December 6^th 2020

9:30 am ------------------Saved If Ye Continue – Colossians 1:23-25

10:00 am -------------- A Crooked Woman Made Straight – Luke 13:11-17

Wednesday: 7:00 pm ----------------The Riches, Hope & Glory of the Gospel – Colossians 1:25-29

Peace Through Trust

Do you have peace? Peace of heart and mind? If not, why? Scripture says, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee” (Isa.26:3). If you do not have peace, then your mind, your thoughts, your heart must be always on other things . . . things without, things within; things of this world, the things of man.

Paul, the apostle, was in jail and about to be killed for believing and preaching the Gospel, and yet he was full of peace. Though facing death he had great peace, saying, “I know Whom I have believed.” He had peace of heart and mind, knowing that, though he was a sinner, Christ came to save sinners, even the chief like himself. He had peace knowing and believing that Christ made peace for Him with God, by the blood of His cross. He had peace of heart and mind knowing, believing, trusting the Lord Who put him in jail; knowing that all he was going through was of the Lord. He knew and trusted the Lord had abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, and so his eminent death was not death at all but his glorious entrance into the eternal kingdom. He knew and trusted that the Lord reigned and ruled over all, and all things were for the glory of God, the good of His people and the furtherance of His kingdom. He had perfect peace believing, trusting and thinking on things above, thinking on His Lord and eternal glory with Him. Yes, with his mind, his heart, his affection stayed, fixed, settled on ‘things above, not on things on earth . . . where Christ, his life was . . . Paul had peace, perfect peace by believing and trusting His Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

If you have no peace, it is certain you do not really believe and trust the Lord. It is certain that you are looking without or within for something, for someone to give you some help, comfort, assurance and peace. I’m quite sure, you must be listening to and looking to human reasoning and human wisdom . . . looking to and listening to the world, the media, science, medicine, things on earth. . . to give you some peace of mind and heart. What is the first thing you do each morning? Do you look at and listen to what the world is doing or saying? It is no wonder then if you have no peace during the day. Whereas, if you would start your day looking to and listening to Him Who rules the world, then the world would not rule you and overcome you, but rather your faith would overcome the world. If you listened to and believed God rather than men, you would have the peace of God. Let me quote this passage one more time . . .”They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy” (Jonah 2:8). David said, “I said in my haste, all men are liars.” God cannot lie. Why not listen to, believe and trust the Lord. “It is better to TRUST IN THE LORD than to put confidence in man” Trust man, have fear. Trust the Lord, have peace. (Read Ps.56)

The Fearful and Unbelieving– From John Gill’s Commentary

“ He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be His God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” -- Jesus Christ (Rev.21:7-8)

The fearful. . . Not the timorous sheep and lambs of Christ, the dear children of God, who are sometimes of a fearful heart, on account of sin, temptation, and unbelief; but such who are of cowardly spirits, and are not valiant for the truth, but who, through fear of men, either make no profession of Christ and his Gospel, or having made it, drop it, lest they should be exposed to tribulation and persecution; these are they that are afraid of the beast, and live in servile bondage to him.

And unbelieving; meaning not merely atheists, who do not believe there is a God, or deists only, that do not believe in Christ; but such who profess his name, and are called by it, and yet do not truly believe in him, nor embrace his Gospel and the truths of it, but believe a lie; these are condemned already, and on them the wrath of God abides, and they will be damned at last; though it may have a regard to such also who are infidels as to the second coming of Christ to judgment, and who are scoffers and mockers at it: ( Note: The Lord puts the fearful and unbelieving in same class as abominable, murderers & c..)