Heavenly Springs

Holding Fast The Doctrines of Grace

With God, Nothing Shall be Impossible!

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“And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.  And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.  For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.” (Luke 1:34-38)

“Questions and doubts will often arise in men’s minds about many subjects in religion. They are the natural result of our fallen estate of soul. Our faith at the best, is very feeble. Our knowledge at its highest, is clouded with much infirmity. And among many antidotes to a doubting, anxious, questioning state of mind — few will be found more useful than that before us now — a thorough conviction of the almighty power of God. With Him who called the world into being and formed it out of nothing — everything is possible. Nothing is too hard for the Lord!

There is no sin too black and too wicked to be pardoned — the blood of Christ cleanses from all sin. There is no heart too hard and wicked to be changed — the heart of stone can be made into a heart of flesh. There is no work too hard for a believer to do — we can do all things through Christ strengthening us. There is no trial too hard to be borne — the grace of God is sufficient for us. There is no promise too great to be fulfilled — Christ’s words never pass away — and what He has promised, He is able to perform. There is no difficulty too great for a believer to overcome — if God is for us, then who can be against us? The mountain shall become a plain.

Let principles like these be continually before our minds. The angel’s reply is an invaluable remedy. Faith never rests so calmly and peacefully — as when it lays its head on the pillow of God’s omnipotence!“

JC Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, Luke

So, what’s in a name?

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Merry Christmas, everyone! It’s been a quiet season here at Heavenly Springs, but I’m still here!  No worries. It’s all good.  Just the seasons of life.  Still, I couldn’t let the day go by without memorializing it. It’s Christmas, and I’ve been thinking about his name.  Were it possible, it would have been blotted out a long time ago by those who despise it.  But the name of Jesus will never be erased!  To the believer, it is the most beautiful name in the world.  It is more precious than any joy or pleasure this fleeting world has to offer. It is life itself. But what does it mean? What does it tell us about ourselves? What does it say about God?  J.C. Ryle, in his commentary on the first chapter of Matthew, tells us all that’s in his name! Today, we celebrate the birth of a Savior who came to save us from our sins.  And if that weren’t enough, his promise is that he will be with us forever!  We will never be alone! Today, I celebrate with you, and believers everywhere, that wonderful name of Jesus!  Merry Christmas!

She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” – Matthew 1:21

“The name JESUS means “Savior.” It is the same name as Joshua in the Old Testament. It is given to our Lord because “He saves His people from their sins.” This is His special office. He saves them from the guilt of sin, by washing them in His own atoning blood. He saves them from the dominion of sin, by putting in their hearts the sanctifying Spirit. He saves them from the presence of sin, when He takes them out of this world to rest with Him. He will save them from all the consequences of sin, when He shall give them a glorious body at the last day. Blessed and holy are Christ’s people! From sorrow, cross, and conflict they are not saved. But they are saved from sin for evermore. They are cleansed from guilt by Christ’s blood. They are made fit for heaven by Christ’s Spirit. This is salvation. He who cleaves to sin is not yet saved.

Jesus is a very encouraging name to heavy-laden sinners. He who is King of kings and Lord of lords might lawfully have taken some more high-sounding title. But He does not do so. The rulers of this world have often called themselves Great, Conquerors, Bold, Magnificent, and the like. The Son of God is content to call Himself Savior. The souls which desire salvation may draw near to the Father with boldness, and have access with confidence through Christ. It is His office and His delight to show mercy. “For God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him.” (John 3:17.)

Jesus is a name, which is peculiarly sweet and precious to believers. It has often done them good, when the favor of kings and princes would have been heard of with unconcern. It has given them what money cannot buy, even inward peace. It has eased their wearied consciences, and given rest to their heavy hearts. The Song of Solomon speaks the experience of many, when it says, “your name is oil poured forth.” (Cant. 1:3.) Happy is that person, who trusts not merely in vague notions of God’s mercy and goodness, but in “Jesus.”

The other name in these verses is scarcely less interesting than that just referred to. It is the name which is given to our Lord from his nature, as “God manifest in the flesh.” He is called EMMANUEL, “God with us.”

Let us take care that we have clear views of our Lord Jesus Christ’s nature and person. It is a point of the deepest importance. We should settle it firmly in our minds, that our Savior is perfect man as well as perfect God, and perfect God as well as perfect man. If we once lose sight of this great foundation truth, we may run into fearful heresies. The name Emmanuel takes in the whole mystery. Jesus is “God with us.” He had a nature like our own in all things, sin only excepted. But though Jesus was “with us” in human flesh and blood, He was at the same time very God.

We shall often find, as we read the Gospels, that our Savior could be weary, and hungry, and thirsty–could weep, and groan, and feel pain like one of ourselves. In all this we see “the man” Christ Jesus. We see the nature He took on Him, when He was born of the Virgin Mary.

But we shall also find in the same Gospels that our Savior knew men’s hearts and thoughts–that He had power over devils–that He could work the mightiest of miracles with a word–that He was ministered to by angels–that He allowed a disciple to call Him “my God,”–and that he said, “Before Abraham was I am,” and “I and my Father are one.” In all this we see “the eternal God.” We see Him “who is over all, God, blessed forever. Amen.” (Rom. 9:5.)

Would you have a strong foundation for your faith and hope? Then keep in constant view your Savior’s divinity. He in whose blood you are taught to trust is the Almighty God. All power is His in heaven and earth. None can pluck you out of His hand. If you are a true believer in Jesus, let not your heart be troubled or afraid.

Would you have sweet comfort in suffering and trial? Then keep in constant view your Savior’s humanity. He is the man Christ Jesus, who lay on the bosom of the Virgin Mary, as a little infant, and knows the heart of a man. He can be touched with the feeling of your infirmities. He has Himself experienced Satan’s temptations. He has endured hunger. He has shed tears. He has felt pain. Trust Him at all times with all your sorrows. He will not despise you. Pour out all your heart before Him in prayer, and keep nothing back. He can sympathize with His people.

Let these thoughts sink down into our minds. Let us bless God for the encouraging truths which the first chapter of the New Testament contains. It tells us of One who “saves His people from their sins.” But this is not all. It tells us that this Savior is “Emmanuel,” God Himself, and yet God with us, God manifest in human flesh like our own. This is glad tidings. This is indeed good news. Let us feed on these truths in our hearts by faith with thanksgiving.”

J.C. Ryle

The Nature of True Greatness

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zechariahvision

your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. Luke 1:14-15

“The measure of greatness which is common among men is utterly false and deceptive.  Princes and potentates, conquerors and leaders of armies, statesmen and philosophers, artists and authors, – these are the kind of men whom the world calls “great.”  Such greatness is not recognized among the angels of God.  Those who do great things for God, they reckon little. They measure and value every man according to the position in which he is likely to stand at the last day.

Let us not be ashamed to make the angels of God our example in this matter.  Let us seek for ourselves and our children that true greatness which will be owned and recognized in another world.  It is a greatness which is within the reach of all – of the poor as well as the rich, – of the servant as well as of the master.  It does not depend on power or patronage, on money or on friends.  It is the free gift of God to all who see it at the Lord Jesus Christ’s hands.  It is the portion of all who hear Christ’s voice and follow Him, – who fight Christ’s battle and do Christ’s work in the world.  Such may receive little honor in this life.  But great shall be their reward at the last day.”  

JC Ryle, “Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, Volume 2″, (Michigan: Baker Book House, 2007) 14.

Jellyfish Christianity by J.C. Ryle

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“The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin!” 1 John 1:7

Photo compliments of the J.C. Ryle Photo Collection
Photo compliments of the J.C. Ryle Photo Collection.

“One plague of our age, is the widespread dislike to sound doctrine. In the place of it, the idol of the day is a kind of jellyfish Christianity — a Christianity without bone, or muscle, or sinew — without any distinct teaching about the atonement, or the work of the Spirit, or justification, or the way of peace with God — a vague, foggy, misty Christianity, of which the only watchwords seem to be, “You must be liberal and kind. You must condemn no man’s doctrinal views. You must think everybody is right — and nobody is wrong.”

And this spineless kind of religion, we are told, is to give us peace of conscience! And not to be satisfied with it in a sorrowful, dying world — is a proof that we are very narrow-minded! Satisfied, indeed! Such a religion might possibly do for unfallen angels! But to tell sinful, dying men and women to be satisfied with it — is an insult to common sense and a mockery of our distress. We need something far better than this. We need the sin-atoning blood of Christ!”

J.C. Ryle

HT: GraceGems