Heavenly Springs

Holding Fast The Doctrines of Grace

Before the ages began

by

Here’s a solid truth that never grows old.  My salvation is not an after thought.  The covenant of grace, made before the foundation of the world between God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit is complete, settled, and will never be undone.  Listen to Charles Spurgeon as he, with a holy imagination, looks into that “mysterious council-chamber” in eternity past to observe the covenant that will forever be the “joy, and hope, and boast of all the saints.” I challenge you to read this without utterly resting “in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began” (Titus 1:2).

“I, the Most High Jehovah, do hereby give unto my only begotten and well-beloved Son, a people, countless beyond the number of stars, who shall be by him washed from sin, by him preserved, and kept, and led, and by him, at last, presented before my throne, without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing. I covenant by oath, and swear by myself, because I can swear by no greater, that these whom I now give to Christ shall be for ever the objects of my eternal love. Them I will forgive through the merit of the blood. To these will I give a perfect righteousness; these will I adopt and make my sons and daughters, and these shall reign with me through Christ eternally.” Thus run that glorious side of the covenant.

The Holy Spirit also, as one of the high contracting parties on this side of the covenant, gave his declaration, “I hereby covenant,” saith he, “that all whom the Father giveth to the Son, I will in due time quicken. I will show them their need of redemption; I will cut off from them all groundless hope, and destroy their refuges of lies. I will bring them to the blood of sprinkling; I will give them faith whereby this blood shall be applied to them, I will work in them every grace; I will keep their faith alive; I will cleanse them and drive out all depravity from them, and they shall be presented at last spotless and faultless.” This was the one side of the covenant, which is at this very day being fulfilled and scrupulously kept.

As for the other side of the covenant this was the part of it, engaged and covenanted by Christ. He thus declared, and covenanted with his Father: “My Father, on my part I covenant that in the fullness of time I will become man. I will take upon myself the form and nature of the fallen race. I will live in their wretched world, and for my people I will keep the law perfectly. I will work out a spotless righteousness, which shall be acceptable to the demands of thy just and holy law. In due time I will bear the sins of all my people. Thou shalt exact their debts on me; the chastisement of their peace I will endure, and by my stripes they shall be healed. My Father, I covenant and promise that I will be obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. I will magnify thy law, and make it honourable. I will suffer all they ought to have suffered. I will endure the curse of thy law, and all the vials of thy wrath shall be emptied and spent upon my head. I will then rise again; I will ascend into heaven; I will intercede for them at thy right hand; and I will make myself responsible for every one of them, that not one of those whom thou hast given me shall ever be lost, but I will bring all my sheep of whom, by thy blood, thou hast constituted me the shepherd—I will bring every one safe to thee at last.”

Read the sermon in entirety here:  http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/0277.php

“The Gift Wrap and The Jewel”: A Poem by Wanda Goines

by

Not much else to add here that this beautiful woman hasn’t already captured.  Someone posted this on Facebook and I am smitten.  Meet Wanda Goines, a pilgrim on her way to Zion, going from strength to strength, till one day she appears before God (Psalms 84:7).

 

I looked in the mirror and what did I see,
but a little old lady peering back at me.
With bags and sags and wrinkles and wispy white hair
I asked my reflection, how did you get there?

You once were straight and vigorous and now you’re stooped and weak
when I tried so hard to keep you from becoming an antique.

My reflection’s eyes twinkled and she solemnly replied,
‘You’re looking at the gift wrap and not the jewel inside’
a living gem and precious of un-imagined worth,
unique and true, the real you, the only you on earth.

The years that spoil your gift wrap with other things more cruel
should purify and strengthen and polish up that jewel.

So focus your attention on the inside, not the out
on being kinder, wiser, more content and more devout.

Then, when your gift wrap is stripped away, your jewel will be set free
to radiate God’s glory, throughout eternity.

HT:  Marilynn I. (Facebook)

 

What The Carnal Mind Doesn’t Get

by

“Because the carnal mind is enmity against God…” Romans 8:7

Enmity against God, O awful thought!

Enmity to the best of beings, the dearest of friends!

Enmity to Him whose nature and whose name is love!

Enmity to Him who is holy, yes, holiness itself!

Enmity to Him who is good, yes, goodness itself!

Enmity to Him who is true, yes, truth itself!

Enmity to Him, outside of whom nothing

is good, nothing holy, nothing true!

Enmity to Him, who gave His Son to die for sinners!

Enmity to Him who died for His enemies!

Enmity to Jesus who thus died; who ‘flew on wings

of love’ to the rescue and the redemption of fallen

man; who took the place, bore the sins, endured

the curse; who gave His life, His obedience, all He

could give: Himself! All this for the poor, the vile,

the worthless; He suffered, bled and died!

All this for sinners, for rebels, for enemies!

Was not this enough?

Could He have done more?

Son of God, is it for this they hate You, despise You, reject You?

Oh, the enmity of the carnal mind!

– Octavius Winslow, “The Soul Before Conversion”

Encouragement For Gospel Abusing Saints

by

“If there is one consideration more humbling than another to a spiritually- minded believer, it is, that, after all God has done for him, – after all the rich displays of his grace, the patience and tenderness of his instructions, the repeated discipline of his covenant, the tokens of love received, and the lessons of experience learned, there should still exist in the heart a principle, the tendency of which is to secret, perpetual, and alarming departure from God. Truly, there is in this solemn fact, that which might well lead to the deepest self-abasement before Him.”

“We must here, however, guard a precious and important truth; that is, the indestructible nature of true grace. Divine grace in the soul can never really die; true faith can never utterly and finally fail. We are speaking now but of their decay. A flower may droop, and yet live: a plant may be sickly, and yet not die. In the lowest stage of spiritual declension, in the feeblest state of grace, there is a life that never dies. In the midst of all his startings aside, the ebb and the flow, the wandering and the restoring, the believer in Jesus is “kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.” He cannot utterly fall; he cannot finally be lost. The immutability of God keeps him, – the covenant of grace keeps him, – the finished work of Jesus keeps him, – the indwelling of the Spirit keeps him, and keeps him to eternal glory. We say, then, true grace is indestructible grace; it can never die. ”

“Personal Declension and Revival of Religion in the Soul” by Octavious Winslow