The following are some excerpts from the book "The Cross" by Martyn Lloyd-Jones. These are from the first chapter. One of the clearest gospel messages I've ever read.
"God, unlike us, is light, and in him is no darkness at all. God is just, God is holy. God is righteous. Of course, that means nothing to us. How can we think of holiness? We, ugly, foul, vile, sinful creatures. No, we do not understand the righteousness of God. But God is righteous, he is the law giver, he is holy, he is of so pure a countenance that he cannot even look upon sin; and God cannot pretend that he has not seen it. God sees sin. He sees everything. He must punish sin. His own holy nature insists upon it and he has told us abundantly that he is going to do so. So here is the problem. Man is a guilty sinner, God is a holy God.
I know the most important thing about every single one of you, and that is that each of you is a vile sinner. I don't care who you are, because all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. I do not care what particular form your sin takes. I do not care what your sins are. But what I have authority to tell you is this. Though you may be the vilest man or woman ever known, and though you may until this moment have lived your life in the gutters and brothels of sin in every shape and form, I say this to you: be it known unto you that through this man, this Lord Jesus Christ, is preached unto you the forgiveness of sin. And by him all who believe, you included, are at this moment justified entirely and completely from everything you have ever done - if you believe that this is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and that he died there on the cross, for your sins and to bear your punishment. If you believe that, and thank him for it, and rely utterly only upon him and what he has done, I tell you, in the name of God, all your sins are blotted out completely, as if you had never sinned in your life, and his righteousness is put on you and God sees you perfect in his Son. That is the message of the cross, that is Christian preaching, that it is our Lord who saves us, by dying on the cross, and that nothing else can save us, but that that can save whosoever believes in him."
Thank you for sharing this with us! I'm hoping to hear a little from chapter 2.:)
BF
Some people don't like the fact that he calls humans "ugly, foul, vile, sinful creatures". But when you compare us as fallen creatures, to the perfection and holiness, and utter moral uprightness of God, that is what we will seem to be. And besides, you need to know the disease before you can truly appreciate the cure. "I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance." (Luke 5:32) "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." (Psalm 51:17)
Some people don't like the fact that he calls humans "ugly, foul, vile, sinful creatures". But when you compare us as fallen creatures, to the perfection and holiness, and utter moral uprightness of God, that is what we will seem to be. And besides, you need to know the disease before you can truly appreciate the cure. "I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance." (Luke 5:32) "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." (Psalm 51:17)
Well I must admit that when first reading on Calvin his choice of words was difficult for me. The LORD when HE first moved me had a much gentler aproach in showing me the sinner I was. Over time and the working of the HOLY SPIRIT in my life I came to see myself as Calvin describes.
While reading about the Apostles Creed , I came across Calvin's writings on hell concerning Jesus' last moments on the cross and what is meant by he decsended into hell. Calvin's writings brought a great depth of meaning to me in my understanding of my sin and need for repentance.It has caused me to have a deeper relationship with GOD and understand more when reading my Bible.
So much to learn, so great a GOD, to teach me.I praise the LORD, for HE feeds me just enough at the right time , with what I need. It is so strengthening to know He prepares my heart so I may hear what I need to learn without the mental struggle, research, reasonings that where a heavy burden to me.I thank the LORD for bringing another Christian into my life to encourage me.
BF
God is just, God is holy. God is righteous. Of course, that means nothing to us. How can we think of holiness? We, ugly, foul, vile, sinful creatures. No, we do not understand the righteousness of God.
The "ugly, foul, vile, sinful creatures" part is very true, and I take no exception to those words. It's the 'not understanding God's righteousness' part that I disagree with - in part - at least on the surface of that subject. We certainly can't understand the depth of God's wisdom and righteousness, but it's those very attributes of God(and the admittance that I am a vile sinner in the shadow of His Holy light) that prods one to seek His divine forgiveness.
So unless we acknowledge His righteousness and understand it at least the little that we're capable of understanding, we won't get the point of how very very short we fall in comparison. It's that very acknowledgment that brings us to repentance, don't you think? Part of it being that we love Him and His Son, and we want to be like them, pure, acceptable, and clean in their eyes. So I would put it like - because we understand the righteousness of God, even the little that our human minds can grasp, we're able to see the contrast between what is Holy and our sinful selves. Just as you said, Matt: "But when you compare us as fallen creatures, to the perfection and holiness, and utter moral uprightness of God, that is what we will seem to be."
Or - "that is what we were"!
So it's not enough to just accept it because someone told us - we really have to know God's righteousness - and want it for ourselves - before we're able to see the difference between our sinful ways and His Holy Way. It's Christ Jesus who opens our eyes and makes that contrast so clear.
Lol - I think I just have trouble with someone telling me I don't understand the Holiness of God, because my love for His righteousness really is what brought me to repentance, to the very cross of Jesus. Before that happened, all I felt was fear... doom... wtbts style.:readthis:
Now what I feel is hope and love and acceptance - that's the difference Jesus makes in our thinking, words and actions, as his character(Holy) overtakes our old personality(sin). He's the one who actually teaches us about his Father's righteousness, yes?
:heartbeat::cheer: Go Jesus! :cheer::heartbeat:
Good to have you back posting Matt - I missed ya!:drinking:
:peace:
God is just, God is holy. God is righteous. Of course, that means nothing to us. How can we think of holiness? We, ugly, foul, vile, sinful creatures. No, we do not understand the righteousness of God.
The "ugly, foul, vile, sinful creatures" part is very true, and I take no exception to those words. It's the 'not understanding God's righteousness' part that I disagree with - in part - at least on the surface of that subject. We certainly can't understand the depth of God's wisdom and righteousness, but it's those very attributes of God(and the admittance that I am a vile sinner in the shadow of His Holy light) that prods one to seek His divine forgiveness.
So unless we acknowledge His righteousness and understand it at least the little that we're capable of understanding, we won't get the point of how very very short we fall in comparison. It's that very acknowledgment that brings us to repentance, don't you think? Part of it being that we love Him and His Son, and we want to be like them, pure, acceptable, and clean in their eyes. So I would put it like - because we understand the righteousness of God, even the little that our human minds can grasp, we're able to see the contrast between what is Holy and our sinful selves. Just as you said, Matt: "But when you compare us as fallen creatures, to the perfection and holiness, and utter moral uprightness of God, that is what we will seem to be."
Or - "that is what we were"!
So it's not enough to just accept it because someone told us - we really have to know God's righteousness - and want it for ourselves - before we're able to see the difference between our sinful ways and His Holy Way. It's Christ Jesus who opens our eyes and makes that contrast so clear.
Lol - I think I just have trouble with someone telling me I don't understand the Holiness of God, because my love for His righteousness really is what brought me to repentance, to the very cross of Jesus. Before that happened, all I felt was fear... doom... wtbts style.:readthis:
Now what I feel is hope and love and acceptance - that's the difference Jesus makes in our thinking, words and actions, as his character(Holy) overtakes our old personality(sin). He's the one who actually teaches us about his Father's righteousness, yes?
:heartbeat::cheer: Go Jesus! :cheer::heartbeat:
Good to have you back posting Matt - I missed ya!:drinking:
:peace:
I don't think the preacher was saying that Christians don't understand the holiness of God, but that human beings don't, as in, fallen human beings. I think he is speaking of unbelievers here. The unbeliever, says the Bible, is blind. Indeed blind to many things and Paul says in Romans 1 that what little they do know, they suppress. Also, don't forget, we may understand God's holiness, but we may not fully comprehend it. Just like we can understand that God had no beginning and has no end, but to wrap your mind around that, to comprehend that, is neigh on impossible to us as creatures who had a beginning. The same can be said of almost all the artibutes of God.
"The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned." - 1 Corinthians 2:14
"For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God." - Romans 8:7-8
I agree with what you say though. It is the goodness of God that leads us to repentance.
Well I used to go to school with a Lloyd-Jones, and he was pretty ugly. So if it was one of his relatives (genetically predisposed to ugliness) writing, maybe he was getting back at me for calling him ugly. But then I could've been ugly to him also, so as long as the feeling was mutual, then I say, as long as God thought us both to be beautiful, that's all that matters to me. :thumbsup:
I don't think the preacher was saying that Christians don't understand the holiness of God, but that human beings don't, as in, fallen human beings. I think he is speaking of unbelievers here. The unbeliever, says the Bible, is blind. Indeed blind to many things and Paul says in Romans 1 that what little they do know, they suppress.
Yes, that thought popped into my mind about an hour after I posted(lol) - that he couldn't be talking about believers. :thumbup:
:peace:
(LOL at SW! You're beautiful to me too, man!:D)
The unbeliever, says the Bible, is blind. Indeed blind to many things and Paul says in Romans 1 that what little they do know, they suppress. Also, don't forget, we may understand God's holiness, but we may not fully comprehend it. Just like we can understand that God had no beginning and has no end, but to wrap your mind around that, to comprehend that, is neigh on impossible to us as creatures who had a beginning. The same can be said of almost all the artibutes of God.
"The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned." - 1 Corinthians 2:14
So true, many things I was taught were easy to understand & believe in because they were human thoughts & reasonings that appealed to my human/sinful nature.I had to be changed by GOD first and after was apparently enough time for me to have the Spirit working on me , able to begin to glimps spiritual things. We all are so different , but GOD knows us each and what we need at any given time.HE will bring us all closer & with understanding ,to HIM. I can not try to force by debate or reasoning what someone has not been made ready to hear.
Blithe