FIRST EFFECT OF SPIRITUAL LIFE-A.W. PINK

                                                
The first effect of the spiritual life in the soul is that its recipient is convicted of his impurity and guilt. The conscience is quickened and there is a piercing realization of both personal pollution and criminality. The illumined mind sees something of the awful malignity of sin, as being in its very nature contrary to the holiness of God, and in its essence nothing but high-handed rebellion against Him.

From that arises an abhorrence of it as a most vile and loathsome thing. The demerit of sin is seen, so that the soul is made to feel it has grievously provoked the Most High, exposing him to Divine wrath. Made aware of the plague of his he...art, knowing himself to be justly liable to the awful vengeance of the Almighty, his mouth is stopped, he has not a word to say in self-extenuation, he confesses himself to be guilty before Him; and henceforth that which most deeply concerns him is, What must I do to be saved? in what way may I escape the doom of the Law?           (selected)

ELECTION

                                                               
This has nothing to do with reprobate politics, but everything to do with redeemed people!  So fear not!

The doctrine of election is hated by the religious world, and always will be.  If you believe in divine, unconditional election, you indeed are a rare soul among professing Christians.  Most will not tolerate the scriptural doctrine of God's sovereign choice of His people, but we nonetheless declare it with the utmost confidence once again.  It is not our gift to be an editor of Scripture.

"According to the election of grace" (Romans 11:5).  There it is as plain as language can be, with no ifs and buts about it!  "The election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded" (Romans 11:7).  What?  Yes, salvation is of sovereign election, and all "To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved" (Ephesians 1:6).  It is not our choice anymore than it is the devil's!

Rejoice, rejoice for free and unconditional election to an eternal salvation in our Lord Jesus Christ!

How happy are we our election who see,
And venture, O Lord, for salvation on thee!
In Jesus approved, eternally loved,
Upheld by his power, we cannot be moved.
                                                               Augustus Toplady

DECLINING SOULS---RICHARD SIBBES

When we find our souls at all declining, it is best to raise them up presently by some awakening meditations, such as of the presence of God, of the strict reckoning we are to make, of the infinite love of God in Christ and the fruits of it, of the excellency of a Christian's calling, of the short and uncertain time of this life, of how little good all those things that steal away our hearts will do us before long, and of how it shall be for ever with us hereafter, as we spend this short time well or ill. The more we make way for such considerations to sink into our hearts, the more we shall rise nearer to that state of soul which we shall enjoy in heaven.

REGARDING SCRIPTURE--ARTHUR W. PINK

Christianity is the religion of a Book. Christianity is based upon the impregnable rock of Holy Scripture. The starting point of all doctrinal discussion must be the Bible. Upon the foundation of the Divine inspiration of the Bible stands or falls the entire edifice of Christian truth.—"If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?" (Ps. 11:3). Surrender the dogma of verbal inspiration and you are left like a rudderless ship on a stormy sea-at the mercy of every wind that blows. Deny that the Bible is, without any qualifications, the very Word of God, and you are left without any ultimate standard of measurement and without any supreme authority. It is useless to discuss any doctrine taught by the Bible until you are prepared to acknowledge, unreservedly, that the Bible is the final court of appeal. Grant that the Bible is a Divine revelation and communication of God’s own mind and will to men, and you have a fixed starting point from which advance can be made into the domain of truth. Grant that the Bible is (in its original manuscripts) inerrant and infallible and you reach the place where study of its contents is both practicable and profitable.

It is impossible to over-estimate the importance of the doctrine of the Divine inspiration of Scripture. This is the strategic center of Christian theology, and must be defended at all costs. It is the point at which our satanic enemy is constantly hurling his hellish battalions. Here it was he made his first attack. In Eden he asked, "Yea, hath God said?" and today he is pursuing the same tactics. Throughout the ages the Bible has been the central object of his assaults. Every available weapon in the devil’s arsenal has been employed in his determined and ceaseless efforts to destroy the temple of God’s truth. In the first days of the Christian era the attack of the enemy was made openly—the bonfire being the chief instrument of destruction—but, in these "last days" the assault is made in a more subtle manner and comes from a more unexpected quarter. The Divine origin of the Scriptures is now disputed in the name of "Scholarship" and "Science," and that, too, by those who profess to be friends and champions of the Bible. Much of the learning and theological activity of the hour, are concentrated in the attempt to discredit and destroy the authenticity and authority of God’s Word, the result being that thousands of nominal Christians are plunged into a sea of doubt. Many of those who are paid to stand in our pulpits and defend the Truth of God are now the very ones who are engaged in sowing the seeds of unbelief and destroying the faith of those to whom they minister. But these modern methods will prove no more successful in their efforts to destroy the Bible than did those employed in the opening centuries of the Christian era. As well might the birds attempt to demolish the granite rock of Gibraltar by pecking at it with their beaks—"For ever, O Lord, Thy Word is settled in heaven" (Ps. 119:89).

From the introduction to The Divine Inspiration of the Bible by Arthur W. Pink.

    

“So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11).

  

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on

him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not  come into

condemnation: but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24).

“ But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;

And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” ( II Timothy 3:14-17).

“ Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (Psalm 119:11).

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105)

SELF DENIAL OF CHRIST----JOHN FLAVEL

The self-denial of Christ is the pattern of believers, and their conformity unto it is their indispensable duty. “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich” (2Co 8:9). Jesus Christ, for the glory of God, and the love He bare to the elect, denied Himself all the delights and pleasures of this world…He was all His lifetime in the world, “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isa 53:5). “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head” (Mat 8:20). Yet this was the least part of Christ’s self-denial: What did He not deny when He left the bosom of His Father, with the ineffable delight and pleasures He there enjoyed from eternity, and instead thereof to drink the cup, the bitter cup of His Father’s wrath, for our sakes? O Christians, look to your pattern, and imitate your self-denying Savior.

TRUE SOUL WINNING--CHARLES SPURGEON

                                            

"We do not regard it to be soul-winning to steal members out of churches already established, and train them to utter our peculiar Shibboleth: we aim rather at bringing souls to Christ than at making converts to our synagogue. There are sheep-stealers abroad, concerning whom I will say nothing except that they are not "brethren", or, at least, they do not act in a brotherly fashion. To their own Master they must stand or fall. We count it utter meanness to build up our own house with the ruins of our neighbor’s mansions; we infinitely prefer to quarry for ourselves."

NOT ABLE TO FINISH----W. F. BELL

 (Another fine article by W.F. Bell for your reading. Please heed its mmessage. It has much biblical truth for us. If we apply it, we can receive help. The Bible is the word of truth. Please treat it so.)

One of the saddest texts in all of Scripture is Luke 14:29-30, "Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish."  "Builders" have started projects all through the ages, but have had to stop building for various reasons.  None of us like to start something, then become "not able to finish it."  But we are all guilty of starting a project, and after failing to "count the cost" (either in time, help, materials, or money), we then must abandon the project.  Sometimes, as in the words of Jesus, we experience "mockery" from others for our failures, lack of foresight, or our lack of perseverance.

The Christian life is likened to "running a race" (I Corinthians 9:24-27), but off and on we wonder if we are going to finish it, don't we?  Cares and burdens weight us down.  We take our eyes off of the Lord Jesus Christ, our "forerunner" (Hebrews 6:20), and look to "time and chance" to see us through.  We fail to "keep our body under subjection," we do not "count the cost" of discipleship, and often feel totally lost and deceived, locked up fast in Doubting Castle.  With Paul, we too say that we are "troubled on every side; fightings without, fears within."  It seems impossible for us to persevere.

So, to encourage us, let us forget about our failures, and let us look rather to Him who has already "run" this race successfully, even the great "captain of our salvation," our Lord and Savior, "a merciful and faithful high priest" (Hebrews 2:10,17).  Surely, with humble gratitude, we all must confess that He did finish what He came into the world to do, that is, "bringing many sons to glory."  He suffered tremendously by "finishing the race," for in "counting the cost," He willingly gave His own life's blood.  For such, Christ Jesus can never be "mocked" for failure!  And we truly rejoice in these words:  "Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever lives to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:25).  And with William Cowper we sing,

Come, let's run our race with patience,
Looking unto Christ the Lord,
Who doth live and reign forever,
With His Father and our God.
He is worthy to be praised,
He is our exalted King.