February 24, 2009

Have You Come to the Fount?

Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. (Revelation 12:10-11 NKJV)

William Cowper wrote There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood (below) after a bout with insanity. He tried to kill himself several times, failing because of divine intervention, Cowper realized that indeed his sins had been washed away.

I have had having several discussions with my son about believing. Those talks have solidified a thought in my mind. We must believe God can save us. “. . . Without faith [it is] impossible to please [Him], for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and [that] He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6 NKJV)

As a young Christian, I would say, “I trust God I just don’t trust myself.” Certainly we don’t want to believe our deceitful hearts over the evidence of our lifestyle. He who does not practice righteousness is of the devil (1 John 3:10). However, there comes a time if we hate sin and love God we must take Him at His word. If we have a hunger and thirst for righteousness, it could be the accuser is sifting us to keep us from enjoying the blessings of peace. We must believe He rewards those that seek Him.

In a world filled with pseudo Christians and pseudo gospels, I fear writing anything that might give an excuse for a person to believe he/she can live in sin and be saved. Therefore, please understand what I am talking about is not faith without works. Instead, faith has works, and the first work is to take God at His word.

Do you believe God has saved you? What is the fruit of that? A mark of salvation is the indwelling of the Spirit. “. . . The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV)

I hope you have peace in your heart. Do not rest until you do for the stakes are too high to leave for another day. However, if you do have peace then worship with William Cowper as you read through the wonderful hymn he wrote when he realized God could be trusted.

There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.
Lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.

The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day;
And there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away.
Washed all my sins away, washed all my sins away;
And there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away.

Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood shall never lose its power
Till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more.
Be saved, to sin no more, be saved, to sin no more;
Till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more.

E’er since, by faith, I saw the stream Thy flowing wounds supply,
Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die.
And shall be till I die, and shall be till I die;
Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die.

Then in a nobler, sweeter song, I’ll sing Thy power to save,
When this poor lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave.
Lies silent in the grave, lies silent in the grave;
When this poor lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave.

Lord, I believe Thou hast prepared, unworthy though I be,
For me a blood bought free reward, a golden harp for me!
’Tis strung and tuned for endless years, and formed by power divine,
To sound in God the Father’s ears no other name but Thine.