In The World but Not Of The World



There is nothing to this world for a believer. How true this is in one sense for we "are not of this world." The Christ that we love said, "The world hates you because it hates Me." If we were of the world, if our value system was the same as its, if our purposes and goals were the same and if our views of God, man, Christ and the way God saves sinners were the same, the world would love us! Since our only rule of what we believe and what we are to do is the Holy Scriptures, we are therein described as pilgrims and sojourners, just passing through this world.

A wilderness it is but God, as He did for Israel, feeds us with manna from on high and spreads a table for us in this wilderness. It is THE GOSPEL FEAST that blesses us on this journey. It is the gospel wherein the righteousness of God is revealed to the faith He gives. Like the manna, we are awakened in the morning of spiritual new birth to find the gift of righteousness already there in Christ. It is new every day and He is the Bread of God. We feast upon the fact that our salvation in its entirety is not dependent on what we do or upon anything that goes on in this world. Our salvation is in One who is not in this world but seated at the right hand of the majesty on high. Yet from that high throne our Savior rules this world!

We have been brought by God's unchanging grace to a state of unchangeable justification in Him. We will not be condemned with this world BUT HAVE BEEN SAVED FROM THE WRATH TO COME. Now, any cross we might be called upon to bear has no curse in it for He bore the curse because of our sin in His own body on the tree. We have all spiritual blessings in Christ. He communes with us by His Spirit and His presence with us is the witness that we are His people. His providence is working all things in this world for our good and His glory no matter how things appear.

Furthermore, He gives us fellowship in the midst of His people, those who like us are pilgrims also. Among them we find comfort, encouragement, and hope. No, there's nothing to this world; but oh what God has given His elect, regenerated and believing people! His kingdom is not of this world but He has established His kingdom in the hearts of sinners saved by His blood. A kingdom in hearts of justified sinners which is "righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" through the Lord Jesus Christ. And one other thing: He gives us the promise and glorious prospect of the world to come!


-Gospel report by preacher Gary Shepard


Gospel Sermon, “Will You Escape The Judgment of God?”


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

JESUS - Rock of Ages

Jesus remains the same in all ages. He is the One who is constant when everything and everyone else fails. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever; the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. He is our R ock [I SAMUEL 2:2 ] . In the Old Testament, in Exodus 33, Jesus is pictured as the Cleft Rock. In that chapter, verse 18 and following, Moses desired to see the glory of the Lord, but was told, "You cannot see My face; for there shall no man see My face and live.” And the Lord said, “There is a place by Me, and you shalt stand upon a rock: and it shall come to pass, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by." Notice that as Moses stood upon the rock, the Lord hid him in the cleft. This wonderfully applies to us today! Believers are both standing on and hidden in Christ [COLOSSIANS 3:3 ] . We are both in and on the Rock. As life with its many bitter events presses upon us,
Read more

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

GLORY ALONE IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

" Lest Israel vaunt themselves against Me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me." -Judges 7:2 [KJV] Thus the Lord reasoned with Gideon. He knows what is in man. He sees the pride of the human heart: how prone we all are to boast in an arm of flesh. The Lord is jealous of His own glory. Gideon’s army of two and thirty thousand, is brought down to three hundred. By this handful of men, and no more, did Gideon gain the victory of the Midianites. The Lord’s wisdom in this was, “Lest Israel should vaunt themselves, and say, Mine own hand hath saved me.”   But I have not transcribed the text right. There are two little words of great import, which I have omitted. Mind then, O Christian— against Me. Now remember, whenever thou dost boast of thy power, thy free-will, thy human goodness, thy works, ditties, conditions, and performances in order to be saved, thou art then, as it were, two and thirty thousand strong. Thou vauntest thyself against the Lord . Thou art gloryi
Read more