The Lord is No Man’s Debtor Mark 10:28-31

Text: “Give, and it shall be given unto you: good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom.  For (a Spiritual conclusion) with the same measure that ye mete (weigh out, measure out) withal shall it be measured to you again.”

Luke 6:38.

Good morning, unselfish Christian!  Having being given all the wealth of God’s Eternal Salvation – in Christ Jesus, and through His Sacrifice at Calvary’s Cross – you have been blessed with a generous and giving heart, and a deep compassion for the needs of other fellow sinners.  Praise God it is so!  The new nature you and I have been granted through Spiritual regeneration, has lifted us up out of the ‘valley of dried bones’; out of the world of DEAD SPIRITS; and made us to stand as generous-spirited followers of Christ Jesus – ‘…an ‘exceeding great army’ indeed. (See the Doctrine of Regeneration on the Basic Christian Doctrines button www.ulsterchristians.org)

“Then said He unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.  So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, and exceeding great army.”  (Ezekiel 37:9-10)

In Ezekiel chapter 37:1-10, we find a wonderful TYPE illustration of Spiritual Regeneration, being ‘born again’ of the God the Spirit.  The Lord God showed the prophet Ezekiel a valley of dried bones, bones that were, of course, obviously not only completely dead, but very dry also; brittle bones, ready to disintegrate into the dust from which they came, and blow away into nothingness.

The Lord then asked Ezekiel, “Can these bones live?”  Ezekiel had no clue as what to answer, it was just all too deep a question for his mortal mind to contemplate.  Such is the Lord’s generous gift of Eternal Salvation to dead, dry bone sinners such as thee and me.

“Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live…and ye shall KNOW that I am the Lord.” (Ezekiel 37:5-6)

Take heed to what happened next, dear Reader, and comprehend the miraculous process of God’s Eternal Salvation: “So I prophesied (preached the Gospel) as I was commanded: and as I prophesied (preached), there was a noise, and behold (look, and fully understand) a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.  And when I beheld lo sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.”  (Ezekiel 37:7-8)

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” (Romans 10:17)

The Lord God is the Divine Giver of Eternal life – God the Holy Spirit breathes life into us, ‘His people’, and the elect of God receive His gift of saving faith when we are caused to hear the Gospel of Christ and Him Crucified for our sins, and arisen to justify us in the sight of our Holy and Heavenly Father God. 

“And you hath He quickened (made Spiritually alive), who were dead (as the dried bones) in trespasses and sins…Even when we were dead (as the dried bones) in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace are ye saved;) and hath raise us up together and made us to sit together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”           (Ephesians 2:1-6)

God’s generous gift to us ‘His people’, grants us the ability to believe (trust) in Christ and Him Crucified for our sins – we can never be saved, or decide ourselves to be saved, without God’s gift of saving faith.  God only grants that Salvation gift to those He, as Sovereign Lord God, chooses. (John 15:16)

Having received God’s generous gift of Eternal life, we become unselfish Christians.

J.C. Ryle Comments:

“THE first thing which demands our attention in these verses, is the glorious promise which they contain. The Lord Jesus says to His apostles, “Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or, brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the Gospel’s; but he shall receive an hundred-fold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with perse­cutions; and in the world to come eternal life.

“There are few wider promises than this in the word of God. There is none certainly in the New Testament which holds out such encouragement for the life that now is. Let everyone that is fearful and faint-hearted in Christ’s service look at this promise. Let all who are enduring hardness and tribulation for Christ’s sake, study this promise well, and drink out of it comfort.

“To all who make sacrifices on account of the Gospel, Jesus promises “an hundred-fold now in this time.” They shall have not only pardon and glory in the world to come. They shall have even here upon earth, hopes, and joys, and sensible comforts sufficient to make up for all that they lose. They shall find in the communion of saints, new friends, new relations, new companions, more loving, faithful, and valuable than any they had before their conversion. Their introduction into the family of God shall be an abundant recompense for exclusion from the society of this world. This may sound startling and incredible to many ears. But thousands have found by experience that it is true.

“To all who make sacrifices on account of the Gospel, Jesus promises “eternal life in the world to come.” As soon as they put off their earthly tabernacle, they shall enter upon a glorious existence, and in the morning of the resurrection shall receive such honour and joy as pass man’s understanding. Their light affliction for a few years shall end in an everlasting reward. Their fights and sorrows while in the body, shall be exchanged for perfect rest and a conqueror’s crown. They shall dwell in a world where there is no death, no sin, no devil, no cares, no weeping, no parting, for the former things will have passed away. God has said it, and it shall all be found true” (J.C. Ryle’s Expository Thoughts on the Gospel of Mark.)

Thought: Having received such Divine generosity – let us be kind to one another.

The Millstones of Materialism Mark 10:17-27

Text: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God!”

Mark 10:25 

Good morning, legitimately rich Christian!  God the Holy Spirit, by God’s free and Sovereign grace, has quickened (made alive) your sinful dead spirit; called your soul with His effectual and irresistible Salvation call; regenerated your spirit by His Spirit; granted you full and genuine repentance from sin, and a resolve to follow hard after Christ Jesus. 

Christ has suffered in your place, and mine, upon that cruel Calvary Cross to pay the terrible price demanded for our sins by a thrice Holy Lord God of wrath against all sin. 

Christ has died the infinitely horrible death that you and I fully deserved to die, in our place, as our Divine Substitute.  Yet, death nor Hell could not hold Him, for sin could not be found in Him!  Up from the grave He arose! 

On the third day, according to the inspired Word of Almighty God, Jesus arose from the dead to justify you and me and all “His people” from our sins, and in the Holy sight of our Heavenly Father. 

Because of Christ Jesus, “His people” are made truly FREE!  Hallelujah!  If you can say, amen to what I have here written, then you, like me, are RICH INDEED.  Glory to the Lamb Who is worthy!  Hallelujah!  Jesus Lives!

“I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be RICH; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve, that thou mayest see.  As many as I (Christ Jesus) love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.” (Revelation 3:18-19)

Today’s selected passage of Holy Scripture from Mark’s Gospel, recounts a story that, to my 21^st Century eyes, is truly amazing!  Here we find a man who came “running” to Christ Jesus; “kneeling to Him…”; and openly, and publicly “…asking Him…” “Good Master, what shall I DO that I may inherit Eternal life?” (Mark 10:17-18)

How often to we see this scene taking place today, in this increasingly apostate 21^st Century, here in Great Britain & Northern Ireland, UK, or all over this sin-blinded world of unbelief? What a tonic it would be, to see fervent interest in the Word of God!

However, the depth of this man’s lack of Scriptural knowledge is exposed in the words of his own mouth: “What must I DO that I may inherit Eternal life?”  Many today have been fooled into thinking THEY can do ANYTHING to inherit Eternal life - for Eternal Salvation is not a matter of sinful mankind’s DOING – but fully depends on what Christ has already DONE on Calvary’s Cross!

“Not everyone that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he/she that doeth the will of My Father which is in Heaven.  Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy Name? And in Thy Name have cast out devils?  And in Thy Name done many wonderful works?  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.”  (Matthew 7:21-23)

“What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the Blood of Jesus…”  (Robert Lowry. published this hymn in 1876.) 

The man’s second error was the sin of presumption, being deceived in his own heart that he had consistently and impeccably kept the Commandments of God!  No one ever can!  The Ten Commandments were given by the Lord God to show Moses and ourselves that the Law of God is humanly impossible to perfectly keep!  That is why we must look to Christ and fully depend on His Atonement Sacrifice at the Cross – for He alone could offer up to God a pure and totally sinless Sacrifice for our sins.

“And he (the man) answered and said unto Him, Master, all these have I observed (kept) from my youth.” (V.20)

Christ, being Almighty Lord God, looked into this man’s heart and saw there the ‘millstone’ that would keep him out of Heaven – “…One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven: and come, take up the Cross, and follow Me.”  (V.21)

His material wealth, property, worldly patronage, position, and pride compelled him to walk away from the Lord of Eternal life, Who had made a universal call to the man, that he just could not obey.  His material wealth/possessions had become an Eternal millstone around his neck – a temporal millstone of riches that would doom him to a Christ-rejecter’s Hell. So sad to see one running to Jesus, yet unprepared to relinquish his hold on material things.

“Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor TRUST in uncertain riches, but in the Living God, Who giveth us richly all things to enjoy."  (1 Timothy 6:17)

J.C. Ryle Comments:

“The spiritual blindness here exhibited is unhappily most common. Myriads of professing Christians at the present day have not an idea of their own sinfulness and guilt in the sight of God. They flatter themselves that they have never done anything very wicked. — …They forget the holy nature of that God with whom they have to do… Like the church of Laodicea, they are “rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing.” (Revelation 3:17) Self-satisfied they live, and self-satisfied too often they die.” (J.C. Ryle’s Expository Thoughts on the Gospels 1816-1900)

Thought: Born Again Christians have received the true legitimate riches from God – let us use our Spiritual riches to enhance Christ Eternal Kingdom today.  “Here I am, Lord, send me.” (Isaiah 6:8)

Childlike Trust in Christ Mark 10:13-16

Text: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart: and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.  Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.”

Proverbs 3:5-7. 

Good morning, believing/trusting Christian!  It is taught by some that, many times when we see the word ‘believe’ in the King James Version Bible, we should better translate that word as ‘trust’.  The 100% accuracy of this teaching is, for me, not presently attainable, but I can certainly understand the concept such a translation brings to my deeper understanding of inspired Scripture verses. 

To truly believe in the Living Lord God – is certainly to whole-heartedly trust Him; to trust in His written Word; to know for a certainty that He is the only one we can completely and totally TRUST for Salvation and forgiveness of all our sins.

Scripture Examples: John 3:16:  One of the most known and repeated Scripture verses worldwide is John chapter 3, and verse 16.  “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth (trusteth) in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  The continuous verb ‘believeth’, means we believe and continue to believe; and ‘trusteth’ is to trust and to continually trust.  It is use of a continuous verb.

One can immediately see the concept I mention, working together to give us a better understanding of the use of words in Scripture: to truly ‘believe’, necessitates a full ‘trust’ in what, or in this case Whom, one believes.  Sinners will never place complete trust in One Whom we really do not believe.  Sinners can never put our full belief, on One Whom we do not completely trust.

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him (the Lord God): for he that cometh (comes, and continues to come) to God must believe that He is (exists), and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.”  (Hebrews 11:6)

Childlike Trust:  Childlike (not childish!) trust is the theme of this Bible Lesson.  We can all see this childlike trust in exercise continually in our own homes, or in the homes of close relatives, as little children obey their parents, and take every word their parents say as absolute truth. 

Profound TRUST is placed in the parent/parents who show love and take care of children’s every need.  So much so that, obedience is given willingly, and needs no enforcement by parental discipline.  Little children and the childlike trust they naturally exercise in their homes, is a perfect picture, therefore, of the total heart-trust required for true Christian belief.

Today’s selected Bible verses in our Marching in Mark’s Gospel exposition reinforces this concept of childlike trust.  The little children’s parents have heard about the Lord Jesus and are come unto Him in childlike wonder and trust – bringing their “…young children to Him, that He should touch them…” (V.13) The young children, trusting completely in their parent’s discernment, and knowing the love the parents have for them, come willingly to Christ to be touched by Him.  Trust is the underlying theme of the entire scene.

The disciples, on the other hand, seeing how busy the Lord Jesus currently is, teaching, preaching, and healing the multitudes – “…rebuked those that brought them.” (V.13) Goes to show us that even the closest followers of the risen Christ Jesus have fallibilities.

“But when Jesus saw it, He was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer (allow) the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not: for of such is the Kingdom of God.” (V.14)

Old Testament Scripture was already revealed on what God’s will is on this subject: “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)

“And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”  (Ephesians 6:4)

The author believes that, the souls of elect little children, and the mentally incapacitated; dying before they reach the full ‘age of understanding’, go straight to Heaven: “…for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven.”  (V.14)

Full Trust = Faith: “Verily I (Christ Jesus) say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little child he shall not enter therein.” (V.15) Now we more clearly understand the importance of having a childlike faith, a childlike trust; a childlike belief in the truth of God’s Word - and receiving the Gospel truths with the heart of a little child.

“Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth (trusteth, trusts, and continues to trust in Christ).” (Mark 9:23)

J.C. Ryle Comments:

“Let us learn, for one thing, from this passage, how much attention the souls of children should receive from the Church of Christ. The Great Head of the Church found time to take special notice of children. Al­though His time on earth was precious, and grown-up men and women were perishing on every side for lack of knowledge, He did not think little boys and girls of small importance. He had room in His mighty heart even for them. He declared by His outward gesture and deed, His good will toward them. And not least, He has left on record words concerning them, which His Church should never forget, “Of such is the kingdom of God.” (J.C. Ryle’s Expository Thoughts on the Gospels 1816-1900)

Thought: Let the little children be brought into the Presence of Christ at an early age; let our homes be filled with Bible knowledge and Christian practice of it. Time is short.