KEPT BY THE MIGHTY POWER OF GOD

"Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong." —I Corinthians 16:13 [KJV]

Believers in the Lord Jesus now partake of an everlasting salvation. No enemy can deprive them of the full enjoyment of it in glory; because "they are kept by the mighty power of God." But we are daily to consider, it is "through faith,"—1 Peter 1:5. Do we believe in the atonement of Jesus' blood; do we rely on the perfection of His righteousness? Why so? Because the word of the Lord is the warrant for our faith. 

Hence, O soul, the exhortations from the same word to duty are equally binding on thy belief and practice. The same Lord Who has saved us from our enemies, calls us to watch against them. Jesus, Who is gone to prepare a place for us in glory, directs us how to demean ourselves in the way to it. Shall the Christian soldier neglect the command of the Captain of his salvation, when the glory of God and the peace and comfort of his own soul are equally concerned? Surely not. 

Through watchfulness many evils are prevented, many blessings enjoyed. When a Christian is off his guard, or asleep when he should watch, how is he exposed to the attacks and temptations of the enemy! It is for our good that the Lord commands it as our duty. It is through His power that hereby the good soldier of Jesus Christ is enabled to stand fast in the profession, power and comfort of faith. It was Paul's joy in the views of death, that he had "kept the faith,"—II Timothy 4:7. Would we enjoy the same comfort? Strive in the strength of the Lord to follow his example. Check the risings of unbelief. Oppose the workings of carnal reason. Resist stedfastly in the faith the subtle devices of Satan. 

This is your duty and wisdom. So shall we quit ourselves like men of valour and courage: like victorious saints of old, "who overcame every enemy through the blood of the Lamb." Droop not, O believer, thy strength is the Lord's omnipotence. Lift up thy head with boldness, thine enemies are vanquished by thy conquering Jesus. Be strong. Look off thyself. Look to the strong for strength. Look unto Jesus continually. Rely only on the power of His might hourly. His arm is not shortened. The reliance of faith engages His power. The cry of faith obtains victory. 

There is an open and effectual door by which thou shalt enter into glory; but thou must fight thy way through. Consider daily this is our motto, "More than conquerors through JESUS Who hath loved us."—Romans 8:37. 

Dear Lord, my thankful heart receives 

The hope Thine invitation gives: 

To Thee my joyful lips shall raise 

The voice of prayer, the voice of praise. 

I am my love's, and He is mine, 

Our hearts, our hopes, our passions join; 

Nor let a motion, or a word, 

Nor thought arise to grieve my Lord.

 

-preacher 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