At Peace With God # 2 (and others)

At Peace With God # 2 (and others)

It leads to a fuller and firmer hope. One who has thus found God to be a very present help in trouble, is strengthened to hope that He will be so in all trouble that may yet come. God's Word is one source of hope to us; as the Psalmist says, "I hope in Your Word." Our own experience of His goodness is another: "Because You have been my help - therefore in the shadow of Your wings will I rejoice." It is one of the greatest helps against despondency, to remember what God has done for us in  past troubles. Thus experience works hope.

And this hope is a sure hope, one that will never make us ashamed or disappoint us. For it is built upon the love of God to us in Christ; and that love, or a sense of it, is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who is given unto us. We believe it - we feel it - God has taught us to do so.

Well may we believe in that love! It brought the blessed Son of God from Heaven to die for sinners. "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because God sent His only-begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him." "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." And we were not even friends when Jesus gave His life for us. "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." It would be much that one should be willing to die for the best and kindest of men - for one who was not merely righteous and good but also kind, affectionate, unselfish, and engaging; yet we can just conceive such a thing possible. But "God commends His love towards us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Yes! Before we love Him, before we believed in Him, before we even had any desire toward Him - while we were yet in our sins, Christ died for us! Even "when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son."

If we are no longer enemies, if through grace we have repented and sought mercy through Christ, if we have come unto God by Him and have thus become reconciled, justified, and at peace - then we may well hope in His love. If He sought us when we were afar off - then will He not receive us now that we have come near? If He had compassion on us while we were yet in our sins - then well may we think with comfort of His mercy and love when we have turned to Him and sought Him in Christ Jesus. "If, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son - then much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life."

For He is a living Saviour. "He ever lives to make intercession for us." There is no blessing which we may not seek through Him. There is nothing really for our good, which God will withhold. "If He spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all - then how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" All things. More than safety, more than pardon, more than the blotting out of our sins. He will give us all things in Christ.

Already we have received the atonement, already we have become reconciled to God - and now we are able to rejoice in Him through our Lord Jesus Christ. Not merely to look forward to rejoicing hereafter, but to rejoice now. To rejoice in God, to feel happy in thinking of Him and praying to Him, to take pleasure in realizing His presence and in holding communion with Him in secret. This is what every true believer may do. This is what God would have him do. "Rejoice in the Lord always," says the apostle, "and again I say, rejoice!"

~Francis Bourdillon~

(The End)
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The More Christ Has Suffered For Us

The more Christ has suffered for us - the dearer Christ should be unto us. The greater and the bitterer Christ's sufferings have been for us - the greater and the sweeter should our love be to Him. O my friends! there is no love but a superlative love, which is any way suitable to the transcendent sufferings of dear Jesus. Oh, love Him above your lusts, love Him above your relations, love Him above the world, love Him above all your contentments and enjoyments; yes, love Him above your very lives!

Certainly the more Christ has suffered for us, the more dear Christ should be unto us. The more bitter His sufferings have been for us, the more eminent should be our love to Him. Oh, let a suffering Christ lie nearest your hearts!

Christ is that golden pipe through which the golden oil of salvation runs! Oh, how should this inflame our love to Christ! Oh, that our hearts were more affected with the sufferings of Christ! Who can tread upon these hot coals, and his heart not burn in love to Christ?

Oh, infinite love of Christ - that He should leave His Father's bosom, and come down from heaven - that He might carry you up to heaven; that He who was the Son should take upon Him the form of a servant; that you slaves should be made sons; that you enemies should be made friends, that you heirs of wrath should be made heirs of God; that to save us from everlasting ruin, Christ should be willing to be made flesh, to lie in a manger, to be tempted, deserted, persecuted, and to die upon a Cross! Oh what flames of love to Christ, should these things kindle in all our hearts!

~Thomas Brooks~