WHAT PLEASES GOD PLEASES HIS PEOPLE



"For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things." -ACTS 15:28 [KJV]
When the brethren in Jerusalem wrote this inspired letter to the church in Antioch they declared this strong Biblical principle that the testimony of God plainly sets forth, "For it seemed good (pleasing) to the Holy Ghost, and to us."

What is pleasing to God in creation, providence and salvation is also most pleasing to His covenant people. We say with David, "But our God is in the heavens: He hath done whatsoever He hath pleased" [PSALM 115:3]. Or with Eli, "It is the LORD: let Him do what seemeth Him good [I SAMUEL 3:18].

It was most pleasing to God to sovereignly and unconditionally choose His people in Christ before the foundation of the world [I SAMUEL 12:22; EPHESIANS 1:3-6]. We thank our Lord that He purposed to choose us in electing love or we never would have chosen Him or believed Him [JOHN 16:15; EPHESIANS 1:19; II THESSALONIANS 2:13].

It was well pleasing to our Lord to bruise the Lord Jesus Christ for our sins [ISAIAH 53:10; ACTS 2:23]. It is well pleasing to every believer to see our sins fully atoned for and eternally put away in Christ crucified [ISAIAH 44: 22-23; I CORINTHIANS 1:18; 2:2; HEBREWS 9:26; I JOHN 4:10].

It is most pleasing to our gracious Lord that in the Lord Jesus Christ should all the fullness of the Godhead dwell bodily and to place all spiritual blessings in Him [JOHN 1:14: EPHESIANS 1:3; COLOSSIANS 1:19; 2:9; I JOHN 5:11-12]. It is also well pleasing to every believer to rejoice, receive by faith and rest in complete salvation in Jesus Christ [I CORINTHIANS 1:30; PHILIPPIANS 3:7-9; COLOSSIANS 2:10].

When David was about to be recognized and anointed as king over all the people of Israel, they took notice of David's action and attitude and it pleased them, "…as whatsoever the king did pleased all the people" [II SAMUEL 3:36; PSALM 135:4-6]. So it is when the believer is brought to see the Lord Jesus Christ as our King, our God and Saviour! Whatever He does is right and pleasing unto us [MARK 7:31-37].


-Gospel report by preacher Tom Harding

Zebulon Grace church of Pikeville, Kentucky USA

Please find enclosed link to encouraging Gospel sermons:



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