January 7, 2013

• Thank Him for a little grace, and ask Him for great grace ~ Spurgeon | letter 158 on assurance & joy

  In my last couple posts (here and here), I've been urging those of you who are already Christians to be pressing in to seek the face of God so you might receive grace upon grace . . .

  "And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace."
  John 1:16

  In the second of those posts, I referred to Moses' continuing upward pursuit to receive more of God's grace and to see God's glory (see Exodus 33). Yesterday afternoon, I was re-listening to Martyn Lloyd-Jones' (ML-J) sermon, "Revival of a Backslidden Church," given in Pensacola, Florida, in 1969. Near the end of that sermon, ML-J read from one of Spurgeon's revival year sermons. I went back to Lloyd-Jones' book "Revival" (Wheaton: Crossway, 1987) for I was pretty sure he'd also cited that same quotation in one of those sermons, and I found it in Chapter 17, "The Glory of God Revealed" (pp. 223-224, emphasis mine), based on ML-J's sermon given in 1959 on Exodus 33:18-23 (available here: http://www.mljtrust.org/sermons/the-glory-of-god-2/).

  In that sermon, Lloyd-Jones challenged his congregation (and us ~ though dead, yet he speaks!) to press on to receive from Christ's fullness grace upon grace, or as he put it to "enjoy foretastes of heaven here in this world" –– using the example of Moses, as well as the Psalmists, the apostle Paul, Peter, and the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ. As he was concluding the sermon, he read a couple excerpts from Jonathan Edwards' "Personal Narrative" followed by these words of Spurgeon:

  "Let me say now before I turn from this point, that it is possible for a man to know whether God has called him or not. And he may know it too beyond a doubt. He may know it as surely as if he read it with his own eyes. Nay, he may know it more surely than that. For if I read a thing with my eyes, even my eyes may deceive me. The testimony of sense may be false, but the testimony of the Spirit must be true. We have the witness of the Spirit within, bearing witness with our spirits that we are born of God. There is such a thing on earth as an infallible assurance of our election. Let a man once get that and it will anoint his head with fresh oil, it will clothe him with a white garment of praise and put the song of the angels in his mouth. Happy, happy man who is fully assured in his interest in the covenant of grace, in the blood of atonement, and in the glories of heaven. What would some of you give if you could arrive at this assurance. Mark, if you anxiously desire to know, you may know. If you heart pants to read its title clear, it shall do so ere long. No man ever desired Christ in his heart with a living and longing desire, who did not find Him sooner or later. If thou hast a desire, God has give it thee. If thou pantest, and criest, and groanest after Christ, even this is His gift, bless Him for it. Thank Him for a little grace, and ask Him for great grace. He has given thee hope, ask for faith. And when He gives thee faith, ask for assurance. And when thou gettest assurance, ask for full assurance. And when thou hast obtained full assurance, ask for enjoyment. And when thou hast enjoyment, ask for glory itself and He shall surely give it thee in His own appointed season."

  
  Dr. Lloyd-Jones closed the sermon with the following exhortation, which is my exhortation to you today:

  "Are you on these steps? Having thanked God for what you have, have you got this longing for more? Hope, faith, assurance, full assurance, enjoyment, glory. Ask him for it. Climb the steps. Follow the example of Moses. Enter boldly in faith, and say to God, ‘Show me thy glory.' And you have the assurance, not only of Spurgeon, that if you do so from your heart, and sincerely, in his own good season he will answer you. You have the infinitely higher and greater assurance of this word of God itself, of the promise of the living God: 'Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you,' (James 4.8). Seek glory. For yourself, seek it. For the Church, pray for revival, for the passing by of the glory of God."

  
  Genesis 18:9  They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “She is in the tent.” 10  The LORD said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. 11  Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. 12  So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?” 13  The LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ 14  Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” 15  But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.”

  My friends, are you laughing along with Sarah?
  Would the Lord Jesus rebuke you:  "O you of little faith!"

  May the LORD of hosts strengthen each and every one of us so we in hope against hope believe and embrace His very great and precious promises, and seek Him with all our heart . . . O! yes, certainly thank Him for a little grace . . . but ask Him for great grace!

  
  

  Come, my soul, thy suit prepare,
  Jesus loves to answer prayer;
  He Himself has bid thee pray,
  Therefore will not say thee nay.

  Thou art coming to a King,
  Large petitions with thee bring;
  For His grace and pow'r are such
  None can ever ask too much.

  (from John Newton's "Come, My Soul, Thy Suit Prepare")

  

   Luke 11:13  If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!

  Romans 8:31  What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32  He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

  Our heavenly Father, the God of all grace who has given us a little grace, is pleased to pour out upon His needy children great grace!

  Like Elisha's servant, let us go up now . . . and go again . . . and go again . . . until we glimpse a sight of that small cloud like a man's hand rising from the sea!

  I Kings 18:41  And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for there is a sound of the rushing of rain.” 42  So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Mount Carmel. And he bowed himself down on the earth and put his face between his knees. 43  And he said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” And he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” And he said, “Go again,” seven times. 44  And at the seventh time he said, “Behold, a little cloud like a man's hand is rising from the sea.”
  

  
  And unlike Joash, may we not be found lukewarm or wavering in our pursuit of grace, may our affections not be sluggish or tepid when it comes desiring more and more of Christ – but rather may we strike the arrows tenaciously and incessantly . . .
  
  
  

  II Kings 13:14  Now when Elisha had fallen sick with the illness of which he was to die, Joash king of Israel went down to him and wept before him, crying, “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” 15  And Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and arrows.” So he took a bow and arrows. 16  Then he said to the king of Israel, “Draw the bow,” and he drew it. And Elisha laid his hands on the king's hands. 17  And he said, “Open the window eastward,” and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot,” and he shot. And he said, “The LORD's arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Syria! For you shall fight the Syrians in Aphek until you have made an end of them.” 18  And he said, “Take the arrows,” and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground with them.” And he struck three times and stopped. 19  Then the man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck down Syria until you had made an end of it, but now you will strike down Syria only three times.”

  In contrast to Joash, by the grace of God, may we be filled with the spirit of Jacob, so we might follow hard after Christ and cleave to Him for the blessings that are ours in Christ, and be found pleasing to God. . .

  
  Genesis 32:26  Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

  

  Hebrews 11:6  And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

  
  Zechariah 10:1  Ask rain from the LORD
  in the season of the spring rain,
  from the LORD who makes the storm clouds,
  and he will give them showers of rain,
  to everyone the vegetation in the field.

  
  Isaiah 44:1  “But now hear, O Jacob my servant,
  Israel whom I have chosen!
  2  Thus says the LORD who made you,
  who formed you from the womb and will help you:
  Fear not, O Jacob my servant,
  Jeshurun whom I have chosen.
  3  For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
  and streams on the dry ground;
  I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring,
  and my blessing on your descendants.
  4  They shall spring up among the grass
  like willows by flowing streams.
  5  This one will say, ‘I am the LORD's,’
  another will call on the name of Jacob,
  and another will write on his hand, ‘The LORD's,’
  and name himself by the name of Israel.”

  Jeremiah 29:13-14a
  You will seek me and find me.
  When you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you, declares the LORD...

  ---

  Other posts from Martyn Lloyd-Jones' book "Revival":

  postcards from England: are we excited over a dead fish and a car wreck?
  The Day of Pentecost ... the first of a series (Martyn Lloyd-Jones on revival)
  Father, forgive me for joking

  Other related posts:

  
  

  Amazing Grace . . . upon Grace ~ the 240th anniversary
  "... since thou hast been thus gracious ..." ~ Susanna Anthony and grace upon grace
  Why not pray for the baptism of the Holy Spirit?
  birthday reflection: "the great & glorious possibilities" ~ "Now therefore, give me this mountain"
  As a deer pants ... Is your soul panting for God? (Psalms 42 & 43)
  Grace flowing, abounding to us, Gifts for men, yea, the rebellious (Psalm 68:18)
  Linger, linger, linger – so you might know God's love
  "I cannot consider myself to have been a believer (in the full sense of the word)" ~ John Newton & myself

  Advent #1 WHY HAS JESUS COME? that we might have life & life more abundantly
  Advent # 5 WHY HAS JESUS COME? So we might draw near to God | Even a Vapor
  Advent # 7 WHY HAS JESUS COME? So we might be satisfied with Him
  Advent # 8: WHY HAS JESUS COME? "so that [we] might be WITH HIM" ~ Mark 3:14
  Advent # 9 WHY HAS JESUS COME? Adoption: the highest privilege the gospel offers ~ J.I. Packer

  Letter 18 on assurance and fighting for joy (my testimony of joy)
  John 3:36a Whoever believes in the Son HAS eternal life (letter 64 on assurance & joy)
  "give me also springs of water" - Will you be an Achsah? (letter 66 on assurance & fighting for joy)
  Can there be more? | letter 113 on assurance & fighting for joy
  happiness & joy: the distinction that SHOULD be made | letter 155 on assurance & fighting for joy

  Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Emphasis mine.

  Photo credits (all {{PD-Art|PD-old-75}}):
  

  Work found at http://thebiblerevival.com/clipart/1890holmanbible/bw/joashshootingarrowsfromawindowatthecommandofelisha.jpg / http://breadsite.org
  Work found at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oda_krohg_stakkelse_lille_1891.jpg
  Work found at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jacob_Wrestling_with_the_Angel.jpg

  • 11:08 PM
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