Just sharing.

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The path of the righteous Nevertheless, the righteous will hold to their ways, and those with clean hands will grow stronger. Job 17:9 NIV __________________ They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God. Psalm 84:7 KJV __________________ The righteous flourish like the palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Psalm 92:12 RSV __________________ But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, That shines brighter and brighter until the full day. Proverbs 4:18 NASB __________________ Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

 

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“Praying in the Holy Ghost.”

Jude 20

Mark the grand characteristic of true prayer — “In the Holy Ghost.” The seed of acceptable devotion must come from heaven's storehouse. Only the prayer which comes from God can go to God. We must shoot the Lord's arrows back to him. That desire which he writes upon our heart will move his heart and bring down a blessing, but the desires of the flesh have no power with him.

Praying in the Holy Ghost is praying in fervency. Cold prayers ask the Lord not to hear them. Those who do not plead with fervency, plead not at all. As well speak of lukewarm fire as of lukewarm prayer — it is essential that it be red hot. It is praying perseveringly. The true suppliant gathers force as he proceeds, and grows more fervent when God delays to answer. The longer the gate is closed, the more vehemently does he use the knocker, and the longer the angel lingers the more resolved is he that he will never let him go without the blessing. Beautiful in God's sight is tearful, agonizing, unconquerable importunity.

It means praying humbly, for the Holy Spirit never puffs us up with pride. It is his office to convince of sin, and so to bow us down in contrition and brokenness of spirit. We shall never sing Gloria in excelsis except we pray to God De profundis: out of the depths must we cry, or we shall never behold glory in the highest. It is loving prayer. Prayer should be perfumed with love, saturated with love—love to our fellow saints, and love to Christ. Moreover, it must be a prayer full of faith. A man prevails only as he believes. The Holy Spirit is the author of faith, and strengthens it, so that we pray believing God's promise. O that this blessed combination of excellent graces, priceless and sweet as the spices of the merchant, might be fragrant within us because the Holy Ghost is in our hearts! Most blessed Comforter, exert thy mighty power within us, helping our infirmities in prayer.

 

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HAPPINESS COMES FROM WANTING WHAT YOU HAVE

The world's concept of happiness is having what we want. The people on TV tell us we need
the latest jeans, the latest cologne and the most effective deodorant or we'll be out of style
and have no friends. We watch the commercials and read the ads, and we go crazy to get
all the latest fashions, fads and cool stuff. We're not really happy until we get what we want.

God's concept of happiness is summed up in the words "Happy is the person who wants what
he has? As long as you are focusing on what you don't have, you'll be unhappy. But when you
begin to appreciate what you already have, you'll be happy all your life. Satan's lie is that God
won't give you what you need or enough of what you need. Paul wrote: "Godliness with contentment
is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have
food and clothing, we will be content with that" ( 1Timothy 6 : 6-8 )

Actually, you already have everything you need to make you happy forever. You have CHRIST. You
have eternal life. You are loved by a Heavenly Father who has promised to supply all your needs.
No wonder the Bible repeatedly commands us to be thankful. (1 Thessalonians 5 : 18). Jesus told
us not to worry about what we would eat or drink or wear but to seek His rule in our lives. ( Matthew 6 : 25 -34)
If you really want to be happy, learn to be thankful for what you have, not greedy for what you don't have...

 

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Not lacking in any gift I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all [4]; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. John 10:28,29 NIV __________________ But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil. 2 Thessalonians 3:3 KJV __________________ But it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has commissioned us. 2 Corinthians 1:21 RSV __________________ You are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:7-9 NASB __________________ Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

 

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''But he answered her not a word.”

Matthew 15:23

Genuine seekers who as yet have not obtained the blessing, may take comfort from the story before us. The Savior did not at once bestow the blessing, even though the woman had great faith in him. He intended to give it, but he waited awhile. “He answered her not a word.” Were not her prayers good? Never better in the world. Was not her case needy? Sorrowfully needy. Did she not feel her need sufficiently? She felt it overwhelmingly. Was she not earnest enough? She was intensely so. Had she no faith? She had such a high degree of it that even Jesus wondered, and said, “O woman, great is thy faith.”

See then, although it is true that faith brings peace, yet it does not always bring it instantaneously. There may be certain reasons calling for the trial of faith, rather than the reward of faith. Genuine faith may be in the soul like a hidden seed, but as yet it may not have budded and blossomed into joy and peace. A painful silence from the Savior is the grievous trial of many a seeking soul, but heavier still is the affliction of a harsh cutting reply such as this, “It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.”

Many in waiting upon the Lord find immediate delight, but this is not the case with all. Some, like the jailer, are in a moment turned from darkness to light, but others are plants of slower growth. A deeper sense of sin may be given to you instead of a sense of pardon, and in such a case you will have need of patience to bear the heavy blow. Ah! poor heart, though Christ beat and bruise thee, or even slay thee, trust him; though he should give thee an angry word, believe in the love of his heart. Do not, I beseech thee, give up seeking or trusting my Master, because thou hast not yet obtained the conscious joy which thou longest for. Cast thyself on him, and perseveringly depend even where thou canst not rejoicingly hope.

 

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How Were People Saved Before Jesus Christ Existed?


How were people saved before Jesus died on the cross?
Saved by Grace
Believers have the privilege of looking backward at the saints of the Old Testament, and seeing how their belief in God was validated by their actions (more on that later), but today we know that it is “by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” (Eph 2:8), so it is “not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph 2:8-9), and if we could boast about saving ourselves by works, you know we would! This also gives all the glory to God for our salvation. This means works have no part in our salvation except for validating that we are saved. James wrote, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works” (James 2:18).

If there are no good works after a person is saved, then that person might not be saved, for “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him” (James 2:14)? No. James says that kind of faith cannot save them because it is a dead faith. Of course, we are saved to do good works because “we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Eph 2:10). Not saved by works but saved to do works for Christ (i.e. Matt 25:35-36) that God has long ago, ordained that we should walk in them (Eph 2:10).

Confirming your Call
When Jesus was going to heal a father’s son, the father wanted to believe, but “said, “I believe; help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24a). Why did he say that? Perhaps he was not sure that Jesus would heal his son because of his own weak faith, but in the end, Jesus did heal the boy (Mark 9:25). Jesus had succeeded where his disciples has failed (Mark 9:18). If the man’s faith determined whether the boy would have been healed or not, then the boy would have likely never been healed, but the man’s faith, apparently being weak, was no obstacle to Jesus.

The father probably did believe after this. He may have believed Jesus could heal, but he may have doubted his own faithfulness to God or lack of faith in God. Thankfully, salvation does depend on us but upon God who draws us to Himself through Christ (John 6:44). There are really only four classes of people on the earth. They are people who think they are saved but are not; people who think they are saved and are; people who think they are not saved but are, and people who think they are not saved and full well know it.

This is why the Apostle Peter wanted us to “be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall” (2 Pet 1:10). That confirmation may come from within their own heart, be more like, it’ll be confirmed in the works they would have otherwise never done. Jesus said, “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples” (John 15:8). Making your election sure could be just as easy as looking back at your life and seeing a pattern of growing holiness (sanctification), and growth in grace and the knowledge of the Word of God. These are fruits of salvation in a sense.

Old Testament Saints
We know the Old Testament saints, such as Noah, Moses, Elijah, Abraham, David, and many others were saved, but how could they be saved even before Jesus’ death on the cross? The same way we were saved. We believed God and it was accounted to us as righteousness. It says that Abraham “believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness” (Gen 15:6). That’s why he and many other Old Testament saints were saved. They believed God. Moses believed God and proved it by observing “the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them” (Heb 11:28). By seeing Moses and Elijah in the transfiguration, we know that they are still alive, and they will be in the kingdom (Matt 17:1-8).

God is the God of the living and not the dead (Mark 12:27), so the dead saints of old will be in the coming kingdom, just as your departed, but saved family and friends will be. All of these saints were “gathered to their people” (Gen 25:8, 49:33; Deut 32:50), meaning they would see their descendants again. Even David who lost his infant son knew he would see him again (2 Sam 12:23). That’s because Jesus’ work goes backward in time, while resting in the present, but extending into the future for all who will trust in Christ, some not even born yet.

Conclusion
Jesus’ sinless life, atoning death, and subsequent resurrection means we too can be saved, just as the Old Testament saints believed God and it was accounted to them as God’s very own righteousness. The Apostle Paul tells us that it was “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor 5:21), but this also means it was for their sake too! They had their sins atoned for by Christ before Christ even existed in the flesh. God accepts that sacrifice and it is sufficient for all sins, but also it is all efficient to save all who believe, no matter when they were born.

 

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God Will Send a Saviour Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Titus 2:13 KJV __________________ And it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt: for they shall cry unto the LORD because of the oppressors, and he shall send them a saviour, and a great one, and he shall deliver them. Isaiah 19:20 KJV __________________ Declare and present your case; let them take counsel together! Who told this long ago? Who declared it of old? Was it not I, the LORD? And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me. Isaiah 45:21 RSV __________________ I, even I, am the LORD, And there is no savior besides Me. Isaiah 43:11 NASB __________________ Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

 

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“And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible.”

Jeremiah 15:21

Note the glorious personality of the promise. I will, I will. The Lord Jehovah himself interposes to deliver and redeem his people. He pledges himself personally to rescue them. His own arm shall do it, that he may have the glory. Here is not a word said of any effort of our own which may be needed to assist the Lord. Neither our strength nor our weakness is taken into the account, but the lone I, like the sun in the heavens, shines out resplendent in all-sufficience.

Why then do we calculate our forces, and consult with flesh and blood to our grievous wounding? Jehovah has power enough without borrowing from our puny arm. Peace, ye unbelieving thoughts, be still, and know that the Lord reigneth. Nor is there a hint concerning secondary means and causes. The Lord says nothing of friends and helpers: he undertakes the work alone, and feels no need of human arms to aid him. Vain are all our lookings around to companions and relatives; they are broken reeds if we lean upon them—often unwilling when able, and unable when they are willing. Since the promise comes alone from God, it would be well to wait only upon him; and when we do so, our expectation never fails us.

Who are the wicked that we should fear them? The Lord will utterly consume them; they are to be pitied rather than feared. As for terrible ones, they are only terrors to those who have no God to fly to, for when the Lord is on our side, whom shall we fear? If we run into sin to please the wicked, we have cause to be alarmed, but if we hold fast our integrity, the rage of tyrants shall be overruled for our good. When the fish swallowed Jonah, he found him a morsel which he could not digest; and when the world devours the church, it is glad to be rid of it again. In all times of fiery trial, in patience let us possess our souls.

 

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The Lost Art Of Contentment


Are you having difficulty in being content with life? Here’s some biblical help.
State of Mind
When I think about contentment, and the question comes to me, “Is the glass half empty or half full,” typically, my response is, “I’m just glad I have a glass!” Besides, isn’t it both? Whether it’s half empty or half full is not an issue for me because, at least I have a glass! Contentment is a choice, and it’s not something we naturally gravitate to. Contentment is a state of mind, or putting things into perspective. And contentment can keep us out of a lot of trouble. The opposite of being contented is being in a state of discontentment, and no one wants to live under that tent. Solomon wrote that “A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention” (Prov 15:18). Slow, calm, and well-thought out responses can quite contention, just as anger can incite it.

During John the Baptist’s ministry, “Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages” (Luke 3:14). Ahh…now we’re starting to get somewhere. Being content with what we have is a start. One example is being content with our wages or finances. The Apostle Paul had good reason to feel discontented, being the most severely persecuted of all the apostles. He wrote, “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor 12:10). Paul was content, even with these hardships, because he knew it was for Christ’s name’s sake that he suffered.

Contentment’s a Choice
Contentment is definitely something that we chose, however, as I wrote earlier, it doesn’t come naturally. The Apostle Paul told Timothy that “if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content” (1 Tim 6:8). Being contented is pleasing to God. Paul writes that “godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Tim 6:6), showing it is precious in God’s sight, but it’s something we have to pursue, so how can we be content in difficult circumstances? First of all, “if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.” Many people in the world are homeless, have little clothing, and scratch out a living every day. For many, there is never enough to eat, so it’s a struggle to just get through the day, so when our contentment is dependent upon our circumstances, our contentment can come and go, and be as volatile as the stock market.

Life can become a pendulum, swinging from one extreme to the other. By putting things into perspective, If we can see just how much most of us have been blessed with compared to the rest of the world, our perspective will change. It’ll be easier to stop associating our circumstances with our true contentment found in Christ. The author of Hebrews nails much of what we know about contentment, writing that we should “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb 13:5). If we keep our lives free from the love of money, we’ll take a huge step toward being contented, however, if we feel we never have enough money, we almost certainly will not be content.

Learning Contentment
Contentment is a choice, but there’s a way you can learn how to be content. As I said before, it doesn’t come naturally, but Paul learned how to do it, and so can we. Paul endured many a hardship, so he had a lot of experience with suffering, and he wrote, “I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need” (Phil 4:12). How was Paul able to be content through all this? He said “I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content” (Phil 4:11b). In other words, whatever situation he was in (hunger, cold, hot, thirst, stoning’s, imprisonment), he learned how to be content, but how did he learn it? First, he had a lot of opportunities to suffer, but he also knew he was suffering for his faith, and particularly, sharing the faith. Paul knew that he needed Christ, writing, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Phil 4:13).

That also means he could do nothing without Christ (John 15:5). He learned that it was through Christ’s strengthening him in times of deep despair that enabled Paul to be content. Even in great difficulty, he still had to have the frame of mind to be content, but this was not something he could do on his own. He needed help. And he got it! Paul was not surprised by this suffering. Jesus had already told him he was going to suffer many things for His name’s sake (Acts 9:16, 14:22), which is why he said, “as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities” (2 Cor 6:4), thus it is “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor 12:10).

The Unsearchable Riches
Paul was content with “weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities,” but sometimes we’re discontented because we can’t find a good parking space or someone’s driving too slowly ahead of us. Whatever the case, if we allow circumstances to determine our contentment, we are not recognizing just how much we’ve been blessed with “the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Eph 3:8b). When we recognize that we have such a precious pearl of great price, we should feel compelled “to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places” (Eph 3:9-10). The main thing is the plain thing, and the plain thing is, we are saved by grace and not by works, but we are also saved for works, and these works are to glorify God (John 15:8; Eph 2:8-10).

Conclusion
A lack of contentment can lead to addictions. The Book of Job says, “Because he knew no contentment in his belly, he will not let anything in which he delights escape him” (John 20:20). Whatever it is that we don’t have enough of, there’ll be no contentment, because it seems that it always takes just a little bit more. To be content, we first of all must be at peace with God, and there is no peace with God until we’ve made peace with God through Jesus Christ (Rom 5:1). This means the condemnation has been lifted (Rom 8:1). We can now be content in Christ because we’re accepted by God in Christ. If all you have is Christ, then you have all you need. I would say abundantly more than you’ll ever need, and that should leave you feeling quite contented.

 

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The LORD lives! The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior! Psalm 18:46 NIV __________________ And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob. Isaiah 49:26 KJV __________________ Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus: Acts 13:23 RSV __________________ He shall receive a blessing from the LORD And righteousness from the God of his salvation. Psalms 24:5 NASB __________________ Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

 

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“Whom he did predestinate, them he also called.”

Romans 8:30

In the second epistle to Timothy, first chapter, and ninth verse, are these words — “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling.” Now, here is a touchstone by which we may try our calling. It is “an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace.” This calling forbids all trust in our own doings, and conducts us to Christ alone for salvation, but it afterwards purges us from dead works to serve the living and true God. As he that hath called you is holy, so must you be holy.

If you are living in sin, you are not called, but if you are truly Christ's, you can say, “Nothing pains me so much as sin; I desire to be rid of it; Lord, help me to be holy.” Is this the panting of thy heart? Is this the tenor of thy life towards God, and his divine will? Again, in Philippians, 3:13, 14, we are told of “The high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Is then your calling a high calling? Has it ennobled your heart, and set it upon heavenly things? Has it elevated your hopes, your tastes, your desires? Has it upraised the constant tenor of your life, so that you spend it with God and for God?

Another test we find in Hebrews 3:1 — “Partakers of the heavenly calling.” Heavenly calling means a call from heaven. If man alone call thee, thou art uncalled. Is thy calling of God? Is it a call to heaven as well as from heaven? Unless thou art a stranger here, and heaven thy home, thou hast not been called with a heavenly calling; for those who have been so called, declare that they look for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God, and they themselves are strangers and pilgrims upon the earth. Is thy calling thus holy, high, heavenly? Then, beloved, thou hast been called of God, for such is the calling wherewith God doth call his people.

 

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Jesus Commands: Trust & Fear Me


Fear and trust sound like opposites. And yet Jesus commands both from us.
We are much more comfortable with the idea that we are meant to trust Jesus, so I will start there.

View the PDF of this post for ease of printing.

Perhaps surprisingly, when you search the gospels in most English translations, you don’t actually find Jesus commanding us to trust him.
One notable exception, however, is found in the Living Bible:

“Don’t be afraid. Just trust me.” (Mark 5:36, Living Bible)

It is interesting to see that trust is an antidote to fear. When Jesus was with his disciples in the boat being buffeted by a storm he asked them “why are you so afraid?” When we learn to trust Jesus our fears may not completely disappear, but they will be eased. Whatever happens to us HE is with us.
Almost all other translations of this verse use the word ‘believe‘ rather than trust. However, in English the word believe doesn’t tend to be strongly associated with the idea of trust. We tend to think of belief being about concepts we are convinced intellectually of. But in Biblical Greek believing, having faith, trusting, and being trusted with something are essentially entwined, and all these ideas are contained in the same word.
So for example, the word that the Living Bible translates as trust in Mark 5, is translated ‘entrusted‘ by many translators in one of Paul’s letters, where the Apostle says

“we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel”
(1 Thessalonians 2:4, ESV)

This verse obviously immediately raises the question will we honour that trust and fulfil the task God has given us. And note that it is not just a task for the evangelists.
But when it comes to Jesus we can be certain that he is worthy of our trust and will not let us down. As we saw in the last article, our greatest confidence that we will continue in our faith is that Jesus himself has promised to keep us and he is trustworthy, always fulfilling his promises.
So I believe it is reasonable to conclude that when Jesus commanded us to ‘repent and believe‘, as I have written about previously, he doesn’t just want an intellectual conclusion in our minds, he speaks to our hearts and calls for a deep sense of trust and confidence in Jesus and his goodness.

Christians believe that God is all powerful, and that he created the universe out of nothing. We believe God created it good, and when it went bad that he started a rescue operation. This culminated in God himself becoming a man, living a perfect life, dying a death he didn’t deserve for us, and then he rose again from death, before ascending into heaven, where he is now preparing an eternal dwelling for us, and he promises to bless us abundantly both now and in the age to come.
If all that is true, then how can we not understand that he loves us?
And if he loves us then we should love him, as we discovered previously. Surely part of love is also trust. And if God has done so much for us already, why shouldn’t we trust him both now and with our future?

If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
(Romans 8:31-32)

At times we find it hard to trust God because he doesn’t give us these all things immediately. Trust requires patience and an expectation that all will eventually be well, and that in the meantime God will bless us in all kinds of ways. God’s blessings really are already but not yet.
When I was diagnosed with Leukaemia, although my faith was shaken to some extent, ultimately trust in God prevailed and gave me strength. Its a journey I still walk along and my trust is far from perfect. But without trust in God there is literally no hope for any of us.
When bad things happen to us, then often we are tempted to doubt God’s goodness. We believe that God is all powerful and so we know that he could have stopped what is happening to us. I do find the distinction important between him sovereignly turning bad things around for our good and actually being the author our suffering. This is something I speak about in my post Giving Thanks IN Your Suffering, Not FOR It. However the question still arises which C.S. Lewis puts this way:

“If God’s goodness is inconsistent with hurting us, then either God is not good or there is no God for in the only life we know He hurts us beyond our worst fears and beyond all we can imagine.”
-C.S. Lewis, A Grief Observed.

Theologians write “theodicies” to attempt to answer that question. To me the best answer is that Jesus wept & suffered for us.
But we do also believe that he is graciously doing work in us through suffering. Perhaps the best expression of trust in God, and hope that he is at work planning a positive future for us is one of the most famous verses in the Bible:

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

The phrase ‘called according to his purpose‘ brings us back to the gospel message. Essentially, if God has given us salvation he can be trusted with our whole lives even when it looks bleak.
There is a powerful link between meditating on the cross and resurrection of Jesus and fanning into flame both trust and hope in us. This is why I put together a playlist of what I call “Gospel Hope“. You can easily listen on both Spotify and Apple Music.
I listen to this playlist often, because I find that it pulls on my heart strings and reminds me that Jesus is worthy of my trust because of his great love for me. No matter what suffering I am going through, he is with me. And he suffered far worse for me.

I am not alone. Nor are you.
Jesus wants to comfort you right now with his love, and fan into flame your trust in him. And, with the comfort we receive from him in our suffering, we are to comfort others. As we shall see later, offering the comfort, love and trustworthiness of Jesus to others is crucial for our salvation. And if we never do it, we should be very afraid, as Jesus takes a very dim view of those who don’t.
There are many Bible verses which show us how trust in God will help us conquer our fears. But we are also called to a greater fear that casts out lesser ones.
Our confidence that Jesus has a secure future in store for us should prompt both our fear and our trust.

The nature of God should inspire trust in us. But it must also inspire fear.
C.S. Lewis links the idea of the fear of God to the idea that God is at work in the suffering he allows into our lives. We can be afraid of surgery and the pain that it will bring us, and so in that sense be afraid of the surgeon. But we can simultaneously trust that the Surgeon is skilled and will inflict damage on us with a view to curing us. In the same way we can both fear and trust God:

“What do people mean when they say, ‘I am not afraid of God because I know He is good’? Have they never even been to a dentist?”
– C.S. Lewis, A Grief Observed

Some people fear God but think of Jesus as the softer kinder version of God. But we are also called to fear Jesus. Once again as we have seen before in this series, Jesus takes something that the Old Testament applies only to the One True God, and applies it to himself using his title of ‘The Son of Man”. So just as we saw in the article on Jesus demand that we love him, he is claiming equality with God by this. He tells us to fear the one who can destroy us in hell and tells us that it is HIMSELF:

You shall fear only the LORD your God (Deuteronomy 6:13, NASB)
Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 10:28-33)

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:31-46)

Image: Pixabay
We can see a number of things from these verses.

1. Hell is real, and is far worse than anything we can suffer on earth.
2. Jesus is the one who decides who goes to hell. Piper explains this:
   

   “Jesus spoke of hell more than anyone else in the Bible. He referred to it as a place of “outer darkness” where “there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 8:12). In other words, all the joys that we associate with light will be withdrawn, and all the fears that we associate with darkness will be multiplied. And the result will be an intensity of misery that makes a person grind his teeth in order to bear it. . .
   Therefore, give heed to Jesus’ clear demand to fear the one who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Hear it as a great mercy. What a wonderful thing it is that Jesus warns us. He does not leave us ignorant of the wrath to come. He not only warns. He rescues. This is the best effect of fear: It wakens us to our need for help and points us to the all-sufficient Redeemer, Jesus. Let it have this effect on you. Let it lead you to Jesus who says to everyone who believes in him, “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32).” (What Jesus demands from the world (p. 92, 98). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books)

3. Compassion towards others is one of the criteria Jesus uses on judgement day. Perhaps Social Justice is more important than many of us think. It seems he really meant it when he said that love is the greatest commandment and expects that if we have been born again we will be characterised by this love and compassion to others who are most in need.
4. Our fear of God is somehow linked with a lack of fear towards the circumstances we face. The Sparrow verse exists not on its own but in a fear of God sandwich. If you fear HIM, then you need not really fear anything else. Because God is precisely the sort of being that is infinitely worthy of our fear, he is also infinitely worthy of our trust. And we can be confident that because he is also for us, he will not allow anything bad to befall us, unless he will turn that around for our ultimate good. We both trust and fear God so we don’t have to really fear anything else.

How fascinating is that verse about the sparrows. We see that as there is no conflict between trust and fear, in fact that the two are entwined. As is so often the case Piper expresses this so clearly:

“There is a real fear of him that can coexist with sweet peace and trust in him”
–Piper, J. (2006). What Jesus demands from the world (p. 95). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

The idea of fear of the Lord being entwined with positive emotions is found also in Psalm 2 where we are told:

“Serve the Lord with fear,
and rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son,
lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭2:11‬-12

Serve and rejoice.
Fear and trembling with joy.
Affection for the very one who has wrath.
Refuge found in the same one who may cause us to perish.

When it comes to Jesus, we can trust the very same one we fear.
We come to the most powerful being in the universe. He is significant. Why would we not be afraid as we are called into his presence?
Wouldn’t we be at least a little nervous if summonsed into the presence of the Queen of England? What if when we met her we found she was a loving grandmother figure eager to welcome us into her family as she has done with those who have married her children and grandchildren? She wouldn’t stop being queen even if we were adopted into her family.
Similarly a lack of fear in God demonstrates a disdain for his glory, it is as though we think he is insignificant.
A key passage in understanding the fear of God is Psalm 36. Tim Keller reflects on this psalm explaining his concept of how we all too often “shrug at God“:

“Fearing God (verse 1) is not mere belief in him. It is to be so filled with joyful awe before the magnificence of God that we tremble at the privilege of knowing, serving, and pleasing him.
Sin shrugs at God. Its essence is failing to believe not that he exists but that he matters. This attitude is deadly. Fear of God and self-understanding grow or diminish together.
Indifference toward God is a form of self-conceit (verse 2) and self-deception (verse 2). To feel no need for God is to be out of touch with reality—such people have “ceased to be wise” (verse 3). What starts as mere overconfidence can grow into dishonesty and cruelty (verse 4). Sin is spiritual cancer.”
Keller, The Songs of Jesus (image: Flickr)

The Apostle Paul takes up a similar theme of mixing faith in God with fear of him when he says:

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”
(‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2:12-13‬)

We fear because God is at work in us.
We trust because God is at work in us.
We work hard to learn how to obey because we know God is at work in us.
And he works in us for good not evil.
And so we see that,

Our peace does not come from our removing the God of wrath from our thinking, but from his removing his wrath from us. He has done that by sending Jesus to die in our place so that, for everyone who believes in Jesus, God’s wrath is taken away.
– Piper, J. (2006). What Jesus demands from the world (p. 95). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

The bible is full of references to fear of God. We simply cannot escape it or explain it away. Here are a few more to be meditating on:

• The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10)
• “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. . . For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Hebrews 10:19-22, 30-31)
• “Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord . . . Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:14, 28-29)
• “We make it our aim to please Him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. (2 Corinthians 5:9-11)

Fear and trust combined make respect.
I will close this article with the words of one of the psalms which talk both of the fear of God, and us taking refuge in him with great trust and confidence of the protection he offers us:

Transgression speaks to the wicked
deep in his heart;
there is no fear of God
before his eyes.
For he flatters himself in his own eyes
that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated.
The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit;
he has ceased to act wisely and do good. . . .
Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds. . .
How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings
(Psalm 36:1-3, 5, 7)

 

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My Savior and my God. Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ... Titus 2:13 KJV __________________ Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. Psalms 42:11 NIV __________________ Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob. Isaiah 60:16 KJV __________________ Though the fig tree do not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. Habakkuk 3:17,18 RSV __________________ Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

 

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“The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost.”

John 14:26

This age is peculiarly the dispensation of the Holy Spirit, in which Jesus cheers us, not by his personal presence, as he shall do by-and-by, but by the indwelling and constant abiding of the Holy Ghost, who is evermore the Comforter of the church. It is his office to console the hearts of God's people. He convinces of sin; he illuminates and instructs; but still the main part of his work lies in making glad the hearts of the renewed, in confirming the weak, and lifting up all those that be bowed down.

He does this by revealing Jesus to them. The Holy Spirit consoles, but Christ is the consolation. If we may use the figure, the Holy Spirit is the Physician, but Jesus is the medicine. He heals the wound, but it is by applying the holy ointment of Christ's name and grace. He takes not of his own things, but of the things of Christ. So if we give to the Holy Spirit the Greek name of Paraclete, as we sometimes do, then our heart confers on our blessed Lord Jesus the title of Paraclesis. If the one be the Comforter, the other is the Comfort.

Now, with such rich provision for his need, why should the Christian be sad and desponding? The Holy Spirit has graciously engaged to be thy Comforter: dost thou imagine, O thou weak and trembling believer, that he will be negligent of his sacred trust? Canst thou suppose that he has undertaken what he cannot or will not perform? If it be his especial work to strengthen thee, and to comfort thee, dost thou suppose he has forgotten his business, or that he will fail in the loving office which he sustains towards thee? Nay, think not so hardly of the tender and blessed Spirit whose name is “the Comforter.” He delights to give the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Trust thou in him, and he will surely comfort thee till the house of mourning is closed for ever, and the marriage feast has begun.

 

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Is It Possible Christians Can Blaspheme God’s Name?


The Bible speaks of blasphemy, but what does it mean to blasphemy?

What Blasphemy Means
Blasphemy means to take the Lord God’s name in vain and use it in a worthless manner, which includes using it as a swear word. The Bible says that God will not let anyone get away with that (Deut 5:11), but what about euphemisms like “Gosh darn it” or “Jeeze,” “Oh my God,” and some even using “OMFG?” Anytime God’s name is used in an irreverent way, including Jesus’ name, it is considered blaspheme because Jesus Christ is God. Taking God’s name in vain means to use it in a pointless, careless, or even an angry way.

When we blaspheme His name, we are taking the holiest, highest name in the universe and treating it with disdain, and to profane His holy name is sin. Euphemisms are the substitution of an agreeable or inoffensive expression for one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant, so even if we use a euphemism for God’s or Jesus’ name, we are profaning the name of God, and as I wrote, that is a serious thing to Him. I wonder how people would like it if someone used their mother’s name as a swear word, or their wife or husband’s name as a curse word? I believe most people wouldn’t like it very much, so imagine how a holy, perfect, and just God feels when we use His name as a swear word or use it in a vain or worthless manner?

Abbreviations
Perhaps the greatest disparaging of God’s holy name is with the innocent-sounding and much used expression “Oh my God!” Sometimes it is abbreviated as OMG in texts, emails and on social networks, but now it’s even worse as we see OMFG, and you don’t need much of an imagination to know what that means. This is clearly using His name in vain, and in the strictest sense, He considers that blaspheme. Today, “Oh my God!” is one of the most frequently used expressions in society, and sadly, even among Christians. This should never be so. Everyone has their moments, but to be continually using God’s name in an irreverent way is not just a “slip of the tongue,” it is blaspheme, or the careless use of His holy name.

Old Testament Law
Deuteronomy 5:11 says, “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.” This is first mentioned in Exodus 20:7. At the time, it was a crime punishable by death. When Jesus was tried illegally, He was actually accused of blaspheme because He said “you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Then the high priest tore his robes (which broke the law) and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy” (Matt 26:64b-65). Jesus could not commit blaspheme because He is God, and yet many times the religious leaders tried to stone Him for making Himself out to be equal with God. By the way, He is God (John 8:59; 10:30-33).

Blaspheme of the Holy Spirit
Jesus said that you could blaspheme His name and it would be forgiven, but Jesus did not say blaspheming His name was not sin. It most certainly is, but He said that whoever blasphemes the Holy Spirit would not be forgiven. What did He mean by that? Who was He talking to? Does this apply to us today? Let’s read the account in Matthew 12: 22-32:


“Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.” That sounds very much like this sin has no expiration date.

Without Excuse
I hope you notice that Jesus was speaking to the self-righteous here…the Pharisees. He was not speaking to His disciples or to the crowd. The religious leaders thought that they had no sin but were wrong since all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). Jesus understood that they “trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt” (Luke 18:9), but without realizing it, they blasphemed the Holy Spirit by accusing Jesus of using satanic powers to cast out demons, so essentially, they accused Jesus of using the power of Satan, when it was clearly the power of the Holy Spirit. That is blaspheming God since the Holy Spirit is also God. They knew better because they had seen Him heal this sick, open the eyes of the blind, make the mute speak, and even raise the dead, and still they accused Him of using the Devil’s power (Beelzebul) to perform these miracles

. Clearly, they blasphemed the Holy Spirit because Jesus said that “it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons” (Matt 12:28), and so they had accused the Holy Spirit of doing the Devil’s work, and that is blaspheme, and Jesus warned them, that “whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come” (Matt 12:32). That saying “either in this age or in the age to come,” insinuates that it’s still possible to blaspheme the Holy Spirit, particularly if the work of the Spirit is referred to as the work of Satan or his minions.

Conclusion
If you have blasphemed God and His holy name, you can be forgiven. We are all sinners and there is no sin that is so big that cannot be forgiven. No matter how big your sin is, it’s never too big for the work that was done on your behalf at Calvary. Have a big sin? We have an even bigger Savior, and He is a big time forgiver of sins. Come today to repentance and confess your sins…even if its blasphemy…and you can be cleansed (1 John 1:9). Put your trust in Christ and God will see you as having Jesus’ very own righteousness (2 Cor 5:21).

If not, then listen to what Jesus says in John 3:36 “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” Don’t go there. Jesus says repent and believe (Mark 1:14-15) while it’s still today (2 Cor 6:2). Repent of your sins, confess them to God, and trust in the only name given by which we can be saved, Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12; 16:30-31). That is my prayer for anyone who is not saved and reads this.

 

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He will be our guide The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand. Psalm 37:23,24 KJV __________________ He will be our guide, even unto death. Psalm 48:14 KJV __________________ I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Psalm 73:23,24 NIV __________________ Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5,6 NASB __________________ The righteousness of the blameless keeps his way straight, but the wicked falls by his own wickedness. Proverbs 11:5 RSV __________________ Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

 

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“Love is strong as death.”

Song of Solomon 8:6

Whose love can this be which is as mighty as the conqueror of monarchs, the destroyer of the human race? Would it not sound like satire if it were applied to my poor, weak, and scarcely living love to Jesus my Lord? I do love him, and perhaps by his grace, I could even die for him, but as for my love in itself, it can scarcely endure a scoffing jest, much less a cruel death. Surely it is my Beloved's love which is here spoken of — the love of Jesus, the matchless lover of souls.

His love was indeed stronger than the most terrible death, for it endured the trial of the cross triumphantly. It was a lingering death, but love survived the torment; a shameful death, but love despised the shame; a penal death, but love bore our iniquities; a forsaken, lonely death, from which the eternal Father hid his face, but love endured the curse, and gloried over all. Never such love, never such death. It was a desperate duel, but love bore the palm. What then, my heart? Hast thou no emotions excited within thee at the contemplation of such heavenly affection? Yes, my Lord, I long, I pant to feel thy love flaming like a furnace within me. Come thou thyself and excite the ardor of my spirit.

“For every drop of crimson blood
Thus shed to make me live,
O wherefore, wherefore have not I
A thousand lives to give?”


Why should I despair of loving Jesus with a love as strong as death? He deserves it: I desire it. The martyrs felt such love, and they were but flesh and blood, then why not I? They mourned their weakness, and yet out of weakness were made strong. Grace gave them all their unflinching constancy—there is the same grace for me. Jesus, lover of my soul, shed abroad such love, even thy love in my heart, this evening.

 

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Hebrews 4:16, "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace
that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

Let us pour out our hearts before our Heavenly Father and God Almighty
as we enter into this year with His enabling grace.

THEREFORE LET US:

* Praise God for the gift of life
* Praise Him for His never-failing promises
* Praise Him for the hope of eternal glory

NOW PRAY FOR THE FOLLOWING:

* Grace in time of trial
* Divine help in time of need
* Divine uplifting for the discouraged
* Divine strength for the persecuted and tried
* Divine healing for the sick
* Children for the barren wives
* Job for the jobless
* Divine provision and continuous supply for the poor and destitute
* Reassurance for the hopeless
* Divine empowering for the weak
* Courage to face hard times
* Victory over temptation
* Renewed faith for weary souls

LET US INTERCEDE FOR THE FOLLOWING:

* Broken homes and relationships
* Orphans and abandoned children
* Unconverted spouses
* Wayward children
* Renewed hope in families
* Spiritual awakening for the nations
* National economic revival
* National stability in such a time like this
* Peace for war-torn countries
* Right attitudes during trials
* Restoration of lost blessings
* Rekindled love for God

Fast and pray over all these prayer points and the good Lord will
show Himself strong in our midst in Jesus' name, amen!

 

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You will make known to me the path of life Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. Tose who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. Daniel 12:2,3 NIV __________________ Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely. For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay. You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever. Psalm 16:9-11 NASB __________________ Thy dead shall live, their bodies shall rise. O dwellers in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For thy dew is a dew of light, and on the land of the shades thou wilt let it fall. Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until the wrath is past. For behold, the LORD is coming forth out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity, and the earth will disclose the blood shed upon her, and will no more cover her slain. Isaiah 26:19-21 RSV __________________ Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

 

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“And be not conformed to this world.”

Romans 12:2

If a Christian can by possibility be saved while he conforms to this world, at any rate it must be so as by fire. Such a bare salvation is almost as much to be dreaded as desired. Reader, would you wish to leave this world in the darkness of a desponding death bed, and enter heaven as a shipwrecked mariner climbs the rocks of his native country? then be worldly; be mixed up with Mammonites, and refuse to go without the camp bearing Christ's reproach.

But would you have a heaven below as well as a heaven above? Would you comprehend with all saints what are the heights and depths, and know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge? Would you receive an abundant entrance into the joy of your Lord? Then come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, and touch not the unclean thing. Would you attain the full assurance of faith? you cannot gain it while you commune with sinners. Would you flame with vehement love? Your love will be damped by the drenchings of godless society. You cannot become a great Christian — you may be a babe in grace, but you never can be a perfect man in Christ Jesus while you yield yourself to the worldly maxims and modes of business of men of the world.

It is ill for an heir of heaven to be a great friend with the heirs of hell. It has a bad look when a courtier is too intimate with his king's enemies. Even small inconsistencies are dangerous. Little thorns make great blisters, little moths destroy fine garments, and little frivolities and little rogueries will rob religion of a thousand joys. O professor, too little separated from sinners, you know not what you lose by your conformity to the world. It cuts the tendons of your strength, and makes you creep where you ought to run. Then, for your own comfort's sake, and for the sake of your growth in grace, if you be a Christian, be a Christian, and be a marked and distinct one.