Golden Nuggets

The very fact that you have troubles is a proof of His faithfulness; for you have got one-half of His legacy, and you will have the other half. You know that Christ's last will and testament has two portions in it. "In the world ye shall have tribulations," You have got that. The next part says, "In Me ye shall have peace," You have that too. "Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world," That is yours also. -Charles H. Spurgeon

Proverb of the Week:
Do not envy wicked men, do not desire their company; for their hearts plot violence, and their lips talk about making trouble.
(Proverbs 24.1, 2)

My wife and I raise a large garden every year. We are fully aware that we cannot cause the seed to germinate, and grow, and bear fruit. But if we do not plow the field, sow the seed, water it, and keep the garden weeded, we are not so foolish as to expect an ingathering of vegetables at the time of harvest. So it is with the preaching of the gospel. Success does not depend upon the preacher’s labor and diligence; but success will not be attained without it. The preacher can no more give life to men than the farmer can cause the seed to germinate, and grow, and bear fruit. That is God’s business and God’s prerogative. But he can plow the ground, sow the seed, water it with prayer, and wait for God to give the increase as he sees fit, knowing all the while that “it is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing” (John 6:63). –Don Fortner
How good does one have to be to get to heaven? Will God accept sincerity? Will God accept you if you do the best you can and lead a good life? Can YOU get to heaven if, from this day forward, you serve the Lord? Anyone who knows anything about God and His Word knows the answer to these questions must be AN EMPHATIC NO! ( Rom. 3:20-28). It is not possible for any man to do or think anything that is good or acceptable before God (Isaiah 64:6). God cannot and will not accept anything less than WHAT HE IS, which is absolute perfection. He says in Lev. 22:21, "It shall be perfect to be accepted." In order to get to heaven by our works, we must be as good as God, perfect in all things-perfect in heart, perfect in thought, perfect in works, PERFECTLY HOLY! Is there, therefore, no hope? Must we all perish forever? NO! Blessed be the Lord, our God! In Christ He has found a way to be both just and Justifier; He has found a way to make fallen, sinful people like us perfect, perfectly holy and perfectly accepted. Now this perfection is not of us, in us, nor through us, nor the results of anything we do or have done. It is entirely the work of God's free grace in the Lord Jesus Christ. God has taken Christ's perfect-righteousness and imputed it to us, making us to be the very righteousness of God in Him ( Rom. 4:6). The penalty against sin was paid in full by the doing, suffering, and dying of our Lord Jesus Christ as the sinner's substitute (II Corinthians 5:21). -Scott Richardson

 
It is finished. John 19.20
I am not a good finisher. I start many things, but finish only a few. A friend once told me that it was “overused perfectionism” on my part. That is, I am a perfectionist; therefore, since I cannot do things perfectly I get frustrated and never finish them.
Our Lord is a perfectionist, but He is never frustrated in His efforts, so he is also a finisher: as it is written, “He will not falter or be discouraged (frustrated) till he establishes justice on earth.” (Isaiah 42.4) In fact, our Lord’s word translated “finished” is translated “perfect” in other places. So it would be legitimate to translate His words as, "It is perfected.” He got the job done, and he did it perfectly.
Just what did He perfect? At that moment in time, what could be called “finished?” The most obvious answer is His sacrifice for sin. John called Him, “the [Sacrificial] Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world: and by His work Christ did actually take our sins away. Closely related to this is the “bringing in of an everlasting righteousness.” It is on the basis of this righteousness that God can be just and justify us, who, by nature and practice, are unjusitifiable.
It can also be said that wrath was perfected. That is, God’s wrath against our sin was fully expressed and brought to a perfect end in the sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ. So much so, that none for whom Christ suffered shall ever suffer wrath for their sin.
Our Lord’s finished, perfected work can also be described as that which He was sent to do. Our Lord came to earth on a mission designed and authorized by His Father. And Christ did that work completely and perfectly. Christ prayed, “…I have finished the work You gave me to do.”
There is nothing lacking in the work of our Lord Jesus. There is not one point that remains for us to do. It is perfect, and therefore, we shall some day be perfect. –Joe Terrell *

*Note from the Webmaster: These "Golden Nuggets" come to me in a weekly newsletter from Pastor Joe Terrell.  If you are edified by them, please email him.  He will be happy to hear from you.  You may also enjoy his website.