Man Failed To Save Himself

For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. (Philippians 3:3-7)

Man is unable to make himself right with God.

(a) Race is a failure

Our background, upbringing, and ancestry can never make us right with God.

(b) Ritual is a failure

No man gets right with God by taking part in a ritual, ceremony or sacrament.

(c) Religion is a failure

All the religious activity we have ever performed: every church service we attended, every prayer we said, every word of Scripture we read, every service to the church, every penny we donated etc. cannot make us right with God. Salvation is a God-given experience, not a man-made performance.

(d) Respectability is a failure

Striving to live a good, clean, and upright life cannot get us right with God.

Why not?

(a) Because God's law does not only concern our outward words and actions, but upon the inward and spiritual condition; it relates also to our thoughts, desires, motives, and aims.

(b) Because even our best is not good enough to satisfy God. God's law reflects His perfect nature. Perfection is the standard He lays down.

(c) Because even one small sin is big enough to condemn us. One sin is enough to make us guilty in God's sight and deserving of His judgment.

(d) Because even God's law is not strong enough to save us. The law was given to reveal the reality and nature of our sins. The law points to us as guilty sinners in God's sight.

Man is spiritually dead. We are morally corrupt. We are guilty before God. We are powerless to save ourselves.

Only God can save us, and He save us through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

See Our Father's Face

Oh, that I knew where I might find Him,
That I might come to His seat!
(Job 23:3)

In Job's extreme sufferings, he cried after the Lord. His longing desire was to see his Father's face again.

God's children run home when the storm comes on. They seek shelter beneath the wings of Jehovah.

But a hypocrite, when afflicted by God, resents the infliction and runs away from God.

Job's desire to commune with God was intensified by his failure of all other sources of consolation. He turned away from his sorry friends. He bids farewell to all his earth-born hopes.

In every trouble we should first seek to realize God's presence with us.

Let us enjoy his smile.

We can then bear our daily cross with a willing heart.

Behold The King In His Beauty

Your eyes will see the King in His beauty; They will see the land that is very far off. (Isaiah 33:17)

The more we know about Christ, the less will we be satisfied with superficial views of Him.

The more deeply we study His transactions in the eternal covenant, His engagements on our behalf as the eternal Surety, and the fullness of His grace which shines in all His offices, the more truly will we see the King in His beauty.

Let us long more and more to see Jesus. Let us behold our Redeemer through meditation and contemplation.

Let our conversation be more in heaven.

Let our mind be more taken up with the person, the work, the beauty of our incarnate Lord.

Let us behold the King in His beauty.

Take The First Step

And Laban said, "It must not be done so in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn." (Genesis 29:26)

We do not excuse Laban for his dishonesty.

But there are lessons we can learn from his custom.

There are some things in life which must be taken in order.

If we want to win the second, we must secure the first.

The second may be the more lovely, but the elder must be married first.

As Christians, we may desire the joy and peace in believing, but we must first repent of our sins and live a holy life.

The cross must be carried before the crown can be worn.

We must follow our Lord in His humiliation, or we shall never rest with Him in glory.

Like Jacob, our years of service will be short and sweet because of the love we have to Jesus.

And when the hour to be with Jesus has come, we will forget all our toils, our pain and labor.