The Two Ways

 ON THE TWO WAYS "Unto this people you shall say, thus says the Lord: behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death." (Jer. xxi, 8.) These important words were spoken to the Jews, when the king of Babylon was drawing near to besiege the city of Jerusalem. Those who went to the Chaldeansshould find the way of life; while those who remained in the city should be in the way of death. But these expressive words may be addressed to all, in every age; and more especially to those who live in Gospel times. The commission given by our Lord to his apostles, just before his ascension into heaven, speaks the same language: "Go into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature; he that believes, and isbaptized, shall be saved; and he that believes not, shall be damned." Thus, faith in Jesus is the way of life; rejection of him is the way of death. The Gospel, therefore, sets before us life and death. Hence, John says, "he that has the Son, has life; and he that has not the Son of God, has not life." In conformity with which truth, John the Baptist declared, when bearing witness to the divinity and Messiahship of Jesus: "he that believes on the Son, has everlasting life; and he that believes not the Son, shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." Our Lord declares also respecting himself, in terms too plain to be misunderstood, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man comes unto the Father but by me." Thomas Reade

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Muckle Kate Not a very ordinary name! But then, Muckle Kate, or Big Kate, or Kate-Mhor, or Kate of Lochcarron was not a very ordinary woman! The actual day of her salvation is difficult to trace to its sunrising, but being such a glorious day as it was, we simply wish to relate something of what shone forth in the redeemed life of that "ill-looking woman without any beauty in the sight of God or man." Muckle Kate was born and lived in Lochcarron in the county of Ross-shire. By the time she had lived her life to its eighty-fifth year she had well-earned the reputation of having committed every known sin against the Law of God with the exception murder. Speaking after the manner of men, if it took "Grace Abounding" to save a hardened sinner like John Bunyan, it was going to take "Grace Much More Abounding" to save Muckle Kate. However, Grace is Sovereign and cannot be thwarted when God sends it on the errand of salvation, and even the method used in bri
Read more
  Severance from Christ is death   to the Church. A Christless Church is a headless trunk. We may retain the doctrine and ethic of the New Testament, but, nevertheless, amputation of the Head means death. Even a partial severance of connection involves paraylsis - loss of spiritual power and loss of spiritual feeling. II.  INTERNALLY, THE CHURCH IS THE FULLNESS OF CHRIST. It is filled with Christ. He is not only the Head above it; he is the life within it. He does not only teach, bless, command, and lead from without; he inspires his people and lives in his Church. Christ fills " all  in all;"  i.e.  the Spirit that was in Jesus of Nazareth is in the whole universe, inspiring all creation and all providence with wisdom and goodness, purity and grace. The same Spirit is in the Church. As yet, unhappily, the Church is not filled with Christ. Though Christ is received into the heart of Christians, every door within is not yet flung open to the gracious Guest. But in the perfect
Read more

Church discipline

Once from the pulpit, at an ordination of elders, the late Rev. M. M'Cheyne made the following declaration. "When I first entered upon the work of the ministry among you, I was exceedingly ignorant of the vast importance of church discipline. I thought that my great, and almost only, work was to pray and preach. I saw your souls to be so precious, and the time so short, that I devoted all my time and care and strength to labour in word and doctrine. When cases of discipline were brought before me and the elders, I regarded them with something like abhorrence. It was a duty I shrank from; and I may truly say it nearly drove me from the work of the ministry among you altogether. But it pleased God, who teaches His servants in another way than man teaches, to bless some of the cases of discipline to the manifest and undeniable conversion of the souls of those under our care; and from that hour a new light broke in upon my mind, and I saw that if preaching be an ordinance of Chri
Read more