Things New and Old

Ancient truths revealed in the Scriptures are often forgotten, disbelieved or distorted, and therefore lost in the passage of time. Such ancient truths when rediscovered and relearned are 'new' additions to the treasury of ancient truths.

Christ showed many new things to the disciples, things prophesied by the prophets of old but hijacked and perverted by the elders and their traditions, but which Christ reclaimed and returned to His people.

Many things taught by the Apostles of Christ have been perverted or substituted over the centuries. Such fundamental doctrines like salvation by grace and justification have been hijacked and perverted and repudiated by sincere Christians. These doctrines need to be reclaimed and restored to God's people.

There are things both new and old here. "Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things" 2Ti 2:7.

Thursday, May 25, 2017

Well-meant offer/invitation extended... to whom???


You are sincerely invited; it is a well-meant offer!

Well-meant offer/invitation

Here is an instant of well-meant offer from the LORD

Isaiah 1
18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:
20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

Isaiah 1
2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.
3 The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.
4 Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.


 Unto whom is the offer/invitation made?
- Children whom the LORD has nourished and brought up
- Children in rebellion against the LORD
- Children who are ignorant of their LORD
- Children who do not consider their LORD
- Children laden with iniquity
- Children who are evildoers
- Children who are corrupters
- Children who have forsaken the LORD
- Children who have provoked the LORD unto anger
- Children who have gone away backward
The offer is made to those whom the LORD has saved out of Egypt.
(Be kindly reminded that those whom the LORD nourished and brought up are capable of all these evils! Harsh facts but truthful. )

Unto whom did the LORD invite to reason together with Him?
- Surely those capable of reasoning together with the LORD.Who are they?
- Surely they can't be those still dead in trespasses and sins!

What is offered to them, unto what are they invited?
- The forgiveness of their grievous sins as the LORD’s children: “though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
- Their enjoyment of temporal blessings as the LORD’s children: “ye shall eat the good of the land.”

What are the conditions of the blessings offered?
- Willingness to cease from all their evil ways, and obey the LORD, “… if ye be willing and obedient.”
- These conditions can be met by the LORD’s children nourished and brought up by the LORD.

What are the consequences of rejecting the offer/invitation?
- They shall suffer the temporal destruction in the hand of the LORD: “… but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword.”

What is the nature of this offer?
- The complete solemnity and sincerity of this offer/invitation is emphasized...“For the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.”
- In case they think such invitation is too good to be true, it was necessary for the LORD  to emphasize the sincerity of His infinite goodness to His stiff-necked rebellious children is magnified.
- Yes, the incredible offer has come out from very mouth of the LORD Himself.

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Here is a wonderful note of the offer/invitation from the Lord to His people.
No eternal salvation is offered to the dead in trespasses and sins; abundant spiritual blessings are offered to those whom God, by His free and sovereign grace, has effectually called unto eternal salvation.  The Lord offers abundant of life to those whom He has freely bestowed eternal life; He does not offer eternal life to the dead in trespasses and sins.

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(from a weekly update by Jonathan R. Crosby)

“In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink” (John 7:37).

Never forget these precious words – If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

Never forget these precious words – first, examine yourself about your thirst. Do you thirst for Christ and spiritual things?

Never forget these precious words – second, examine yourself about truly coming to Jesus Christ in life-changing faith.

Our Lord Jesus aggressively offered His Spirit to any thirsting person that would come to Him by faith for abundant living.

He promised a supply of the Holy Ghost from God after Pentecost that would be incredibly superabundant and overflowing.

There is no one and no thing that can satisfy the soul of a child of God like the Holy Spirit can and will do for all true believers.

By His divine power He can bless you with internal assurance, confidence, joy, peace, and hope that is unknown to natural men.

By His divine power He can bless you with internal strength for victory over temptations and to bear fruit for perfect godliness in His sight.

Never forget these precious words – If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

But this is not the only place this invitation occurs!

I will share one with you now, and another one Sunday.

When our apostle – John, son of Zebedee – closed out the whole Bible, closed out the N.T. canon, and closed out Revelation, he repeated it!

“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Rev 22:17).

You may think the Spirit, the church, and hearers are speaking to Christ and asking Him to come, but that is not the context.

The context is a conclusion to the book in various aspects of practical duties.

The context is a thirsty person coming to Christ for His living water (21:6; 22:1).

The context is one whose will has been changed to take the water of life freely.

The second two sentences of the verse are clearly us coming to Christ, not Him coming to us.

In light of the context, the Spirit, the church, and noble hearers encourage others with an invitation to Christ for salvation and the Spirit.

The gospel of Jesus Christ – the good news and glad tidings of Him and His glorious kingdom – has many invitations, private and public.

Jesus invited Andrew (John 1:39). Andrew invited Peter (John 1:42). Philip invited Nathanael (John 1:46).

Jesus invited the woman of Samaria (John 4:16). She in turn invited the men of her city (John 4:29).

This invitation is entirely consistent with the Old Testament:

Isaiah 2:1-5
Isaiah 48:16-19
Isaiah 55:1-5
Micah 4:1-2
Zechariah 8:21-23

This invitation is entirely consistent with the New Testament:

Matthew 11:28-30
Matthew 22:1-10
I Thess 1:5-10
I Corinthians 2:6-13
Romans 15:6-12
Romans 15:27

Our goals for this Lord’s Day:

1.    To obey the gospel invitation of Christ
2.    To hear the glory of God from a Psalm
3.    To finish this study of the Holy Spirit
4.    To recall Christ’s death in the Lord’s Supper
5.    To fellowship and worship our Commander

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