LOVE THE LORD THY GOD

"The LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live." —Deuteronomy 30:6 [KJV]

Even Moses, who delivered the fiery law of wrath and terror, preaches like a Barnabas, a son of consolation. In this chapter we have a precious enumeration of new-covenant blessings and evangelical promises, all settled in the eternal counsels between Jehovah, Father, Son and Spirit; all founded in infinite wisdom, everlasting love, and immutable faithfulness; therefore sure to all the seed "who are chosen in Christ Jesus before the foundation of the world." Such is the solid foundation of gospel faith and hope. The happy heirs of it the Lord God sets a special mark upon. 

Hereby He owns them as His peculiar ones. This is also an evidence to them of their special relation to Him. As the Father loved His people before time, and gave them to Jesus, to be redeemed in the fulness of time; so also, at the appointed time, the Lord the Spirit performs His office upon them—He circumcises their hearts. This power belongeth to God only. This St. Paul calls "the circumcision made without hands,"—Colossians 2:11. Outward circumcision was a painful operation to the flesh. By it was signified the cutting off all carnal hope and legal confidence in the flesh; and was a sign and seal of new-covenant blessings by Jesus. 

The circumcision of the heart brings the experience and enjoyment of hope in Jesus, peace and joy in Jesus, and a longing expectation of the full enjoyment of Jesus in glory to the soul. When the callousness and hardness of the heart is cut off, then it gladly hears and receives the love of God its crucified Saviour. This love, known and believed, begets love to God in a circumcised heart. And though there is all comfort in love, yet there is a painful sensation attends loving souls. This is the fruit and evidence of love. They mourn and grieve at feeling the sins and corruptions of their natures; they are pained at the sight of them—groan under a sense of them— are filled with shame for them, and detestation against them. 

O how do they strive against them and cry to Jesus for victory over them! To "love the Lord with all their heart and with all their soul," this is their one desire on earth; that they may be in love, wholly devoted to Him who bought them with His blood. Of all such souls the Spirit of inspiration declares, "Happy art thou, O Israel! who is like unto thee, O people, saved by the Lord!"—Deuteronomy 33:29. "We are the circumcision who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh."—Philippians 3:3.

-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