripture, and a fact clearly to be seen in the world. All things are ordered by the sovereign hand of God. Let us be thankful for such light as we enjoy and use it profitably while we have it. And let us not doubt that when the day comes when we know as we are known, we shall be convinced, as will the whole world, that He Who now does as He wills and gives no account of His actions, has done all things well.