Milo

5 SEPTEMBER

Peace with God and conscience

‘Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.’ Hebrews 13:20–21
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Philippians 4:4–9

He bestows peace: I create the fruit of the lips; peace to him that is afar off [Isaiah 57:19]; and only he can do it. He gives peace by faith: Romans 5:1 [Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ]. Let us consider the branches:
(i) peace with God. By nature we are at war, he with us and we with him. All the evils and miseries we feel and fear are tokens of his displeasure, and our spirits and conduct show our enmity, especially when he touches us closely either by his Word or providence. Now this war ceases when we believe. He is at peace with us: no more condemnation, though perhaps the comfort of it is not yet known. He then supports and teaches, and blesses the soul with spiritual blessings. The enmity on the sinner’s part is ended and he is made willing to serve and love the Lord.
(ii) peace of conscience. Many are in a safe state before they know it assuredly in themselves—but in due time he will show it them. From hence flows:
(a) a peaceful frame of mind. Where sin is pardoned, all is well. Not that there will be no exercises and distresses, but there is a ground of peace in the heart, and in proportion as faith and grace grow, it has power to rule in the heart, as is expressed [in] Colossians 3:15 [And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful].
(b) a disposition of peace towards others. The Lord’s peace sweetens the spirit and subdues selfishness. By nature we are hateful and hating one another.

FOR MEDITATION: Try yourselves by these things. Sinners, can you be content to remain at war with the God of peace?

SERMON SERIES: HEBREWS 13:20–21, NO. 1 [3/3]

September 4th

His!

Thine they were, and Thou gavest them Me. John 17:6.

The missionary is one in whom the Holy Ghost has wrought this realization—“Ye are not your own.” To say ‘I am not my own,’ is to have reached a great point in spiritual nobility. The true nature of the life in the actual whirl is the deliberate giving up of myself to another in sovereign preference, and that other is Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit expounds the nature of Jesus to me in order to make me one with my Lord, not that I might go off as a showroom exhibit. Our Lord never sent any of the disciples out on the ground of what He had done for them. It was not until after the Resurrection, when the disciples had perceived by the power of the Holy Spirit Whom He was, that Jesus said ‘Go.’
“If any man come to Me and hate not …, he cannot be My disciple,” not—he cannot be good and upright, but—he cannot be one over whom Jesus writes the word ‘Mine.’ Any one of the relationships Our Lord mentions may be a competitive relationship. I may prefer to belong to my mother, or to my wife, or to myself; then says Jesus, you cannot be My disciple. This does not mean I will not be saved, but it does mean that I cannot be ‘His.’
Our Lord makes a disciple His own possession, He becomes responsible for him. “Ye shall be witnesses unto Me.” The spirit that comes in is not that of doing anything for Jesus, but of being a perfect delight to Him. The secret of the missionary is—I am His, and He is carrying out His enterprises through me.
Be entirely His.

September 4

“And when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him.” (Joshua 6:5.)

THE shout of steadfast faith is in direct contrast to the moans of wavering faith, and to the wails of discouraged hearts. Among the many “secrets of the Lord,” I do not know of any that is more valuable than the secret of this shout of faith. The Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour.” He had not said, “I will give,” but “I have given.” It belonged to them already; and now they were called to take possession of it. But the great question was, How? It looked impossible, but the Lord declared His plan.
Now, no one can suppose for a moment that this shout caused the walls to fall. And yet the secret of their victory lay in just this shout, for it was the shout of a faith which dared, on the authority of God’s Word alone, to claim a promised victory, while as yet there were no signs of this victory being accomplished. And according to their faith God did unto them; so that, when they shouted, He made the walls to fall.
God had declared that He had given them the city, and faith reckoned this to be true. And long centuries afterwards the Holy Ghost recorded this triumph of faith in Hebrews:
“By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.”—Hannah Whitall Smith.

“Faith can never reach its consummation,
  Till the victor’s thankful song we raise:
In the glorious city of salvation,
  God has told us all the gates are praise.”

4 SEPTEMBER

The God of peace

‘Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.’ Hebrews 13:20–21
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Isaiah 9:1–7

The title by which God is addressed: the God of peace. Many of the Lord’s titles are taken from the effects of his goodness to his creatures. So he is called the God of grace, of comfort, of hope. The ground of reason is the same in all. He is the author and fountain of all grace, hope and comfort, and so likewise of peace. He designed the plan and provided the means of our peace, according to his eternal purpose. There is no peace to the wicked, that is, not in themselves, not while under the influence of the carnal mind. Yet we are all by nature wicked. But it was the Lord’s pleasure that rebels should obtain peace. This was the song and the wonder of angels, on earth, peace [Luke 2:14]. For this purpose:
(i) he gave his Son. He is our peace.
(ii) he sends his gospel—the gospel of peace. It intimates the full and complete satisfaction of God in the work of Christ, reconciling the world unto himself: every demand satisfied, every perfection glorified, and such an abundance opened for goodwill to mankind, that now he takes his title from hence and is revealed as the God of peace. You that are seeking him by Christ need not be afraid. He is the God of peace, more ready to receive than you to come.
FOR MEDITATION:
As the serpent raised by Moses
Hear his gracious invitation,
Healed the burning serpent’s bite;
‘I have life and peace to give,
JESUS thus himself discloses
I have wrought out full salvation,
To the wounded sinner’s sight:
Sinner, look to me and live.’

SERMON SERIES: HEBREWS 13:20–21, NO. 1 [2/3]