Reformed Covenanter
Cancelled Commissioner
Let this truth be fixed in the heart of every backsliding believer. The Lord restores the soul gently. The moment He discovers to it its sin, He conveys some token of His pardoning mercy; the balm is applied the moment the wound is given; the remedy is at hand the moment the distemper is discovered. There is a tenderness, an unutterable tenderness, in the heart and hand, in the mercy and the method of the Lord’s recovery of His child, which only He can feel. See it in the case of David. How did God bring his sin to remembrance? By the chastising rod? by heavy judgment? by severe expressions of displeasure? No; none of these were His messengers: but He sent a kind, tender, faithful prophet to discover to him his awful backsliding; and the astounding words, “Thou art the man,” had scarcely died away upon his ear, before he pours in this healing balm, “The Lord also hath put away thy sin, thou shalt not die.”
Oh, what gentleness, what tenderness, are thus shown in the Lord’s restorings of His wandering child! From whom could this have been expected but from Him whose nature and whose name is love—from whom, but Him who could thus speak to His backsliding Ephraim: “Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spoke against him, I do earnestly remember him still; therefore my bowels are troubled for him: I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the Lord.” (Jer. 31:20). This gush of tenderness towards a poor, returning, backsliding soul could only have had its dwelling-place in the heart of Jehovah.
All real return of a backsliding soul is through Jesus. Jesus is God’s great door of approach to His throne. No other entrance will conduct us to the golden scepter; no other will bring us to the holy of holies. Thus has the Holy Spirit unfolded this truth: “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, His flesh; and having an High Priest over the house of God; let us draw near.” Oh, blessed Door of return for a poor, backsliding, heart-broken believer! A crucified Savior, in whom God is well pleased, and for whose sake He can receive the sinner, and put away his sin, can welcome the backslider, and heal his backsliding.
For the reference, see:
reformedcovenanter.wordpress.com
Oh, what gentleness, what tenderness, are thus shown in the Lord’s restorings of His wandering child! From whom could this have been expected but from Him whose nature and whose name is love—from whom, but Him who could thus speak to His backsliding Ephraim: “Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spoke against him, I do earnestly remember him still; therefore my bowels are troubled for him: I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the Lord.” (Jer. 31:20). This gush of tenderness towards a poor, returning, backsliding soul could only have had its dwelling-place in the heart of Jehovah.
All real return of a backsliding soul is through Jesus. Jesus is God’s great door of approach to His throne. No other entrance will conduct us to the golden scepter; no other will bring us to the holy of holies. Thus has the Holy Spirit unfolded this truth: “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, His flesh; and having an High Priest over the house of God; let us draw near.” Oh, blessed Door of return for a poor, backsliding, heart-broken believer! A crucified Savior, in whom God is well pleased, and for whose sake He can receive the sinner, and put away his sin, can welcome the backslider, and heal his backsliding.
For the reference, see:
Octavius Winslow on the Lord’s gentle restoration of backsliding believers
Let this truth be fixed in the heart of every backsliding believer. The Lord restores the soul gently. The moment He discovers to it its sin, He conveys some token of His pardoning mercy; the balm …
reformedcovenanter.wordpress.com
