Encouragement in Christ JESUS ~ 05 October, 2024 A.D.

"Forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." -I Corinthians 15:58 [KJV]

Christian knowledge is the source of comfort, and the spring of obedience. The knowledge of God’s love to us in Christ, received into the heart by faith, animates us to be, and to do, what the Lord calls us to in our lives. St. Paul appeals to Christians, Ye know—what? that you are called, not to loiter, but to labour: not to stand idle, but to work: not merely to talk of the truths of Christianity, but to walk in the ways of the Lord. But what constitutes it the sweetest of all labouring, working, and walking, it is the labour of love, the work of faith, and the walk of hope. And we have Christ’s presence and power in all. 

We know, we are fully persuaded, we are divinely assured, our labour is not in vain: for it is in the Lord. It is begun by His grace, tarried on by His power, IN sweet fellowship with Him, IN love to Him, IN dependence on Him, IN assurance that we are accepted in Him; and therefore, IN an humble hope and loving desire to glorify Him. Such a soul labours lawfully. His labour is accepted: his work shall be crowned: he is blessed now by his Lord: he shall be blessed eternally with the Lord. The humble soul draws back. The self-abased heart, jealous of his dear Lord’s honour, cries, “Forbear! I am an unprofitable servant: have no merit: I come short in all I do: my desert is hell. I claim nothing at my Lord’s hand: I am a poor sinner, who must be infinitely and eternally indebted to the riches of free grace.” 

True, O soul! thou dost not work, like free-will hirelings, for wages; yet, as a free-grace labourer, thou shalt have a free-grace reward. Not of debt, due to thy merit; but of grace, by thy Lord’s free promise. Not a crumb of comfort, not a drop of cold water, given in the name of Christ, to one of His, but thy Lord notices in love, takes kindly at thy hand, and will never, never forget. O matchless love of Christ! He gives grace to miserable sinners; His grace works to will and to do in their hearts; and He rewards hell-deserving sinners with gifts of grace in time, and with the riches of glory in eternity. 

O blessed Master! O precious labour! O joyful recompense of reward! Say now Christian, is not here all encouragement to diligence and activity? O go on labouring for thy Lord’s glory. Large wages seeking IN, not for thy works. Confidently mayest thou say, with St. Paul, “There is laid up for me a crown of righteousness.” -II Timothy 4:8

 

I dare not work my soul to save, 

That work my Lord hath done; 

But would I work like any slave, 

From love to God’s dear Son. 

No works of faith can be in vain, 

Because they’re wrought in love; 

Since now our enmity is slain, 

We work for Christ above. 

 

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

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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

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

Encouragement in Christ JESUS ~ 04 October, 2023 A.D.

" All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient." —I Corinthians 6:12 [KJV] The constraints of love and jealousy of fear sweetly unite in the believing heart. Where the faith of Jesus prevails, love constrains. It holds and keeps us in our station and duty, as soldiers are kept together under a banner or ensign displayed. What cheerfulness and activity of soul do we experience, when we can say with the church in the Canticles (Songs of Solomon), ch. 2, vs4. "Jesus' banner over me was love!" Then how sweetly do we judge and determine our conduct by the law of Christ, which is LOVE!  This excites a godly fear lest we should allow ourselves a latitude in things in themselves indifferent, to the wounding and hurt of our souls or our fellow-soldiers. Though all things of an indifferent nature, which are innocent in themselves, are lawful to us; yet the cause and interest of our dear Saviour, and the good and edifying of His beloved memb
Read more