Implications of Knowing Christ (2)

-
To know Christ implies that the sinner believes the redemption of his soul to proceed solely from the free grace and love of God, without any regard to merit or demerit on his part. God confers salvation as a gift through Christ. 

The Father charged that adorable person with all the guilt which a believer incurred, and now pardons all his iniquities on his Redeemer’s account, and justifies him freely through his righteousness. This imputation of Christ’s righteousness to the sinner is followed by adoption into the family of God, by a sensible removal of guilt from the conscience, and buy a degree of that joy with a stranger does not intermeddle. 

Accordingly, we read, ‘Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom’ (Luke 12:32). ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits; who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with loving-kindness and tender mercies’ (Psalm 103:2-4). ‘He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love’ (Song 2:4).
* * * * *

To know Christ, in a saving manner, implies that all our knowledge of him as the Saviour of sinners is grounded upon the Word of God. The Word is the channel, or medium, through which the Spirit reveals Christ to the soul; and whatever opinions men may have regarding Him which will not bear the scrutiny of the Word of God, must be declared to be unsafe and unwarranted.

The Apostle Peter says, ‘We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost’ (2 Peter 1:19-21).

And Christ Himself says, ‘Search the Scriptures; for in them he think he have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me.’

 From a sermon by Rev. John MacDonald (Helmsdale) on 1 Corinthians 2:2. In it, he mentions seven implications of knowing Christ. He was born in 1800 and died in 1854.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Highland Communion in 1843

-
On Sabbath week (23d July, 1843) we enjoyed an opportunity of witnessing in the West Highlands one of those impressive spectacles which have been of frequent occurrence in the rural districts of the country since the disruption of the Church — the dispensation of the Lord’s Supper in the open air. The services were of such a peculiarly interesting character, and excited so much attention throughout an extensive tract of country, that, for the benefit of those who have never witnessed sacramental solemnities under similar circumstances, we shall endeavour to describe them. It was the communion at Ardchattan, a parish situated on the banks of Loch Etive, well known to tourists as one of the most beautiful lochs in Scotland. The Rev. Mr. Fraser, the excellent minister, has joined the Free Church with all his people, the exceptions being quite inconsiderable, and consisting only of a few lairds, and such of their dependents as their influence has retained in the bondage of the Establi
Read more

Angus Mackintosh of Tain

-
This brief biographical account of Dr. Angus Mackintosh of Tain is taken from the  Historical and Biographical Introduction  found in the volume about his son,  Memorials of The Life and Ministry of Charles Calder Mackintosh, D.D. of Tain and Dunoon . The Introduction was written by Rev. William Taylor of Stirling. Angus MacIntosh, D.D., was a native of Strathdearn, in Inverness-shire.(1) Early dedicated to God by devoted parents, and converted by his grace, he was ordained as minister of a Gaelic chapel in Glasgow in 1792, was translated to Tain in 1797, and died in 1831, leaving a reputation for piety and ministerial excellencies unsurpassed by any of the more recently departed worthies of the northern Highlands. His Glasgow ministry was brief, but largely blessed. To Tain he was called by the voice of the people prevailing over an attempt to impose on them, by force of patronage, a minister they did not esteem. The magistrates and elders of that town had, at every vacancy since
Read more

Revival in Nigg

-
The following post (first of several) is part of an account of revivals which occurred in the north of Scotland in the eighteenth century. The account is found in the magazine of the Original Secession Church. It was well on towards the middle of the eighteenth century that the best days of the religious life of the North Highlands began. After the Revolution Settlement [1688], Church Courts struggled on amid manifold difficulties to supply Gospel ordinances, but the labourers were few. Along the shores of the Moray, Cromarty and Dornoch firths some very eminent ministers were settled, and by them ‘prayer was made without ceasing’ for a revived work, and times of refreshing. One of the first parishes to share the abundant blessing vouchsaved in answer to united prayer was Nigg, in the Presbytery of Tain. The worthy Mr John Balfour, a licentiate of the Presbytery of Caithness, was ordained minister of Logie-Easter in 1716, and was translated to Nigg in March 1729. He found the
Read more