The gift of God, eternal life,
Is yours through Jesus Christ!
6 Come, all ye weary, rest!
Sin’s burden now forsake.
Learn of our Master, and be blest!
His easy yoke now take!
7 Come, now repent, believe!
Jesus the Lord confess
Eternal life you shall receive:
Come, and you shall be blest!
S.M.
Preparatory Reading: Old Testament: Genesis 23; New Testament: Matthew 12 Psalm: 12
1 Timothy 1:15–16
15This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. 16Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
O God our Father, by the Holy Spirit’s grace and light bind this saying around my neck, write it upon the tablet of my heart; set it as a lamp to my feet shining in a dark place till Thy day break and all shadows flee away (Prov 33; Ps 119:105; 2 Pet. 1:20; Song 2:17). Thou hast given it me as a faithful saying, which my soul may entirely trust; that will never fail to guide me, like the pole star in the night’s sky. It is suited to all my need, and to any fallen child of Adam the world over, worthy of all acceptation. With it I can be sure to bring blessing, to offer life and hope to any fellow sinner that ever I meet. If nothing else come out of my mouth, O God of all grace, let this come first and last: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
What better two words could anyone hear than Christ Jesus? What more could the heart of God yield or the treasure of heaven bestow, to exhaust my condemnation, to flood away my guilt, to translate me from death to life and from perdition to paradise than Christ Jesus?
He is my “wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, redemption;” my “all in all;” my “anchor;” “light of life;” “bread of life;” “Passover;” “Beloved;” “bridegroom”’ “foundation,” “cornerstone”; good, great, one, chief Shepherd; “peace;” “Prince and Saviour”; “Firstborn of many brethren;” “friend of sinners;” “hope;” “life;”’ “advocate;” “high priest” “mediator”—these are but the firstfruits of all His glories, and of even each of these I know but in part, nor yet the half. Pilate never knew how well he spoke when he cried, “Behold the Man!” and when he wrote “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” Christ Jesus came into the world: These simple words chronicle a stoop spanning infinity, whose dimensions dwarf the universe—the very length, breadth, depth and height of the love of Christ that passes knowledge. Christ Jesus came into the world: Eternity cradled in time; infinity swaddled in space; omniscience hidden in ignorance; omnipotence poured into weakness; the Holy One seen in that holy thing born of the virgin Mary—“God manifest in the flesh.”
“Christ Jesus . . . being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” Calvary alone can tell us how “God so loved the world”, and how far Christ Jesus came into the world.
13. No Reputation Didst Thou Make
No reputation didst Thou make
To save us from our sin,
When Thou, Lord Jesus, didst forsake
Thy throne, our flesh and blood to take:
No room was in the inn.
2 No beauty in Thee did we meet
As Thou on earth didst tread,
Through want and pain, in cold and heat,
No leisure so much as to eat—
No place to lay Thy head!
3 Our Guest unwelcome, gave we Thee
No water, kiss or oil?
In darkness of Gethsemane,
Throughout Thy prayers of agony,
No man cared for Thy soul!
4 Thy judges found no fault in Thee,
Who cam’st our souls to win:
Betrayed, deserted and denied,
For us condemned and crucified,
In Thee there is no sin!
5 No greater love hath any man
Than this which Thou hast shown:
No man can pluck us from Thy hand.
In no wise wilt Thou cast out him,
Who trusts in Thee alone!
6 Our sins no more retained, forgiven
Thy Blood hath cleansed and laved:
None other name from under heaven
To us, to any, has been given
Whereby we must be saved!
7 No man save Thee alone we see,
Jesus, our Lord, our God!
None to the Father, but by Thee,
The Life, Way, Truth that sets us free,
Can come, save through Thy Blood!
8.6.8.8.6.
Preparatory Reading: Old Testament: Genesis 24; New Testament: Matthew 13 Psalm: 13
1 Timothy 1:15–16
15This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. 16Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
Christ Jesus came into the world: Will I not pause, think, reflect, weep over this staggering work, this strange work? “He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not.” “The princes of this world crucified the Lord of glory.” “Ye denied the Just One, and slew the Prince of life” (John 1:10; 1 Cor 2:8; Acts 3:14–15). He could go no further than He went at Calvary to come into the world—He probed its darkest pit of condemnation, He descended into the hell it deserved, and took upon Himself the eternal curse of God upon it.
And why? To save sinners. “He gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of our God and Father.” “God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Gal 1:4; 6:14). Never was such truth spoken in jest as the mockery of the scribes, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save.”
What more could He do, what more must He do, how much more must He yet suffer of my self-will, ignorance, folly and sin upon sin after sin, till I love Him as He loved me and gave Himself for me? When will the saying come to pass, that is written, “He shall see the travail of His soul, and be satisfied?”
Sinners of whom I am chief: Paul has confessed to this in writing Holy Scripture; he has spoken, moved by the Holy Ghost, and the things he writes are indeed the commandments of the Lord. The Scripture cannot be broken, so these sayings must be faithful and true. Like a man fleeing his shadow in sunlight all day, did Paul hasten through a lifetime’s zealous service, aware of the shadows of his past. While he sought forget the things behind and reach out for the things before, to press toward the prize of God’s high calling in Christ Jesus, he never