Grace Gems

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The sinfulness of sin

(J.C. Ryle)

"In order that by means of the Commandment the unspeakable sinfulness of sin might be plainly shown." Romans 7:13

The Christianity which is from the Holy Spirit, will always have a very deep view of the sinfulness of sin. It will not merely regard sin as a blemish and misfortune, which makes men and women objects of pity and compassion. It will see sin as . . .
  the curse which cursed God's beautiful creation,
  the cursed thing which makes the whole earth groan and struggle in pain,
  the abominable thing which God hates,
  the thing which makes people guilty and lost in his Maker's sight,
  the thing which deserves God's eternal wrath and condemnation.
It will look on sin as the cause of all . . .
 sorrow and unhappiness,
 strife and wars,
 quarrels and contentions,
 sickness and death!

Above all, it will see in sin the thing which will . . .
  ruin us eternally--unless we can find a ransom,
  lead us captive--unless we can get its chains broken,
  and destroy our happiness, both here and hereafter--unless we fight against it, even unto death.

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When the world is one vast howling wilderness

(Robert Murray M'Cheyne)

"Who is this coming up from the wilderness, leaning upon her Beloved?" Song of Songs 8:5

You will never find Jesus so precious, as when the world is one vast howling wilderness. Then He is like a rose blooming in the midst of the desolation, or a rock rising above the storm!

Do not set your hearts on any of the flowers of this world. They shall all fade and die. Prize the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of the Valley. Jesus never changes! Live nearer to Christ than to any person on this earth; so that when they are taken away, you may have Him to love and lean upon.

"Yes, He is altogether lovely. This is my Beloved, and this is my Friend!" Song of Songs 5:16

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Monster & monument!

("Gleanings from the Inner Life of Ruth Bryan"--her diary)

December 3rd, 1838.
I arose this morning soul-heavy and sin-burdened--but was favored at family worship with near access to God, wrestling faith, and a sense of His pardoning love. Wonderful! wonderful! Who is a pardoning God like You? Truly, to the Lord our God belong forgivenesses, though I have sinned against Him!

My naughty, carnal nature is very active today! What a monster of iniquity--and a monument of mercy I am!

Surely I am, as the apostle says, am "example"--that none may despair! "This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--and I am the worst of them! But I received mercy because of this, so that in me, the worst of them, Christ Jesus might demonstrate the utmost patience as an example to those who would believe in Him for eternal life!" 1 Timothy 1:15-16

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What the person IS, often mars the value of what he DOES!

(J.R. Miller, "The Glory of the Commonplace")

A pastor was commending Christ to a boy, expressing the hope that he would trust in Christ in his youth. "Religion is a continual joy," he said. "Look at your sister, Sarah. How much that dear girl enjoys her religion!"

"Yes," drawled the boy, with frank candor, "She may enjoy her religion--but nobody else in the house enjoys it!"

There are professing Christians of whom it is true that their families do not enjoy their religion. It is not sweet. It is not a comfort to people. It is critical, rasping, censorious, exacting. It was a serious condemnation of this girl's religion, that her family did not enjoy it.

A keen observer has said, "Many a woman spoils her testimony in the church, by her tongue in the kitchen!"

Another has said, "There are people who lead us Heavenward--but stick pins in us all the way!"

In a conversation overheard on a railway train, one reports catching this fragment of talk: "Yes, I suppose she's a Christian--but she certainly isn't pleasant to live with!"

A Christian who isn't pleasant to live with, is shameful. We may do all our duties faithfully, conscientiously, bearing our share of the burdens and cares--and yet, if we are not pleasant to live with, we fail in the most essential quality of love. An unlovely spirit, frowns and chilling looks, sharp impatient words--overbalance the painstaking Christian service that does so much to help in practical ways. What the person IS, often mars the value of what he DOES!

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." Colossians 3:12

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Now I hate my sins!

(John Newton)

"They will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn." Zechariah 12:10

A bleeding Savior I have viewed, and now I hate my sins!

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One of a preacher's first duties!

"A man cannot be a faithful minister, until he preaches Christ for Christ's sake--until he gives up striving to attract people to himself, and seeks only to attract them to Christ!" Robert Murray M'Cheyne

"To efface one's self is one of a preacher's first duties!" Alexander Maclaren

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What is it to save a soul from death?

(James Smith's autobiography, "Marvelous Mercy!" 1862)

The following is an excerpt from the diary of James Smith:

May 11, 1857.
My soul burns with a desire to save souls! O how those words have been impressed on my mind lately, "He who turns a sinner from the error of his way--will save a soul from death, and cover a multitude of sins!" James 5:20

What is it for a soul to die?
It is to remain under the just wrath and endless curse of God!

What is it to save a soul from death?
It is to snatch an immortal brand from burning in Hell!

To save a soul from death, is . . .
  to rob Satan of his prey,
  to deprive Hell of its fuel, and
  to prevent endless and indescribable torments!

To save a soul from death, is . . .
  to place a jewel in the crown of Jesus,
  to bring a sheep into the great Shepherd's fold,
  and to tune a harp to the glorious harmony of Heaven!

To save a soul from death, is . . .
  the greatest work which one can do,
  the highest honor which one can gain,
  the most glorious triumph which one can win!

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The omnipotent Savior!

(James Smith, "The Love of Christ! The Fullness, Freeness, and Immutability of the Savior's Grace Displayed!")

The love of Jesus for His people is armed with divine power, for the execution of its purposes and the fulfillment of its designs. It will perform all its good pleasure--but in the most judicious and prudent way.

Divine love will not be conquered! None can effectually resist its sweet omnipotence when it is exerted; nor are any disposed to find fault, when they feel its omnipotent sweetness.

Christ's omnipotent love for His people . . .
  reaches its objects, when at the greatest distance from God;
  raises them from the pit of destruction;
  plucks them as brands from the fire;
  delivers them from the power of darkness;
  and translates them into His blessed eternal kingdom!

Christ's omnipotent love for His people . . .
restores the backslidden believer from his wanderings;
extricates the erroneous believer from the labyrinths of error;
preserves the tempest-tossed believer from dashing upon the rocks of destruction;
supports the heavenly traveler in his rugged way; and
guides the pilgrims of Zion by its strength, to His holy habitation.

Christ's omnipotent love for His people never varies--and it cannot fail! Every object of the dying love of Jesus is addressed in the language of inspiration, "The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms!" Weakness may be felt, and the soul may be ready to faint--but divine love says, "I will strengthen you! I will help you! Yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of My righteousness."

We may come up out of the wilderness, leaning upon the omnipotent arm of a Savior's love (Song of Songs 8:5), and exclaim, "Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear. God is my refuge and strength, my ever-present help in times of trouble. Therefore I will not fear, though the earth gives way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging--for the Lord Almighty is with me, and the omnipotent Savior is my refuge!"

Happy, unspeakably happy--is the soul who is saved by the omnipotent love of Jesus! Nothing shall by any means hurt it, while it . . .
  follows in the footsteps of the lambs,
  feeds among His flock,
  and walks by His holy precepts.
All the attributes of Deity surround it--all the resources of eternity are open to it--and all that God possesses, stands engaged to make it blessed! Trust then in Jesus forever, for in the love of Jesus is everlasting strength!

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The grace of God!

(Don Fortner)

"But by the grace of God I am what I am!" 1 Corinthians 15:10

The grace of God, which provides, reveals, and effectually applies all the blessings of salvation--teaches, motivates, and sweetly compels saved sinners to devote themselves to Christ. Believers are not ruled by law, but by grace.

"For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace!" Romans 6:14

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For every look at self

(Robert Murray M'Cheyne)

For every look at self, take ten looks at Christ!

"Let us lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God!" Hebrews 12:1-2

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Sin has robbed us of six jewels!

(William Dyer, "Christ's Famous Titles")

"Christ died for the ungodly!" Romans 5:6

Certainly the misery of man was very great--that man should need such redemption as this! Oh! what a breach had sin made between God and us--that the Son of God must come from Heaven to earth to suffer all this!

Oh! sirs, mischievous sin has undone us! Sin has robbed everyone of six jewels, every one of which is of more worth than Heaven and earth. Would you know what jewels they are, which sin has robbed us of? I will tell you--and then you will agree that we were in a very miserable case indeed!

1. Sin robs us of the image of God. Was not this a precious jewel? I say, sin robbed us of the image of God--and drew the devil's picture in us!
  Malice is the devil's eye,
  oppression is the devil's hand,
  blasphemy is the devil's tongue,
  hypocrisy is the devil's cloven foot!

2. Sin robs us of our divine sonship--and makes us . . .
  slaves to the devil,
  slaves to sin,
  slaves to the world,
  slaves to ourselves!
This is another jewel we have lost.

3. Sin robs us of our friendship with God--and makes us . . .
  enemies to God,
  enemies to Christ,
  enemies to our own souls,
  enemies to all that is holy!

4. Sin robs us of our communion and fellowship with God--and makes us strangers and aliens to God.

5. Sin robs us of our rights and privileges of Heaven and heavenly things--and makes us children of wrath and heirs of Hell.

6. Sin robs us of our honor and glory--and makes us vile and miserable; as you may see in Isaiah 1:6, "There is no soundness in us--but only wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores!"

Now, sirs, put all this together, and then see whether or not we are miserable, and whether we needed a Savior to come and deliver us from this misery into which our souls were plunged!

Now here is our happiness, Christians: in Christ we have these jewels back again--which we lost in the old Adam!
The glorious image of God,
our divine sonship,
our friendship with God,
our fellowship with God,
our heavenly privileges,
our glory and honor--
we have regained all these by Jesus Christ!

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He always gives sufficient grace

(J.R. Miller, "Help for the Day")

"Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves! About three o'clock in the morning, Jesus came toward them, walking on the water!" Matthew 14:24-25

God adapts His grace to the peculiarities of each of His children's necessity. For rough, flinty paths--He provides shoes of iron. He never sends anyone to climb steep, sharp, rugged mountainsides--wearing silken slippers. He always gives sufficient grace.

As the burdens grow heavier--His strength increases.
As the difficulties thicken--He draws closer.
As the trials become sorer--the trusting heart grows calmer.

Jesus always sees His disciples when they are toiling in the waves, and at the right moment comes to deliver them. The sharper the temptations--the more of Divine grace is granted. There is, therefore, no environment of trial or difficulty or hardship--in which we cannot live beautiful lives of Christian fidelity and holy conduct.

"My grace is sufficient for you!" 2 Corinthians 12:9

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Death to the Christian!

(J.R. Miller, "Help for the Day")

"They are without fault before the throne of God!" Revelation 14:5

Death to the Christian, only . . .
  washes out all his sins and stains,
  shatters the crust of his mortality,
  sweeps away all his moral spots, blots, infirmities, weaknesses, follies, limitations and blemishes--
and then life expands into perfect freedom, fullness, joy, and power.

The translation of a Christian from earth to Heaven, is but like the removal of a tender plant from a frigid northern garden, where it is stunted and dying--into a tropical field, where it puts out most luxurious growth and covers itself with splendor!

"In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore!" Psalm 16:11

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Broken, trampled, torn!

(J.R. Miller, "Help for the Day")

Life may seem a failure here, crushed like a lily under the heel of wrong or sin--broken, trampled, torn! But it may yet become a glorious success. Many of the truest and best of God's children, know only defeat in this world. They are ever beaten back and thrust down. The burdens are too heavy for them. They are overmastered by sorrows. The world's enmity treads them in the dust. They are not worldly wise, and, while others march by to great earthly success--they live obscurely oppressed, cheated, wronged, and lie buried away in the darkness of failure.

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal!" 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

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How can I avoid the annoyances which continually harass me?

(J.R. Miller, "Help for the Day")

The true victory is not found in escaping or evading trials--but in rightly meeting and enduring them.

The questions should not be, "How can I get out of these trials? How can I get into a place where there shall be no irritations, nothing to try my temper, or put my patience to the test? How can I avoid the annoyances which continually harass me?"

There is nothing noble in such living. The soldier who flees when he smells the battle is no hero; he is a coward.

The questions should rather be: "How can I pass through these trying experiences--and not fail as a Christian? How can I endure these struggles--and not suffer defeat? How can I live amid these provocations, these reproaches and testings of my temper--and yet live sweetly, not speaking harshly, bearing injuries meekly, returning gentle answers to insulting words?"

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." Colossians 3:12-14