It is important to bear in mind, in reading every part of the word of
God, that there is nothing brought in without the direct inspiration of the
Holy Ghost

It is
important to bear in mind, in reading every part of the word of God, that there
is nothing brought in without the direct inspiration of the Holy Ghost. There
is one particular passage in I Corinthians 7, where the apostle asserts
expressly, that it was not the Lord, but himself, who gives a certain judgment
about the natural relations of believers. But even the apostle did not write
thus without the Holy Ghost. He was inspired to say it was not the Lord, but
himself. Hence there is not the slightest contrariety, even in so exceptional a
manner of speaking. Again, take the Book of Job, where you have Satan speaking,
as well as elsewhere. But then, while no intelligent person would assert that
what Satan said was inspired, yet the writer of the book was inspired to give
it to us perfectly; the writer was thoroughly led of God to present just so
much of what those concerned said—good or evil, man, Satan, or the Lord
Himself–as would accomplish the divine object in that writing. Thus there is
no exception whatever in the Bible to the grand truth that "all scripture
is given by inspiration of God." This is not a mere deduction of man, but
the positive doctrine of God Himself. Everything coming under the designation
of "Scripture" (pasa graphe) is inspired of God. Such is the express
statement of the Apostle Paul in his last epistle (2 Tim. 3:16), not limiting
it, I apprehend, to what was already extant, but leaving room also for what was
to be written, such as the Apocalypse. "All scripture is given by inspiration
of God." Whether what had been given, or the little that remained in order
to close the canon of the Bible, all was equally from God; not all is equally
lofty in its character, not all taking the form of doctrine, not even all
revelation—for revelation and inspiration are two different things. In giving
the account of our Lord’s life, the writers occasionally, of course, report
what they themselves saw and heard. It was inspired, but a revelation is that
which a man never knew. When the Apostle Paul says, It is by the word of the
Lord I declare unto you, that the Lord shall descend from heaven with a shout,
that is not merely an inspired portion but a revelation. So, of course, all
prophecy is necessarily a revelation; and it was only in case of a positive
revelation that there was any licence to hinder a person who might be speaking;
no matter how important what he was communicating, if something was revealed to
another who was sitting by, he was entitled to stop the speaker (1 Cor. 14:30).
This is necessarily, it seems to me, at an end now. Revelation being complete,
any attempt to act upon it would be not only irregular and indecent but also a
virtual pretension to a new revelation, which is positively false, and a
dishonor to the old. When there was still a part of the mind of God yet to be
imparted, God maintained the sovereign right of His Spirit to introduce a
revelation. But when all the mind of God was thoroughly revealed in His word,
such a line of conduct would naturally terminate. Accordingly, although a
person might have what was most truly from God, it would be his duty to wait
till the due time came:flesh, Satan might hinder, but God is above all
difficulties.   

Let us speak of the Saviour whenever we meet,

Let us speak of the
Saviour whenever we meet,

No theme is so precious, So
stirring and sweet,

 So kindling and quickening to
faith and to love,

As Jesus, Lord Jesus, in glory
above

Let us speak for the
Saviour wherever we go,

Displaying our colors to friend
and to foe;

Exalting His person, His work,
and His ways,

His
cross, and His coming, and  — all to His praise!

The central truth of all truth is the person of the Lord Jesus Christ

The central truth of all truth
is the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was a man on earth and His life here
closed upon a malefactor’s cross. He is a man now at the right hand of the
Majesty on High, having been raised from among the dead by the glory of the
Father. But He who was man in humiliation on earth, who is still a man in
exaltation in heaven, and who will never surrender manhood is also God, eternal
in being and omnipotent in power. He was God before He took up manhood. He did
not cease to be God when He tabernacled among men. What He was, He, is, and shall
be forever.

The necessity of the Deity of
Jesus meets us first in relation to men being brought to God in righteousness.
No purpose of God for men could be realized if they were not brought to Him
righteously according to His eternal justice and holiness. How could this be
done; and who was able to do it? The question is not a new one. It
was asked by Job long centuries ago when he cried, "How should man be just
with God?" (Job 9:2) And the question was not one of passing interest,
engaging his attention for a moment merely; it received his most earnest
consideration, for he realized how vital a question it was. In the ninth
chapter of Job we find him testing one by one the suggestions that arose in
regard to it. Finally, apparently hopeless of finding an answer, he broke out
in that soul-stirring lament, "HE IS NOT A MAN, AS I. AM, that I should
answer Him, and we should come together in judgment. NEITHER IS THERE ANY
DAYSMAN BETWIXT US, THAT MIGHT LAY HIS HAND UPON US BOTH. Let Him take His rod
away from me, and let not His fear terrify me:then would I speak, and not fear
Him; but it is not so with me" (Job 9:32-35).

Do you perceive where he stood,
and can you interpret his feelings? He said in effect:"I know that I have
sinned against Him, and if He were a man, as I am, I could understand His
displeasure; I could estimate the extent of my offense, and I could go to Him
and make restitution for the wrong that I have done and so be at peace with
Him. But He is not a man as I am, and I cannot enter into judgment with Him. I
do not know where to begin the argument. I cannot measure the demands of His
justice. I have no ground upon which to stand before Him. The gulf between us
is immeasurable from my side. He is almighty, holy, and just, and I am weak, sinful,
and guilty. His very holiness is a terror to me; it makes me afraid."

Job could have hope only if a
daysman, or mediator, appeared in the case, fully qualified to take it up and
see how accurately he had gauged the situation. He must be one who can stand
between us—between God, infinitely holy and just, and the sinner, guilty and
conscience-stricken— and put his hand upon us both; and, says Job, I know no
one who can do it. I have felt the need of such an one, longed for him, sought
for him, but I have not found him.

Mark well the qualifications
that the needed mediator must possess. He must stand between God and the
sinner, and by so doing declare his willingness to take up the case, and he
must be able to put his hand upon both. I beg of you not to miss the meaning of
that. I might come to you and lay my. hand upon your shoulder and talk
familiarly with you, for we are equals. But I could not stand beside His
Majesty the King and lay my hand upon him, for it would not be proper even if I
had the opportunity. How much less could a man lay his hand upon God, or upon
the throne of God! We read of Uzzah, who held out his hand to steady the ark
which was a symbol of God’s throne and presence in Israel. The moment his
presumptuous fingers touched that throne of God he fell to the earth a corpse.
Learn from that solemn incident that no man can put his hand upon God or the
throne of God and live. Yet the mediator for whom Job cried in his despair must
be able to put his hand upon God. He must be God’s equal for none less could
intervene or be of use to Job or to us. But; he must also put his hand upon
men. He must be one of us, able to take our part and to identify himself with
our vast indebtedness. HE MUST BE GOD AND MAN.

It should be evident to us all,
as it was to Job, that such an One we cannot produce, for no man, even the
best, could exalt himself to Deity. The attempt to do so, which will be made by
the coming superman, the second beast Revelation 13, will be the climax of all
blasphemy and will result in that impious and devil-inspired false prophet
being cast alive into the lake of fire (Rev. 19). Men cannot bring forth the
needed mediator. Here they come to their wit’s end. They have no hope except in
God, the One whose glory has been challenged by their sin. But man’s extremity
is God’s opportunity, and the One whom Job could not find on earth has come
from heaven. Our part is to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.

The New Testament is the book of
the Mediator. In its first chapter there stands twice in capital letters, the
name of its great subject and true title, JESUS. "Thou shalt call His name
JESUS:for He shall save His people from their sins" (verse 21). "She
. . . brought forth her firstborn son:and he called His name JESUS" (verse
25). Jesus is Emmanuel, GOD WITH US. To cheer the faith of those who lived in
those dim days, the prophetic Scriptures had foretold His coming:"But
thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah,
yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel;
whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting" (Micah 5:2).
That word was fulfilled when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Then He appeared who
was able to speak to man on God’s behalf and to speak to God on man’s behalf,
for He is God and Man.

Being God, He knew according to
God’s perfect estimate the effect to the universe of man’s disregard of God’s
will, the extent to which man’s sin jeopardized the glory of God, and the
demands of the Eternal Throne in regard to the violation of its just decrees.
He knew how completely man’s self-will had made him the slave of sin, how great
the gulf was that separated him from God, and how utterly powerless man was to
rectify the awful wrong that he had committed. He knew the penalty that had to
be paid, the conflict that had to be waged, and the work that had to be done.
It was the will of God that every problem raised by man’s sin should be taken
up and settled in a way in which all God’s attributes should be glorified, and
salvation secured for us. The Son, coming to accomplish the will of God said,
"A body hast Thou prepared Me … Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it
is written of Me,) to do Thy will, O God" (Heb. 10:5,7). He became man to
stand in our place before God, to take the bill of our terrible indebtedness,
and to fully meet it so that God Himself could write "Settled" across
the account. This involved for Him the sorrows of Calvary. There, as the holy
Substitute for men, He "gave Himself a ransom." The sacrifice that He
made has met all the claims of the throne, and He is now "THE ONE MEDIATOR
BETWEEN GOD AND MAN, THE MAN CHRIST JESUS." Only One who could estimate
things according to God’s own measure of them could do what He has done.

What a Saviour is Jesus! How
worthy is He of our fullest praise! He stooped to us that He might put His hand
upon us, degraded though we were, and He has done it tenderly and graciously so
that we are not afraid. There is no terror for us in His hand; we do not shrink
from Him. He has touched us with the touch of a man and bound us with cords of
love. Yet He was never less than God, and God has touched us in Him. He has put
one hand upon us, and the other is placed upon the throne of God. With the one
hand he has offered the fullest satisfaction to the righteous claims of God,
and with the other He has bestowed fullness of grace upon us. He brings us to
God and gives us a place in His presence without fear, in everlasting peace
established upon the infallible and immovable foundation of divine
righteousness. All this is secured for us by a divine Person for the eternal
glory of God.

Thus are we justified before
God, and all our fear is removed. We are free to behold the hand that has been
placed upon us, and to mark the fact that it is a nail-pierced hand. We know
the power of this hand, too, for it has smitten death for us, and will never
relinquish its hold upon us. As He is now a Man in heaven, even so shall we be
there:He the first-born among many brethren, we His associates identified with
Him in an everlasting oneness. He will never surrender that true humanity which
He has taken up, and as He is, so are we also who are His. The purpose of God
is that we shall be conformed to His own image. So we shall be, and yet we
shall never forget that He is "over all, God blessed for ever." (Rom.
9:5).                                                                                                                                               Selected

"For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to
minister, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45)

"For even the Son of man
came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a
ransom for many" (Mark 10:45). Is this spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ
reflected today in confessors of His name? One often hears the complaint of how
little was gotten out of a particular meeting or of how little blessing was
realized from a message from the Word. It is certainly true that there is a
"famine … of hearing the words of the Lord" (Amos 8:11). Yet the
complaining spirit of how little one received is the opposite of His who came
to give. What did you come to give —at the meeting where you got so little?
What prayer for blessing and preparation of heart was there on your part?
Perhaps you might even have been used of God as a channel of blessing to others
if not so bent on receiving for yourself.

"He that watereth shall be
watered also himself" (Prov. 11:25) is assurance enough that if you will
be watered with blessings, one sure way is to seek to bless others. Paul wrote
the Roman saints of his desire to impart unto them "some spiritual
gift" (Rom. 1:11). He "labored more abundantly" than all his
fellow apostles. Yet, it remained for the Son of man alone to minister to
others and "to give His life a ransom for many." We beseech those many
to be filled with His spirit of giving, and then see if greater blessing does
not result.

"And He died for all, that
they who live should no longer live to themselves, but to Him who died for them
and has been raised" (2 Cor. 5:15, JND, trans.).