The LORD knoweth them that are His

"The liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things he shall stand (or be established)." —Isaiah 32:8 [KJV]

We all naturally act from selfish principles, and with mercenary views, because we are under the legal covenant, "Do this and live." Hence saith one, 'If doing righteousness and performing good works will not justify and save me, as good sit still and do nothing, no matter how wicked I am.' Saith another, 'To be sure, we are justified by faith only, but then I must fulfil the terms and conditions of the gospel, for my holiness and obedience secures my salvation.' Such poor creatures reason carnally; their principles are only selfish, their views are mercenary. God is not served at all, but pride and self are at the bottom of all they do; to establish a righteousness of their own is their chief aim. The glory of God is not sought; His grace is overlooked; Jesus is depreciated in His work and office, as though all His toils and sufferings, holy life and bitter death, had only procured salvation upon a better bargain and easier terms for us. Such principles are servile, base, and dishonorable to a God of grace and love. Vain the talk of such about working for God; they do nothing for God, but want to earn something from God for themselves: take away the idol SELF from them, and then all working is at an end with them.

But the liberal soul acts from gracious principles, and deviseth liberal things. He sees salvation is all of free grace and free gift by Jesus. He is our all: He hath done all, suffered all, obeyed in all things, prevails for all things, and makes all effectual to the soul's perfect, complete, and final salvation. 'The Saviour is in mine eye; He is in mine heart; He is my Alpha and Omega, my first hope and last stay. My views are to His glory. O when I deserved nothing but hell, love, electing, everlasting love looked on me with pity, and was manifested to me through Jesus by the word and Spirit: therefore it is I long, I love, I delight daily to glorify the ever-gracious and ever-loving Triune God. I cheerfully devote my all to Him Who hath done all for me, Who hath loved me and given Himself for me. My life of faith, of hope, of love, of holiness, centers in Jesus, and is from Him. If I have but a cup of cold water to give, I give it in my dear Lord's name, in love and gratitude to Him.' Such are the generous sentiments of the liberal soul; and, saith wisdom, "By liberal things he shall stand." Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made him free. He shall be established on the firm foundation of eternal truth, against the power and subtlety of Satan, and all the human systems and precarious schemes of man's devising. "The foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His; and let every one that nameth the name of Christ, depart from iniquity."—II Timothy 2:19.

-William Mason (1724-1797 A.D.)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

CHRIST OUR ONLY AND PERFECT RIGHTEOUSNESS

" The flesh lusteth against the Spirit." —Galatians 5:17 [KJV] Christian experience fully proves this apostolic truth. Hence the children of God cannot do the things that they would: nor have we any authority from God's word to conclude this lusting ever ceased in any of the saints till they got to glory; none are delivered from it while in the flesh. For, as the renewed soul or spirit loves to enjoy spiritual and heavenly objects, so the flesh, or unrenewed part, lusts after those objects it is naturally conversant with, and from which it derives its happiness.  Here is thy conflict, O Christian. Hence the necessity of thy Lord's command, "Watch always." This is the use of the doctrine. What woeful effects have fulfilling the lusts or desires of the flesh produced in eminent saints! Thou standest by faith, be not high-minded, but fear. The conceptions of lust are the productions of sin.— see James 1:15 . The commission of sin contracts fresh s
Read more

Incoming GOOD NEWS!

  Weekend Gospel message to follow for All Hands   (17-19SEP21) Heads-Up   ---   Please find enclosed encouragement in   SO GREAT SALVATION   by the perfect and finished work of   our Lord Jesus Christ in saving poor, needy and wretched sinners by His sovereign free grace - God's unmerited favor to save us  from our sins and from Hell: HOW GOD SAVES SINNERS In Genesis chapter six and seven we have the story of the flood and how God  saved Noah and his family from the horrendous destruction by putting them  into an Ark. We see the righteous judgment of God against sin and the mercy  of God revealed through Christ. The Ark of God is a worthy picture and  pattern of how the Lord is pleased to save sinners and justify them in Jesus  Christ. Here are five things to remember about how God saves sinners. 1). The grace of God , "Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD" (Genesis 6:8) .  Noah did not earn, merit or deserve grace, he found God to be gracious. It  was the sovereign
Read more

3 LIES ABOUT GOD & 3 TRUTHS ABOUT GOD

 I want to share three lies about God I’ve recently seen tossed about on social media as truth by professed believers: (1) God can move in your life.......if you permit Him. (2) Christ can be Lord.......if you confess Him. (3) God can do anything ........except overcome a man’s will. Friends, if God doesn’t even have sovereignty over the human heart (without being granted permission, of course) who is serving who? Who really has all power in this universe? Many of you reading this post pray to God for the salvation of your loved ones. Yet you believe it is your loved one who has to grant God permission to save! God is left only to making their life miserable in the hopes they come to Him. Such foolishness! Such powerlessness! Truth #1 : God moves in the lives of His children without human permission . Truth #2 : Men do not make Christ Lord. He IS Lord. Your current opinion of Him no more changes His Lordship over you than if you declared a boiling lava pit to be a s
Read more