Christ's Righteousness Is Of Infinite Worthiness!

Jonathan Edwards wrote:

Christ by His obedience, by that obedience which He undertook for our sakes, has honored God abundantly more than the sins of any of us have dishonored Him, how many soever, how great soever . . . . God hates our sins, but not more than He delights in Christ's obedience which He performed on our account. This is a sweet savor to Him, a savor of rest. God is abundantly compensated, He desires no more; Christ's righteousness is of infinite worthiness and merit.

Jonathan Edwards, The Works Of Jonathan Edwards, Vol. 2, p. 930 (Sermon on Isaiah 32:2)

Christ Knows All!

Robert Murray M'Cheyne commented on Jesus' Words to the church in Ephesus in Revelation 2:1-7:

Now, let us see, second, What Christ says in the praise of Ephesus. "I know thy works." It is Jesus that knows them. Now, does this make you quake - does it make you fear - does it make you tremble from head to foot, to think that the eye of Christ is upon you, that He says, "I know thy works" Why should it?

Because when Jesus says to you, I know thy sin;
you should say to Him, I know Thy sufferings.

When He says to you, I know all thy wants, that thou hast many;
then you should say to Him, I know Thy fullness.

When He says to you, I know that thou hast got little strength;
then say you to Him, I know that Thou hast got all strength - that Thou art Almighty.

When He says to you, I know thy folly;
then say you to Him, I know Thy wisdom - what treasures of wisdom and knowledge are in Thee.

When He says unto you, I know what darkness is in thee;
then say you to Him, I know what light is in Thee.

For what does David say in the 139th Psalm? "O Lord, Thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my down-sitting and mine uprising; Thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, Thou knowest it altogether" and then rejoicing he says - "How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! . . . Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

But then Jesus knows your good works too; He knows every cup of water given for His sake; He knows every throb of love in your bosom for Himself - every act of affection to His people, to the brethren. Every believer feels that his own works are nothing, and it is right that he should feel so; every believer looks upon them in this way, because he feels there is so much vileness in everything he does - such a mixture of motives.

For instance, if you were to be kind to a stranger, you may have in doing so but one grain of love to Christ, and a hundred grains of other feelings; perhaps love of praise, or a desire to be thought well of. Now I will tell you what Christ does; He sprinkles the hundred grains with His own blood, He forgets them all, and treasures up the one grain of love to Himself, and says unto you, "I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience."

Robert Murray M'Cheyne, The Seven Churches Of Asia (Fearn, Tain, Scotland: Christian Focus Publications, 1986), 7-8.

Fighting Lust So That Christ Is All!

A young man's prayer against lust and for more delight in his most beautiful God:

Oh Father! You have made women so unbelievably beautiful! Their hair, their eyes, their faces, everything about them is so beautiful and attractive - so powerfully attractive! I praise and thank You oh God for this! You are the great Author of this beauty and my attraction to it! You designed every last detail of their beauty. Please help me honor You by the way I think about this beauty. Please help me look upon these women with purity, honor, and holiness. Please help me look beyond the human beauty to see Your beauty - the great Author of all beauty. Oh Father, if mere sinful, finite creatures are this beautiful and attractive to me, how much more beautiful, satisfying, and attractive must You be! You Who created the beauty of women; You Who are without sin and the infinite Creator!! Oh Father, please give me a heart like Your servant David who said: "One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple" (Psalm 27:4). Please satisfy me with Your beauty oh God! Please forgive me for all my sinful lusts, and thank You for Jesus Christ - my sin bearing substitute Who never sinfully lusted in the least bit! Thank You that He bore the wrath on the cross that I deserve for all of my heart adultery. Please help me to hope in Him and His perfect work, and please help me to always look upon all women with a pure heart for His glory, honor, and praise! For Jesus' sake. Amen!

Jesus Christ: He Is The King Of Kings!

Shadrach Meshach Lockridge preachin' 'bout his King!



My King was born King.
The Bible says He's a Seven Way King.
He's the King of the Jews - that's an ethnic King.
He's the King of Israel - that's a national King.
He's the King of righteousness.
He's the King of the ages.
He's the King of Heaven.
He's the King of glory.
He's the King of kings,
and He is the Lord of lords.
Now that's my King!

David said the heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament
showeth His handiwork.
My King is the only one of whom there are no means of measure that can
define His limitless love.
My King is a sovereign King. No far seeing telescope can bring into
visibility the coastline of His shoreless supplies. No barriers can
hinder Him from pouring out His blessing.

He's enduringly strong.
He's entirely sincere.
He's eternally steadfast.
He's immortally graceful.
He's imperially powerful.
He's impartially merciful.
That's my King!

He's the greatest phenomenon that has ever crossed the horizon of this world.
He's God's Son.
He's the sinner's savior.
He's the centerpiece of civilization.
He stands alone in Himself.
He's august.
He's unique.
He's unparalleled.
He's unprecedented.
He's supreme.
He's preeminent.
He's the loftiest idea in literature.
He's the highest personality in philosophy.
He's the supreme problem in higher criticism.
He's the fundamental doctrine of true theology.
He's the cardinal necessity of spiritual religion.
He's the only one qualified to be the all sufficient Savior.
That's my King!

He's the miracle of the age.
He's the superlative of everything good that you choose to call Him.
He's the only one able to supply all of our needs simultaneously.
He supplies strength for the weak.
He's available for the tempted and the tried.
He sympathizes, and He saves.
He's the Almighty God who guides and keeps all His people.
He heals the sick.
He cleanses the lepers.
He forgives sinners.
He discharges debtors.
He delivers the captives.
He defends the feeble.
He blesses the young.
He serves the unfortunate.
He regards the aged.
He rewards the diligent and He beautifies the meek.
Do you know Him?

My King is the key of knowledge.
He's the wellspring of wisdom.
He's the doorway of deliverance.
He's the pathway of peace.
He's the roadway of righteousness.
He's the highway of holiness.
He's the gateway of glory.
He's the Master of the mighty.
He's the Captain of the conquerors.
He's the Head of the heroes.
He's the Leader of the legislators.
He's the Overseer of the overcomers.
He's the Governor of governors.
He's the Prince of princes.
He's the King of kings, and He's the Lord of lords.
That's my King!

His office is manifold.
His promise is sure.
His light is matchless.
His goodness is limitless.
His mercy is everlasting.
His love never changes.
His word is enough.
His grace is sufficient.
His reign is righteous.
His yoke is easy, and His burden is light.

I wish I could describe Him to you, but He's indescribable.

He's incomprehensible.
He's invincible.
He's irresistible.
I'm trying to tell you, the heavens of heavens cannot contain Him, let
alone a man explain Him.
You can't get Him out of your mind.
You can't outlive Him, and you can't live without Him.

The Pharisees couldn't stand Him, but they found out they couldn't stop Him.
Pilate couldn't find any fault in Him.
The witnesses couldn't get their testimonies to agree about Him. Herod
couldn't kill Him.
Death couldn't handle Him, and the grave couldn't hold Him.
That's my King!

He always has been and He always will be.
I'm talking about He had no predecessor, and He'll have no successor.
There was nobody before Him, and there'll be nobody after Him.
You can't impeach Him, and He's not gonna resign.
That's my King!

All I Have Is Christ!

I once was lost in darkest night
Yet thought I knew the way.
The sin that promised joy and life
Had led me to the grave.
I had no hope that You would own
A rebel to Your will.
And if You had not loved me first
I would refuse You still.

But as I ran my hell-bound race
Indifferent to the cost
You looked upon my helpless state
And led me to the cross.
And I beheld God’s love displayed
You suffered in my place
You bore the wrath reserved for me
Now all I know is grace.

Hallelujah! All I have is Christ
Hallelujah! Jesus is my life

Now, Lord, I would be Yours alone
And live so all might see
The strength to follow Your commands
Could never come from me.
Oh Father, use my ransomed life
In any way You choose.
And let my song forever be
My only boast is You.

Hallelujah! All I have is Christ
Hallelujah! Jesus is my life

© 2008 Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI), by Jordan Kauflin

Jesus: The Savior Of Our Prayers

Paul Miller comments on what it means to pray in Jesus' name:

Imagine that your prayer is a poorly dressed beggar reeking of alcohol and body odor, stumbling toward the palace of the great king. You have become your prayer. As you shuffle toward the barred gate, the guards stiffen. Your smell has preceded you. You stammer out a message for the great king: "I want to see the king." Your words are barely intelligible, but you whisper one final word, "Jesus. I come in the name of Jesus." At the name of Jesus . . . the palace comes alive. The guards snap to attention, bowing low in front of you. Lights come on, and the door flies open. You are ushered into the palace and down a long hallway into the throne room of the great king, who comes running to you and wraps you in his arms.

The name of Jesus gives my prayers royal access. They get through. Jesus isn't just the Savior of my soul. He's also the Savior of my prayers . . . . "Asking in Jesus' name" isn't another thing I have to get right so my prayers are perfect. It is one more gift of God because my prayers are so imperfect.

Paul Miller, A Praying Life (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2009), 135.

The Infinite Satisfier Of Souls

Jonathan Edwards said:

. . . we needed not only to be delivered from hell, but to have some satisfying happiness bestowed. Man has a natural craving and thirst after happiness. And [he] will thirst and crave, till his capacity is filled. And his capacity is of vast extent. And nothing but an infinite good can fill and satisfy his desires. But, notwithstanding, provision is made in this way of salvation to answer those needed, there is a satisfying happiness purchased for us, that which is fully answerable to the capacity and cravings our souls.

Here is food procured to answer all the appetites and faculties of our souls. God has made the soul of man of a spiritual nature. And therefore he needs a corresponding happiness, some spiritual object, in the enjoyment of which he may be happy. Christ has purchased the enjoyment of God, who is the great and original Spirit, as the portion of our souls. And he has purchased the Spirit of God to come and dwell in us as an eternal principle of happiness . . . There is an infinitely excellent Being offered to be chosen, to be rested in, to be loved, to be rejoiced in, by us, even God himself, who is infinitely lovely, the fountain of all good; a fountain that can never be exhausted, where we can be in no danger of going to excess in our love and joy. And here we may be assured ever to find our joy and delight in enjoyments answerable to our love and desires.

Jonathan Edwards, "The Wisdom Of God, Displayed In The Way Of Salvation," Ephesians 3:10, 1733.

Christ: The Glory Of Heaven!

Samuel Rutherford said:

O my Lord Jesus Christ, if I could be in heaven without thee, it would be a hell; and if I could be in hell, and have thee still, it would be a heaven to me, for thou art all the heaven I want . . . Heaven and Christ are the same thing.

C. H. Spurgeon said:

There will be little else we shall want of heaven besides Jesus Christ. He will be our bread, our food, our beauty, and our glorious dress. The atmosphere of heaven will be Christ; everything in heaven will be Christ-like: yes, Christ is the heaven of His people.

God: An Ocean Of Satisfaction!

Jonathan Edwards wrote:

The enjoyment of God is the only happiness with which our souls can be satisfied. To go to heaven, fully to enjoy God, is infinitely better than the most pleasant accommodations here. Fathers and mothers, husbands, wives, or children, or the company of earthly friends, are but shadows; but God is the substance. These are but scattered beams, but God is the sun. These are but streams. But God is the ocean.

Jonathan Edwards, The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Volume II, 244.

Jesus: Satisfier Of Your Deepest Longings!

Dr. Timothy Keller writes:

If you trust in Jesus' substitutionary sacrifice, the greatest longings of your heart will be satisfied on the day you sit down for that eternal feast in the promised kingdom of God.

Timothy Keller, King's Cross: The Story Of The World In The Life Of Jesus (New York: Dutton, 2011), 172.