“But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”—Matthew 6:33
Today we are considering the matter of putting first things first. There are so many things which press for a claim upon our time, our affections, our ambition and as long as this kind of competition continues, there can be no peace or harmony in the life. It is a great thing when one master aim grips the whole being as it did Paul in Philippians 3:13, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one …
In the early part of this chapter, Paul has been opening his heart about the Christian ministry, as he spoke of a ministry of revelation he had received because “God had shined in his heart, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” Because of that character of ministry he was under a very deep sense of responsibility to communicate it to others. Therefore, “we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus our Lord, and ourselves your servants for His sake.” And in order that there might be through him a …
The question I am to answer, submitted by a listener, is as follows: “Why do you preach a gospel of works? You say an unsaved man must turn from sin, completely give himself over to Christ, and then receive Him by faith as Lord and Saviour. Please give scriptural truth.”
We will take as our basis James 2:14-26. I think it is essential, judging by this question, that we make perfectly clear what the Bible teaches about saving faith in the Lord Jesus. What does it mean to be saved, to believe in Him?
The question under consideration is an interesting one: “How do you know when you reach the point of no return in your Christian life?
I would say, to begin with, that the personal commitment of a life to the Lord Jesus is the only basis of salvation. Salvation is not a statement of doctrine; it is a surrender to a Person. Of course, you believe right, or you cannot live right. But you can believe right and still not be saved. Personal salvation must involve commitment, and you can find no other basis of salvation in the New Testament.
This question can be asked in reverse: “How does one get a Christian husband?” for the two are really the same. To answer it, I would like to put together three verses from the Word of God.
“Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favor of the Lord” (Proverbs 18:22).
“Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife” (1 Corinthians 7:27).
“Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).
“Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.”—2 Corinthians 5:20
I believe it is upon our nation’s reception to that word, that word from Heaven, that voice which speaks with authority from the Throne, that beseeching, pleading, earnest supplication and prayer that comes from the place of all authority and power, “Be ye reconciled to God,”that depends our future in this generation and for all time. Indeed, without it, any promise of any politician is merely a straw in the …
“So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.”—1 Samuel 17:50
The Old Testament is not only a book of history which reveals to us the great seed plots of God’s plan of redemption for the human race. It is that. But it is also a book which unfolds something of the great truths of the New Testament, and puts them before us in picture language, that we may apply them to our hearts and lives today.
Sermon preached by Dr. Harold Ockenga, Park Street Church, Boston, in The Moody Church on Sunday morning, June 12, 1960.
“Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”—Matthew 6:33
I declare unto you that this text is true. It is true in my life. It is true in the history of my church. It is true in the work of churches all over this land. Wherever we as individual believers or we as a group of corporate believers will seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, …
In the February issue of Moody Monthly there appeared an article entitled “The State of the Church,” written by A.W. Tozer, Billy Graham, J.O. Percy, David Otis Fuller and one or two others. The comments of these men in regard to this subject were very significant, especially Dr. Graham’s, where he asks, “Can the church recapture the faith, courage, enthusiasm, joy, love, unity, discipline, and cross-bearing that so characterized the early followers of Christ? Many doubt it—many think we have gone too far and that our minds are becoming darkened, our conscience hardened and our will paralyzed.”
“I will wash mine hands in innocency: so will I compass thine altar, O Lord.”—Psalm 26:6
There is an altar in the heart of God and there must be an altar in your heart and mine. Throughout the Word of God wherever the altar is found, its ultimate meaning is the altar of Calvary where the Lord Jesus as the Lamb of God was offered for our sin. It is that altar which is in the heart of God. It is that altar which is the heart of the Word of God. It is that altar which is in …
