February 26, 2017*

The Substitute*

The Substitute Presence

• Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it sees him not, neither knows him: but you know him; for he dwells with you, and shall be in you. —John 14:17
• I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. —John 14:18
• Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. —John 16:7

The Substitute Teacher

• But the Comforter, who is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. —John 14:26
• But when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. —John 16:13

The Substitute Worker

He will Testify of Jesus

• But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he shall testify of me.—John 15:26

He will Convict the World of Sin

• And when he is come, he will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and you see me no more; 11Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.— John 16:8-11

February 12, 2017*

Stay with Jesus*

Jesus Rejoices in Your Confession

• Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.—Matthew 16:16-18

Jesus Rebukes Your Egocentrism

• And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” 23But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” —Matthew 16:22-23
• Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” 34Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” 35Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same.—Matthew 26:33-35

Jesus Remains Faithful to Your Call

• Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, do you love me more than these?” . . . “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” . . . “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” . . . “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.”—John 21:14-17

 

February 4, 2017*

Good Out of Evil*

Surely the wrath of man shall praise you: the remainder of wrath shall you restrain.— Psalm 76:10

By this is meant man’s rage against God and against God’s people. Of this it is affirmed that –
There can be little doubt that this psalm is one of several others whose main theme is God’s deliverance of his people from Sennacherib, King of Assyria. Then, in Judah, God was known, and his Name was great in Israel. But we may fitly use the psalm as telling of those great and blessed spiritual deliverances which the soul of God’s servants have often known and rejoiced in – these triumphs of God over a deadlier foe than ever any Assyrian king could be to Israel. Concerning these note –

This is one of several psalms supposed to have been written in celebration of the sudden overthrow of Sennacherib’s army in the neighborhood of Jerusalem, and suggests the following truths – display

Magnify the People of God

• The peculiar abode of God—vv. 1, 2 It is where God  The soul that is the abiding place of God witnesses and shares in the triumphs of God as none other can do. Fitful and partial religion leaves the soul more often vanquished than victor, and can never sing such a psalm as this.
• The gracious activity of God. The gospel is most emphatically the “power of God unto salvation.”
• God is everywhere; but is in an especial sense present with holy souls. They are represented as His “temple,” which implies —Special connection with Him; Special consecration to Him; Special manifestation of Him.
• The moment we believe, our help comes. Not before. All our strivings and endeavors leave us pretty much where we were; but when abandoning ourselves to God, that he may save us, then his power is made known, the enemy is rebuked and slain. The life of faith is, through God’s grace, the death of our foe.

Exemplify the Power of God

• God destroys the weapons of the soul’s great enemy. The arrows of evil thought; the shield of unbelief, love of sin, indifference – all that which wards off those words of God which are sharp in the heart of the King’s enemies (Psalm 45.); the sword of the soul-slaying sin; the battle, the combined array of all the forces of evil.
• Takes for himself the prey which the enemy had regarded as his own.(Ver. 4.) All the spoil of Judah, which Assyria had reckoned to gather on the mountains where they were encamped, all that spoil, together with what they already had, – all was taken from them (cf. Luke 11:22). So God takes from the evil one the possession of those human powers and faculties which he had usurped and claims, and keeps them as his own.
• Keeps the enemy in the place of death.(Ver. 6.) It would be of little avail if our great spiritual foe were but for a time overcome, if after a little while he could come back with all his power. But our Lord came that he might give complete deliverance; and by the soul that continually trusts in him that deliverance is realized.

God is infinitely just in crushing all evil. Satan is a usurper, and all his hosts are rebels. As a just God, He will put all-enemies under His feel. In a moral sense, God is a “God of battles.” He is eternally warring against wrong.
God’s greatest glory is not in destruction but in redemption.   Here his power for destruction is celebrated; but in the New Testament his work of salvation – his power to give life, not his power to take it away.

Objectify the Praise of God

• God is able to overrule the rebellion of men so that in the end it shall illustrate His praise. (Ver. 10.) God’s love can conquer human wrath, and so make it praise him.   All rebellion against God’s will must in the end redound to God’s glory: it serves to set His sovereignty in a clearer light (Exodus 9:16). Excellently the P.B.V., ‘shall turn to thy praise.’
• The Bible is full of illustrations of this. It is part of God’s universal purpose of overruling all evil for good. See this in the history of the Fall – it became the occasion of redemption. The cross of our Lord Jesus Christ – it draws all men unto him. Persecution of the Church caused its worldwide extension. The corruption of the Church led to the Reformation. See the hand of God in history continually compelling what is “meant in malice to be changed to blessing.”

People of God should not be terrified by the wrath of men. (See Job 1:12; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Psalm 2.) Let them praise God for the blessed alchemy of his grace, whereby he transmutes the wrath of man into his praise. – S.C.

Conclusion

God subordinates human wrath. As the mariner makes the gale his servant to bear his vessel to the port, so God makes the malign passions of men and devils to bear on His great purposes to their complete fulfillment.  He restrains it. He allows the wrath of His creatures to go no further than He chooses.   As He has set a boundary to the ocean, He has also to the human passions. “So far shalt thou go, and no further.”