July 21, 2009 at 7:01 am (Self-Audit)
YOU HAVE BECOME LIKE US! – ISAIAH 14: 10
What must be the apostate professor’s doom when his naked soul appears before God? How will he bear to hear that voice telling him that he is banished forever from His presence and that he will not be the recipient of mercy? “Depart from Me, you cursed; you have rejected knowledge, and I reject you.” What will be this wretch’s shame at the last great day when, before the assembled crowds, the apostate shall be unmasked? See the profane, and sinners who never professed faith, lifting themselves up from their beds of fire to point at him. “There he is,” says one; “will he preach the gospel in hell?” “There he is,” says another; “he rebuked me for cursing and was a hypocrite himself!” “Aha!” says another; “here comes a psalm-singing Methodist—one who was always at his meeting; he is the man who boasted of his being sure of everlasting life, and here he is!” No greater eagerness will ever be seen among satanic tormentors than in that day when devils drag the hypocrite’s soul down to perdition. Bunyan pictures this with massive but awful grandeur of poetry when he speaks of the back way to hell. Seven devils bound the wretch with nine cords and dragged him from the road to heaven, in which he had professed to walk, and thrust him through the back door into hell. Watch out for that back way to hell, professors! “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith.”* Pay attention to your condition, and see whether you are in Christ or not. It is the easiest thing in the world to give high marks when grading your own paper. Be honest and fair. Be gracious to all, but be rigorous with yourself. Remember, if you are not building on the rock, your house will collapse. May the Lord give you sincerity, constancy, and firmness; and in no day, however evil, may you be led to turn aside.
* 2 Cor 13:5
- From Morning and Evening, June 26th a.m. entry
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June 25, 2009 at 7:58 am (* Favorites, Self-Audit)
2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart. 3 To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. 4 Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin.
Matthew Henry’s Commentary:
- We are all apt to be partial in judging of ourselves and our own actions, and to think too favorably of our own character, as if there was nothing amiss in it: Every, way of a man, even his byway, is right in his own eyes.
- The proud heart is very, ingenious in putting a fair face upon a foul matter, and in making that appear right to itself which is far front being so, to stop the mouth of conscience.
- We are sure that the judgment of God concerning us is according to truth.
- Whatever our judgment is concerning ourselves, the Lord ponders the heart.
- God looks at the heart, and judges of men according to that, of their actions according to their principles and intentions; and his judgment of that is as exact as ours is of that
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June 22, 2009 at 6:15 am (Pride, Self-Audit)
Tags: Ignorance, Self-Delusion, Self-righteousness
12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.
Matthew Henry’s Commentary:
- We have here an account of the way and end of a great many self-deluded souls.
- 1. Their way is seemingly fair: It seems right to themselves; they please themselves with a fancy that they are as they should be, that their opinions and practices are good, and such as will bear them out.
- The way of ignorance and carelessness, the way of worldliness and earthly-mindedness, the way of sensuality and flesh-pleasing, seem right to those that walk in them, much more the way of hypocrisy in religion, external performances, partial reformations, and blind zeal; this they imagine will bring them to heaven; they flatter themselves in their own eyes that all will be well at last.
- 2. Their end is really fearful, and the more so for their mistake: It is the ways of death, eternal death; their iniquity will certainly be their rum, and they will perish with a lie in their right hand.
- Self-deceivers will prove in the end self destroyers
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March 15, 2009 at 4:04 pm (Law, Self-Audit, Sin, Total Depravity)
Galatians 3: 15 – 29
15 To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified.
16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ.
17 This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void.
18 For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.
19 Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was i put in place through angels by an intermediary.
20 Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one.
21 Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law.
22 But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
23 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed.
24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.
25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.
27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.
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November 19, 2007 at 9:23 pm (Self-Audit)
Questions we should ask ourselves:
- Do I believe in Jesus?
- Am I renewed in the spirit of my mind?
- Am I walking not after the flesh, but after the Spirit?
- Am I growing in grace?
- Does my behavior adorn the doctrine of my Savior?
- Am I looking for the coming of the Lord and watching as a servant should who expects his master?
- What more can I do for Jesus?
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