COME, AND LET US RETURN TO THE LORD

"Will the Lord cast off for ever? will He be favourable no more?" -Psalm 77:7 [KJV]

St. Paul speaks of some who had cast off their first faith. What was the consequence? having damnation (I Timothy 5:12.) If the power and liveliness of faith abate in the heart, a sense of condemnation will be in the conscience. Hence, enlightened, sensible sinners call in question the Lord’s love and grace towards them. They are prone to think, they have quite tired out His patience, and that nothing but wrath and misery await them. What shall we say to such? The Saviour Himself speaks to them. Is it in wrath? Does He say, because you have forsaken me, I will cast you off for ever; die and be damned for your folly! I will show you no more favour? 

True, they have deserved this: they have reason to fear and expect this, was it not for the love of His heart and the grace of His word: therefore, they may joyfully sing, The love divine, which made us Thine, Shall keep us Thine for ever. Therefore, love divine speaks. Grace is upon His lips. Let the children of fear and trembling hear. “Remember from whence thou art fallen.” Call to mind the loving days of thine espousal: then, thy heart glowed with love, and was fired with affections to Me! I have never changed in My love to you, nor in My dealings with you: they were all in love. Repent: Change your mind, in regard to your hard thoughts of Me, as though I would cast off for ever, and be favourable no more. 

Change your conduct towards Me: that ever you should prefer idols, vanities, (things of nought to Me) and leave the enjoyment of My love to seek happiness in them. Cast off them; for I will never cast off you. Shew no favour to them; for I will shew all favour to you. Do thy first works (Revelation 2:5.) Search My word: study My grace; dwell upon My love; meditate upon My sorrows, sufferings, and death for your salvation. Attend to the preaching of the gospel. Come to My table; come to Me as a poor sinner, deceived by sin, and betrayed by folly; come to Me for My promised grace, peace and rest, power and strength, to serve and obey Me! 

O! may these gracious words from our all-gracious Lord, quicken the hope of our souls, to take up the prophet’s words, in spite of sin, Satan, and unbelief, “Come, and let us return unto the Lord," etc. (Hosea 6:1.) The sinner who, by precious faith, Has known his sins forgiv’n, Is from that moment pass’d from death, And seal’d an heir of heav’n. Not as the world the Saviour gives; He is no fickle friend: Whom once He loves He never leaves. But loves him to the end.


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