The Crossmen Collective: January 2007

A whole Christ with a whole heart(Thomas Brooks, "Touchstone of Sincerity")The terms upon which Christ is offered in the gospel are these: that we shall accept of a whole Christ with a whole heart. Now, mark--a whole Christ includes all His offices; and a whole heart includes all our faculties. Christ as mediator is prophet, priest, and king. Christ as a prophet instructs us. Christ as a priest redeems us and intercedes for us. Christ as a king sanctifies and rules us. A hypocrite may be willing to embrace Christ as a priest to save him from wrath, from the curse, from hell, from everlasting burning--but he is never sincerely willing to embrace Christ as a prophet to teach and instruct him, and as a king to rule and reign over him. Many hypocrites are willing to embrace a saving Christ--but they are not willing to embrace a ruling Christ, a commanding Christ. "But those enemies of Mine who did not want Me to be king over them--bring them here and kill them in front of Me!'" Luke 19:27Hypocrites love to share with Christ in His happiness--but they don't love to share with Christ in His holiness. They are willing to be redeemed by Christ--but they are not cordially willing to submit to the laws and government of Christ. They are willing to be saved by His blood--but they are not willing to submit to His scepter. But a true Christian receives Christ in all His offices. He accepts Him, not only as a saving Jesus--but also as a Lord Jesus. He embraces Him, not only as a saving Christ--but also as a ruling Christ. He received Christ as a king upon His throne, as well as an atoning sacrifice upon His cross.A hypocrite is all for a saving Christ, for a sin-pardoning Christ, for a soul-saving Christ--but has no regard for a ruling Christ, a reigning Christ, a commanding Christ, a sanctifying Christ;and this at last will prove his damning sin.

http://www.covenantseminary.edu/resource/Doriani_ConsecratingEveryPleasure.mp3

James 5:13-20

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.[a] 17Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.

19My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.