Accepted With Almighty GOD

"God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness, is accepted with Him." —Acts 10:34, 35 [KJV]

It is a common, artful device of the adversary to insinuate, "one part of scripture opposes and contradicts another." Hereby he aims to distress the minds, weaken the confidence of disciples, and to render the doctrines of grace of no esteem. The unlearned and unstable in the truths of free grace salvation, "wrest this, as they do also other texts of scripture, to their own destruction." It was farthest from St. Peter to make this declaration, to subvert the fundamental truths of the gospel, and the one only way of salvation taught by himself; namely, by "election, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience, and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ." —1 Peter 1:2.

But he now perceived of a truth that this blessing came equally alike upon Gentiles as well as Jews. "God is no respecter of persons." This is a most comfortable truth to the vilest of the human race. There is nothing that claims respect in the person of one man above another in the sight of God. "All are alike corrupt and become abominable. There is naturally no fear of God before our eyes. There is none that doeth good; no not one." There is no difference. Jew and Gentile, publican and pharisee, outwardly devout, and openly profane, are all upon a level in point of justification before God. Enlightened souls see and own this in deep humility, and self-abasement: while proud pharisees challenge and claim respect from God, because they think their persons and characters are more amiable in His sight than others.

But saith Moses, "The LORD your God is a mighty and terrible God, who regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward."—Deuteronomy 10:17. What reward can poor sinners give to procure God's regard, bribe His justice, or avert His wrath? Do they naturally fear God and work righteousness in order to this? Lay thine hand upon thine heart, O soul; judge as in the sight of God. Say, was this thy natural conduct and practice towards Him? God knoweth, to hate Him and work wickedness is the natural state and practice of thee and of all men. But yet he that feareth God and worketh righteousness, be he who or what he will, is accepted with God. For this is a full proof of being "accepted in the beloved Jesus." The Lord puts His fear in one's heart according to covenant promise—Jeremiah 32:40. He renews us in righteousness and true holiness. Hence our practice is agreeable to our state. Prayers and alms come up before the Lord as a memorial of what He has done on the heart. And "the same Lord over all, is rich in mercy to ALL that call upon Him. Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved."—Romans 10:12, 13.

-preacher William Mason (1724-1797 A.D.)

 

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