July 28 Transformation Garden

 

“Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
Philippians 1: 6
K.J.V.

“God is on my side. He makes Himself responsible for my being. If I will only entrust myself to Him with the cordial return of trustful love, then all that He has ever breathed into my heart of human possibility He will realize and bring to perfection.”
Charles Gore

Today’s Study Text:

“When she (the Queen of Sheba) had come to Solomon, she communed with him about all that was in her mind. Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing hidden from the king which he failed to explain to her.”
1 Kings 10: 2, 3
Amplified Bible

EXPLORATION:

“Lessons Taught By the Lady From Sheba” Part 3

Lesson #3 – From the words of Jesus found in Matthew: “Are you listening to this? Really listening?…God’s kingdom is like a jewel merchant on the hunt for excellent pearls. Finding one that is flawless, he immediately sells everything and buys it.”
Matthew 13: 43,45
The Message Bible

“It is a great thing, this reading of the Scriptures! For it is not possible ever to exhaust the mind of the Scriptures. It is a well that has no bottom.”
John Chrysostom

If I had been in the Queen of Sheba’s “sandals,” what kind of questions and thoughts would I have had for Solomon?

Knowing that the Queen of Sheba came to Solomon to find out about the God he served, how do I imagine Solomon responded to her questions?

“The Bible is the greatest traveler in the world. It penetrates to every country, civilized and uncivilized. It is seen in the royal palace and in the humble cottage. It is the friend of emperors and beggars. It is read by the light of the dim candle amid Arctic snows. It is read under the glare of the equatorial sun. It is read in city and country, amid the crowds and in solitude. Wherever the message is received, it frees the mind from bondage and fills the heart with gladness.”
A.T. Pierson

INSPIRATION:

“Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful…showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.”
II Timothy 3: 16
The Message Bible

An Arabian Queen with an inquisitive mind. Oh, how I would have loved to call the gracious lady from Sheba my BFF! And through the study of God’s Word, the Bible, God’s daughters and sons around the world can come to receive a much sharper image of this woman who came to visit Solomon, first and foremost, because she wanted to more clearly understand “his connection with the Name of God,” as The Message Bible tells us.

I like the way The Message Bible paraphrases our study text for today:

“She came to Solomon and talked about all the things that she cared about.”

At a time in history when “intellectual” pursuits were mainly left to the male gender, I find it notable that King Solomon not only answered the Queen of Sheba’s questions, but in no way did he try to dissuade her with demeaning words, questioning why a “woman” was so interested in the deeper things of God. Frankly, this exchange reminded me of a day in Bethany where the events were recorded by Dr. Luke, whom I believe, was an eye-witness to what transpired in the home of Martha.

Having stopped for some rest and refreshment in this welcoming abode, Jesus found time to share what was on His heart. The Bible tells us that another female trendsetter, Mary, chose to sit at Jesus’ feet, listening to all He said while her sister Martha was absorbed, or as the Amplified Bible notes, she was “distracted with much serving.”

Feeling frustrated by her sister’s lack of interest in what Martha deemed important, she took her complaint directly to Jesus, basically ordering Him to intercede on her behalf and tell her sister, Mary, to get into the kitchen — post haste!

It is at this juncture we find Jesus weighing in with these words, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things. There is need of only one! Mary has chosen the good portion that which is to her advantage, which shall not be taken away from her” (Luke 10: 38-42, Amplified Bible).

What a correlation there is between the Queen of Sheba in the Old Testament and Mary of Bethany in the New Testament. They were both women who longed to learn about spiritual things and they were both rewarded by those they sought to study with.

Both defied the tradition of society. In the words of Jesus, they chose to “learn of God!” And both were honored as they came away from their spiritual encounters feeling blessed and renewed.

But it wasn’t only to these two women that encouragement was given to learn of God and His kingdom. is kingdomIn the book of Matthew, we find that Jesus shared multiple parables with those who came to listen to His words. But in one particular story, He told about the quest of a gem specialist — a jewel dealer — who was on the hunt for pearls. When this man found the “One,” he came to the conclusion that this single “flawless” pearl was so valuable, that he must sell everything to purchase this unique and unparalleled discovery!

When I look at the great lengths the Queen of Sheba went to as she pursued the knowledge she wished to obtain about the God of heaven and earth, I find myself awed by the fact that an individual who appeared to be outside the “family circle” of God’s chosen people, the children of Israel, had such a longing and desire to know about the God, who had profoundly blessed King Solomon. There was no impediment which she allowed to block her way from making, what I imagine to be, a very grueling journey across a windswept desert perched atop a camel.

And this brings us to the third lesson we can learn from the “Lady From Sheba.” She teaches us to seek, with unfailing vigor, after the knowledge and understanding buried in God’s Word about His kingdom. Just as the one, precious pearl was buried treasure, waiting to be revealed to the person who would take the extra time to make its discovery, so God’s Word is to you and me a field full of gems, revealing truths that will guide our lives and prevent us from traveling outside the will of God. I love the way Thomas Watson highlighted this exact point when he wrote: “The Bible is a rock of diamonds, a chain of pearls, the sword of the Spirit, a chart by which the Christian sails to eternity; the map by which (she) daily walks; the sundial by which (she) sets (her) life; the balance in which (she) weighs (her) actions.”

What a lesson for us to take away from the life of the Queen of Sheba, whose  mission to find answers to her questions and to find out about King Solomon’s connection to the God of heaven and earth, left her with a vision of God’s infinite wisdom, knowledge.

“I believe that the Bible is the best gift that God has ever given to man. All the good from the Savior of the world is communicated to us through this book. I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go.”
Abraham Lincoln

AFFIRMATION:

“Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.”
Psalm 119: 105
K.J.V.

“O Lord, You have given us Your Word for a light to shine upon our path; inspire us to meditate on that word and to follow its teaching, that we may find in it the light that shines more and more until the perfect day; through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Jerome
(347-420)

Your friend,

Dorothy Valcárcel, Author
When A Woman Meets Jesus
Dorothy@TransformationGarden.com

P.S. Just to let you know, Transformation Garden is now on FACEBOOK. Please come and see us and share the garden with your friends. The Daily Devotional is posted everyday, Monday through Friday on Facebook, too.

My book, When A Woman Meets Jesus, is available wherever books are sold and on the internet at www.amazon.com, and www.Christianbook.com, or by calling toll-free, 1-800-Christian.  You may also call Transformation Garden at 480-281-1508.

 

July 27 Transformation Garden

 

“Unto You, O Lord, do I bring my life. O my God, I trust, lean on, rely on, and am confident in You.”
Psalm 25: 1,2
Amplified Bible

“Lord, You are my lover,
My longing,
My flowing stream,
My sun,
And I am Your reflection.”
Mechtild of Magdeburg
(1207-1292)

Today’s Study Text:

“She came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels bearing spices, very much gold, and precious stones.”
1 Kings 10: 2
Amplified Bible

EXPLORATION:

“Lessons Taught By the Lady From Sheba” Part 2

Lesson #2 – From the words of Jesus: “Give, and there will be gifts for you; a full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap; because the standard you use will be the standard used for you.”
Luke 6: 38
N.J.B.

“It is well with those who deal generously and lend, who conduct their affairs with justice.”
Psalm 112: 5
N.R.S.V.

“Generosity”: Magnanimous. Liberal in giving. Bounteous. Marked by abundance.

“A man there was, though some did count him mad, the more he cast away, the more he had.”
John Bunyan

What does the word ‘generous’ mean in my own life?

In what ways do I feel I could be more generous in my life?

Are there other ways than just “giving” money that I can show a spirit of generosity?

“A cheerful giver does not count the cost of what (she) gives. (Her) heart is set on pleasing and cheering (the person) to whom the gift is given.”
John of Norwich

INSPIRATION:

“The truly generous is the truly wise, and (she) who loves not others, lives unblest.”
Henry Home

I love this familiar Persian Proverb:

“What I kept, I lost;
What I spent, I had;
What I gave, I have.”

What true words, for it is what we share throughout life’s journey that not only blesses the recipient, but also showers abundant blessings upon the giver as well.  And this becomes an important element in today’s study, as we come to the second lesson we can learn from the “Lady From Sheba.”

Because of her desire to find out more about the wisdom of Solomon, and as was revealed yesterday, in the God who he served, she decided to make the long, arduous journey to Jerusalem to see if what she had heard about Solomon was really true.

But here’s where Lesson #2 shines out immediately. The Queen didn’t arrive at Solomon’s doorstep empty-handed. She came bearing gifts.

While there are some scholars who note that there was a huge potential for a political alliance between the Queen of Sheba’s country and Israel, the idea that she would arrive with gifts would not necessarily be out of the ordinary. However, if we take the Bible as it is written, which we do here in Transformation Garden, the key reason noted in 1 Kings 10 for the Queen’s visit was her desire specifically to learn from Solomon. And to zero in more closely on her special aim, she wanted to find out more about the God he served, the God who had blessed him so abundantly with wisdom and understanding as well as bountiful prosperity.

We find that as the Queen’s caravan arrived in Jerusalem, there were camels laden with “spices, much gold and precious stones.” There’s every indication that the Queen of Sheba came with an over-abundance of gifts, and I asked myself, “Why?”

First, she may have wanted to impress Solomon with her own wealth and that of her country.

Second, indeed, she may have wanted to use these gifts as “carrots” dangling before Solomon, hoping to draw him into a trade alliance.

However, since I’ve read the entire story of the “Lady From Sheba,” I’d like to offer a third reason she came bearing gifts and it is simply this — she was a generous-hearted person who came to Jerusalem with an unselfish heart and not an empty hand. Just as the Magi from the East arrived at the manger of the baby Jesus bearing gifts, so the Queen from Arabia came to learn about the God of heaven and earth and from an open and inquiring heart, she generously shared the bounty with which she was blessed.

What an important lesson for you and me to take away from this God-ordained encounter between an Arab Queen and an Israelite King.

Recently I read words from a writer who noted that in today’s modern society, we have replaced the spirit of generosity with a word we call “charity.” Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not demeaning charitable giving in the least. I’ve worked for literally hundreds of charitable organizations in my 30-year career. I’ve witnessed first-hand, the tremendous benefits which come to “givers” and “receivers” who share in the blessings provided by unselfish hearts that serve.

But how often I’ve wondered, just what the consequence would be, if generous hearts were so prevalent and gave with such unfettered abundance that there was no need for organizations to have to pay for the costs associated with funding complete departments in their organizations with staff whose job it is to do nothing but ask for money.

In the life of the Queen of Sheba, I find an individual who gave without being asked. And I’ll even go another step further. We find throughout the Bible, that while the word “generous” or “generosity” is not used, both in the Hebrew and Greek, a word used by Webster’s Dictionary to define “generosity” is used over-and-over, and it is the word abundance, which in the Hebrew means majesty and greatness and in the Greek means abounding copiously or in large quantity.

Interestingly, in the Old Testament, the word “abundance,” which can mean generosity, is not used to denote God’s ability to give us wealth and make us live on “Easy Street.” Instead, this word is used to define God’s mercy, His long-suffering nature and His unfailing kindness. And I’d like to interject, this was exactly why the Queen of Sheba made her lengthy desert trip to Jerusalem. She wanted to get a glimpse into the life which God envisioned for those of His children who had open hearts and generous spirits like hers.

In doing some study for today’s devotional, I was led to the book of Ecclesiastes, written by Solomon, and I wondered to myself if it was wisdom like this that he shared with the Queen of Sheba:

“The profit of the earth is for all; the king himself is served by the field and in all, a king is an advantage to a land with cultivated fields. He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver, nor he who loves abundance with gain. This also is vanity, (emptiness, falsity, and futility.)
Ecclesiastes 5: 9, 10
Amplified Bible

What we come to understand from the Queen of Sheba is that a generous heart, a giving hand, and a spirit of unselfishness brings untold joy to the bearer of gifts. Please remember, it is not the size of the gift, it is the act of giving which releases a torrent of blessings in our lives. Jesus made this profoundly clear, when one day, at the Temple offering bucket, He witnessed a small gift being put into the “treasury.” This is how Mark tells the story in Mark 12: 41-44 (Amplified Bible):

“And (Jesus) sat down opposite the treasury and saw how the crowd was casting money into the treasury. Many rich people were throwing in large sums. And a widow who was poverty-stricken came and put in two copper mites, the smallest coins, which together make half of a cent. And He called His disciples to Him and said to them, ‘Truly and surely I tell you, this widow has put in more than all those contributing to the treasury. For they all threw in out of their abundance, but she, out of her deep poverty, has put in everything that she had — even all she had on which to live.”

As Sir Henry Talor so eloquently penned, “He who gives what he would as readily as he throws away, gives without generosity, for the essence of generosity is self-sacrifice.” These words mirror those spoken by Jesus and are a clear call to each of us to cultivate a heart of generous giving in our own lives.

“You do not have to be rich to be generous. If he has the spirit of true generosity, a pauper can give like a prince.”
Corrine U. Wells

AFFIRMATION:

“We let the world overcome us; we live too much in continual fear of the chances and changes of mortal life. We let things go too much their own way. We try too much to get what we can by our own selfish wits, without considering our neighbour. We follow too much the ways and fashions of the day, doing and saying and thinking anything that comes uppermost, just because there is so much around us. Free us from our selfish interests, and guide us, good Lord, to see Thy way and to do Thy will.”
Charles Kingsley
1814-1875

Your friend,

Dorothy Valcárcel, Author
When A Woman Meets Jesus
Dorothy@TransformationGarden.com

P.S. Just to let you know, Transformation Garden is now on FACEBOOK. Please come and see us and share the garden with your friends. The Daily Devotional is posted everyday, Monday through Friday on Facebook, too.

My book, When A Woman Meets Jesus, is available wherever books are sold and on the internet at www.amazon.com, and www.Christianbook.com, or by calling toll-free, 1-800-Christian.  You may also call Transformation Garden at 480-281-1508.

 

The Church is One

 

John 17 “Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one” (v. 11b).

Our study of Matthew 18 now complete, we have seen how the church is to exhibit pastoral concern, guard the church’s holiness, and readmit to communion all those who, though they have broken fellowship, turn from their sins and seek restoration. Before returning to Matthew’s gospel, however, we need to look at the nature of the church in order to understand why discipline and forgiveness are needed to preserve the purity of the church. Dr. R.C. Sproul will guide our study through this subject with his teaching series The Bride of Christ.

John 17, which records the longest prayer in the New Testament, provides some of the most important teaching on the church. As we can see in this chapter, Jesus is concerned with the unity of His people, praying for His disciples and all those who come after them to be one in purpose and mission even as He and His Father are one (vv. 11b, 22–23). It is therefore regrettable that the church of Jesus Christ in our day evidences little visible unity. In the United States alone, there are hundreds of different Protestant denominations, including dozens of varieties each of Presbyterians, Baptists, Lutherans, and so on.

Faced with this scandalous reality, there has been a tendency in the twentieth century and now, in the twenty-first century, to try and correct this problem. As a result of the ecumenical movement, many new denominations have formed through the mergers of old ones, and there has been a push for believers to affirm what unites them over and against what divides them. This is laudable when those professing unity agree on the fundamental tenets of the Christian faith, but such is not often the case. Many times those seeking “unity” are those who are most eager to jettison any real adherence to the confessional standards of the church. Such unity is merely visible, and cracks begin to show when Bible-believers in the church begin to rightly protest the excesses of the liberal wings of their denominations.

If unity is to mean anything, Jesus also affirms in John 17, it must be a unity grounded in the truth (vv. 17–19). Unity is meaningless when church members do not confess the same Lord and Savior.

Coram deo: Living before the face of God

Consider today the importance of true Christian unity, one that is a unity of faith and not only an organizational unity. What type of unity is your particular church concerned to promote? What type of unity is your passion? Take time today to pray for your particular church and denomination that they would seek to be one with other Christians, but not at the expense of the faith once given to the saints. Do what you can to promote such unity with other believers.

For further study:  Amos 3:3

The Bible in a year:  Psalms 68–69

For the weekend:  Psalms 70–72

INTO the WORD daily Bible studies from TableTalk Magazine, Matthew Studies. Copyright © 2008 by Ligonier Ministries.

 

The faultless assembly

 

“They are without fault before the throne of God.” Revelation 14:5

Suggested Further Reading: 1 Corinthians 11:17-22

We need not go far without seeing that there is, among Christians, a want of love to one another. There is not too much love in our churches; certainly, we have none to give away. We have heard that:

“Whatever brawls disturb the street,
There should be peace at home.”

But it is not always as it should be. We have known churches where the members can scarcely sit down at the Lord’s table without some disagreement. There are people who are always finding fault with the minister, and there are ministers finding fault with the people; there is among them “a spirit that lusteth to envy,” and “where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.” We have met with people among whom it would be misery to place ourselves, because we do not love war; we love peace and charity. Alas! How continually do we hear accounts of disputings and variance in churches! O beloved, there is too little love in the churches!

If Jesus were to come amongst us, might He not say to us, “This is My commandment, that ye love one another; but how have you kept it when you have been always finding fault with one another? And how ready you have been to turn your sword against your brother!” But, beloved, “they are without fault before the throne of God.” Those who on earth could not agree, are sure to agree when they get to heaven. There are some who have crossed swords on earth, but who have held the faith, and have been numbered amongst the saints in glory everlasting. There is no fighting amongst them now; “they are without fault before the throne of God.”

For meditation: The very best of Christians may have fallen out with one another (Acts 15:39), but the Bible entreats disputants to agree in the Lord (Philippians 4:2). It is beautiful when brothers dwell in unity (Psalm 133:1), but perplexing when they wrong each other (Acts 7:26). May God help us to do “on earth as it is in Heaven.”

2nd sermon at New Park St.
28 July (Preached 18 December 1853)

 

July 27 Verse

 

Hebrews 12:1

 [God’s Discipline Proves His Love] Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.

 

Unlimited Forgiveness

 

Matthew 18:21–35 “So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart” (v. 35).

A discussion of church discipline must recognize two errors often made in the interpretation of Matthew 18:15–20. First, we err if we divorce the church’s authority from its biblical basis, since this inevitably exalts church tradition above Scripture and binds people to confess many unbiblical doctrines. Yet as the Westminster Confession of Faith aptly states, church authority is inseparable from the Word of God, which alone binds the conscience absolutely (1.10). Scripture, and the events it records, establishes the church; therefore, Scripture stands in authority over the church. Church decisions bind only when they are biblical; to violate God’s Word for tradition’s sake is evil (Matt. 15:1–9).

The second error thinks 18:20 guarantees Jesus’ approval of anything two or more believers agree upon in prayer. However, the verse’s context refutes this view. Indeed, Jesus is present when believers congregate, but verse 20 promises that He backs up the church’s authority when it makes decisions in accord with the Bible, not that He will do whatever a group of Christians asks of Him.

Forgiveness and the restoration of relationship is the goal of discipline — from the first step to the last step of excommunication. Peter understands this partly; he will forgive a person up to seven times, more than the three times the rabbis prescribe in his day (v. 21). That Peter’s comprehension is incomplete is revealed in the Savior’s command to forgive “seventy times seven” (v. 22). According to some Reformed New Testament scholars Jesus really says, “seventy-seven times,” but the precise number is unimportant. Either way, as seen in the parable that follows, Christ is actually teaching that forgiveness must be unlimited.

Ten thousand talents is upwards of a trillion dollars in modern currency. It is an amount the servant could never repay; only by the king’s grace can this debt be canceled (vv. 23–27). As imitators of the true King, we, the recipients of grace, must show mercy, for Jesus will condemn all who are unmerciful toward their debtors (vv. 28–35). Believers, collectively as the church and individually, must always forgive penitent people. How can we possibly be Christians if we, whose unpayable debt has been erased, refuse to pardon those who have wronged us?

Coram deo: Living before the face of God

It is not as if unforgiving people lose their salvation, Matthew Henry says, for “those who do not forgive their brother’s trespasses, did never truly repent of their own, and therefore that which is taken away is only what they seemed to have.” Henry also gives a great principle for the Christian life: “God multiplies his pardons, and so should we. We should make it our constant practice to forgive injuries, and should accustom ourselves to it until it becomes habitual.”

For further study:  Genesis 45:1–24

The Bible in a year:  Psalms 65–67

INTO the WORD daily Bible studies from TableTalk Magazine, Matthew Studies. Copyright © 2008 by Ligonier Ministries.

 

Verse for July 26

 

Hebrews 11:1

[Great Examples of Faith] Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.

 

Discipline is an Example

 

1 Tim 4:16:  “Be conscientious about how you live and what you teach.Persevere in this, because by doing so you will save both yourself and those who listen to you” (NET).

Being prepared for Godly parenting requires a close, daily walk with God.  After all, He is the father of all mankind.  He has had billions of children!  And, He has recorded his thoughts and experience as an example for our parenting journey.  Read the Bible through the lens of parenting and you will be amazed at the wealth of knowledge it contains.

In this passage, Paul tells Timothy he needs to be disciplined in his life before he can be effective in the lives of others.  Later he tells him where the ultimate example is found, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:16-17 NIV).

Bible study helps you emulate God and lets His wisdom shine through you.

 

Are You Really Bible Based?

I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. JOHN 15:1

This may seem like a shocking thing to say, but I firmly believe that most Christian marriages are actually patterned after the world, with a few threads of Christianity woven in. Couples know certain Bible verses, but few really practice the Word of God and use it as the defining standard for their lives.

Here is a litmus test: Could you lead a group of couples through a Bible study for several hours on what the Scriptures have to say about marriage and family issues—everything from raising children to God’s blueprints and purposes for marriage? Most churchgoers couldn’t last more than a few minutes.

But the very fact that you’re reading this book today at all is a testimony to your desire to know more of God’s Word and apply it to your lives. If you want your marriage to become all that God intended, then I hope this inspires you to keep digging deeply to His truth and let it become the “source” of your lives together.

Jesus painted the picture when He declared Himself the vine, with us as the branches. He said, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me” (John 15:4). The word “abide” here is used to describe drawing the source of life from Jesus, like a branch draws its life from the vine. It means to make Jesus Christ and His Word the source of your convictions, decisions and mission in life. Just as branches draw their nutrients from the vine, so too we are only able to grow spiritually when we’re firmly attached to Christ, drawing our life from the source of all truth.

DISCUSS

Talk honestly about your values, convictions and mission. How much are these shaped by abiding in Christ and His Word? Talk about how you can help one another do a better job of abiding in the Word.

PRAY

Pray for one another that you will grow spiritually together as a couple by abiding in Christ.

A Preacher from the Dead

 

“And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” Luke 16:31

Suggested Further Reading: 1 Samuel 28:3-19

Spirit that hath returned from another world, tell me, how are men judged? Why are they condemned? Why are they saved? I hear him say, “Men are condemned because of sin. Read the ten commandments of Moses, and you will find the ten great condemnations whereby men are for ever cut off.” I knew that before, bright Spirit; thou hast told me nothing! “No,” says he, “and nothing can I tell.” “Because I was hungry, and ye gave me no meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink; I was sick, and ye visited me not; I was in prison, and ye came not unto me; therefore, inasmuch as ye did it not unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye did it not to me. Depart, ye cursed!” “Why, Spirit, was that the word of the king?” “It was” says he. “I have read that too; thou hast told me no more.”

If you do not know the difference between right and wrong from reading the Scripture, you would not know it if a spirit should tell you; if you do not know the road to hell and the road to heaven from the Bible itself, you would never know it at all. No book could be more clear, no revelation more distinct, no testimony more plain. And since without the agency of the Spirit, these testimonies are insufficient for salvation, it follows that no further declaration would avail. Salvation is ascribed wholly to God, and man’s ruin only to man. What more could a spirit tell us, than a distinct declaration of these two great truths.—“O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help found!” Beloved, we do solemnly say again, that Holy Scripture is so perfect, so complete, that it cannot want the supplement of any declaration concerning a future state. All that you ought to know concerning the future you may know from Holy Scripture.

For meditation: The rich man in the account (not called a parable) given by Jesus was full of false doctrine—praying to a saint, seeking some kind of second chance after death, rejecting the sufficiency of Scripture (Luke 16:24,30). Note the place from which these doctrines come (1 Timothy 4:1; James 3:15).

Sermon no. 143
26 July (1857)