DILIGENT SERVICE UNTO THE KING OF GLORY

"Wherefore we labour, that whether present or absent we may be accepted of Him." —II Corinthians 5:9 [KJV]

"In all labour there is profit." —Proverbs 14:23. The belief of this maketh the heart diligent, lively, and active. When Nehemiah was stirred up to build the wall of Jerusalem amidst the scoffs and opposition of enemies on every side, yet, in prayer, watching, and working, he and his brethren wrought with one hand, a guard in the other, and this confidence of faith in their hearts, "Our God shall fight for us."—Nehemiah 4:20. Thus animated they laboured till the work was finished. Thus the beloved brethren of Jesus are called to be "stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord;" being confident that the Lord fights for them, and "knowing assuredly that their labour is not in vain in the Lord." 

The labour of love is pleasant, it is profitable to the believing heart; the work of faith is delightful to the soul while it exercises the patience of hope. Most reviving consideration! we serve not a hard task-master; we labour not for a rigorous, severe Lord; we obey not from base, mercenary principles. No; every command of Jesus is in love; every work we do in His name is from love to spiritual good as well as to His glory: we have the fullest assurance that we are "accepted in the Beloved." 

We are not left to doubt of the way of acceptance, nor to do any thing to procure it; the truth, as it is in Jesus, forbids all this; but knowing our persons are accepted in Jesus, this is the most enlivening, powerful motive not only to do, but also to abound in those things with which God is well pleased; to study to please God in our walk and way, cheerfully to lay out ourselves in His service, unreservedly to give up ourselves wholly to the Lord: O, this is the sweet exercise of faith and love. 

Shall we pretend to believe that Jesus is our Saviour and that we are accepted in Him, and yet not labour and strive that our works may please Him? Not study and endeavour, as assisted by His Spirit, to avoid those things that are contrary to His nature and commands? Alas! this is "hail, Master;" only like Judas to give a kiss of hypocrisy, while faith in Him and love to Him are wanting. Thou disciple of Jesus, from that moment thou didst enter into the rest of Jesus by faith, thou art called to labour, that thy works may please God, and be accepted of Him; and when the heart is whole with its Saviour and simply looking to Him, need one forbid such a soul to refrain from the vain pastimes and sinful gratifications of a carnal world? 

No; he saith these things do not please my Lord, they cannot be acceptable to Him, they shall not ensnare me, I cannot displease my Saviour. "We love Him because He first loved us."—1 John 4:19.

-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