Humble the Creature & Exalt the Creator!

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the LORD." -Isaiah 55:8 [KJV]

My soul, hast thou ever considered the blessedness in this verse, as it concerns the great work of salvation? Ponder over it, this evening. There is nothing, perhaps, in which there is a greater and more striking difference than there is between our crude and contracted notions of redemption, and the perfect and unerring thoughts of Jehovah on this point. Our conduct towards each other is so limited on the score of pardon, that though we may forgive a first or second offence, yet if it be repeated too many, nature revolts at the offender, and seems to take a kind of justification in withholding any farther acts of clemency. Hence; we frame the same standard to judge by, concerning God.  

But with God, abounding sin calls forth abounding grace, and, like the tide, riseth above high water-mark, yea, overflows all the banks and surrounding ground; so much so, indeed, that it covers the mountains, and "If the sin of Judah be looked for, it shall not found." Hence the prophet, in a transport of holy joy and triumph in the contemplation, cries out, "Who is a God like unto Thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He retaineth not His anger for ever, because He delighteth in mercy. He will turn again: He will have compassion upon us: He will subdue our iniquities; and Thou will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea," Micah 7:18, 19.  

How truly blessed, then, must it be, to carry the same kind of reasoning concerning God into all the departments of thinking, in relation to Himself and His dealings with us. Think as highly as I may be able concerning Him, I must fall infinitely short of what He really is, both in the nature of His existence, and in all His dealings with His creatures. In those points where He hath been pleased to reveal Himself, I cannot err. But if I attempt to go farther, the bar to inquiry stops my way, and this sweet verse stand for a memorandum to inform me: "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the LORD." Now grace rejoiceth in this discovery, while proud unhumbled nature revolts at it.  

Say, my soul, dost thou feel delight in such views of Jehovah? Is it blessed to thee, that in all thy Jesus hath taught thee, He hath brought thee to see more and more thy nothingness, thy littleness, and the Lord's all-sufficiency? Surely it must be divine teaching alone that can create joy in the heart, when such discoveries are made which tend to humble the creature and exalt the Creator. Blessed be the Lord, Who teacheth me to profit! 

-Robert Hawker (1753-1827 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

God ordained Authority: Doctrine of the Lesser Magistrate

Image
The Lesser Magistrate Doctrine  teaches that when the superior or higher ranking civil authority makes unjust/immoral law, policy, or court opinion – the lower or lesser ranking civil authority has both the God-given right  and duty  to refuse obedience to that superior authority; and if necessary, actively resist the superior authority. The doctrine was first formalized by Christian men in Magdeburg, Germany in 1550.  The lesser magistrate doctrine is rooted in the historic Christian doctrine of interposition.  Interposition   is where one steps into the gap – placing themselves in between the oppressor and his intended victim. Interposition can take place verbally or physically.  The law of God is the objective standard to which all men and all governments of men are accountable. If civil authorities make law, policy, or court opinion that is contrary to His law – the lesser magistrates are to interpose and  stop the evil .  America’s founders established this nation as a true federa
Read more