“Now none are more fruitful in divine labor--than
those who are most joyful under a sense of the
divine favor. “
William Secker, "The Consistent Christian" 1660
I really like this quote. I got it in an email this morning from a great resource called Grace Gems. This ministry sends out daily devotionals via email from Puritan writers. They also have many e-books available from Puritans on their website – everything is free! Their website is Grace Gems if anyone is interested in checking them out.
Now, back to the above quote. It caught my attention because as I’ve sought to meditate on the gospel more I’ve been wondering about how much I do stems from self-righteousness – that is trying to become righteous in myself. This quote speaks to me that my labor should always be born out of a sense of the favor God has granted me through Jesus. It’s one thing to know in your head that salvation is a gift and it’s another thing entirely to labor as if it isn’t. It takes a careful examination of one’s heart to see if there is really true belief in the gospel.
I’ve been greatly affected the last couple of weeks from reading the booklet Honey out of the Rock by Thomas Wilcox (1621-1687). Take the following paragraphs from the booklet:
If you have seen Christ truly, you have seen pure grace, pure righteousness in Him in every way infinite, far exceeding all sin and misery. If you have seen Christ, you can trample upon all the righteousness of men and angels, so as to bring you into acceptance with God. If you have seen Christ, you would not do a duty without Him for ten thousand worlds (I Cor 2:2). If ever you saw Christ, you saw him as a Rock, higher than self-righteousness, Satan, and sin (Psalm 61:2), and this Rock follows you (I Cor 10:4); and there will be continual dropping of honey and grace out of that Rock to satisfy you (Psalm 81:16). Examine if ever you have beheld Christ as the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14). Be sure you have come to Christ, that you stand upon the Rock of Ages, and have answered to His call to your soul, and have closed with Him for justification.
Men talk bravely of believing, while whole and sound; but few know it. Christ is the mystery of the Scripture; grace the mystery of Christ. Believing is the most wonderful thing in the world. Put any thing of your own to it, and you spoil it. Christ will not so much as look at it for believing. When you believe and come to Christ, you must leave behind you your own righteousness, and bring nothing but your sin: (Oh, that is hard!) leave behind all your holiness, sanctification, duties, humblings, and so on; and bring nothing but your needs and miseries, or else Christ is not fit for you, nor you for Christ. Christ will be a pure Redeemer and Mediator, and you must be an undone sinner, or Christ and you will never agree. It is the hardest thing in the world to take Christ alone for righteousness: that is to acknowledge Him Christ. Join any thing to Him of your own, and you un-Christ Him.
The Spirit has been opening my heart these last two weeks to more love for the Savior. That brings more joy, and more peace. Yet, I know myself, and the tendency to let my emotions and my circumstances rule me, therefore I want to carefully remind myself of God’s favor toward me because of Christ and I want to make sure my duties are never done without Christ.
I will be sharing some other excerpts from Honey Out of the Rock in the next few posts.
Comments
Dec. 6, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Mary
Thanks for this post. I really liked the quote at the top of the page. You also reminded me to review Honey Out of the Rock. Another one we've been enjoying as a family is Holiness Day by Day. It's a compilation of many of Jerry Bridges' quotes from his books. Lots of gospel!! Yeah! If only it would stay on my mind and heart more consistantly!!! Thanks again for reminding me of Christ's righteousness!!
Love,
Mary