My little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you. (Galatians 4:19 ESV)
The profaning of the Lord's Name, and the taking away of His glory, is the inveterate habit and course of the old creation nature. Should you see any of the old creation getting into the realm of the things of God, what is the result sooner or later? That man takes the glory, and dishonors God. Is not that the tragic, dark story of "the Church"; man in his old creation powers and life pressing into the things of God, and making a name for himself? The Church has been the happy hunting ground of men for reputation, position, influence and all such things. The flesh always does that. It takes God's glory away, it profanes God's Name. In order that that might not be so there must be a new creation, where all things are of God.... I see the appalling state of things today amongst the Lord's people everywhere; death, weakness, limitation, defeat, failure, inability to stand up, to go on; and, without being critical, censorious or judging, you have to come to the conclusion as you speak with so many, that the measure of Christ is pathetically small. Sometimes when you speak about the Lord to people, who have borne the name of Christian for many years, they gape at you as though you were talking a strange language.
Let us ask the Lord that, so far as we are concerned, there may be an increase of Christ in every way. Let us seek grace for any fiery furnace in the light of the explanation, that it is neither what is of Christ that is being tested in us, nor any good within ourselves, but that what is not Christ should disappear, that it should be Christ, only Christ. At last this universe will know nothing but Christ. He will fill all things, and that will be a great day! May He be fully formed in us.
~T. Austin-Sparks~
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One blessing after another!
(Charles Spurgeon)
"From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another!" John 1:16
Our Lord Jesus is ever giving--and does not for a solitary instant withdraw His hand.
As long as there is a vessel of grace not yet full to the brim--the oil shall not be stopped.
He is a sun ever-shining.
He is manna always falling round the camp.
He is a rock in the desert, ever sending out streams of life from His smitten side.
The rain of His grace is always dropping.
The river of His bounty is ever-flowing.
The well-spring of His love is constantly overflowing.
As our King can never die--so His grace can never fail.
Daily we pluck His fruit, and daily His branches bend down to our hand with a fresh store of mercy.
Who has ever returned from His door, unblessed?
Who has ever risen from His table, unsatisfied?
Who has ever come from His bosom, un-imparadised?
His mercies are new every morning--and fresh every evening.
Who can know the number of His benefits, or recount His infinite bounties?
Every sand which drops from the glass of time--is but the tardy follower of a myriad of mercies. The wings of our hours are covered with the silver of His kindness, and with the yellow gold of His affection. The river of time bears from the mountains of eternity--the golden sands of His favor.
Who can count the dust of the benefits which He bestows on His redeemed people, or number of His mercies towards us? How shall my soul extol Him--who daily loads us with benefits, and who crowns us with loving-kindness?
O that my praise could be as ceaseless as His bounty! O miserable tongue, how can you be silent?
"Praise the Lord, O my soul! Do not forget all of His benefits!" Psalm 103:2
Called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)
The chosen vessel becomes the instrument of a Divine wisdom which surprises the vessel itself. Sooner or later that chosen vessel is full of one question: "Why did God choose me? Why did He call me to this work? He ought to have chosen anyone but me! I am the most unsuited for this kind of life and this kind of work." That was true of Moses. When God would send him to Egypt, he said: "Oh, if you can send by anybody, do so, but not by me." When God chose Jeremiah, the latter said: "I cannot speak: for I am a child" (Jeremiah 1:6). A prophet, whose one business it was to speak, felt that it was the one thing he could not do. Divine choice is a very extraordinary thing, and it is not always the thing that we would like or would choose that God calls us to. When we are young we have perhaps a great idea of being in the Lord's work, and we leap to it very eagerly as though we can do it, but when we get older we feel more acutely our dependence. It is then that we discover that naturally we are not fit for it, and many of God's chosen vessels have had to be kept in the work by the very power of God itself.
You see, it is God's own sovereignty in His choice, and the point is this: It is not the vessel, but the purpose for which the vessel has been chosen. What is it that unites us as Christians? Now listen to this: It is not salvation, nor redemption, but it is God's power in salvation and redemption that unites us. It is the common consciousness of all believers that they exist for a purpose and that God has saved them with a great purpose in view. This is a very important thing to remember. We may all be saved, and yet we may all be divided. We may all be redeemed by the precious Blood of Jesus and yet remain just individual units. But see what a uniting power there is in everybody feeling that they are called to a purpose! They are united by one common vision.
~T. Austin-Sparks~
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