On Mother's Day, in my post, "Then Abigail Made Haste," I wrote about Abigail's devotion and obedient faith that led her to make haste for the joy of David and the blessing of God, and how we must examine ourselves and our devotion to God and how we must be on guard against complacency in spiritual matters.

Today, jumping ahead thousands of years from the time of Abigail and David, I'd like us to consider a woman who lived in the 18th century. On this day in 1738, the humble and obedient faith of Mrs. Turner (we don't even know her first name!) impacted the life of Charles Wesley for eternity (and countless other lives as a result!). I've written many letters on assurance and fighting for joy, and in the account below, we read of Charles Wesley fervently seeking salvation and the accompanying joy and peace which had eluded him for years. We cannot help but bless God as we see how He deemed to use the "humble instrumentality" of a "plain, illiterate woman" so Wesley might come to receive the gift of faith in Jesus Christ and a firm assurance that his sins were forgiven, thus enjoying the comfort of Christ and rejoicing with joy unspeakable and full of glory! ~ I Corinthians 1:18-31!

The following is excerpted from Thomas Jackson's "Life of the Rev. Charles Wesley" (G. Lane & P.P. Sanford: New York, 1842), 118-123, 126 –– found at <http://archive.org/details/lifeoftherevchar001458mbp>.

As an illustration of the manner in which Mr. Charles Wesley waited upon God for the gift of faith, and of the salvation connected with it, the following selections from his Journal are given:—

"May 12th [1738]. I waked in the same blessed temper, hungry and thirsty after God. I began Isaiah, and seemed to see that to me were the promises made, and would be fulfilled; for that Christ loved me. I found myself more desirous, more assured, I should believe. This day (and indeed my whole time) I spent in discoursing on faith, either with those that had it, or those that sought it; in reading the Scriptures, and in prayer.

"I was much moved at the sight of Mr. Ainsworth, a man of great learning, above seventy, who, like old Simeon, was waiting to see the Lord's salvation, that he might depart in peace. His tears, and vehemence, and childlike simplicity, showed him upon the entrance of the kingdom of heaven.

"In the afternoon I read Isaiah with Mr. Edmunds; saw him full of promises; and that they belonged to me. In the midst of our reading Miss Claggetts came, and asked that they might hear us. We were all encouraged to pursue the glorious prize, held out to us by the evangelical prophet. When the company was gone, I joined with Mr. Bray in prayer and the Scripture; and was so greatly affected that I almost thought Christ was coming that moment. I concluded the night with private, vehement prayer.

"May 13th. I waked without Christ; yet still desirous of finding him. Soon after William Delamotte came, and read me the sixty-sixth Psalm, strangely full of comfortable promises. Toward noon I was enabled to pray with desire and hope, and to lay claim to the promises in general. The afternoon I spent with my friends, in mutual exhortation to wait patiently for the Lord, in prayer and reading. At night my brother came, exceeding heavy. I forced him (as he had often forced me) to sing a hymn to Christ; and almost thought he would come while we were singing: assured he would come quickly. At night I received much light and comfort from the Scriptures.

"May 14th. The beginning of the day I was heavy, weary, and unable to pray; but the desire soon returned, and I found much comfort both in prayer and in the word: my eyes being opened more and more to discover and lay hold upon the promises. I longed to find Christ, that I might show him to all mankind; that I might praise, that I might love him. Several persons called to-day, and were convinced of unbelief. Some of them afterward went to Mr. Broughton, and were soon made as easy as Satan and their own hearts could wish.

"May 17th. To-day I first saw Luther on the Galatians, which Mr. Holland had accidentally lighted upon. We began, and found him nobly full of faith. My friend, in hearing him, was so affected as to breathe out sighs and groans unutterable. I marveled that we were so soon and so entirely removed from him that called us into the grace of Christ, unto another gospel. Who would believe our Church had been founded upon this important article of justification by faith alone! I am astonished I should ever think this a new doctrine; especially while our Articles and Homilies stand unrepealed, and the key of knowledge is not yet taken away."

"From this time I endeavoured to ground as many of our friends as came, in this fundamental truth, salvation by faith alone: not an idle, dead faith; but a faith which works by love, and is necessarily productive of all good works, and all holiness.

"I spent some hours this evening in private with Martin Luther, who was greatly blessed to me, especially his conclusion of the second chapter. I laboured, waited, and prayed to feel, 'who loved me, and gave himself for me.' When nature, near exhausted, forced me to bed, I opened the book upon, 'For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness; because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.' After this comfortable assurance that he would come, and would not tarry, I slept in peace.

"May 18th. In the approach of a temptation, I looked up to Christ, and confessed my helplessness. The temptation was immediately beaten down, and continually kept off, by a power not my own. About midnight I was waked by a return of my pleurisy. I felt great pain, and straitness at my heart; but found immediate relief by bleeding. I had some discourse with Mr. Bray; thought myself willing to die the next moment, if I might but believe this: but was sure I could not die till I did believe. I earnestly desired it.

"May 19th. At five this morning the pain and difficulty in breathing returned. The surgeon was sent for; but I fell asleep before he could bleed me a second time. I received the sacrament, but not Christ.

"Mrs. Turner came, and told me I should not rise from that bed till I believed. I believed her saying, and asked, 'Has God then bestowed faith upon you?' 'Yes, he has.' 'Why, have you peace with God?' 'Yes, perfect peace.' And do you love Christ above all things?' 'I do; above all things incomparably.' 'Then, are you willing to die?' 'I am; and would be glad to die this moment; for I know all my sins are blotted out; the hand-writing that was against me is taken out of the way, and nailed to the cross. He has saved me by his death; he has washed me with his blood; he has hid me in his wounds. I have peace in him, and rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.'

"Her answers were so full, to these and the most searching questions I could ask, that I had no doubt of her having received the atonement; and waited for it myself with a more assured hope. Feeling an anticipation of joy upon her account, and thanking Christ as I could, I looked for him all night, with prayers, and sighs, and unceasing desires."

Such was the manner in which Mr. Charles Wesley waited upon God for that great change in his state and character, upon which he felt that his peace and safety both in time and eternity depended, He was humble, penitent, teachable, and persevering. He read the Holy Scriptures; studied the promises of God; was diligent in prayer, both social and private; and almost daily received the Lord's supper. In obedience to the divine direction, he continued asking, that he might receive; seeking, that he might find; knocking at the door of mercy, that it might be opened; labouring to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, in the earnest hope that the Holy Spirit would impart the full power of faith, and then witness his adoption, and purify his heart.

The frequent returns of his pleurisy, and his very enfeebled state, appear to have alarmed his friends, who began to be apprehensive that his end was near. His brother, therefore, and a few others, met together on Saturday evening, and spent the night in prayer. The next day was Whit-Sunday, on the morning of which he was enabled to believe to the saving of his soul. The great change which then passed upon him, and the circumstances connected with it, he has described in his private journal. The following is his own account:––

"Sunday, May 21st, 1738. I waked in hope and expectation of his coming. At nine my brother and some friends came and sung a hymn to the Holy Ghost. My comfort and hope were hereby increased. In about half an hour they went. I betook myself to prayer: the substance as follows:—'O Jesus, thou hast said, I will come unto you. Thou hast said, I will send the Comforter unto you. Thou hast said, My Father and I will come unto you, and make our abode with you. Thou art God, who canst not lie. I wholly rely upon thy most true promise. Accomplish it in thy time and manner.' Having said this, I was composing myself to sleep, in quietness and peace, when I heard one come in, (Mrs. Musgrave, I thought, by the voice,) and say, 'In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, arise, and believe, and thou shalt be healed of all thy infirmities!' I wondered how it should enter into her head to speak in that manner. The words struck me to the heart. I sighed, and said within myself, 'O that Christ would but speak thus to me!' I lay musing and trembling; then I rung; and Mrs. Turner coming, desired her to send up Mrs. Musgrave. She went down, and returning, said, Mrs. Musgrave had not been here. My heart sunk within me at the word; and I hoped it might be Christ indeed. However, I sent her down again to inquire, and felt in the mean time a strange palpitation of heart; and said, yet feared to say, 'I believe! I believe!'

"She came up again, and said, 'It was I, a weak, sinful creature, that spoke; but the words were Christ's. He commanded me to say them; and so constrained me, that I could not forbear.'

"I sent for Mr. Bray, and asked him whether I believed. He answered, I ought not to doubt of it: it was Christ that spoke to me. He knew it, and willed us to pray together. 'But first,' said he, 'I will read what I have casually opened upon: Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.' Still I felt a violent opposition, and reluctance to believe; yet still the Spirit of God strove with my own, and the evil spirit, till by degrees he chased away the darkness of my unbelief. I found myself convinced, I knew not how nor when; and immediately fell to intercession."

The fact is, this plain, illiterate woman, had a deep and solemn conviction that she ought thus to address the afflicted penitent, who was weeping and praying for pardon, peace, and holiness; but recollecting that he was a scholar and a clergyman, she was afraid to do it. She durst not speak to him in this manner face to face, and with difficulty prevailed upon herself to utter these words as she stood upon the stairs. By this humble instrumentality it pleased God to produce in the heart of his servant the vital faith which he so earnestly desired.

"On Sunday morning," says Mr. Charles Wesley, "she took Mr. Bray aside, burst into tears, and informed him of the matter; objecting, she was a poor, weak, sinful creature; and should she go to a minister! She could not do it, nor rest till she did. He asked her whether she had ever found herself so before. 'No, never.' 'Why, then,' said he, 'go. Remember Jonah. You declare promises, not threatenings. Go in the name of the Lord. Fear not your own weakness. Speak you the words. Christ will do the work. Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings hath he ordained strength.' They prayed together; and she then went up, but durst not come in till she had again prayed by herself. About six minutes after she had left him, he found and felt, while she was speaking the words, that Christ was with us.

"I never heard words uttered with like solemnity. The sound of her voice was entirely changed into that of Mrs. Musgrave. (If I can be sure of any thing sensible.) I rose, and looked into the Scripture. The words that first presented were, 'And now, Lord, what is my hope? Truly, my hope is even in thee.' I then cast down my eye, and met, 'He hath put a new song in my mouth, even a thanksgiving unto our God. Many shall see it, and fear, and shall put their trust in the Lord.' Afterward I opened upon Isaiah xl, 1: 'Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received at the Lord's hand double for all her sins.'

"I now found myself at peace with God, and rejoiced in hope of loving Christ. My temper, for the rest of the day, was mistrust of my own great, but before unknown, weakness. I saw that by faith I stood; and the continual support of faith, which kept me from falling, though of myself I am ever sinking into sin. I went to bed still sensible of my own weakness, (I humbly hope to be more and more so,) yet confident of Christ's protection."

. . .

For the long space of ten years had Charles been labouring after holiness, without attaining to it; and for the longer space of twelve or thirteen years had [his brother] John [Wesley] been engaged in the same pursuit, and with the same want of success. They were still in the state which, is described in the seventh chapter of the Epistle to the Romans. They were "carnal, and sold under sin." Their struggles to get free from it were powerless and unavailing; so that after a thousand resolutions and efforts, they could only lament, in the bitterness of disappointed hope, "wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Now they were translated from the legal to the evangelical state; and could testify with the apostle, "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." "The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." "Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again unto fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God." "Whom, having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls." Their friend, the Rev, John Gambold, incumbent of Stanton-Harcourt, and one of their Oxford companions, received the truth at the same time, and through the same instrumentality. Like them, he had long been wandering in the labyrinths of Mysticism, wearying himself for very vanity; and on emerging into light, he appositely denominated the evangelical method of justification by faith, "the sinner's short way to God."

My other letters on assurance and joy including:

Why preach the Gospel? # 1: Bad men need Good News!
Why preach the Gospel? # 2: Dead men need Life!
Reformation Day: Martin Luther on "How One is Justified before God, and of Good Works"
Luther on Galatians 4: any & all false gospels = idolatry
Labor Day: Do you know the blessedness of not working? (Romans 4:1-8)
"What must we do, to be doing the works of God?" (Labor Day)
First Week of Advent: The Most Scandalous Bailout Ever
"Either we accept the atonement of Christ or we repeat it."
A little child shall lead us: Christ died for our sins (precious penal substitution)
The Gospel: Penal substitution? Really? Yes, really!
why we need a new heart (Bible reading - Matthew 5)
The flags unfurled ... Christ's eternal banner | Lloyd-Jones ~ a third type of assurance
The Christian should not just believe the truth, and know it..." | the Father's assurance

Then Abigail Made Haste (complacency & devotion)
Romans 12:1-2 ~ Ann Hasseltine Judson: a willing sacrifice – Are you?
Thank you, Noël Piper (Thank you, pastor's wives)
Bible Reading: I Corinthians 15 & 16: Would we stand firm for 38 years?
What Is ... Making a Difference? Bible Reading: 2 Kings-Two Daughters of Eve Make a Difference
Father's Day ~ William Carey & his son | duty, risk & the obedient Son
my desire: "fearless and uncompromising" like Duncan Campbell, Moses, and Paul
God uses men with "no outstanding abilities"
by the grace of God you can be the greatest you that ever lived
Bible Reading-Mark 4: (6) Kingdom-Obsessed People persevere in scattering seed

Work found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Charles_wesley.jpg / PD - {{PD-Art|PD-old-75}}

Jeremiah 12:9: Mine heritage is unto me as a speckled bird...

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary on Jeremiah 12:

Matthew 6:22  The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 23  But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

24  No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Hosea 7:11 (NKJV)
Ephraim also is like a silly dove, without sense—

Hosea 7:11  Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria. 12  When they shall go, I will spread my net upon them; I will bring them down as the fowls of the heaven; I will chastise them, as their congregation hath heard. 13  Woe unto them! for they have fled from me: destruction unto them! because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me. 14  And they have not cried unto me with their heart, when they howled upon their beds: they assemble themselves for corn and wine, and they rebel against me. 15  Though I have bound and strengthened their arms, yet do they imagine mischief against me. 16  They return, but not to the most High: they are like a deceitful bow: their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.

Psalm 110:3  Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.

II Corinthians 5:14: For the love of Christ constraineth us...

Luke 15:11 He also said: "A man had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the estate I have coming to me.' So he distributed the assets to them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered together all he had and traveled to a distant country, where he squandered his estate in foolish living. 14 After he had spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he had nothing. 15 Then he went to work for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to eat his fill from the carob pods the pigs were eating, but no one would give him any. 17 When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired hands have more than enough food, and here I am dying of hunger! 18 I'll get up, go to my father, and say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. 19 I'm no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired hands. 20 So he got up and went to his father. But while the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. 21 The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I'm no longer worthy to be called your son.' 22 "But the father told his slaves, 'Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Then bring the fattened calf and slaughter it, and let's celebrate with a feast, 24 because this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!' So they began to celebrate. (HCSB)

I John 1:3  That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4  And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. 5  This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6  If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10  If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

2:1  My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2  And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Micah 7:8  Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me. 9  I will bear the indignation of the LORD, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness...

18  Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. 19  He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. 20  Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.

Matthew 5:4  Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted... 6  Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

I Peter 1:13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you 21 who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. (NKJV)

Romans 2:4  Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

Advent #3 WHY HAS JESUS COME? not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance
Blessed Be God for His Kindness Which Leads Us to Repentance
Letter 25 on assurance and fighting for joy (a strong craving ≠ His joy)
Jesus' yoke --> fullness of joy (Letter 31 on assurance & fighting for joy)
true repentance leads to joy (Letter 37 on assurance & fighting for joy)
Prevail | apart from sovereign grace
postcards from England: "Flower in the Crannied Wall" (Tennyson)
don't waste your new year ~ teach us, satisfy us, make us glad (Psalm 90:12-15)
Ash Wednesday: Do you despise yourself? | Job 42
What is Biblical mourning? (Ash Wednesday)
Biblical mourning, assurance and false guilt
Christian, are you bearing fruit in keeping with repentance?
Dearest idol, how can I find rest
Things to Look for in a Church: Humility before God leading to confession, repentance & fruits worthy of repentance

Scripture quotations unless otherwise indicated are taken from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked HCSB are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.  Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

Work found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Spotted_Dove_(Streptopelia_chinensis)_on_a_Kapok_(Ceiba_pentandra)_tree_in_Kolkata_W_IMG_3476.jpg / CC BY-SA 3.0

Luke 22:7  Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8  So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it.” ...

14  And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. 15  And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 15  And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16  For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17  And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. 18  For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19  And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20  And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

24  A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. 25  And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. 26  But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. 27  For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.

Having been born of the first man Adam and being subject to the effects of the Fall, not a single one of us is any different than the disciples in our fleshly desire to be regarded as the greatest. Instead of having a Theocentric, Christocentric viewpoint, apart from the grace of God, my universe and your universe revolves around me, myself, and I !

I loved this picture. → → → → → →

Jesus the carpenter didn't come to earth expecting or seeking a reserved parking place. The Lord Jesus Christ humbled Himself, made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Himself the form of a servant. The Son of God came as one who serves! Our Lord was willing to take the lowest place. He was willing to wash feet. He was willing to die the most excruciating and humiliating of all deaths: death on a Roman cross. (Read Philippians 2.) He came not to be served but to give His life as a ransom for many! (Mark 10:35-44) Consider Christ's unfailing and willing obedience to His Father and His marvelous and perfect condescension to make a way for unrighteous and unworthy sinners to be reconciled to a holy God: the only true God who is light and in whom there is no darkness, the God who is holy, holy, holy, and cannot abide sin in His presence or even behold evil or look upon wickedness! (I John 1; Hab. 1:13; Psalm 5:4-5)

In marked contrast, left to our own ways, each and every one of us ends up feeling entitled to get all the gusto we can get! We shout and pout and whine at even the scantiest offense against us: "I deserve!" "I have a right to ... "It's only fair!" "Did you see what that person did to me? I don't deserve this!"

Well, what is it that we really deserve, my friends? The only thing we rightly deserve is eternal damnation, as Jonathan Edwards reminds us in his sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God":

The fact that we have been given another day to live, and we are not cast away from the presence of the Lord into the lake of fire is all due to the mercy and grace of God in Christ. Our God is longsuffering, and Jesus Christ tarries returning, and all the while He calls out to lost, tired, thirsty, and hungry souls: "Whosoever will may come to Me! Come to Me and be saved from the wrath to come! Come to Me and find rest! Come to Me and drink! Come to Me and eat!"

It is by the grace of God alone that any of us have repented of our sins and believed on Christ and received the gift of eternal life. Thanks be to God that our Judge is our Justifier and our eternal Intercessor – but apart from the Lord Jesus Christ where would we be? It was God's kindness which led us to repentance in the first place. Even our faith is not our own, it is the gift of God. What do we have that we have not received? How could the mind which was enmity against God ever begin to seek after God and be saved?! How could the soul which is dead in sin and transgressions ever come alive apart from the quickening breath of the Holy Spirit?

And regarding what we think is fair...

Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him;
he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for sin,
he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
(Isaiah 53:10)

Matthew 23:1  Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2  “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, 3  so practice and observe whatever they tell you—but not what they do. For they preach, but do not practice. 4  They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. 5  They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, 6  and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues 7  and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. 8  But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. 9  And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10  Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. 11  The greatest among you shall be your servant. 12  Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

When we are honest with ourselves (by God's grace alone – for our hearts are deceitful and desperately wicked!), each and every one of us would admit we love and lust after those places of honor and the best seats. We obsess over and we seek the affirmation and approval of men in one form or another.

However, as Christians, because we are God's holy nation, we are to have holy ambitions. I regret to say that all too often our ambitions are no different than those of unbelievers. Our ambitions are focused on the here and now, rather than eternity, and so we end up filling up barn after barn after barn, but what treasures are we laying up in heaven? Are we gaining the world and losing our souls? Is not Christ far superior and all-satisfying to any and all things the world has to offer? Let us ask God's Spirit to come and examine ourselves and our affections. For those who know Christ, these things ought not even be named among us because we have been born again of the last Adam, the One who humbled Himself, and Christ's holy nature now dwells in us through His Holy Spirit, so we are enabled to humble ourselves and follow in His steps:

John 13:2  During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, 3  Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4  rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist.  5  Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him...

12  When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? 13  You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14  If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15  For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16  Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17  If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

Romans 12:1 starts off with Paul's urgent appeal:

In other words, IF we have truly known the glorious mercies of God in Jesus Christ in saving us, how can we do anything but present ourselves and all our affections and all our ambitions to God, so He might purify us and conform us to the image of His Son? The phrase spiritual is the Greek word logikos, meaning "rational" or "reasonable." In other words, IF we are Christ's, it is only rational, it is only reasonable, it is only logical for us to present ourselves to God, or as the KJV puts it, such a offering of ourselves is our "reasonable service." Any other response to the love of God in Christ is patently irrational, illogical, unreasonable, and unspiritual!

By the power of God at work in us, may we be strengthened to will and to do them, and enter into and enjoy God's all-surpassing and unparalleled blessedness: the life, peace and joy of the LORD!