When we truly realize that the Lord of heaven and earth CHOSE US in Christ to salvation, redeemed us by His blood, and called us by His gospel, it will have a seven-fold effect on us.
- It will cause us to REJOICE! "O blessed is the man whom Thou choosest and causesth to approach unto Thee." Praise Him from whom all blessings flow.
- It will promote HUMILITY! "Who maketh thee to differ?" grace and pride are incompatible, impossible to exist together. We rejoice in Christ and have no confidence in this flesh.
- It will COMFORT us in hard trials! "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away." Even these work together for our good and His glory. When we trust Him, we don’t have to understand.
- It will SUPRESS self and sin! "We are not our own;" we are bought with so great a price. Therefore we desire to glorify our Lord in our souls and in our bodies.
- It gives us ASSURANCE! If God foreknew us, predestinated us to be like Christ, justified us, called us by His Spirit, if Christ redeemed us, intercedes for us and is for us, who can be against us?
- It makes DYING easier! The eternal covenant of grace in Christ was David’s pillow of rest and peace when he lay dying (II Sam. 23:1-5). He sought no other source of comfort and hope than the sovereign love of God in Christ.
- It will assure us that our PREACHING IS NEVER IN VAIN! "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth; it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it" (Isa. 55:11). This cannot be applied to all preaching,
ONLY TO THE PREACHING OF HIS WORD!
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