January 13^th . 2019

11:00 am ------------------------------------A Rescued Remnant Rejoicing -- Zephaniah

Follow Peace & Holiness – Hebrews 12:14, from Henry Mahan’s Commentaries

‘Follow peace with all men.’ -- To follow peace and harmony with others is not only to desire it, but to exert the utmost in a man's power to attain it with everyone.

1. In the church. ‘How blessed it is when brethren dwell together in unity.’ Read Eph. 4:1-3; Col. 3:12-16.

2. In the home, between husband and wife, parents and children (Col. 3:18-21).

3. In our natural relationships with friends, neighbors, and co-workers, yea, even with our enemies as much as is possible (Rom. 12:17-20).

Our God is the God of peace, our Saviour is the Prince of Peace, the fruit of the Spirit is peace, and we are called to peace and to believe the gospel of peace. Shall we be characterized as quarrelsome, trouble-makers, and contentious? God forbid!

‘Follow holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.’ -- There has to be a two-fold meaning here:

1. The holiness or righteousness of Christ, which is to be followed after by believing on him and receiving in him perfect sanctification and acceptance before God. ‘Ye are complete in him.’ (1 Cor. 1:30; Rom. 10:4; 2 Cor. 5:21.)

2. The holiness or godliness of an obedient walk. -- ‘If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.’ If he is not a new person with a new attitude, a new character, and a new conduct, he is not in Christ and shall not enter heaven.

We are justified by faith, and our faith is justified by our works (James 2:17-21; Gal. 5:22-26).

Our Trouble Filled Days “Man that is born of woman is of few days, and full of trouble” – Job 14:1

We received recently some news of yet another brother and sister going through great troubles. God warns us and promises of them. This is a world full of sin, in trouble with God, full of troubles, and we are in it. Though not in trouble with God, His people are not immune from trouble. Contrary to what false prophets say, God’s people are sent various troubles by their Heavenly Father which are for their good and His glory. The Lord sends these trouble upon His people for their good; to make them look to Him, think on Him, think on eternity (our long home), testify of Him, wean us from this dying world, and to help our brethren who are going through the same troubles. We glorify God more while going through troubles (if we witness a good testimony) than when in times of peace and prosperity. Brother Scott Richardson use to say; ‘a child of God has three kinds of trouble; troubles he is in, troubles he is coming out of, and troubles he is going into.

Do not think that you have worse troubles or more troubles than your brethren, for the Lord sends the same kinds of troubles to His people but to a different degree, according to His wisdom and their need. When this new life is begun in a child of God, his troubles with God are over (accomplished by Christ), but his troubles in this world are just begun.

All saints endure all kinds of troubles; troubles with sin, sorrow, heartache, pain, sicknesses, loneliness, abandonment, darkness, depression, despair, worry, doubts, fears, anxiety; spiritual troubles, heart troubles, soul troubles, physical troubles . . . troubles at home, in the world, and even in the church. But God says, “the same afflictions are ACCOMPLISHED in your brethren thoughout the world.” The Lord sends them to accomplish something. They accomplish the complete transformation of a son of Adam into a son of God. It is the transformation of a man that is earthy, sensual, and bound to this world, into a child of God, made meet (fit) for Glory . . . by the turning away our eyes from things seen to things unseen; by setting our affection on things above; by giving us a new heart, that hates the cause of these troubles… SIN! . . . a heart that desires nothing of this world’s perishing things but rather desirous of ‘one thing’; that we may dwell in the house of the Lord forever, beholding the beauty of the Lord and enquiring into His temple.