Broken Men

God is not looking for brilliant men, is not depending upon eloquent men, is not shut up to the use of talented men in sending His Gospel out in the world. God is looking for broken men, for men who have judged themselves in the light of the Cross of Christ. When He wants anything done, He takes up men who have come to an end of themselves, and whose trust and confidence is not in themselves but in God.

[Harry Ironside]

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Psalm 51:17 ... The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Galatians 6:14 ... But 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.

Hebrews 3:6 ... But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.❤

Assurance Forever

There is a very remarkable statement found in the book of Isaiah, chapter thirty-two, verse 17: "The work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever."

Assurance forever! Is it not a wonderfully-pleasing expression? Assurance not for a few days, or weeks, or months - nor yet for a few years, or even a lifetime - but forever! It is this blessed assurance that God delights to impart to all who come to Him as needy sinners seeking the way of life.

Two words are employed in this verse that are intimately related - peace and assurance. Yet how many deeply-religious people there are in the world who scarcely know the meaning of either term. They are honestly seeking after God. They are punctilious about their religious duties, such as reading the Scriptures, saying their prayers, attending church, partaking of the sacrament, and supporting the cause of Christ. They are scrupulously honest and upright in all their dealings with their fellowmen, endeavoring to fulfil every civic and national responsibility, and to obey the golden rule. Yet they have no lasting peace, nor any definite assurance of salvation. I am persuaded that in practically every such instance the reason for their unquiet and unsettled state is due to a lack of apprehension of God's way of salvation.

Though living seven centuries before Calvary, it was given to Isaiah to set forth in a very blessed manner the righteousness of God as later revealed in the gospel. This is not to be wondered at for he spoke as he was moved by the Holy Spirit.

The key word of his great book, often called the fifth gospel, is the same as in the Epistle to the Romans - the word, "righteousness." And I would urge the reader to meditate on this word for a little and see how it is used in the Holy Scriptures.

 

[Harry Ironside]

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Isaiah 61:10 ... I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

 

 

2 Corinthians 5:21 ... For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

 

 

Philippians 3:9 ... And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

 

 

Romans 5:17 ... For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. ❤

Behave Like a King

It is very evident that Christians will never see eye to eye on all points. We are so largely influenced by habits, by environment, by education, by the measure of intellectual and spiritual apprehension to which we have attained, that it is an impossibility to find any number of people who look at everything from the same standpoint.
 

 

How then can such be of one mind? The apostle himself explains it elsewhere when he says, “I think also that I have the mind of Christ.” The “mind of Christ” is the lowly mind. And, if we are all of this mind, we shall walk together in love, considering one another and seeking rather to be helpers of one another’s faith, than challenging each other’s convictions.

 

[Harry Ironside]

 

 

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Philippians 1:27 ... Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

 

 

1 Corinthians 1:10 ... Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

 

 

1 Corinthians 2:16 ... For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ.

 

 

Romans 15:6 ... That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. ❤

Not Wrath But Rapture

The careful student of the prophetic scriptures cannot fail to observe that in both the Old and New Testaments the Spirit of God speaks of a trial involving the pouring out of divine wrath on men.
 

This is known as "the great tribulation," "the time of Jacob's trouble," "the coming hour of temptation," "the day of the Lord," and other terms. This specific period of judgement is clearly distinguished from the ordinary trials and tribulations to which the people of God have been subjected in all dispensations, and which are promised to the church of God at the present time. "In the world," said our Blessed Lord, "ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world." "We must," declared the apostle Paul, "through much tribulation enter the kingdom of God." Speaking for all saints, Paul could say, "We glory in tribulation."

 

 

So long as Satan is the god of this world and believers are on this earth. there will be trial and tribulation to face. This arises from the very nature of things. The world is opposed to everything that is of the Spirit of God. The Christian's trials arise from the adverse circumstances through which he is passing, like Israel of old journeying through the wilderness. More than this, there is the direct opposition of the enemy: "All they that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." But there is one character of tribulation that God's children in this age will never have to know, and that is exposure to divine wrath.
 

 

We look for His return as our deliverer from the coming wrath. This is a principle of great importance when it comes to defining the church's relationship to the great tribulation, when the vials of wrath will be poured out on guilty Christendom and apostate Judaism.
 

 

[Harry A. Ironside]

 

 

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1 Thessalonians 5: 9-10 ... For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

 

 

2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 ... Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,  That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

 

 

Romans 5:9 ... Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.


Revelation 3:10 ... Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.❤

Praise More

We would worry less if we praised more. Thanksgiving is the enemy of discontent and dissatisfaction.

[Harry Ironside]

Psalm 106:1 ... Praise ye the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.


Psalm 95:2-3 ... Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.  For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.


Ephesians 5:20 ... Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;


1 Thessalonians 5:18 ... In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. ❤

Choose Christ

It must be Christ or hell, and to neglect the one is but to choose the other.

[Harry Ironside]

I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: Deuteronomy 30:19

John 3:3 … Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Matthew 7:13-14  ❤

The Good News

The Gospel is not good advice to be obeyed, it is good news to be believed.

[Harry A. Ironside]

Isaiah 43:10 ... Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.

Mark 1:14-15 ... Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

John 1:7 ... The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

John 5:24 ... Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

Acts 16:31 ... And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. ❤

How To Know You Have Eternal Life

H. A. Ironside was once speaking with an elderly man who told him that he wanted to be sure of his salvation in Jesus Christ. So Ironside asked him, “Suppose you had a vision of an angel who told you your sins were forgiven. Would that assure you that you’re going to heaven when you die? Would that be enough to rest on?”

The man replied, “Yes, I think it would. An angel would be splendid.”

Ironside continued, “But suppose on your deathbed Satan came and said, ‘I was that angel, transformed to deceive you.’ What would you say?”

The man was speechless. So Ironside told him that God has given us something more dependable than the voice of an angel. He has given His Son, who died for our sins, and He has testified in His own Word that if we trust Him all our sins are gone.

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Isaiah 44:22 ... I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.

Romans 5:8 ... But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

1 John 5:13 ... These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. ❤

Make Every Effort

You could not be saved through any effort of your own, but now that you are saved it is necessary for you to put forward every effort you can to glorify Him.

[Harry Ironside]

Ephesians 2:8-9 ... For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.


Galatians 6:14 ... But 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.


Romans 16:27 ... To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.


1 Corinthians 10:31 ... Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. ❤

Rest in His Word

Faith is to rest, not in the best of God's servants, but in His unchanging Word.

[Harry Ironside]

Isaiah 32:18 ... And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.


Psalm 116:7 ... Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee.


Matthew 11:28 ... Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ❤

The State of The Heart

The testimony of the lips indicates the state of the heart.

[Harry Ironside]

Matthew 12:33-35 ... Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

Luke 6:45 ... A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

Ecclesiastes 5:2 ... Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few. ♥