Satan may bring forward and corrupt scripture, but he cannot answer scripture. It is Christ’s word of mighty authority. Christ foiled Satan with it (Mat 4:7). In all the scripture there is not an ill word against a poor sinner stripped of self-righteousness. No! it plainly points out this man to be the subject of the grace of the gospel, and none else. Believe but Christ’s willingness, and that will make you willing. If you find you cannot believe, remember it is Christ’s work to make you believe. Put Him upon it; He works to will and to do of His good pleasure (Phil 2:13). Mourn for your unbelief, which is a setting up of guilt in the conscience above Christ, and undervaluing the merits of Christ, accounting His blood an unholy, a common, and unsatisfying thing. Thomas Willcox
Here are some marvelous truths that poor sinners who have given up all hope in themselves and their own righteousness will find food for their souls in. Satan will misuse Scripture, twist it, and corrupt it. But what a comfort it is to know that he cannot answer it. We can see how Christ used the sword of the Word in His temptation in answering Satan who twisted Scripture in his temptation of Christ. The Lord Jesus quoted the Scripture in His answers to Satan’s use of them and that settled the issue. The great truth that is pointed out by Willcox above is that while Satan will attack people and use Scripture in some way, he will corrupt Scripture and twist it in his use. But the response of the believer is to look at Scripture in truth and rest in that. The authority of Christ is behind His Word and it is what is true and Satan cannot overturn that.
While Satan attacks believers with Scripture in his accusations, we can know that he is twisting Scripture when he is attacking poor sinners who have given up all hope and trust in their self-righteousness. He attacks the true believer who may be a doubting believer in the darkness of the dungeon of despair, but that same poor and doubting believer must look to the right portions of Scripture in the right way. The Word of God never says a word against the humbled and broken of heart sinner. The Word of God does not condemn sinners who are broken for their sin and have no self-righteousness that they are leaning on. The Word of God speaks of Christ as a tender Shepherd for sinners like that. The Word of God speaks of Christ as the Physician of souls who applies the balm of Gilead to the wounds and hurts of poor, broken sinners.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is of grace alone and that means grace without any help or works of man. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is for the worst of sinners and none else. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not for the proud or those who are proud of their humility. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not for those who are diligent in their religion and in their morality and yet trust in their religion or in their morality. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not for the great theologians who can write tomes on theology (perhaps in an orthodox manner) and yet are not broken-hearted sinners. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not for the ministers with golden voices who preach with great eloquence upon things of religion but with self-righteousness and yet without a heart that is broken. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is only for poor sinners who have nothing of themselves to plead and look to grace alone for every spiritual blessing that is found only in Christ Jesus.
Isaiah 57:15 For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, “I dwell on a high and holy place, And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of the contrite.
Isaiah 66:2 “For My hand made all these things, Thus all these things came into being,” declares the LORD. “But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.
Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Oh poor sinner who is broken of heart and mourning over your lack of righteousness and sins of the heart that you seem to be drowning in. Jesus Christ came to save such as you and not the proud regardless of how holy they think they are. God dwells with the broken and the lowly rather than the proud and the successful person in religion. God loves to lift up the lowly and manifest His glory and grace in them. Take heart, poor sinner, look to Christ and His Word and know that it is true rather than the fiery darts of the evil one. Grace reigns and what a glorious reign it is!
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