God’s programme is that the whole of life should be permeated with Christ.
HT: @sermonindex
Tag Archives: Christ
Do You Know Christ, or Do You Just Know a Lot about Him?
It is well to be acquainted with all the doctrines and principles of Christianity. It is better to be acquainted with Christ Himself. It is well to be familiar with faith, and grace, and justification, and sanctification. They are all matters pertaining to the King. But it is far better to be familiar with Jesus Himself, to see the King’s own face, and to behold His beauty.
Worship the Lord in the Beauty of Holiness
We must worship God in the beauty of holiness. We do this, when approaching him, in the name of Jesus Christ, and through the assistance of his Spirit, all our faculties are fixed and engaged in this work; our expressions accompanied by suitable affections, by holy longings and thirstings of soul after God. In short, when the whole man is dedicated to the solemn act of worshipping God.
The Law-Driven Sermon
When I hear an essentially law-driven sermon, asking the law to do what only the grace of Jesus Christ can accomplish, I am immediately concerned about the preacher. I wonder about his view of himself, because if you have any self-consciousness about your own weakness and sin, you find little hope and comfort for yourself and your hearers in that kind of sermon.
HT: Reformed Quotes
“Just Give Your Heart to Jesus.”
Is this Scriptural?
Often an appeal is made to us “to take Christ” or we are urged to “decide for Christ” or “follow Christ” or “give ourselves to Christ” or “give our hearts to Christ.” But, again, I think we must examine this. Is this scriptural? Does the Scripture put it in that way? Surely the Scripture does not ask, “Will you take Christ?” but “Will Christ take you?” Is it possible for him to take me in view of my sinfulness, my vileness, my guilt, my hopelessness? This idea that I can take Christ or not or that I should be pleaded with or cajoled, that pressure should be brought to bear upon me to “take Christ” or “follow him” is wrong – it is “I” all along. But I am a miserable worm, a wretch!
D. Martin Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981)
HT: Reformed Quotes
The Splendour of His Royal Dignity
His [Jesus Christ’s] presidency over the church triumphant will continue for ever. Jesus, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood; but his presidency over the worship and services of the church triumphant will constitute, if not the principal, at least one of the main functions of his priesthood in eternity. The splendour of his royal dignity will never eclipse the memorials of his death as a priest on Calvary, which he carried along with him to the throne of God. No; while eternal ages roll on, he will appear in the midst of the throne as a lamb that hath been slain, and by his appearance in this character he will continue to direct, enliven, and stimulate the praises of saints and angels for ever and ever. As believers in the church on earth are sweetly constrained, by the love of God in giving his Son to save them, and the love of the Son in giving his life a ransom for them, to devote their persons and services to God, so the saints in glory will be sweetly, yet powerfully, influenced by the same motives, in prosecuting the services of the celestial world; and these motives will be maintained in constant operation by the saints in light having perpetually in their view the memorials of that death by which they were redeemed to God out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.
Christ’s Sufferings Are a Rebuke
Christ’s sufferings are a rebuke to our softness and self-pleasing. It is not, indeed, wrong to enjoy the comforts and the pleasures of life. God sends these; and, if we receive them with gratitude, they may lift us nearer to Himself. But we are too terrified to be parted from them and too afraid of pain and poverty. Especially ought the sufferings of Christ to brace us up to endure whatever of pain or reproach we may have to encounter for His sake. Many would like to be Christians, but are kept back from decision by demand of the laughter of profane companions or by the prospect of some worldly loss. But we cannot look at the suffering Saviour without being ashamed of such cowardly fears. If the crown of thorns no becomes Christ so well as to be the pride and the song of men and of angels, be assured that any twig from that crown which we may have to wear will not one day turn out to be our most dazzling ornament.
James Stalker, The Trial and Death of Jesus Christ (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1966), 64.
Were the Whole Realm of Nature Mine…
The whole world is not a theater large enough to display or unfold one half of the unsearchable riches that lie hidden in Christ.“
HT: @NickRoark
The Gospel Is Good News
The gospel is the good news that because God did not spare Christ, He will not spare any omnipotent effort to give us everything that is good for us.
John Piper, God Is the Gospel (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2005), 36.
Obedience Is a Commitment unto Death
The cross was the crowning climax of Jesus’ commitment to do the will of God. It forever showed that obedience could not be compromised — it was always a commitment unto death.
Robert E. Coleman, The Master Plan of Evangelism (Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing Group, 2010), 56.
Life Is Worship 