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Plead Christ alone

1/11/2025

“The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD: but the words of the pure are pleasant words” (Proverbs 15:26).

Every thought of the heart of the unbelieving man is an abomination to the LORD. But the believer in Christ pleads only the truth of Christ that God has revealed in the Gospel. Believers in Christ boast in Christ alone (Galatians 6:14; 1 Corinthians 1:31; Jeremiah 9:23-24). They loathe their own works and their own selves (Philippians 3:3; Titus 3:5; 2 Timothy 1:9; Romans 7:24-25). Such Christ-exalting words in the Gospel, held and believed in the heart, are spoken from a heart made humble by the sight of Christ. True humility is Christ-exalting (John 3:30; Galatians 2:20). It speaks the implanted Gospel from the heart of a believing sinner: "the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls" (James 1:21). Such words are pleasant words both to God and to His people (Isaiah 52:7). Out of the abundance of the heart a man speaks from his mouth (Matthew 12:34). What we truly believe is what we confess and love to talk about in communion with Christ and with Christ’s people.

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Faith in Christ by His Spirit

1/11/2025

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Everything of Christ that I have in me, I have by the Holy Spirit given to me. Christ has given me His Spirit because He justified me by His blood (Galatians 3:13-14; Galatians 4:4-6; Romans 5:5-10; 8:1-4; John 6:63; 7:37-39; Titus 3:3-7)! And Christ died to justify God's elect (Romans 8:29-34). He finished that work (John 17:4; 19:28-30).

Moreover, all that the Spirit of God does in me, He gives me faith to look to Christ for, and persuades me that in Christ I have it against all evidence of sight and sense to the contrary. I receive all and stand upon Christ for all that His Gospel has told me is in Him for His people. The only valid basis for my faith is His word of command to believe Him for all (Acts 16:31; Isaiah 45:22-25; Colossians 2:9-10; Hebrews 10:19).

For example, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God (Romans 5:1-11). We have peace by Christ’s cross (Colossians 1:20). We have peace by Christ who is the propitiation to God for our sins (Ephesians 2:13-15; 1 John 4:10). We have peace in Christ’s reconciliation that He made by His blood (2 Corinthians 5:18-21; Colossians 1:20-22; Ephesians 2:11-21; Isaiah 12:1-3; Psalm 85:1-10; Ezekiel 37:26). And by faith that is by Christ (Acts 3:16 — ‘the faith that is by Him’), we know this peace by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13). Every grace given to us is based on our justification in Christ’s blood (Romans 3:24-8:34). Faith doesn't make God do anything. But faith enables me to enter into the truth with enjoyment of peace by the Holy Spirit of God. "Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost" (Romans 15:13).

God has justified all of His elect by the blood of Christ (Romans 5:9, 19). As long as God has known His people as His elect (Ephesians 1:4), no one has been able to lay one thing to their charge. "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth" (Romans 8:33). How can this be?! Because our God and Father chose His people IN CHRIST from before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4-7). None can condemn one for whom Christ died (Romans 8:34). And all for whom Christ died are not only justified by His blood (Romans 5:9), but are given all things in Him (Ephesians 1:3; Romans 8:32; Colossians 2:9-10; 1 Corinthians 1:30-31).

Therefore, by God-given faith, we see what God sees, because He has told us the truth that is in Jesus in the Gospel (Ephesians 4:21). Faith is that God-given spiritual sight that enables us to lay hold and lean the weight of our eternal souls on Christ, to stand in reliance on God's word concerning salvation and all spiritual blessings that are in Him alone (Ephesians 1:3-7).

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Plead Christ alone

Faith in Christ by His Spirit

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