It has been thought by some that as long as Peter lived, the fountain of his tears began to flow whenever he remembered his denying his Lord. It is not unlikely that it was so, for his sin was very great, and grace in him had afterwards a perfect work. This same experience is common to all the redeemed family according to the degree in which the Spirit of God has removed the natural heart of stone. We, like Peter, remember our boastful promise: "Though all men shall forsake thee, yet will not I." We eat our own words with the bitter herbs of repentance. When we think of what we vowed we would be, and of what we have been, we may weep whole showers of grief. He thought on his denying his Lord. The place in which he did it, the little cause which led him into such heinous sin, the oaths and blasphemies with which he sought to confirm his falsehood, and the dreadful hardness of heart which drove him to do so again and yet again. Can we, when we are reminded of our sins, and their exceeding sinfulness, remain stolid and stubborn? Will we not make our house a Bochim, and cry unto the Lord for renewed assurances of pardoning love? May we never take a dry-eyed look at sin, lest ere long we have a tongue parched in the flames of hell. Peter also thought upon his Master's look of love. The Lord followed up the cock's warning voice with an admonitory look of sorrow, pity, and love. That glance was never out of Peter's mind so long as he lived. It was far more effectual than ten thousand sermons would have been without the Spirit. The penitent apostle would be sure to weep when he recollected the Saviour's full forgiveness, which restored him to his former place. To think that we have offended so kind and good a Lord is more than sufficient reason for being constant weepers. Lord, smite our rocky hearts, and make the waters flow.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Man’s duty to God
Man was created by God as the crown of all his creation, in God's image and after His likeness (holy, righteous and good), with a reasonable soul, to rule on God's behalf over all creation.
Man forfeited this high privilege on account of his sin and the breaking of the covenant of works. Thus man became blind and ignorant; God had to speak to him in order to instruct him and bring him back to a right knowledge of God and his will.
The Bible therefore is a redemptive message: it shows man his duty to God, now that he is a sinner in need of redemption.
Naturally, the first and primary duty is for man to repent, to turn to God from idols to serve the living and true God (1 Thessalonians. 1:9). God commands all men everywhere to repent (Acts 17); a repentance that is genuine and credible by having good works. "Bring forth fruit in keeping with your repentance." Repentance is man's duty; he is held responsible to repent, though in his fallen state, he cannot repent or convert himself unless God convert him (Jeremiah 31:18; Lamentations 5:21).
Joined with repentance and inseparable from it is faith, without which it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). "This is his commandment, that we believe in the Name of the Son of God, and love one another, as he gave us commandment" (1 John). Likewise faith is a gift from God, instilled in us by exercise of the Holy Spirit. Where there's faith and repentance a man is in a right relationship with his Maker. He will realise that his duty is to do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (Colossians 3:17), even though it be such "trivial" things as eating and drinking (1 Corinthians 10:31).
Man was created for God's glory, that God might manifest himself and be magnified in, through, and above his creature.
Augustine's sentiment, "Thou has made us for thyself and our hearts are restless unless they find rest in thee," though not a quote from Scripture, is wholly scriptural (cf. Matthew 11:28).
Solomon's search for meaning in life came to this all-embracing conclusion: "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man" (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
To wrap up man's duty to God, I find no better sentence, more comprehensive and far-reaching, than Paul's statement in Romans 11:36 "For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen."
Man’s duty to God
Man was created by God as the crown of all his creation, in God's image and after His likeness (holy, righteous and good), with a reasonable soul, to rule on God's behalf over all creation.
Man forfeited this high privilege on account of his sin and the breaking of the covenant of works. Thus man became blind and ignorant; God had to speak to him in order to instruct him and bring him back to a right knowledge of God and his will.
The Bible therefore is a redemptive message: it shows man his duty to God, now that he is a sinner in need of redemption.
Naturally, the first and primary duty is for man to repent, to turn to God from idols to serve the living and true God (1 Thessalonians. 1:9). God commands all men everywhere to repent (Acts 17); a repentance that is genuine and credible by having good works. "Bring forth fruit in keeping with your repentance." Repentance is man's duty; he is held responsible to repent, though in his fallen state, he cannot repent or convert himself unless God convert him (Jeremiah 31:18; Lamentations 5:21).
Joined with repentance and inseparable from it is faith, without which it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). "This is his commandment, that we believe in the Name of the Son of God, and love one another, as he gave us commandment" (1 John). Likewise faith is a gift from God, instilled in us by exercise of the Holy Spirit. Where there's faith and repentance a man is in a right relationship with his Maker. He will realise that his duty is to do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (Colossians 3:17), even though it be such "trivial" things as eating and drinking (1 Corinthians 10:31).
Man was created for God's glory, that God might manifest himself and be magnified in, through, and above his creature.
Augustine's sentiment, "Thou has made us for thyself and our hearts are restless unless they find rest in thee," though not a quote from Scripture, is wholly scriptural (cf. Matthew 11:28).
Solomon's search for meaning in life came to this all-embracing conclusion: "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man" (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
To wrap up man's duty to God, I find no better sentence, more comprehensive and far-reaching, than Paul's statement in Romans 11:36 "For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen."
