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24th September 2022
Pray (ACts) Read (Hebrews 3.1-6) Message (Scott Woodburn) In the previous chapter the Apostle made it abundantly clear that Christ was greater than the angels and yet for a little while He was made lower than the heavenly host. Jesus became like us in every way but was without sin. He suffered and was tempted and tried but His sacrifice was complete and has delivered the faithful from the slavery of death. Jesus Christ is our great high priest. As we remember this, Paul adds another "therefore" (v1). The point being that in light of everything we have heard we are to respond by constantly considering Christ (v1b). We share in a heavenly calling and so we are to think upon Jesus who is both the apostle and high priest of our confession. What does this mean? Apostle means "sent one" and so Christ is the true Apostle who was sent by God to redeem a fallen people. Jesus is also our high priest and as we have already discovered, He made the sacrifice that has paid for the sin of His bride the church. When we speak about "our confession" we are describing that which we believe. Christ is the sent one and high priest of our confession. He has revealed to us the Gospel by which we are saved. He is the content of the Gospel by His most excellent sacrifice. We confess our belief in the Gospel and we confess our certainty that Jesus is the Christ. Therefore we are to consider Jesus frequently. We do not move on from Christ and we will never master Him. When we are tempted and tried we are to consider Jesus and His faithfulness to God (v2). Just as Jesus is greater than the prophets and the angels, He is also greater than Moses. Christians coming from a Jewish background would have been well aware of Moses and would certainly have held him in the highest regard. He was unquestionably a man of faith and acted faithfully in God's service (v2). Nevertheless, Christ is the greater Moses and counted worthy of more glory than the Old Testament leader (v3). To underline his point, the Apostle encourages us to imagine a house. When a house is built we walk around it and marvel at its beauty, but no house ever built itself. The house might be honoured by those who appreciate it, but the builder of the house deserves more honour still. He was the one who designed the house and shaped it by the sweat of his brow. God is ultimately the builder of all things and God is the builder of His house the church (v4). In the house of God, Moses was a good and faithful servant who spoke about the things that were to come (v5). But Christ is worthy of the greater honour because He serves God's house as a Son (v6). The Apostle's language is interesting - Mose WAS faithful IN God's house, Christ IS faithful OVER God's house. Moses needed to be saved by the coming Christ and now the ministry of Moses is over. Christ came not to be saved but to save and His ministry over the church continues. Jesus is greater than the prophets, angels and even Moses. We are His house and therefore we are to remain confident in Christ and boastful of our hope (v6). This isn't sinful, arrogant boasting but instead we rejoice in our hope and we speak of it frequently. My brothers and sisters the Christian doesn't need to pretend that everything is okay. The Lord does not require us to put on a brave face or a stiff upper lip. If you know trouble, doubt and fear then there are two words which should be like honey to your soul...consider Jesus. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q61 What is forbidden in the fourth commandment? The fourth commandment forbiddeth the omission, or careless performance, of the duties required, and the profaning the day by idleness, or doing that which is in itself sinful, or by unnecessary thoughts, words, or works, about our worldly employments or recreations.
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23rd September 22
Pray (AC-ts) Read — Romans 1:16-17 Message Alan Burke There are many things in our lives that we can be ashamed of, that past sin, things that we have done and said, what about the gospel itself? Today the prevailing portrayal of those who believe the gospel is that they are odd balls, ignorant people, fools, and the gospel itself is that it is backward, it has no place in 21st century Britain unless it affirms the sinful narrative of the age. We could list examples but the general view of the gospel today is not positive. In reality not much has changed since Paul’s day, for the gospel itself was foolishness to the culture around him, yet he was not ashamed, he saw it as the wisdom of God, he was not embarrassed by it, (1 Cor. 1:22–25, 30). Paul wasn’t ashamed and the reason was because it was the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. It was this that Paul knew, he knew that the gospel, is the power of God for salvation. None of us contribute anything of our own to that salvation except for the sin that made that salvation necessary. Knowing this, led Paul to go out, preaching the gospel at every opportunity, he went to the synagogue, he went to the streets, he fervently desired no matter how he was viewed that people hear the good news of salvation. I wonder are we ashamed of the gospel, embarrassed by it, because of its demands in our lives, its moral absolutes? Maybe we like the idea of Jesus who died for for our salvation, but when it speaks of how we should live, when it confronts us with sin, when it speaks against the way that those whom we love live, when it goes against the prevailing mind of the culture, are we ashamed or even embarrassed by it? Jesus warned us that if we are ashamed of Him before men, He will be ashamed of us before His Father (Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26). The gospel will bring conflict, it will bring opposition, it will cause division, but it the only way onto salvation, it is the truth we must hear for it is the only way to salvation and people dismiss it, they view it as foolish and they hate it because it confronts their sin and need of a saviour. But it is the only way of salvation, and God has promised that His word will not return void, (Is 55:11), it is the foolishness of preaching that God has chosen to save the world, not the eloquence of the preacher, or the attractiveness of the message and Paul knew it. And we should never be tired of hearing the gospel for it is the power of God, if we have no appetite for food then we know that something is wrong, and when we have no appetite for spiritual food then something is wrong. For in this gospel the righteousness of God is revealed, that is the righteous live by faith. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q56 How is the Sabbath to be sanctified? The Sabbath is to be sanctified by a holy resting all that day, (Exod. 20:8,10, Exod. 16:25–28) even from such worldly employments and recreations as are lawful on other days; (Neh. 13:15–19) and spending the whole time in the public and private exercises of God’ s worship, (Luke 4:16, Acts 20:7, Ps. 92, Isa. 66:23) except so much as is to be taken up in the works of necessity and mercy. (Matt. 12:1–31) 22nd September 2022
Pray (ACts) Read (Hebrews 2.17-18) Message (Scott Woodburn) It is remarkable when we consider the earthly life of Christ. He wasn't a little bit human and a little bit God. His humanity didn't convert His divinity and equally His divinity didn't convert His humanity. He was and is true God, true man but always without sin. Think on this for a wee second...there was a date in history that Jesus took His first steps, there was another moment that He would have been weaned off His mother's milk and on another occasion Jesus started working alongside His earthy father Joseph. Christ was made like us in every respect. But why? Surely it was possible for Jesus to come as a fully grown man and go immediately to the cross? Why did He need to spend over thirty years here on earth? Why did He become the eldest son and big brother of an earthly family? Why did He have to become a subject of the Roman empire? Why did he attend weddings and funerals? Why a physical body and an awful death? What was it all for? The Apostle explains that Christ was made like us in every respect so that He might become our faithful high priest in God's service (v17). As the church worshipped in the Old Testament they did so by way of sacrifice and priesthood. But this system was temporary until the arrival of Christ. At Calvary, Christ showed Himself as our priest and our sacrifice. He went to the place of the skull where He Himself laid down His life as a ransom for many. The Temple is no more because Christ is the true temple. Sacrifices are no more because Christ's sacrifice was sufficient. The priesthood is no more because Jesus is the true priest. On the cross Jesus made "propitiation" for His people's sins. That's a difficult word to say but it's an important word to learn. When we speak of "propitiation" we talk of Christ's sacrifice being one that turns away the wrath of God. Let me say that again...Christ's sacrifice turned away the wrath of God. If you think of the wildest of storms with rain, thunder and lightning beating down upon your house, you still won't grasp the furious anger of God towards sin. Sinners caught in the storm of God's wrath will surely perish. Just as you could do with an umbrella on a rainy day, so too do we need something to protect us from God's anger. Christ fulfils this great need. The wrath of God is furious indeed but those who trust in Christ will find that He faced the anger of God so that we never will. Jesus became sin for our sake. He is our propitiation - His sacrifice turns away the anger of God. Jesus was made like us in every respect so that He might become our faithful high priest. Christ who was truly human and knew all the struggles of humanity made propitiation for our sins. We would do well to remember this truth and we would do well to remember that the cross wasn't "easy" for Jesus. We incorrectly think that because Jesus was true God and true man then perhaps the nails didn't really hurt and the agony wasn't really that bad. May God forgive us. Christ's suffering is beyond our imagination. He suffered. He was tempted. He was crushed. Yet He did not sin and He did not fail. Today if you are being tempted and today if you know suffering then there really is only One who can help. Christ was made like you in every respect and today as your great high priest He is able to help you in your temptation (v18). Lift your eyes to Him dear child of God, He faced God's wrath so you don't have to, lift your eyes to Him. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q59 Which day of the seven hath God appointed to be the weekly Sabbath? From the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, God appointed the seventh day of the week to be the weekly Sabbath; and the first day of the week, ever since, to continue to the end of the world, which is the Christian Sabbath. 21st September 22
Pray (AC-ts) Read — Romans 1:13-15 Message Alan Burke Paul prayed desiring to be with the believers in Rome, those whose faith was being talked about, he prayed that by God’s will a way would be opened. Paul’s prayer was God-honouring, he was content to stay where he was but he continued to pray, asking, seeking, knocking, he did not know God’s will but he prayed knowing that the Father may not grant his request. God always answers, although His timing and sometimes in ways that He answers are not what we do expect or had wanted or imaged. Little did Paul know that the Lord did will him to God to Rome it, but it would be that Paul would journey to Rome as a prisoner to share the gospel. It was God who had kept him thus far from going to Rome, he had been prevented, regular responsibilities as well as the Spirit’s work had kept him from going. We also learn something of the makeup of the church in Rome, for Paul desired that there would be a harvest among them, that there would be fruit just as there had been among other gentiles that he had been with. We learn that the Roman church was primarily gentiles, there were likely a few jewish converts mixed in but Jewish Christians had been removed from Rome by the Emperor Claudius a short time before this epistle was written. And Paul says in the midst of this that he is bound to both Greeks and non Greeks. The word translated in the NIV and ESV as obligated, more literally means debtor as some translations rightly point out. The meaning that is being conveyed by Paul is not that he is obligated or indebted to Greeks and non Greeks because he owes them anything as such, but his indebtedness, his obligation is to God and a burden, a desire that Greeks and non Greeks might know the gospel of God, that they would know His Son. It is a debt that he owes not to the people themselves but to God and to Christ, and it is seen in how he wants to discharge that obligation that they might hear the gospel. This is Paul’s fervent desire, this is his purpose in life, to preach the gospel, to tell of the wonderful salvation that had come to him and proclaimed it to others. Later in 1 Corinthians Paul exclaimed “Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” (1 Cor. 9:16). His desire was that he would be able to share the gospel of God because of what God had done for him in Christ Jesus, how he had been saved from his sin and made righteous by another. Paul had every reason to boast in the flesh, he was a true Israelite, a Hebrew of Hebrews, a Pharisee, he persecuted the church, but all of what he once was he put aside so that he may proclaim Christ, preaching the gospel of what he had done, for what ever he had he counted it loss for the compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus his Lord (paraphrasing Phil 3:4–8.) What is our motivation, Christ had called Paul to himself and now Paul lived for Christ, he was a servant of Christ, as verse one puts it or rather Slave of Christ. What is our desire, for our neighbours, friends, loved ones, similarly we who’ll be those who know the debt that we owe, and out of gratitude, counting all things loss, we should desire to make the name of Christ known, sharing the good news, Paul was under no obligation, but he desired people may know the salvation he received, the knowledge of sins forgiven, of how he was saved from a lost eternity, do we desire that for others? Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q58 What is required in the fourth commandment? The fourth commandment requireth the keeping holy to God such set times as he hath appointed in his Word; expressly one whole day in seven, to be a holy Sabbath to himself. (Deut. 5:12–14) 20th September 2022
Pray (ACts) Read (Hebrews 2.14-18) Message (Scott Woodburn) A remarkable Christian truth is that God is glorious above all things and yet at one moment in history God the Son stepped into creation and took on flesh. We consider this at Christmas but truthfully it deserves our attention every single day. Christ is eternal, He always has been and always will be. All things were made through Him and for Him but He still He grew in a virgin’s womb and became like us in every way, yet without sin. This was absolutely necessary because Christ’s church consists of sinful but redeemed humans. Just as you and I have blood pumping around our bodies and oxygen in our lungs, so too did Jesus take on the same things (v14). Indeed, even now, Christ continues in flesh and blood and the God man stands at the right hand of God. We should be humbled by this because in order for sinful humanity to be saved we needed a perfect human representative to pay the price for us. Only Jesus could do it for only Jesus is true God, true man and without sin. Christ’s life was perfectly obedient. At no point did He sin, but at every point He kept God’s law perfectly and even when He received the punishment for sinners, He faced it willingly. The perfect man, our glorious representative died at Calvary and has categorically defeated death. Satan on the other hand is the enemy of humanity. Some fools worship him by name whilst others unknowingly serve him. Bob Dylan had it right when he sang “You’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed. You’re gonna have to serve somebody. Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord. But you’re gonna have to serve somebody.” We either serve the Lord or we serve Satan, there is no in-between. Since the fall humanity has been in the grip of sin and death meaning that everyone who has ever been born has also died. We have wept in graveyards, we have worried about our health, we have done our best to avoid Covid and all because death is the enemy of humanity and we try to flee from it. Satan understands this and wishes to keep as many as possible in spiritual darkness. But Christ's work has robbed death of it's sting. Christ called Satan "the strongman" but Christ was stronger by far. Satan has been bound and although he continues to rage, Christ has set his people free. Christians no longer need to fear death, we are no longer slaves to sin, Christ has delivered us (v15). By taking on flesh and completing His work, Jesus has helped not the angels but "the offspring of Abraham" (v16). If we belong to Jesus then by extension we also belong to Abraham. We are his spiritual descendants by faith and it is as Paul writes "If you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise." (Galatians 3v29) My friends, today may be incredibly hard and there may be difficult days still to come but we would do well to daily contemplate the result of Christ's work. He became like us to help us and to destroy the works of the devil and sin. As a result, by faith in Christ, we are truly free. Death will still come but for the child of God it is followed by glory. Thanks be to God! Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q57 Which is the fourth commandment? The fourth commandment is, Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath-day, and hallowed it. 19th September 22
Pray (AC-ts) Read — Romans 1:8-12 Message Alan Burke How many of us like it when we know that we are being talked about, when our name is making its way around the countryside, village or town? I’d suggest that there wouldn’t be many of us who would be pleased especially if what is being said isn’t true or malicious. But what about if what was said was positive? The believers in Rome were being talked about for their faith, and as I read this I was taken aback because of the sheer reach of that news of the faith of the believers in Rome. Bear in mind that as Paul writes to the believers in Rome he himself is some one thousand kilometres away, some six hundred odd miles away, he was in Corinth which is near modern day Athens in Greece. These were the days before instant communication, even the Royal Mail when they are on strike get things to you quicker than things would have got to Paul in his day, no such thing as next day delivery guaranteed, news was going to take an age to get to you. Notice the reason why Paul is filled with thanksgiving to God, the reason of his gratitude, it is not because they are doing well in this life, they have just got a second home, a new electric car, it isn’t because of their social economic status, it is because of the work of God’s grace in their lives. Hearing the reports of their faith, the life and believers in Rome, it was this that was the reason that Paul wrote to the church in Rome. As a resultPaul thank’s God for them, through Jesus Christ, even in his prayers, Paul knows and understands that the only way to come to God is through Jesus Christ the Lord, it is the only way that any of us can, we come to the Lord God is through Jesus (Col. 3:17; Heb. 13:15). Think of the wonder of this, for this is a glorious reason, it is wonderful, Paul some one thousand kilometres away, some six hundred odd miles away is hearing about their faith, the faith of these believers in Rome was being reported. That is the wonder of the work of God in the lives of these individuals and Paul is expressing his joy to the Lord for working in their lives, how their faith is being talked about throughout the mediterranean world, their faith was making an impact even in far off places. For the believers in Rome, their faith that was talked about, for that Christian at work who’s faith was talked about because they live it, it should be a challenge to us. We need to grasp that faith does not mean just believing something, you know having the head knowledge, no it should be seen in the obedience of faith, the character of faith in our lives, in how we believe it and we live it out, it was this that was true of the Roman Christians and it was true of that women in the workplace. So here is the thing, what could be said about us, are we those whom our faith is seen in the obedience of faith, in the character of faith in our lives, in how we believe and how that is lived out? My earnest hope is that even though people may not agree with us theologically, they may wonder why we believe what we believe, that they may even dislike or detest what we believe because of the prevailing view of culture that surrounds us, my hope is that they can see our faith, a faith that is seen in obedience, in the character of faith in our lives, in how we believe and how that is lived out. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q56 What is the reason annexed to the third commandment? The reason annexed to the third commandment is, That however the breakers of this commandment may escape punishment from men, yet the Lord our God will not suffer them to escape his righteous judgment. (1 Sam. 2:12,17,22,29, 1 Sam. 3:13, Deut. 28:58–59) 17th September 2022
Pray (ACts) Read (Hebrews 2.5-13) Message (Scott Woodburn) As we have already seen, angels are God's servants sent out for the sake of Christ's church. They are mighty and glorious beings who were present at and involved in the delivering of God's law. Indeed the Lord has even given the angels some authority over this present world. In Deuteronomy 32v8 we read "When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God." In this verse the angels are described as "the sons of God" and it would appear that they have some role to play in God's providential governing of the nations. Angels are truly majestic creatures and yet Christ is superior to them. With that stated we must remember that in the humiliation of Christ He was for a little while made lower than the angels. The Apostle quotes from Psalm 8v4-5 “What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honour, putting everything in subjection under his feet.” Jesus took on flesh and became like us in every way, yet without sin. For a little while He left His heavenly home and walked among us. He had to learn how to speak and walk. He attended funerals and weddings. He had brothers and sisters with whom He grew up. He learned a trade and willingly submitted to His earthly parents and earthly authorities. He was made lower than the angels for a time but by His death, resurrection and ascension He has been crowned with glory and honour and everything is in subjection under His feet. What does this "subjection" look like? The Apostle explains that Christ is the King and nothing is outside His control (v8). We believe this to be true and although we don't yet see everything in subjection to Him (v8b) we do see Christ (v9). He was humiliated and exalted and because of His suffering and death, He has put an end to death for His followers (v9). In the age to come, the world, the universe and everyone in it will be under the glorious rule and reign of Christ Jesus. In that day there will no more sin or death. All wickedness and evil will be put away and Christ will walk with His people in a kingdom where righteousness dwells. If the angels are involved in this present age, the world to come will not be subject to them, only to Christ (v5). Christ is the only One who deserves this lofty position. His exaltation is fitting and the subjection of all things is deserved because Jesus is the One who made all things and who owns all things (v10). He is the One who has brought many sons and daughters to glory by the merit of His suffering and death (v10b). Jesus is the only begotten Son of God sent by the Father to redeem and sanctify a multitude. That multitude have been chosen by the Father from before the foundation of the world. Therefore the sanctifier (Christ) and those sanctified (the Church) have the one source (God the Father) and so Jesus is not ashamed to call Christians His brothers and sisters (v11). The finished work of Jesus is sufficient to save a people for His own possession and by faith we are adopted into the family of God and enter into an unbreakable union with Christ. Christ has fulfilled Psalm 22v22 “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.” by coming among His people and making known the Father. Christ took Isaiah 8v17 “I will put my trust in him.” and fulfilled it by trusting in God even in the midst of being forsaken at Calvary and again it was Christ who fulfilled Isaiah 8v18 “Behold, I and the children God has given me.” by gathering His people to Himself by the Word and Spirit. As we take all of this together we are again convinced of Christ's superiority over the angels. We are thankful for God's heavenly servants but only Jesus is our elder brother and by faith in Him we have been given the right to be called children of God. Thanks be to God! Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q55 What is forbidden in the third commandment? The third commandment forbiddeth all profaning or abusing of anything whereby God maketh himself known. 16th September 22
Pray (AC-ts) Read — Romans 1:7 Message Alan Burke Paul writes to the church in Rome and this is his desire for them, it is what he prays for them. Two words here that are so significant again, so theologically rich for us here as they were for those who first heard them in Rome. They are what they needed and what we need, we need the grace of God to truly experience the peace of God. Firstly Grace. I’m sure we have all heard the description of Grace as ‘unmerited favour’. It is a good definition. Unmerited meaning something that we do not deserve and could not earn and favour being God’s preferential treatment. Grace is something that we do no deserve and could not earn that means we have God’s preferential treatment. That is what these believers to whom Paul wrote to had received, there wasn’t one of them who deserved or could earn God’s preferential treatment but instead they received it in because of God’s love, they are loved in God and called to be saints. Likewise, there is not one of us who deserve or could earn God’s preferential treatment, but we receive it because of God’s love, we are loved in God and called to be saints, we have received the unmerited favour of the living God. How we live is in response to this grace that we have received, Jesus himself said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (Jn 14:15). Our desire to obey the word of God, to live in God’s way and not the way of this world is out of the gratitude of our hearts for the grace that we have been shown, it is because we love our Lord because he first loved us. We have been shown grace upon grace, upon grace, upon grace, we have been justified before God by his grace. Next, The Peace of God. Generally when we think of the word peace we think of the absence of war. When it comes to God, there is no such thing as neutrality. We are by our nature are the enemies of God, we are each day making the journey towards eternal damnation. Chapter 3 of Romans reminds us by our nature there is no one who seeks after God, we have all turned from him, there is not one who does good. Even man women and child by our natures are the enemies of God. Before God called us to Himself, before He worked faith in us by the Spirit, before he brought us from death in sin to life in Christ it was not that we had no relationship with God, no, it was that we were his enemies, we were living a sinful rebellious life, we was living in every way as the supreme sovereign god of my own lives. But now, we are loved by God, we are called to be saints, we have experienced that Grace, that unmerited favour and we have peace. We have peace when before there was no peace. It is a peace that we can only have through the grace of God, a peace that we can earn and that we definitely don’t deserve. We do not deserve it and could not achieve it. But God, has loved us and calls us to be His saints. God brings rebels, his enemies, sinners like us into His family so that we may in prayer come before Him and address Him as Our Father, He is our heavenly Father by the grace of adoption. As a result we can boldly approach the Lord God Almighty, the only living and true God, the maker of heaven and earth, the Lord of lords, King of kings, the great I am, as children who come to their Father. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q54 What is required in the third commandment? The third commandment requireth the holy and reverent use of God’ s names, (Matt. 6:9, Deut. 28:58) titles, (Ps. 68:4) attributes, (Rev. 15:3–4) ordinances, (Mal. 1:11,14) Word, (Ps. 138:1–2) and works. (Job 36:24) 15th September 2022
Pray (ACts) Read (Hebrews 2.1-4) Message (Scott Woodburn) If Christ is greater than both the prophets and the angels then we would be fools to disregard His message. The Apostle John once said "No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known." (John 1v18) So Christ has made God known to us and revealed that to be doing the work of God we must believe in the One that was sent (John 6v29). Christ is the One sent and Christ was crucified for sin and raised for our justification. This is the old, old Gospel that deserves our close attention lest we drift away from it (v1). The prophets were reliable and trustworthy as they delivered their message and so too were the angels (v2). What message was declared by the angels? The angels played a part in delivering the moral law of God. We read in Deuteronomy “The Lord came from Sinai and dawned from Seir upon us; he shone forth from Mount Paran; he came from the ten thousands of holy ones, with flaming fire at his right hand." (Deuteronomy 33v2) So as the law was given to Moses, thousands of angels were present. Additionally, Paul says in Galatians "Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary." (Galatians 3v19) The angels therefore played a part in delivering the message of God's law. The moral law of God isn't sin. It has been given to us by God Himself and shows us His holiness and what pleases Him. However as James makes clear "whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it." (James 2v10). If we break any part of the law that was put in place by the angels then we will receive a just punishment (v2). Therefore if Christ's message is greater than the message declared by the angels, how will we escape the wrath of God if we neglect the Gospel? (v3) The message of salvation was declared by Christ Himself (v3) and it was delivered to the world by those who heard it (v3b) and it was confirmed by signs and wonders and miracles (v4) performed by the Apostles (2 Corinthians 12v12). The Gospel is nothing short of the most important message the world has ever heard. The temptation for the Christian is to believe that since we have been saved we have no further use of the Gospel. We think that it doesn't need to be preached regularly and we don't need to meditate upon it. If that is our attitude then may the Lord correct us. The Apostle is clear. The Gospel is glorious and it has been delivered to us by Christ Himself. We must take it seriously and we must pay closer attention to it so that we don't drift away. Do you consider the scale of the Gospel on a daily basis? Do you preach the Gospel to yourself each day? Do you allow the grace of the Gospel to impact your hard heart and to drive you to forgiveness of others? Pay close attention to the Gospel so that you may stand fast. Finally if you are reading this devotion and you remain unsaved, then it is time for you to repent and believe the Gospel. Christ is no second rate messenger. God once spoke by the prophets and by the angels but Christ trumps them all. He is true God, true man and without sin. He gave Himself as a ransom for many and by His death for sin and miraculous resurrection He is able to save to the uttermost all who call upon Him. My friend your sins are an abomination before a holy God and He will certainly pour out His furious wrath upon you if you will not believe. So I urge you to believe. I urge you to fall before Christ. I urge you seek forgiveness for your sins. I urge you to pay close attention to the Gospel. How will you escape the wrath of God if you ignore this message? Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q53 Which is the third commandment? The third commandment is, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. 14th September 22
Pray (AC-ts) Read — Romans 1:7 Message Alan Burke If you know and love the Lord Jesus, if you have repented and believed you have a new status and it is one that will never be revoked. So today know you are loved by God and I call you saint, you may not feel like it, you may think you’re doing a rubbish job at being a Christian, how ever you are feeling today you are still a saint who is loved by God. A saint is a person who is sanctified, one who has been has been set apart by the Holy Spirit and called inwardly to Christ Himself. It is not what some church traditions have made it, my hope is that when you gather on the Lord’s day, you will be surrounded by saints, we are surrounded by those who belong to Christ. Now I want us to be aware our status, I am not saying we are morally perfect, for we know that is not true and our experience reveals that we are anything but perfect. Even after we are regenerated we still lapse into sin. I am a sinner saved by grace, I have the propensity for great sin, we lapse into sin and that sin at times is horrendous. For the reality is that we are altogether sinful although not as sinful as we could be. This is one of those things that I have to be aware of in my own life, it is something that we should all be aware of, we have the potential to fall into sin, lapse into sin, and until we die we will not be made perfect in holiness, as long as we live here on this earth we will battle sin in our lives. Let’s not fool ourselves into thinking falling into a heinous sin it will never happen to us. King David is probably the greatest example. A man who is described as being after God’s own heart, but he was a man who did horrendous things, who committed adultery with Bathsheba, who sought to have his lovers husband killed in war so he could marry her and then cover it up. What made him a man after God’s heart though, is as is clear in Psalm 51, David was a man who repented for his sin. David was a man who was loved by God, a man who was regenerate, he was a saint but he fell and fell seriously and any believer can, any saint can. But we can be confident that He who has begun a good work in us will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Phil 1:6). This is what we are promised by the word of God, that what God has begun in us he will finish, another theological truth that we who are loved by God, who are called saints should take confidence and security in even when we fall is that God will enable us to cross the finish line. Yes we may fall into sin, but God has promised that we will persevere to the end. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q52 What are the reasons annexed to the second commandment? The reasons annexed to the second commandment are, God’ s sovereignty over us, (Ps. 95:2–3) his propriety in us, (Ps. 45:11) and the zeal he hath to his own worship. (Exod. 34:13–14) |
Alan
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