God Giveth the Increase

"Doth the ploughman plow all day to sow? doth he open and break the clods of his ground?" —Isaiah 28:24 [KJV]

"The LORD of hosts hath decreed to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honorable of the earth."—Isaiah 23:9. Therefore His word sends us to the common transactions in life, that we may gather instruction in humility, and be taught to bow to His sovereignty. Every dispute against the latter is a strong evidence of the want of the former. When the mouth is not stopped, but daringly opened against sovereign purposes and eternal decrees, it is an awful sign that the plough of God's law hath not cut deep into such sinners' hearts; for, instead of pleading guilty and being speechless, the pride of nature urges vain pleas against free-grace truth, everlasting love, the finished salvation of Jesus, and the certain glory of all His chosen members.

But verily, as the ploughman plows at a proper season, and sows his seed at the appointed time, and as harvest shall not fail, so the church of Christ is "God's husbandry."—I Corinthians 3:9. By the ministry of the word the Lord plows up the uncultivated ground of unfruitful hearts, He opens and breaks the clods of pride and lust, He casts in the seed of eternal life in the knowledge of Jesus, then the graces of faith, hope, love, and holiness, take root downward and spring forth upward.

But alas! the seed is exposed to many dangers; weeds may grow up and choke it; if refreshing showers, the warm sun, or the purifying air is withheld, it will rot, and bring forth no fruit unto perfection. The poor heart is not without its fears, yea is at its wit's end at times, lest so it should be. And what can he do? He cannot command the clouds, call forth the sun, or cause the wind to blow. Boasting in self is at an end; trusting to inherent grace is cut off; hence the soul is led in humility to see that all things are of God; that if ever he reaps the harvest of eternal life, it is wholly and solely owing to God's free gift by Jesus; that all present fruitfulness is by the Spirit's energy and influence, in consequence of the Father's love and faithfulness, and the Son's perfect work and salvation; therefore look not so much within, nor around thee, as above to Jesus. Doubting disciple, from this inexhaustible fountain, hope and encouragement flow. Though all within seems gloomy and distressing, all without opposing and discouraging, yet our God is over all and above all. Ever remember there is as great a necessity for the heart to be deeply rooted in humility downward, as for the pleasing fruits of peace and joy to spring upward. Our heavenly Husband knows which is best for us. As the ploughman minds his work, and does his duty; so do thou. Be diligent in thy work; be humble in thy heart, knowing "God giveth the increase."—I Corinthians 3:7

-William Mason

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