Chapter 1: The Way You Think
Chapter 2: The Way You Talk in Prayer
Chapter 3: The Way to Live it Out
Chapter 4: The Way to Speak
Chapter 5: The Way to Train
Chapter 6: A Short Meditation on Hell
Chapter 1: The Way You Think
The Christian
suffers in this life against spiritual darkness. We are not promised a limitation to our
sufferings. We are promised that He will
bring us through our sufferings. He
brings us through our sufferings, because He is Faithful and True.
If
trouble be ours against us, the Christian knows that God ordains all for our
good. “And we know that all things work together
for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his
purpose” (Romans 8:28). We know that all things come from the
counsel of His own will (Ephesians 1:11, “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being
predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the
counsel of his own will”). As the Puritans
wrote, nothing can be excluded out of “all things.” This does not mean that God is the author of
sin; rather, it means God grants His creation purpose in all that comes to
pass. Nothing is meaningless, because
God decided beforehand what it would be: He does this because purposelessness
is the essence of despair. However, we
will not always know the specifics of why something comes to pass, because God
does not always reveal it. All things
have purpose in His sight. Therefore, no
matter what we suffer, we have no reason or just grounds to despair.
I
refer to believers in Christ, because to them it is given the promise. It is not given the promise to damned
sinners; because only “in Christ” does a person have this promise given unto
them.
We
may suffer through the greatest waves of tribulation, but we have the biblical
assurance of the predestination or foreordination of all things. All things have a purpose, because God
ordained it. However, this is not a
reason for sinners to sin, but reason to do good works (Ephesians 2:10, “For
we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath
before ordained that we should walk in them”).
God repays all our pain and
suffering when we behold Christ face to face in the beatific vision, because in
it we are healed of all suffering. If we
think about it we are able to endure suffering if we remember that in a mere
instant our sufferings will be repaid when beholding Christ the King. This is no less ordained then good works,
because God ordains the good of beholding Christ for our spiritual and overall
benefit.
Therefore
we must think of these truths of the Bible, because it is a comforting thought
to remember them in order that we get through the tribulations that come into
our lives.
Everything is from
His Almighty hand, because He orders all things, and it never fails to
contemplate in our minds that it comes from a God who is all-wise. If it comes from a God who is all-wise there
is no just complaint. If it comes from a
God who sinless there is no just accusation.
Instead of a rebellious why there are songs of praise and
thanksgiving. Instead of complaining there
is rejoicing at the sight of what God has brought His people through. If you think on these things you will be
blessed; however, it is not easy to think on biblically wonderful things in
suffering, because our mind is fixed on the suffering. If you think on the riches of His Word, and
that nothing befalls any by randomness or chance or blind fate, but by His
awesome Hand you will be able to move on a little further by His upholding
grace.
Chapter 2:
The Way You Talk in Prayer
Prayer
is what is known by Christians as the thing Satan fears the most. Prayer must be used by the Christians as a
means to communicate to a God who thinks.
It is an instrument of worship, because He uses it in His providence to
work things out according to His all-wisdom in blessed sinlessness.
How
do you speak in prayer? Do you realize
you are speaking to a God who is holy and just?
Do you understand that He is altogether righteous and just? Do you comprehend that He is altogether
sinless and One in whom no darkness resides?
Christians
suffer because Satan hates us, because we are being conformed to the image of
Christ. (Romans 8:29, “For whom he did foreknow, he also did
predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the
firstborn among many brethren”). The image of
Christ is totally contrary to the image of Satan: they are both opposites of
one another. Satan hates us because we
have the Spirit in us who is working in us.
(Hebrews 13:21, “Make you perfect
in every good work to do his will, working
in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom
be glory for ever and ever. Amen”).
It
is good for Christians to mediate in prayer about the Bible verses that speak
to our need of how we speak in prayer unto goodness and mercy. (Psalm
23:6, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I
will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever”).
I
have learned that in prayer there is no basis for despair, because God uses
prayer to accomplish His divine purposes.
Christians may find themselves struggling on, because prayer has yet to
be granted. A good remedy is that we
recite the verses that are relevant to our spiritual need. Christians should be using the Bible to pray,
because it is well-pleasing to God for those whom are in Christ to pray His
God-breathed truth back to Him. Prayer
is an instrument of mediation, because it is a way to express to God our hearts
intentions. Christians should mediate on
predestination, because it is the essence of the outpouring of our hearts. God’s immensity is present, and all we need
to do is speak: let us do so in reverence and respect to His holy name.
Moreover, do not
be afraid to use arguments in prayer, but not to change His mind or will. Christians should prayer according to His will not in opposition to His will. God’s will is the perfect direction for your
life, because (Matthew 26:42 says, “He
went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup
may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done”). Christ suffered but He said thy will be done. The key is to be dedicated to His will
but not to make the deliverance of suffering your allegiance. The Christians allegiance is the will of God:
where is your allegiance this day?
Chapter 3: The Way to Live it Out
We
are called to live out our faith, because God wants a heart and life of utter
blessedness in holy piety and living.
Christ must determine all our lives and the whole scope of our being. (James
2:24, “Ye see then how that by works a man is
justified, and not by faith only”).
Do we have
a heart of darkness and coldness? Do we
have a mouth that is untamed? Do we have
a life that is in reckless sin? (1 Samuel 16:7, “But
the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his
stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for
man looketh on the outward
appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart”).
Christians should live in light of what is
right. (Philippians 4:8, Finally, brethren,
whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are
just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever
things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise,
think on these things”). Christians have Christ enthroned in their hearts, because
of the application of God the Spirit in regeneration (Titus 3:5, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but
according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and
renewing of the Holy Ghost”). By
the Spirit’s work we have embraced Christ, but a heart devoid of a life of
walking with Him is a heartless Christianity (Colossians 2:6, “As ye have therefore
received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him”).
Do we repent of particular sins (Mark
1:15)? Do you live it out? Today we hear of preachers that speak of
belief, but they speak nothing of repentance.
The Bible commands that a true faith have a true repentance, and a true
repentance have a true faith. Do you
have a repentance born of the Spirit of God and the Word of God? Do we obey His commands (John 14:15, “If ye love
me, keep my commandments”)? Do you live it out?
Christians
must live out their faith: is faith all of life to you? Do you think that kind of talk is only meant
for elders and deacons? Do you live it
out in a consistent way?
God
ordains faith in His people, because it seemed right in His sight. The ordering of things by His mighty hand is evidence
of His goodness, because only a good God would ordain faith.
If God is
everywhere and knows all things, He knows if you are right before Him. Think much on this.
Chapter 4: The Way to Speak
God
is everywhere. God’s presence is before
us. His immensity is what we behold when
we look up. Christians must have
spiritual eyes to see His presence in all things.
Christians
ought to speak uprightly and in a right way before Him, because God is
superlatively holy. The angels proclaim
His thrice holiness, because God is good.
We ought to speak with a voice that is sprinkled with holiness, because
He hears and records all we say. That
is, God knows all things because He ordained all things.
Christians
can go over their times of speaking, because we can judge ourselves in light of
God’s perfect standard of holiness. If
we have failed because of sin, we can repent and continue on. The damned do not have this redemptive grace,
because it is did not seem right in God’s sight (Matthew 11:26, “Even
so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight”).
Chapter 5: The Way to Train
Christians
should train themselves up in the things of God, because parents are to train
up their children in the holy ways of God.
We
can train ourselves by a day of devotions, because God is worthy of a life of
devoted praise. This praise can come by
our thoughts, words, but also our deeds.
(2 Timothy 2:15, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that
needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing
the word of truth”).
Christians can train themselves by
prayer, Bible reading, general devotions, and a consistent routine of hearing
Bible presentations.
I
love the learned sweetness of praying on my knees, because I behold God through
a darkened appearance (i.e., sin).
Are
you filled with a love overflowing to the Lord Jesus? Christians may have suffering overflow their
lives, but it is the love of Christ that makes us take another step toward
heaven.
God
ordained good works (Ephesians 2:10), because He is a
good God. God also ordains His children
to be instruments that are well-pleasing in His sight. If good works are ordained so to is a life
sold-out for Christ in upright training to bring Him glory in all its rich
fullness.
Chapter 6: A Short Meditation on Hell
If
God ordains all things He even ordains all that goes on in hell. Hell is a place of true unspeakable torment,
because it is where God’s wrath is on unjust sinners.
If we
mediate on hell we will see that it compares nothing with the suffering God has
ordained for us in this life. He has
ordained it for our good but the suffering in hell is torment on
wrongdoers.
If we
think on hell we would be grateful for what God has given us in this life,
because He is gracious in this life; however, God is not gracious to sinners in
hell. Hell for the Christian is meant to
teach us of His benevolence in this life, and how we are greatly blessed in
Christ for taking our sins upon Himself.
Think
much on Hell, because it will train your mind to be thankful for knowing Christ
and to get through trails of sufferings in this life. Thank much on hell, because we can rejoice at
every circumstance; because He ordains it all for our good. Sufferings, then, seem inconsequential but
not meaningless.
