August 15th, 2014. A LIFE- VOICE My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life. John 10:27- 28 Christ as the life- giving Spirit now dwells in our regenerated human spirit, making our spirit life. Our spirit is life because Christ, the life- giver, lives there. This helps us to realize the location of the life- consciousness within us. It is in our spirit! Thus, not only is our spirit life, but our spirit is also the source from which every kind of life- consciousness flows into our being (cf. John 7:37- 39; 10:10). We need to make the connection between experiencing the Lords life and hearing the Lords voice. This connection is presented by the Lord Himself in John 10:10 and 16 as well as John 10:27- 10:28 I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.... 16 And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.... 27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. By these verses we can see the way the Lords voice is experienced by us. It is by the Lords life that we experience His voice. It is a life- voice! My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand [John 10:27 28]. MY SHEEP HEAR MY VOICE. He proves by an argument drawn from contraries, that they are not sheep, because they do not obey the Gospel. For God effectually calls all whom he has elected, so that the sheep of Christ are proved by their faith. And, indeed, the reason why the name of sheep is applied to believers is, that they surrender themselves to God, to be governed by the hand of the Chief Shepherd, and, laying aside the fierceness of their nature, become mild and teachable. It is no small consolation to faithful teachers, that, though the greater part of the world do not listen to Christ, yet he has his sheep whom he knows, and by whom he is also known. Let them do their utmost to bring the whole world into the fold of Christ; but when they do not succeed according to their wish, let them be satisfied with this single consideration, that they who are sheep will be gathered by their agency. The rest has been already explained. And they shall never perish. It is an inestimable fruit of faith, that Christ bids us be convinced of our security when we are brought by faith into his fold. But we must also observe on what foundation this certainty rests. It is because he will be a faithful guardian of our salvation, for he testifies that our salvation is in his hand. And if this were not enough, he says that they will be safely guarded by the power of his Father. This is a remarkable passage, by which we are taught that the salvation of all the elect is not less certain than the power of God is invincible. Besides, Christ did not intend to throw this word foolishly into the air, but to give a promise which should remain deeply axed in their minds; and, therefore, we infer that the statement of Christ is intended to show that the elect are absolutely certain of their salvation. We are surrounded, indeed, by powerful adversaries, and so great is our weakness, that we are every moment in imminent danger of death; but as He who keeps what we have committed to him (2 Timothy 1:12) is greater or more powerful than all, we have no reason to tremble as if our life were in danger. Hence, too, we infer how mad is the confidence of the Papists, which relies on free- will, on their own virtue, and on the merits of their works. Widely different is the manner in which Christ instructs his followers, to remember that, in this world, they may be said to be in the midst of a forest, surrounded by innumerable robbers, and are not only unarmed and exposed as a prey, but are aware that the cause of death is contained in themselves, so that, relying on the guardianship of God alone, they may walk without alarm. In short, our salvation is certain, because it is in the hand of God; for our faith is weak, and we are too prone to waver. But God, who has taken us under his protection, is sufficiently powerful to scatter, with his breath alone, all the forces of our adversaries. It is of great importance Hence, too, we infer how mad is the confidence of the Papists, which relies on free- will, on their own virtue, and on the merits of their works. Widely different is the manner in which Christ instructs his followers, to remember that, in this world, they may be said to be in the midst of a forest, surrounded by innumerable robbers, and are not only unarmed and exposed as a prey, but are aware that the cause of death is contained in themselves, so that, relying on the guardianship of God alone, they may walk without alarm. In short, our salvation is certain, because it is in the hand of God; for our faith is weak, and we are too prone to waver. But God, who has taken us under his protection, is sufficiently powerful to scatter, with his breath alone, all the forces of our adversaries. It is of great importance for us to turn our eye to this, that the fear of temptations may not dismay us; for Christ even intended to point out the way in which sheep are made to live at ease in the midst of wolves. And none can wrest them out of my Fathers hand. The word and, in this passage, means therefore. For, since the power of God is invincible, Christ infers that the salvation of believers is not exposed to the ungovernable passions of their enemies, because, ere they perish, God must be overcome, who has taken them under the protection of his hand. August 15 MORNING THE GOD OF PEACE... MAKE YOU PERFECT IN EVERY GOOD WORK TO DO HIS WILL. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you. By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.-- Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of [his] good pleasure.-- Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.-- Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God— Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency [is] of God. HEB 13:20, 21. 2 Co 13:11. Ep 2:8, 9.-- Jas 1:17. Phil 2:12, 13.-- Ro 12:2.-- Phil 1:11-- 2 Co 3:5. August 15 EVENING I WILL ALLURE HER, AND BRING HER INTO THE WILDERNESS, AND SPEAK COMFORTABLY UNTO HER. Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean [thing]; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.-- Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Jesus,... that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. [Jesus] said,... Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while.-- The LORD [is] my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his names sake. HOSEA 2:14. 2 Co 6:17, 18-- 2 Co 7:1. Heb 13:12, 13. Mar 6:31.-- Ps 23:1- 3.
Posted on: Fri, 15 Aug 2014 05:59:27 +0000
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