Gems for the Week
January 22 - 25
"Who His Own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed."
(1 Peter 2:24)
The cross is a low place, a thing that strains all the pride of man. Have you ever known what it is to be brought down to death's door from conflict? I have know what it is - passing week after week and never closing the eyes, simply because
I wanted to do something, and Christ had done it all.
Peace came to me in that cross, God saying, "My Son bore all your sin in His own body on that tree." What a thought! that the anointed Saviour, (two thousand years ago), suffered everything for me, and that it was only my own horrid self-will, wanting to do something, which kept me from getting peace in Him.
It was not the suffering earth gave Him, not the nails, the spear - but something deeper far; the wrath of God was born by Him, nailed to that cross, when He cried out, "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?" You cannot find the cross itself on earth now, but the record of it is in heaven. God is constantly reminded of it, by the presence of the Lamb that was slain, at His right hand. (G.V. Wigram)
N.J. Hiebert # 3226
"I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto Me; for I have redeemed thee." (Isaiah 44:22)
To think lightly of sin is an insult to the divine sanctity. Sin is the blot which defiles the glorious works of God; it is the cancer which, if it were permitted to spread unchecked, would consume the beauty of the universe; it is the curse which pierces the life of man with a thousand sorrows, and bows his head in memory of a thousand shames." But it should be clearly understood that while God can never treat sin lightly, and while He may use even the devil's tauntings to increase our horror and hatred of it, He never harasses His people. When He forgives, He forgets; and, having learned the solemn lesson which our failure has taught us, it will be wisdom on our part also to forget. Speaking of the burial of Moses (Deuteronomy 34), an old Welsh minister said:
"In that burial, not only was the body buried, but also the grave and the graveyard. This is the way in which God's mercy buries our sins. If anyone should meet Mercy returning from the funeral of our sins, and ask: 'Mercy, where did'st thou bury our sins?' her answer would be: I do not remember'."
The Bible makes a sevenfold declaration of what God has done with the sins of His people. It affirms that they are: Expiated (Isaiah 6:7); Remitted (Luke 24:47); Buried (Micah 7:19); Obliterated (Isaiah 44:22); Forgiven (Ephesians 1:7); Cleansed (1 John 1:7); Forgotten (Hebrews 10:17). (George Henderson)
N.J. Hiebert # 3227
"Ho, every one that thirsteth, COME ye to the waters,
and he that hath no money; COME ye, buy, and eat; yea,
COME buy wine and milk without money and without price."
(Isaiah 55:1)
Here, every thirsty, needy, penniless one is invited to come. It is the desire of the loving heart of God that he should come - come now - come just as he is and drink at the living fountain of water, so freely opened by the hand of redeeming love. There is no hindrance. Grace has removed every difficulty out of the way. The very fact of God's sending forth the invitation to come, proves that He has taken away every barrier. He would not, He could not say "Come" if the way were not perfectly open - perfectly free. And not only so, but we may rest assured that when God says "Come," He means what He says. He expresses the language of His heart. In a word, not only is the way open, but God earnestly desires that every thirsty, needy, helpless soul that reads these lines should come now and drink - come and draw water out of those wells of salvation which are freely opened to every creature under heaven. (Christian Truth - Vol. 23 - September 1970)
N.J. Hiebert # 3228
"I esteem all Thy precepts concerning all things to be right;
and I hate every false way." (Psalm 119:128)
This is a test for us; do we seek to know what the Scriptures say on all subjects, because we know they are right concerning all things? Has the Word of God such authority with us that what it says is final, and is the end of all doubt and questioning? (Selected)
N.J. Hiebert # 3229
