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Elder Bryce Lowrance

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But Who May Abide? Part 1 of 3

17 November 2015

"But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap:” (Malachi 3:2)

The prophecy of Malachi describes Israel’s complete rejection of God as their Father and King and of their rejection of his pattern and order of worship. Over four hundred years before Christ, this prophecy was written to warn Israel to repent or face the hand of God for their rejection of His doctrine and holiness.

When you look at the following list, you will come to the same conclusion that Malachi did. If they have rejected and offended God this horribly, who will be able to stand against God’s fiery indignation? Moreover, we can compare the sins of Israel to ourselves and see that, if not for the grace and mercy of God, we would not be able to abide the day of His coming!

1. God reminds Israel that He loved them but Israel complained that God didn’t love Esau. God rebukes them for this by saying “Yet, I loved Jacob.” When we look at Scripture we can see that no man DESERVES the love of God. It is only by grace that anyone can be with God. This is what God’s rebuke meant. Jacob didn’t deserve God’s love but God loved him anyway. In this, Israel showed himself to spoiled brat. They took the blessing of God for granted and declared that they deserved God’s love. False teachers today declare the same dangerous heresy. We do not deserve God’s love. Therefore, we should not complain shen we don’t feel God is blessing us “enough."

2. The next sin of Israel was that they were offering unfit animals for sacrifice. The law plainly teaches that the best of the flock should be offered to God. Yet, Israel was giving the worst leftovers to God. This applies to disciples today in the following way. Jesus was our perfect sacrifice so we do not offer things to be killed any longer. However, we are to offer our lives to God. It is our living and reasonable sacrifice. So, do we offer a healthy and prepared sacrifice or the worst leftovers? Have we been living a holy life and present ourselves before the Lord as a spiritually healthy living sacrifice or do we destroy ourselves throughout the week and especially on Saturday with fulfilling the lusts of the flesh? Moreover, do we offer the Lord a living sacrifice whose eyes have been reading the word of God all week and are ready to receive more, or do we blind ourselves with junk entertainment and frivolous knowledge?

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Tags: harmony_of_the_gospels, malachi

Welcome

Brentwood Hills Primitive Baptist Church is a community of believers working together to transform our lives to the image of Jesus Christ. We believe it is our duty and privilege to live the gospel of the doctrines of grace in such a way as to edify the families within our church and other children of God in our community. Through regular worship based on strong Biblical principles, fellowship, admonishment, and outreach, we glory in the grace of the sovereign God working in our lives thereby showing the Spirit of God in the world.

Brentwood Hills was organized in 1906 in Fort Worth, Texas as Laodicea Primitive Baptist Church. You can find much of the history of the church, as well as other churches here: Primitive Baptist History Database

We identify ourselves as an old-line Primitive Baptist church. If you read our Articles of Faith, you’ll see that we hold to such doctrines as the inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible. We recognize the King James Version (KJV) as the only English translation worthy of being called the Bible. We believe in salvation solely by the grace of a sovereign God. We believe that Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, came to the earth to do the will of His Father, which was to deliver from the sentence of death all those the Father gave Him before the world began. We believe that Jesus fully satisfied the Father by atoning for all the sins of all His people. In time, we believe the Holy Spirit comes to each person that belongs to Jesus and regenerates them. Then (and only then) can anyone have faith, which is a fruit of the Spirit, by which you are able to believe the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. Whether or not you ever hear the gospel, or believe it if you did hear it, or obey it if you did believe it, rest assured that Jesus will remain forever faithful to you because, if He died for you, He will never deny that you belong to Him.

We believe that everyone for whom Christ died will without fail be raised again from the dead to a glorified life. Even if we are alive when He returns to raise the dead, we shall be changed to a glorified life. All the Redeemed will meet the Lord in the air. Then He will take us to Heaven and there we shall forever be with the Lord. The wicked will be raised at the same time as the righteous, but the wicked shall go away into everlasting punishment along with Satan and his angels. Until that glorious day when Christ returns to raise the dead, He has provided a place for His people to find rest for their souls. This place is the Church. Jesus Christ set-up His church on this earth before His death on the Cross. The church is there for those of His people who have come to believe that God saved them by His Son, Jesus Christ. To believe that Christ “paid it all” gives believers the strongest motivation to serve Him. Once enlightened to this glorious truth, then the child of God should feel an obligation to become and remain an active member of the His church. To serve the Lord in His church makes for one of the great blessings to experience this side of Heaven. It fulfills you to serve in His church and it gives your life purpose and meaning.