2019 Wednesday Words (cont)

The Wednesday Word, November 27, 2019: “Getting in!”

D. G. Miles McKee

"Behold, thy days approach that thou must die" Deuteronomy 31:14

Many years ago, a preacher, Dr Charles H. Berry, had, at a young age received the highest honours his denomination could confer. His fame as a preacher was as wide as the English-speaking world. But he was a theological liberal. He, at that stage of his life, didn’t believe in the fundamentals of grace, the blood and substitutionary atonement. He told the following story of his conversion to his friend, Dr J. H. Jowett.

  “One night there came to me, a Lancashire girl, with her shawl over her head, and with clogs on her feet.”

  “‘Are you the minister?’ she said.

  “‘Yes.’

  “‘Then I want you to come and get my mother in’

  “Thinking it was some drunken brawl, I said, ‘You must get a policeman.’

  “Oh, no,’ said the girl, ‘my mother is dying, and I want you to get her into salvation.’

  “‘Where do you live?’

  “‘I live at so and so, a mile and a half from here.’

  “‘Is there no minister nearer than I?’

  “‘Oh, yes, but I want you, and you will have to come.’

  “I was in my slippers, and I did all I could to get out of it, but it was of no use. That girl was determined, and I had to dress and go. I found the house, and upstairs I found the poor woman dying. I sat down and talked about Jesus as the beautiful example and extolled Him as a Leader and Teacher. I talked about His kindness and how we ought to be kind. She looked at me out of her eyes of death, and said:

  “‘Mister, that’s no good for the likes of me. I don’t want an example. I’m a sinner.’

  “Jowett, there I was face to face with a poor soul dying and had nothing to tell her. I had no gospel; but I thought of what my mother had taught me, and I told her the old, old story of God’s love in Christ’s dying for sinful people, whether I believed it or not.

  “‘Now you are getting at it’ said the woman. ‘That’s the story for me.’

  “And so I got her in, and….. I got myself in. From that night,” added Dr. Berry, “I have always had a full gospel of salvation for lost sinners.”

What a marvelous little story. The preacher and listener saved by the same message!

Dr. Berry discovered that theological liberalism is not for the sick, the dying and the desperate. It can’t “get people in.”

Theological liberalism is very ensnaring as it subtly whittles away at the cross. In its teaching, the atonement becomes nothing other than a sublime example of selflessness. Christ is reduced to the status of only a man.  There is no saving blood sacrifice. There is no gospel.  In theological liberalism, the Bible is torn to shreds! There is no life in that—death, only death.

Let me ask you a personal question.  If you were called to a death bed and the dying person was urgently concerned about their salvation, humanly speaking, could you “get them in”?

Do you know that although death is like a giant scorpion, for the believer its sting is removed? As William Romaine rightly observed, ‘Death stung himself to death when he stung Christ!’

To help those who are dying we need to know that Christ has settled the sin and death problem. Do you know this?  Could you tell a dying person this as you urge them to trust in Christ? We need to ask ourselves, therefore, do we believe the gospel or is it just a theory. Or, do we from the depth of our being trust that Christ Jesus is the One who has already, thoroughly and finally dealt with sin and death? (see Hebrews. 1:3; 9:26; 1 Corinthians 15:21-22).

Christ Jesus alone is the One who is to be trusted and relied upon for salvation.

And that’s the Gospel Truth!

The Wednesday Word, December 4, 2019: The Heart of Jesus

In my young days in Northern Ireland, I often saw pictures of what was called, ‘The Sacred Heart of Jesus’ hanging on kitchen walls. Without wishing to be offensive to my Roman Catholic friends, I have to admit that I found those wall hangings quite goulish and oftentimes frightening. Apparently, if a home was to display this chilling picture, the family would earn favour from God.  What a terrible doctrine!

The truth is, Jesus´heart is discovered in the gospel, not in framed pictures.  For example, we find Jesus depicted in Luke 10:30-35 as the Good Samaritan. After the priest and the Levite had passed by the poor, half-murdered man, the Good Samaritan came where he was, bound up his wounds, poured in oil and wine, set him on his own beast, brought him to an inn, took care of him, paid all his expenses, and promised to return. What a glimpse of the heart of Jesus.

He is the one who comes where we are, binds up our wounds, takes care of us, pays our debt of sin and promises to return for us.  Isn’t He lovely?

We find the same heart of Jesus in John 4:4 when He purposed to travel into the unwelcoming Samaritan territory to bring salvation to the worst woman in the district. Remember how it was said of Him, “He must needs go through Samaria.” He must needs—He was impelled and propelled by the love in His heart.   He had been walking under the glare of a hot Eastern sun, where a man couldn’t find his own shadow. But look at Him,  warily trudging all those hard miles, to rescue that poor, profligate, Samaritan woman.

What a revelation of the heart of Jesus and thus a revelation of the heart of God! Isn’t He lovely?

This is the same Jesus who at later time came down the right street and stopped at the right place and looked up into the right tree and spoke to  Zacchaeus (Luke 19:5). Yes, Jesus showed us His heart when He came looking for that crooked little money- grubber.  He came, however, not to punish him or beat him, but to go home and dine with him. Isn’t He lovely?

This again is the same Jesus who, by His love, melted the heart of the woman, who was a sinner (see Luke 7:36-48). Jesus was invited to the right house on the right night so that the woman, who was a sinner, could wash His feet with her tears of repentance.

Go where you will through the gospels and look at Jesus. He´s seeking to save the lost, the last, the least and the left behind. (Luke 19:10), and He´s still doing it. The Lord is not passively waiting for people to come to Him. He is seeking sinners.  That´s why, as we walk with Him, we learn how to bring the gospel to our friends and family and those He brings into our path.

"He left the radiant throne above,

Stooped down to bleed and die,

To meet the need of ruined man,

What love with this can vie?"

The Pharisees mockingly said of Him, “This man receives sinners”(Luke 15:2), … and they were right. " This man [Jesus] receives sinners." He came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance"(Luke 5:32).

He, out of deep love and pity, left heaven's glory, and came to seek and to save that which was lost.  That´s the heart of God!  He came searching for His people, His lost sheep. That´s the heart of God!   Nothing turned Him aside and nothing daunted Him.

That´s the heart of Jesus for us.

And that´s the Gospel Truth!

The Wednesday Word, December 11, 2019: Repentance or Reformation?

Opinions are like noses…everyone has one. That’s why, when it comes to doctrine, we so often hear “I think this,” or “I think that,” and "Mr So-and-So thinks the other." There are many varied and colourful opinions out there but to establish the veracity of a matter we need to ask what God thinks? What are His thoughts?

In Matthew 22:29 the Lord rebuked the Sadducees saying, "You do err, not knowing the Scriptures." That’s a sombre reprimand for many of us.

God has spoken and His word endures for ever (1 Peter 1:25). What then does His Word say, for example, about repentance?  Is it the same as reformation? Let’s then, for just a moment, look at this important truth.

In Acts 17:30-31 we discover that, “God now commands all men everywhere to repent: Because he has appointed a day, in which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he has ordained; whereof he has given assurance unto all men, in that he has raised him from the dead.” Let’s unpack this;

Who commands repentance? God!

When does He command it? Now!

Whom does He command to repent? All men!

Where does He command this? Everywhere!

Why does He command repentance? To escape the coming judgment.

What assurance have we that there is a coming judgment? Christ has been raised from the dead!

Through the years, many have considered their responsibility to repent, and yet they still lack salvation.

Why?

Because they confuse reformation with repentance. They realise, to a point, their sinful condition, and unfitness for God's holy presence, so they turn over a new leaf. They give up their obvious and visible sinful habits and try to lead a good and religious life.  By doing so, they hope to make amends for their ‘high crimes and misdemeanors’. Oh, and yes, they believe that Christ died on the cross, but they seem to have no idea that they are to trust Him for their salvation.  They do not see Him as their sin-bearer and substitute.  However, by their upright behavior and sincerely trying to be good they believe they will reach heaven someday.

But is this repentance? Far from it! Repentance is seeing ourselves as poor, helpless, vile, lost sinner whose only hope is Jesus.  What we are looking at with the ¨new leaf adherents¨ is the evidence of the deeply rooted self-righteousness of a deceived mind. These folks have gone through reformation not repentance. But God commands repentance, not reformation. Reformation will probably be appreciated by their neighbours but repentance towards God and repentance unto life are other things altogether.

If a person trusts in their reformation to gain eternal life, they are trusting in what they have done. But we are not saved by works. We are not called upon to trust what we have done (see Ephesians 2:8-9). A saved person does not justify themselves, but they look to Christ alone for their right standing before God.  What a vast difference there is between reformation and repentance! Repentance is a change of mind about sin, our lostness and about Jesus. Real salvation is by grace. By the work of the Spirit we see that we are guilty and lost (see Luke 19:10). We comprehend that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners (see 1 Timothy 1:15). We understand that Jesus, the appointed Judge, is also the Saviour.

Those hoping in their reformation must realise the following: God is "just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Romans 3:26). They must, ‘Believe on (trust on) the Lord Jesus Christ, and they shall be saved,’ (Acts 16:31).

We are not called to believe about Him as merely an historical fact, but to trust the Person and finished work of the risen One. We cannot do a single thing to please God before we believe, for " in all your doings your sins do appear " (Ezekiel. 21:24). Reforming our ways is not the ground of salvation. We must believe and trust on Him first, and then follow Him.”

And that’s the Gospel Truth!

The Wednesday Word, December 18, 2019: The Right Way

 "He led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation" Psalm 107: 7.

There is only one way to heaven … the right way. Unfortunately, the ways that lead to destruction are many (Matthew 7:13). The way to heaven is narrow, but the numerous ways that lead to damnation are broad and thronged with people. Since all of us will die, it would be a smart thing to ask then if we are on the right way to heaven, or on the downward road to hell?

Unfortunately, no question is more irritating to the unbeliever than that one. The unsaved usually shrink from such a query. Perhaps, they do not want to disturb their conscience! They are content with the thought that they are no worse than their neighbours, and shall stand as good a chance as any of them. Poor misguided people! It will give them no comfort in the Lake of Fire to discover they were right, …  indeed they were no worse than their neighbours.

So, what does the Lord Jesus Christ say on this subject? He says, "Enter in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction¨ (Matthew 7: 13-14). I fear that multiplied thousands, deceived by Satan, are on the road to eternal ruin, being fully satisfied in their own minds that they are safe.

Again we read, "There is a way which seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death" (Proverbs 14:12).

 But how shall we find "the right way?"

The Lord Jesus Christ answers this with full authority when He declares, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by Me" (John 14:6).  Christ alone is the way to heaven. No church, no sacrament, “no Guru, no method no teacher.”  Christ alone!

Jesus also announces, "I am the door: by Me, if any man enters in, he shall be saved" (John 10:9). Christ is the helpless sinner's only hope. He is the only refuge from the wrath to come.

Again, we read, "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

 The Lord Jesus Christ is the right and the only way to eternal glory. We, believers, know that God, by an act of sovereign grace and mercy, enabled us to see our utterly lost condition.  By grace, we saw the urgent necessity of fleeing for refuge to Jesus the sinner's only shelter and hiding place from the wrath to come.

 By grace, we have been shown that,"All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags" and that our best good works need washing in the precious blood of Jesus?  We realise that, of ourselves, we are absolutely bankrupt of all power, will, or ability to take a single step towards heaven. We know that, if left to our own strength and guidance, we should be hopelessly lost and ruined forever.  But as believers, the Holy Spirit has given us a glimpse of the unutterable value of the Saviour's love and blood.  He has created in our souls a burning thirst after our Saviour, a longing which can never be satisfied until we see Jesus as He is.

“Just to see Jesus, once scarred as Redeemer!

Jesus my Lord, from all suffering free;

Just to see Jesus transfigured forever,

That will be glory, be glory for me.”

And that´s the Gospel Truth!

The Wednesday Word, December 25, 2019: The Sovereign, Saving Servant

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6

Our Lord’s entrance into the world demonstrates, among many things, God’s humility and servant’s heart. The truth is, our God is a humble God. This is verified by the touching words, “And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself” (Philippians 2:8). Jesus might have been born in a royal palace, and that would have been a wonderful condescension for Him. Nothing would have been too grand for He who was—“a child born” and a “son given” yet at the same time “The mighty God” and the “everlasting Father” (Isaiah 9:6).

Yet, His entrance into this world was in a stable. Have you ever been in a rough and ready cow shed?  I have! And it’s no place into which to bring a baby with the squish of manure under feet and the odious smells.  What humble earthly beginnings.  

It’s also significant that the first people to hear the wonderful news of the Saviour’s birth were not the great people of the land, the high priests and rulers, but humble shepherds tending their flocks by night. Again, the pride of man is rebuked. Shepherds were not held in high esteem in those days. Many considered them the dregs of society.

But what of heaven? What did heaven think of this event? The angel of the Lord was sent to tell the shepherds. We have instances in Scripture where angels appeared just as men, so as not to excite astonishment and bewilderment in those to whom they appeared. But in this case, the glory of the Lord appeared to the shepherds. That glory must have been wonderful, surpassing anything on earth, so much so that the shepherds were ‘sore afraid.’ Being instructed not to fear, they were told that that day in the city of David was born a Saviour, which was Christ, the Lord. What an announcement.  A Saviour was born.  Not a new teacher with a new set of demands, but a Saviour!

In an instant there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, crying aloud, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14).

What a contrast to the stable and the manger! When children of royal parents are born there are gun salutes to celebrate the great event. But was there ever a child greeted like this heavenly Child?

Look at the arrival of the young prince of glory and see not only a display of foretold servanthood and saviorhood but also a demonstration of sovereign majesty. In order that Christ should be born at Bethlehem, the entire Roman world was to be taxed. The proud Roman Emperor, Caesar Augustus, little thought when he decreed this taxing that he would fulfil the Scripture, “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting” (Micah 5:2).

In that prophecy, seven centuries and more before the birth of our Lord, we have presented to us Christ’s manhood, the place of His birth, and the clear declaration of His deity.

What sovereignty! What servanthood! What saviourhood all bound up in that little infant, Jesus, the babe of Bethlehem

And that’s the Gospel Truth!

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