From the Pastor’s Pen – September 2007

Sunday I sought to remind you that our only hope is in Christ alone. It is His righteousness that we must trust in as Christians. We cannot do anything in & of our self to please God. God is only satisfied with His own righteousness. Our righteousness is as filthy rags. As Spurgeon states: “There are two sins that are bred in the bone, & that continually come out in the flesh. One is self-dependence & the other is self-exaltation.” Pride is something that we must put to death each & every day; it constantly raises its ugly head. It is the same temptation by which Satan ruined our first parents. Since the Fall man has become independent of God & chooses for himself; “He is become like one of us,” God said, “to know good & evil.” This self-sufficiency in our heart made it impossible for us to be reconciled to God. “God resisteth the proud.” Therefore Christ said: “Except ye be converted & become like little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” We must be converted & become what man was at his creation, dependent on God, submissive to his will, seeking all our happiness in him, being content that he is the source of all our happiness & He will give us what we need as He sees fit. Being humble in spirit & as sinners become contrite in heart. As David stated: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit & a broken & a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” Thomas Charles pastored in Northern Wales (1770-1800’s) wrote: “Even in those who have submitted to the righteous-ness of God, & put on Christ in sincerity, this spirit of pride & independency will still exert itself. We are such Pharisees by nature, that we know not how to feel grace, & at the same time, believe, as if we had none, to rest simply on Christ’s righteousness without the addition of any thing in us, either of outward performances or of inward grace; but we are still found mixing something of our own w/ the foundation; if we lay & fix it, it must be with some cement of our own graces, duties or endeavors. But the attempt is utterly fruit-less. These things are wholly distinct in themselves; & must be distinctly managed by the soul in its dealings with God. The confounding of them with pride will only dishonor the grace of God, disturb our peace, & weaken our strength for obedience as well as keep us from that humble posture which at all times becometh us as sinners. This principle of self-righteousness must be mortified, before we can walk humbly w/ God, & before we can be brought from every thing without or within us, to rest simply for favor & acceptance with God, on Him in whom the Father is well pleased. Not only is the foundation laid in mere grace, but the top-stone will be brought forth with shouting, “Grace, grace!” The Lord alone must & shall be exalted; & we shall be brought to count all things but loss & dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ. Not only shall nothing exalt for our justification before God besides Him; but nothing shall be exalted w/ Him; for “the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.” May God be pleased to keep us humble & looking to Christ alone!

Pastor Thomas Winn