Pardon and Justification

I think it is not needful that I should say that the, pardon of sin must always be the effect of grace. That statement is self-evident. It cannot be due to any man that he should have his sins pardoned, for sin that deserves a pardon is no sin; it cannot be due to any man that God should make him righteous, he being himself unrighteous; that must be a spontaneous action on God’s part, flowing from his pure bounty and love. No man can claim forgiveness, it were sacrilege to suggest that he could. Pardon and justification, then, must be freely given us by God’s grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.

Charles H. Spurgeon–Sermon No. 958 “Dei Gratia”

John Piper—On the Gospel

Again we come to that time of the week whereabouts we will give our gospel content. Today I point all of you to this short video by John Piper on the subject of “What is the Gospel?”

 

Made Like Unto his Brethren

As the Sponsor and Surety of God’s elect, the Lord Jesus entered the place of their responsibility. To be the Kinsman-Redeemer of His people, really and truly “of one” (Heb.2:11) with the many sons He was to bring to glory: “in all things it behooved Him to be made like unto His brethren” (Heb. 2:17), and thus to be brought into that condition wherein He should trust in God, and act in that dependency upon Him which the nature of man, whilst exposed to troubles, does indispensably require. He who was rich, for our sakes became poor. He who had brought into existence the universe by the fiat of His will, now became subject to the commandments of the Father. He who upholdeth all things by the Word of His power, entered the place of complete dependency, and cried to the Strong for strength.

Arthur W. Pink Studies in the Scriptures Volume XI. No 10 1932

 

All of Grace-What Are We At?

Chapter One

What Are We At?

I HEARD A STORY; I think it came from the North Country: A minister called upon a poor woman, intending to give her help; for he knew that she was very poor. With his money in his hand, he knocked at the door; but she did not answer. He concluded she was not at home, and went his way. A little after he met her at the church, and told her that he had remembered her need: “I called at your house, and knocked several times, and I suppose you were not at home, for I had no answer.” “At what hour did you call, sir?” “It was aboutnoon.” “Oh, dear,” she said, “I heard you, sir, and I am so sorry I did not answer; but I thought it was the man calling for the rent.” Many a poor woman knows what this meant. Now, it is my desire to be heard, and therefore I want to say that I am not calling for the rent; indeed, it is not the object of this book to ask anything of you, but to tell you that salvation is ALL OF GRACE, which means, free, gratis, for nothing.

Oftentimes, when we are anxious to win attention, our hearer thinks, “Ah! now I am going to be told my duty. It is the man calling for that which is due to God, and I am sure I have nothing wherewith to pay. I will not be at home.” No, this book does not come to make a demand upon you, but to bring you something. We are not going to talk about law, and duty, and punishment, but about love, and goodness, and forgiveness, and mercy, and eternal life. Do not, therefore, act as if you were not at home: do not turn a deaf ear, or a careless heart. I am asking nothing of you in the name of God or man. It is not my intent to make any requirement at your hands; but I come in God’s name, to bring you a free gift, which it shall be to your present and eternal joy to receive. Open the door, and let my pleadings enter. “Come now, and let us reason together.” The Lord himself invites you to a conference concerning your immediate and endless happiness, and He would not have done this if He did not mean well toward you. Do not refuse the Lord Jesus who knocks at your door; for He knocks with a hand which was nailed to the tree for such as you are. Since His only and sole object is your good, incline your ear and come to Him. Hearken diligently, and let the good word sink into your soul. It may be that the hour is come in which you shall enter upon that new life which is the beginning of heaven. Faith cometh by hearing, and reading is a sort of hearing: faith may come to you while you are reading this book. Why not? O blessed Spirit of all grace, make it so!

Charles H. Spurgeon—All of Grace

Follow along as we read this short but marvelous book. Download your copy here. Next chapter will go out Monday April 30 at 8:00 AM. Central Standard Time.

Open discussion welcomed.

What is the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

What is the Gospel? You know most cannot answer this simple question. Most believe that the gospel is “your best life now.” Some believe that the gospel is a short list of things they are to do and other things that they are not to do. In other words, some believe that through their own pitiful works they can gain God’s favor. This view sometimes grows as a Christian gets older because they look back on their good works and think that God surely is pleased with them.

But the gospel is good news to sinners. If you have committed just one sin, then you are a sinner and need to be reconciled to God. There is only one means of reconciliation and this is through God’s son.

Today I point you to a short video by Dr. Alan Cairns on “What is the Gospel?”

 

All of Grace-To You

Introduction:

To You

HE WHO SPOKE and wrote this message will be greatly disappointed if it does not lead many to the Lord Jesus. It is sent forth in childlike dependence upon the power of God the Holy Ghost, to use it in the conversion of millions, if so He pleases. No doubt many poor men and women will take up this little volume, and the Lord will visit them with grace. To answer this end, the very plainest language has been chosen, and many homely expressions have been used. But if those of wealth and rank should glance at this book, the Holy Ghost can impress them also; since that which can be understood by the unlettered is none the less attractive to the instructed. Oh that some might read it who will become great winners of souls!

Who knows how many will find their way to peace by what they read here? A more important question to you, dear reader, is this — Will you be one of them?

A certain man placed a fountain by the wayside, and he hung up a cup near to it by a little chain. He was told some time after that a great art-critic had found much fault with its design. “But,” said he, “do many thirsty persons drink at it?” Then they told him that thousands of poor people, men, women, and children, slaked their thirst at this fountain; and he smiled and said, that he was little troubled by the critic’s observation, only he hoped that on some sultry summer’s day the critic himself might fill the cup, and he refreshed, and praise the name of the Lord.

Here is my fountain, and here is my cup: find fault if you please; but do drink of the water of life. I only care for this. I had rather bless the soul of the poorest crossing-sweeper, or rag-gatherer, than please a prince of the blood, and fail to convert him to God.

Reader, do you mean business in reading these pages? If so, we are agreed at the outset; but nothing short of your finding Christ and Heaven is the business aimed at here. Oh that we may seek this together! I do so by dedicating this little book with prayer. Will not you join me by looking up to God, and asking Him to bless you while you read?Providencehas put these pages in your way, you have a little spare time in which to read them, and you feel willing to give your attention to them. These are good signs. Who knows but the set time of blessing is come for you? At any rate, “The Holy Ghost saith, Today, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.”

Charles H. Spurgeon’s—All of Grace

Follow along as we read this short but marvelous book. Download your copy here. Next chapter will go out Wednesday April 25 at 8:00 AmCentral Standard Time.

Open discussion welcomed.

All of Grace

Beginning Monday April 23, 2012 Reformedontheweb will begin to blog Reformed Baptist quotes. I will at times also add a Paedobaptist quote, but will focus more on Reformed or particular Baptist. This is not because I think that some writers are necessarily better than others, but in order to give you, the reader, a better understanding of what Reformed or particular Baptist believe.

Also on Monday April 23, 2012 Reformedontheweb will begin to blog from the short book by Charles Spurgeon called “All of Grace.” I would like, for those who are willing to participate, for us to read each chapter together and have some open discussion on this short, but grace filled book.

If you do not have a copy, then you can download a free Pdf version of it right here.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ

The Gospel of Jesus Christ: An Evangelical Celebration by Various

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

—John 3:16

Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world.

—Isaiah 12:5

Preamble

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is news, good news: the best and most important news that any human being ever hears.

This Gospel declares the only way to know God in peace, love, and joy is through the reconciling death of Jesus Christ the risen Lord.

This Gospel is the central message of the Holy Scriptures, and is the true key to understanding them.

This Gospel identifies Jesus Christ, the Messiah of Israel, as the Son of God and God the Son, the second Person of the Holy Trinity, whose incarnation, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension fulfilled the Father’s saving will. His death for sins and his resurrection from the dead were promised beforehand by the prophets and attested by eyewitnesses. In God’s own time and in God’s own way, Jesus Christ shall return as glorious Lord and Judge of all (1 Thess.4:13-18; Matt. 25:31-32). He is now giving the Holy Spirit from the Father to all those who are truly his. The three Persons of the Trinity thus combine in the work of saving sinners.

Read the rest of this  here.

 

The Dangers of Losing our Gospel-Centeredness

I ran across this good little article by Julian Freeman on the dangers of slipping from our gospel-centered preaching of the gospel. I retitled it on my blog because I felt like the title would fit the article better because of the fact that it has been written to warn us of the dangers of falling from our gospel-centered view of the gospel and Christ.

I agree with both of Julian’s points that we must make the gospel applicable to today’s generation, while at the same time living a gospel-centered life. Anyhow here is Julian’s article.

 The Dangers of Being Gospel-Centered by Julian Freeman

 I love being gospel-centered. The ‘new Calvinists’ did not invent the emphasis on being gospel-centered, but it is a renaissance I’ve been thankful to experience.

Like anything that becomes a movement, we must be wary of the potential drawbacks. As I see it, there are at least two dangers in being gospel-centered, and they are both rooted in this one reality: In the past, whatever the fad, it typically became popular because of the promise it offered. Being Purpose-Driven or Seeker-Sensitive or Emerging or whatever held people’s attention only so long as it could promise power (power to draw numbers, power to help people change, etc.). But when those movements were unable to deliver the promised goods, people flocked away from them as quickly as they had flocked to them.

Read more here.

Today’s Contemporary Gospel

Is the gospel that is being preached today, “another gospel”? Are those who claim great revivals and an influx of multitudes through evangelism, really experiencing a move of God upon the souls of men? Read Michael Penfold’s article to find out.

 Is the contemporary Gospel “Another Gospel”? by Michael Penfold

 Are we really to believe that within 12 months of being saved, under the sound preaching of the Holy Spirit empowered Biblical gospel, 95.2% of the ‘converts’ (over a quarter of a million people) had become ‘backsliders’?

Central to every genuine spiritual revival, has been the public preaching of the gospel. Directly through this means (Titus 1:3) the Holy Spirit has awakened multitudes to a proper sense of the dreadfulness of their sin against heaven. They have been stripped of all self-righteousness, broken in repentance and have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who satisfied God’s demands against their sin at Calvary. Sadly, in the evangelical scene today, such true and lasting manifestations of the convicting and converting power of the Holy Spirit are now rarely seen. So where did it all go wrong?

 

During the 20th century, there were two major developments in relation to gospel preaching. Up until World War 2, practically all evangelical churches held two preaching services every Sunday; one aimed at edifying the church; the other at converting sinners. The first move was to jettison the gospel service (with its accompanying prayer meeting), in favour of another study teaching session for Christians. The indoor evangelistic service was not replaced with a ‘street meeting’. It was simply dropped. Secondly, there was a fundamental change in the content (not just the style) of the gospel message itself. Several major features of the historically tried and tested gospel sermon were abandoned. Thus, if you compare the sermons preached by Peter and Paul in the book of Acts, along with those preached during genuine revivals since that time (by men like Nettleton, Edwards, Wesley, Whitefield, McCheyne, North, Spurgeon, Torrey, Moody, Rea, Marshall, Laidlaw and Frank Knox) with the contemporary gospel, you will find a world of difference.

You can read the rest here.