r L n -- really LOVE now! : FAITH Glorifying GOD

Saturday, November 12, 2016

FAITH Glorifying GOD - Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Abraham staggered NOT at the promise of GOD through UNbelief; but was MADE STRONG in/by FAITH, giving GLORY TO GOD; and being FULLY persuaded that, what He had promised, He was ABLE also to perform. (Romans 4:20-21)

(The following are notes from Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones' sermon, FAITH Glorifying GOD.)

Abraham LOOKED TO GOD. And he looked AT GOD. He kept his eyes ON GOD... GIVING HIM GLORY. Abraham considered GOD. He considered WHO GOD IS. He considered WHAT GOD IS. Abraham glorified GOD just by REALIZING WHO and WHAT GOD IS. He contemplated ALL the GLORIOUS ATTRIBUTES of GOD.

We glorify GOD by realizing the TRUTH about Him and worshiping Him because of that and committing ourselves to Him in the light of that TRUTH.

Abraham considered the ETERNITY of GOD... that GOD IS JEHOVAH -- the Eternal "I AM THAT I AM." He contemplated, meditated, dwelt on the ETERNALITY of GOD.

He also meditated on the MAJESTY of GOD. And the GLORY of GOD (the ultimate attribute of GOD -- the ineffable GLORY of GOD, beyond our comprehension, dwelling in UNAPPROACHABLE light).

Abraham thought about GOD's OMNIPRESENCE -- GOD is EVERYwhere. There is NO place in the WHOLE cosmos where GOD isn't. (see Psalm 139)

The OMNISCIENCE of GOD. GOD KNOWS EVERYthing. There is NOthing that GOD doesn't know. He KNOWS the End and from the Beginning. ALL things are always present before His sight and His scan. He KNOWS ALL and NOthing can happen ANYwhere but that GOD has known it BEFOREhand. His OMNISCIENCE, His foreknowledge is COMPLETE knowledge, without ANY gap or without ANY blemish or any defect whatsoever... OMNISCIENCE -- EVERYthing is KNOWN to Him.

The OMNIPOTENCE of GOD. There is NO LIMIT to the POWER of GOD -- ABSOLUTELY NONE whatsoever! "Is ANYthing too hard for the LORD?" Is there ANYthing GOD cannot do? NOthing! There is NOthing that GOD cannot do. There is NOthing that can withstand Him. HIS POWER IS ABSOLUTE. It is ETERNAL... it is ALMIGHTY. HE IS OMNIPOTENT!

GOD's RIGHTEOUSNESS... His JUSTICE... His TRUTH... His HOLINESS... His UNchangeability... His EVERlasting and eternal CONSTANCY.

Abraham looked at GOD... he looked at these attributes of the Being and the character of GOD, and went on looking at them -- that's HOW he gave GLORY to GOD. Abraham deduced that because of WHO and WHAT GOD IS -- that GOD never makes a PROMISE lightly or loosely... or thoughtlessly. GOD KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT HE IS DOING. Abraham knew that GOD does NOT change His mind. GOD is the Father of Lights, where there is NO variableness or shadow of turning. GOD is EVERlastingly the SAME. What GOD has promised, He will SURELY perform. GOD CANNOT LIE (see Titus 1:2) because of WHO and WHAT HE IS -- ETERNAL Righteousness, UPrightness, TRUTHfulness.

GOD's ABILITY -- Abraham was "FULLY persuaded that, what He had promised, He was ABLE also to perform." With GOD, NOthing is impossible!

Abraham concluded that because ALL these things were TRUE about GOD -- NOTHING ELSE MATTERS AT ALL! What mattered to Abraham was that GOD has spoken -- He made a PROMISE. And there's nothing more INSULTING to GOD than NOT to BELIEVE Him. The TERRIBLE thing about UNbelief is that it's an INSULT to GOD!

FAITH IS that which ALWAYS GLORIFIES GOD. FAITH is to believe GOD simply and solely because HE IS GOD. FAITH is ultimately that which gives GLORY to GOD by seeing the TRUTH about Him and TRUSTing it utterly and and ABSOLUTELY at ALL costs.

FAITH IS the SUBSTANCE of things HOPED for -- the EVIDENCE of things NOT seen. "HAVE FAITH IN GOD" -- translated by Hudson Taylor is "HOLDING ON to the FAITHFULNESS of GOD." The reference is TO GOD.

FAITH does NOT look AT itself. FAITH NEVER looks TO itself. FAITH is never interested in itself nor talks about itself. It doesn't look at the person who's exercising it. FAITH LOOKS AT GOD -- holding on to the FAITHfulness OF GOD. The big thing about FAITH is NOT what i'm doing, but GOD's FAITHFULNESS -- giving GLORY to GOD. FAITH is interested in GOD only; and it talks about GOD, and it praises GOD; and it extolls the VIRTUES of GOD.

The measure of the STRENGTH of a man's FAITH is ultimately the measure of his KNOWLEDGE about GOD. FAITH ALWAYS GLORIFIES GOD! Abraham knew GOD so well that he was the friend of GOD -- and when a man is the friend of GOD, he's a man of GREAT FAITH! Strong FAITH is not weak and he does not stagger -- but it's not the man, but the KNOWLEDGE of GOD, the attributes of GOD. And he's looking at GOD and thinking about GOD -- not the problem or the difficulty, BUT GOD... and he's RESTing there.

To be STRONG in FAITH -- it's about becoming a certain kind of person. You can't have STRONG FAITH without HOLINESS and without OBEDIENCE.

HOW to have STRONG FAITH --

1) KNOWLEDGE of the Bible. Read your Bible -- beginning to end. Concentrate on the revelation that GOD has given of Himself and of His character. Notice what you get in prophecy, watch His promises, see them being fulfilled. Be GROUNDED in all this. Read the history in the Bible; read the examples (see Hebrews 11 -- they KNEW GOD and gave GLORY to GOD). Meditate on all that.

2) Strong FAITH is a KNOWLEDGE of GOD PERSONALLY. Praying. Spending time in His Presence. Waiting upon Him.

3) APPLY it all in PRACTICE to the particular cases as they arise in your own life and experience.

Abraham "staggered not, but gave GLORY to GOD." That's the SECRET of FAITH -- to GLORIFY GOD.

1 comment:

rLn!November 12, 2016 at 10:06 PM
The above blog-post is an excerpt from Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones' excellent exposition (verse by verse, most times -- word by word!) of the Book of Romans, Chapter 4:18-22 "Faith Glorifying GOD." i recommend his very thorough and spiritually "fattening" exposition on Romans 3:21-31, considered by many expositors to be THE most important paragraph in the Scriptures. (http://mljtrust.org/collections/book-of-romans/3/)
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my Prayer For You

When i think of the wisdom and scope of GOD's plan, i fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. i pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will give you mighty inner strength through His Holy SPIRIT. i pray that CHRIST will be more and more at home in your heart as you trust in Him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of GOD's marvelous love.

And may you have the power to understand, as all GOD's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love really is. May you experience the love of CHRIST, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from GOD.

Now to Him Who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by CHRIST JESUS to all generations, forever and ever. AMEN!

(Ephesians 3:14-21)

The Great I AM

I AM the Bread of life. He who comes to Me will never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.
(John 6:35)

I AM the Light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the Light of life.
(John 8:12)

I AM the Door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I AM the Door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
(John 10:7, 9)

I AM the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep. I AM the Good Shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.
(John 10:11, 14)

I AM the True Vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. I AM the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
(John 15:1, 5)

I AM the Resurrection and the Life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
(John 11:25)

I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
(John 14:6)

Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?" JESUS answered, You say rightly that I AM a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the Truth hears My voice.
(John 18:37)

LOVE is...

Though i speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, i have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.

And though i have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though i have all faith, so that i could remove mountains, but have not love, i am nothing.

And though i bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though i give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;

does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;

does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;

bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

For we know in part and we prophesy in part.

But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

When i was a child, i spoke as a child, i understood as a child, i thought as a child; but when i became a man, i put away childish things.

For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now i know in part, but then i shall know just as i also am known.

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

(I Corinthians 13)

Rejoice!

Rejoice in the LORD always. i will say it again: Rejoice!

Let your gentleness be evident to all. The LORD is near.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to GOD. And the peace of GOD, which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart and your mind in CHRIST JESUS.

Finally, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.

(Philippians 4:4-8)

How Great Thou Art!

O LORD, my GOD! When i in awesome wonder consider all the works thy hands have made.
i see the stars, i hear the rolling thunder, Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Then sings my soul, my Savior GOD to Thee: how great Thou art! How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior GOD to Thee: how great Thou art! How great Thou art!

And when i think that GOD, His Son not sparing, sent Him to die, i scarce can take it in;
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing, He bled and died to take away my sin.

Then sings my soul, my Savior GOD to Thee: how great Thou art! How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior GOD to Thee: how great Thou art! How great Thou art!

When CHRIST shall come with shout of acclamation and take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then i shall bow in humble adoration and there proclaim, my GOD, how great Thou art!

Then sings my soul, my Savior GOD to Thee: how great Thou art! How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior GOD to Thee: how great Thou art! How great Thou art!

Amazing Grace

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me! i once was lost, but now am found; was blind, but now i see.

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved; how precious did that grace appear the hour i first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares, i have already come; 'tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.

The LORD has promised good to me, His word my hope secures; He will my shield and portion be, as long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail, and mortal life shall cease, i shall possess, within the veil, a life of joy and peace.

The world shall soon dissolve like snow, the sun refuse to shine; but GOD, who called me here below, shall be forever mine.

When we've been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun; we've no less days to sing GOD's praise than when we'd first begun.

The Holy BIBLE -- The Word of GOD

The BIBLE contains the mind of GOD, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you.

It is the traveler's map, the pilgrim's staff, the pilot's compass, the soldier's sword, and the CHRISTian's charter. Here is Paradise restored, Heaven opened, and the gates of hell disclosed.

CHRIST is its grand subject, our good the design, and the glory of GOD its end.

It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, and prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. It is given you in life, will be opened at the judgment, and be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibility, will reward the greatest labor, and will condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents.

(Foreword from The Gideons International)