Called to Christ by Sovereign Grace!

"For the LORD will not forsake His people for His great name's sake: Because it hath pleased the LORD to make you His people." —I Samuel 12:22 [KJV]

The prophet Samuel, like the apostle Paul, "shunned not to declare all the counsel of God."—Acts 20:27. They feared no licentious consequences from preaching the faith-establishing, soul-comforting truth of God's unchangeable love to His people. Yet Samuel encourages the people to cleave close unto the Lord, and not turn aside from following Him; assuring them, if they walked contrary to the Lord, though He would never change in His love, or cast off His people, "whom He did foreknow," yet He would change in His conduct and dealings towards them. "God will surely visit their transgression with a rod, and their iniquity with stripes; nevertheless, His loving-kindness He will not utterly take away, nor suffer His faithfulness to fail."—Psalm 89:32, 33. Like a tender and affectionate parent to a disobedient child, His love is ever the same when He corrects, as when He dandles on the knee. It is of the Lord's good pleasure only, that He chooses and makes a people for His glory. He calls them to Himself by sovereign grace. The honor of His name, and the perfection of His attributes, are engaged for their safety and salvation.

The faith of a Christian, how firm its foundation! It builds on the rock of ages, the eternal truth of an unchanging God of love. His "hope is an anchor to the soul, both sure and stedfast, which is entered within the veil, whither the forerunner for us is entered, even Jesus."—Hebrews 6:19, 20. How then should our love be inflamed, and burn with incessant ardor to our ever-loving Lord and Saviour? Hath it pleased the Lord to put me among His children? to make me one of His people? It was free, unmerited love. Hath the blessed Spirit enriched my heart, with faith in precious Jesus? hath He in His word, over and over assured us, that "He will never leave nor forsake, but whom He loves He loves to the end?" Why is all this? Even because it pleased the Lord: "so it seemed good in His sight." And have I sinned? Heart-wounding thought! sinned against His love? am I backslidden in affection? grown cold and indifferent to the kindest and best of beings? shameful ingratitude! Is the love of God in Christ Jesus, the source of all present grace, the security of future glory? Verily it should sink poor sinners to the lowest humility; affect with the deepest self-abasement and sorrow for sin; yet excite godly hope and rejoicing in Christ Jesus; and influence to the most cheerful diligence of serving a God of love, "without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of our life." "This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments."—I John 5:3.

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

 

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