Forget about your exhilarating private devotional times and your wondrous thoughts about the majesty and glory of God, for by these you may deceive yourself as to the true state of your soul. The actual barometer of spiritual health is how we speak of other people, those who we find our selves at odds with. "With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God" (Jas. 3:9). Consistency in honorable speech is the Spirits fruit within, and apart from grace inconsistency characterizes our speech. Examine your speech toward the Lord and your adversary, are they similar or a contradiction? If you find inconsistency pray that the Lord root it out until the words of your mouth and the meditations of your heart are consistent in offering honorable speech to both God and those made in His image.
Copyright © 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("…the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8).
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Thursday, November 14, 2013
The Disobedience of Doubt
J.A. Matteson
As a saint it is vital that you settle in your mind God's love toward you. Otherwise when trouble comes you will sin through the disobedience of doubt. "'The LORD is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I have hope in Him'"(Jer. 3:24). The Lord Jesus Christ promised that in this world you will have trouble, so why are you repeatedly surprised when it knocks on your door? Forget the notion that life is predictable or that you are able to direct outcomes and circumstances. Beware of the exasperation that mutters, "What do you want from me?" This is the will of God for you, your sanctification (1 Thess. 4:3). Trouble comes at times because of our sin, at other times due to the sin of those around us, and in other occasions not due to sin but in connection to God's refining purposes of good. As a saint you are the LORD's and He is yours, your inheritance as a child of God. When trouble comes look to Him as your hope, rejecting the wisdom of the world to look elsewhere. All who place their trust in Him will never be disappointed. He is the pearl of great price and He has given you the most precious gift there is, Himself.
Copyright © 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("…the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8).
As a saint it is vital that you settle in your mind God's love toward you. Otherwise when trouble comes you will sin through the disobedience of doubt. "'The LORD is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I have hope in Him'"(Jer. 3:24). The Lord Jesus Christ promised that in this world you will have trouble, so why are you repeatedly surprised when it knocks on your door? Forget the notion that life is predictable or that you are able to direct outcomes and circumstances. Beware of the exasperation that mutters, "What do you want from me?" This is the will of God for you, your sanctification (1 Thess. 4:3). Trouble comes at times because of our sin, at other times due to the sin of those around us, and in other occasions not due to sin but in connection to God's refining purposes of good. As a saint you are the LORD's and He is yours, your inheritance as a child of God. When trouble comes look to Him as your hope, rejecting the wisdom of the world to look elsewhere. All who place their trust in Him will never be disappointed. He is the pearl of great price and He has given you the most precious gift there is, Himself.
Copyright © 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("…the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8).
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
In Grave Peril
J.A. Matteson
To spurn God's free gift of forgiveness in Christ invokes His eternal wrath. "For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins" (Heb. 10:26). Saints sin, and yet they have an Advocate, the Lord Jesus Christ, who intercedes for them when they confess their sin. In view here is the sin of unbelief, not the daily stumbling of imperfect souls grieved by sin. To confess Christ and later retract that confession places the soul in grave peril. There is nowhere else to turn for pardon, the old covenant sacrificial system being abolished in Christ; the fearful assurance of damnation is sealed. Who are these souls to which the writer refers? They are those of the false circumcision, not having received the washing of the word and the Spirit of promise, impostors, tears among the wheat of God's harvest. For a little while they spring forth, appearing radiant, but when difficulty and persecution come in response to the word and the name of Christ they fall away, preferring the praise of men over God. Saints are of the true circumcision, that of the heart, recipients of grace resulting in regeneration. These persevere in the face of persecution to the saving of the soul, refusing to deny Him who did not deny them. And He who promised is faithful, completing in them what He promised. With great joy saints rest assured that the same power that awakened them to Christ is able to keep them in Christ. They have ceased from working, finding and enjoying their rest in Him now and for eternity.
Copyright © Immutable Word Ministries 2013 ("…the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8).
To spurn God's free gift of forgiveness in Christ invokes His eternal wrath. "For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins" (Heb. 10:26). Saints sin, and yet they have an Advocate, the Lord Jesus Christ, who intercedes for them when they confess their sin. In view here is the sin of unbelief, not the daily stumbling of imperfect souls grieved by sin. To confess Christ and later retract that confession places the soul in grave peril. There is nowhere else to turn for pardon, the old covenant sacrificial system being abolished in Christ; the fearful assurance of damnation is sealed. Who are these souls to which the writer refers? They are those of the false circumcision, not having received the washing of the word and the Spirit of promise, impostors, tears among the wheat of God's harvest. For a little while they spring forth, appearing radiant, but when difficulty and persecution come in response to the word and the name of Christ they fall away, preferring the praise of men over God. Saints are of the true circumcision, that of the heart, recipients of grace resulting in regeneration. These persevere in the face of persecution to the saving of the soul, refusing to deny Him who did not deny them. And He who promised is faithful, completing in them what He promised. With great joy saints rest assured that the same power that awakened them to Christ is able to keep them in Christ. They have ceased from working, finding and enjoying their rest in Him now and for eternity.
Copyright © Immutable Word Ministries 2013 ("…the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8).
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Behold the Cross
J.A. Matteson
When we come to Jesus we come to the cross. For in the cross the fearsome wrath and overflowing grace of God are revealed. It is imperative that we behold His passion and suffering, that we remain there, intensely staring at His bloodied body until the full force of His atoning sacrifice is felt. "He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death.... (Heb. 9:15). We will not live for Christ until we behold the awfulness of the cross and look upon the marque above His head and see our name inscribed. When we allow the terror of the cross to penetrate our heart, grace awakens us to the love of God extended through it. And our love returned to Him empowers us to obediently endure suffering for His names sake, knowing that our Redeemer lives and that our eternal inheritance in Christ is secure. If we will die for Christ, let us also live for Him.
Copyright (c) Immutable Word Ministries 2013, (...for the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8).
When we come to Jesus we come to the cross. For in the cross the fearsome wrath and overflowing grace of God are revealed. It is imperative that we behold His passion and suffering, that we remain there, intensely staring at His bloodied body until the full force of His atoning sacrifice is felt. "He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death.... (Heb. 9:15). We will not live for Christ until we behold the awfulness of the cross and look upon the marque above His head and see our name inscribed. When we allow the terror of the cross to penetrate our heart, grace awakens us to the love of God extended through it. And our love returned to Him empowers us to obediently endure suffering for His names sake, knowing that our Redeemer lives and that our eternal inheritance in Christ is secure. If we will die for Christ, let us also live for Him.
Copyright (c) Immutable Word Ministries 2013, (...for the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8).
Friday, November 8, 2013
Choosing Obedience
J.A. Matteson
How we perceive suffering determines our response to it and our progress in sanctification. "Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered" (Heb. 5:8). Unless the test comes righteous virtues remain academic, and God's aim is to make the intellectual intensely practical. The Lord calls disciples to pray for their enemies, to return good for evil. It is in the midst of rejection and persecution that the command is codified in our thinking and behavior. Suffering is our tutor unto righteousness, infusing our faith into tangible good works. The Lord declared that His disciples would be known by their fruit, grace softens the redeemed soul undergoing suffering, making it increasingly pliable to the hands of the Potter. The apostle Paul observed that he had learned to be content in all things; the process of suffering he experienced is no different for you. Every godly virtue displayed in a mans life is learned in the furnace of suffering. It is in the heat of suffering your will affirms its love for Christ, choosing obedience over disobedience. The Lord moves you from grace to grace and from faith to faith through suffering, culminating in the transformation of your outlook whereby God's perspective becomes yours. When at first in the midst of suffering you obeyed hesitantly, you now joyfully endure the trial with great patience, knowing that your Father is conforming you more and more into the image of His Son.
Copyright © 2013, Immutable Word Ministries ("…the word of our God stands forever" Isa. 40:8).
How we perceive suffering determines our response to it and our progress in sanctification. "Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered" (Heb. 5:8). Unless the test comes righteous virtues remain academic, and God's aim is to make the intellectual intensely practical. The Lord calls disciples to pray for their enemies, to return good for evil. It is in the midst of rejection and persecution that the command is codified in our thinking and behavior. Suffering is our tutor unto righteousness, infusing our faith into tangible good works. The Lord declared that His disciples would be known by their fruit, grace softens the redeemed soul undergoing suffering, making it increasingly pliable to the hands of the Potter. The apostle Paul observed that he had learned to be content in all things; the process of suffering he experienced is no different for you. Every godly virtue displayed in a mans life is learned in the furnace of suffering. It is in the heat of suffering your will affirms its love for Christ, choosing obedience over disobedience. The Lord moves you from grace to grace and from faith to faith through suffering, culminating in the transformation of your outlook whereby God's perspective becomes yours. When at first in the midst of suffering you obeyed hesitantly, you now joyfully endure the trial with great patience, knowing that your Father is conforming you more and more into the image of His Son.
Copyright © 2013, Immutable Word Ministries ("…the word of our God stands forever" Isa. 40:8).
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Faith in the Hearer
J.A. Matteson
A symbiotic effect between a hearer of the word and the word itself governs the redemptive work of God. "For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard" (Heb. 4:2). The word preached is not mixed with faith subsequent to its declaration, so as to contemplate its truth and give ascent to it, implying that faith resides within all and may be switched on and off as a light switch. What does the apostle say? Namely, that faith in the hearer supersedes the word heard; it is there in some, latent, ready to be released by the hearing of the living word. How do we account for this? Grace accounts for the possession of latent faith that positively responds to the word, being the gift of regeneration. You heard the word and instantly you were refreshed by it, encouraged in it, filled with hope through it. Apart from the latent gift the word falls on deaf ears and is unprofitable. Rejoice, brethren, that the word you heard was united with faith, and give thanks to the Lord most high from whom it was given.
Copyright © 2013, Immutable Word Ministries ("…for the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8).
A symbiotic effect between a hearer of the word and the word itself governs the redemptive work of God. "For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard" (Heb. 4:2). The word preached is not mixed with faith subsequent to its declaration, so as to contemplate its truth and give ascent to it, implying that faith resides within all and may be switched on and off as a light switch. What does the apostle say? Namely, that faith in the hearer supersedes the word heard; it is there in some, latent, ready to be released by the hearing of the living word. How do we account for this? Grace accounts for the possession of latent faith that positively responds to the word, being the gift of regeneration. You heard the word and instantly you were refreshed by it, encouraged in it, filled with hope through it. Apart from the latent gift the word falls on deaf ears and is unprofitable. Rejoice, brethren, that the word you heard was united with faith, and give thanks to the Lord most high from whom it was given.
Copyright © 2013, Immutable Word Ministries ("…for the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8).
Friday, November 1, 2013
Proclaim it Faithfully
J.A. Matteson
Characteristic of sin is its intense, and at times violent, inclination to self-preservation. "When Jeremiah finished speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak to all the people, the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him, saying, 'You must die!'" (Jer. 26:8). There is one judge and lawgiver, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not the Christians place to pass judgement, leave that to God. It is enough to faithfully proclaim His excellent word preserved in Scripture. In it the Holy Spirit applies to individual hearts what is needed. Resist your inclination to presume what people need, your judgement will generally be in error, for all you can do is draw conclusions from outward appearances, it is the LORD who examines the heart. Scripture us a gift of the LORD to His people while a tool of condemnation to those who do not believe. It is sufficient to prepare God's people for every good work. As it is taught and preached some will hear it and embrace it. Others will seem unphased by it. Still others will be outwardly incensed by it, angered that the inward condition of their heart has been exposed. It is not your place to obsess over how Scripture is received; it is your duty to proclaim it faithfully and boldly with conviction and love. Commit the message of the LORD and your welfare into His hands as a good and faithful servant. And in all your preaching and teaching keep a watchful eye on the blessed hope of His immanent return.
Copyright (c) 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8)
Characteristic of sin is its intense, and at times violent, inclination to self-preservation. "When Jeremiah finished speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak to all the people, the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him, saying, 'You must die!'" (Jer. 26:8). There is one judge and lawgiver, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not the Christians place to pass judgement, leave that to God. It is enough to faithfully proclaim His excellent word preserved in Scripture. In it the Holy Spirit applies to individual hearts what is needed. Resist your inclination to presume what people need, your judgement will generally be in error, for all you can do is draw conclusions from outward appearances, it is the LORD who examines the heart. Scripture us a gift of the LORD to His people while a tool of condemnation to those who do not believe. It is sufficient to prepare God's people for every good work. As it is taught and preached some will hear it and embrace it. Others will seem unphased by it. Still others will be outwardly incensed by it, angered that the inward condition of their heart has been exposed. It is not your place to obsess over how Scripture is received; it is your duty to proclaim it faithfully and boldly with conviction and love. Commit the message of the LORD and your welfare into His hands as a good and faithful servant. And in all your preaching and teaching keep a watchful eye on the blessed hope of His immanent return.
Copyright (c) 2013 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8)
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