“Glorified God” (Luke 13:10-24)

Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, "Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity." And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. (vs10-13)

Salvation's unto God's glory, and while it may be despised, it will one day shine before all as the greatest thing in existence.

First, when God heals us, we glorify Him (Luke 13:10-13). We read, “and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God”. If you want to know who saves you... who is #1 in your life... then who do you glorify, and why? We glorify God because He saved us in election, in predestination, and by faith in His Son's blood. He saved us by the power of the Spirit, differentiating us from others by grace only. Titus 3:4-5 says, “But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us”. It wasn't God and me, and it isn't God and me now. It is God alone who gets the glory. My faith is God's gift, and repentance is also from Him. In fact, the forgiveness I undeservedly enjoy not only cost the Lord His precious life, but I only receive Him because the Spirit convinces me, gives me a new heart, and will not surrender to my unbelief.

God alone is the glory of the gospel in the church, and where people glorify Him, He has SAVED us for real.

Secondly, Beware. Religious people make up rules, thinking that they serve God, but they do nothing to save the soul (vs14). We read, “But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, 'There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day”. Human interpretations are wrong. There is only the truth. Truth states that it is right to do good on the Sabbath and every other day, that the Sabbath pointed to faith in Christ and reliance upon Him, and it is RIGHT that men be saved by faith only.

Don't get your doctrine from men because it always holds you down, captive to sin. The gospel LIBERATES, points our eyes to the reality of Christ, and it is the message of God in scripture.

Our Lord responded, saying that the Sabbath is for doing good (vs15-17). He said, “"Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound––think of it––for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?" The Sabbath of rest is faith in Christ, ceasing from our works, and being saved by God alone, according to promises made in scripture. Hebrews 4:9-10 says, “So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.” Faith in Christ is saving because it is RIGHT for God to work through faith, through man doing nothing, but simply through “believing” as the channel of the Mighty God.

Finally, God's kingdom grows (vs18-20). We read, “Then He said, 'What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? 'It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches." It has fruit and life, which will endure to the end. Just like at the Last Day, everyone will see God's glory in Jesus Christ, as the despised Savior of the hated kingdom triumphs, even so, every soul born of God, with the King inside by faith, shall grow, nourished of God, and shall prevail victorious at the end. Nothing shall be said to condemn Him or you for all of the wonders that we enjoy.   

Mortification and Rest

MORTIFICATION (Col 3:5)

“Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil lust, and covetousness, which is idolatry”.

“… mortification may be considered as to its continuation, and the carrying on the life of grace, in the making dead all that is contrary to it; even the renewed person should be continually solicitous to have the old man killed outright without any reprieve. This is it that the apostle put the believing Colossians upon, not to spare any remaining ill dispositions or depraved habits of the old man; but by the assistance of the Spirit, (for it is not a natural, but spiritual work), #Ro 8:13 Ga 5:24, continually to resist to the killing of it, or putting it to death: never to desist in this war.”

M. Poole
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Col 3:5

"MORTIFY therefore"—wherefore? The previous words give the reason. Because "ye died" with Christ, and because ye "were raised together with Him." In other words, the plainest, homeliest moral teaching of this Epistle, such as that which immediately follows, is built upon its "mystical" theology. Paul thinks that the deep things which he has been saying about union with Christ in His death and resurrection have the most intimate connection with common life. These profound truths have the keenest edge, and are as a sacrificial knife, to slay the life of self. Creed is meant to tell on conduct. Character is the last outcome and test of doctrine. But too many people deal with their theological beliefs as they do with their hassocks and prayer books and hymn books in their pews—use them for formal worship once a week, and leave them for the dust to settle on them till Sunday comes round again. So it is very necessary to put the practical inferences very plainly, to reiterate the most commonplace and threadbare precepts as the issue of the most recondite teaching, and to bind the burden of duty on men’s backs with the cords of principles and doctrines.

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Christ Our Sabbath

“There remains therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his” (Hebrews 4:9-10).

Brethren, we who, by the power of God the Holy Spirit, have believed in Christ and repented of our own dead works have entered into a true, spiritual, eternal sabbath rest. Our rest is not one day of the week on which we cease to work physically. Our rest is a Person who by Himself finished a work for us and rested from that work. Our sabbath rest is CHRIST AND HIM CRUCIFIED! Christ on the cross finished the work He was sent to do in the redemption and justification of His people, God’s elect. He put away our sins and gave us His righteousness, and we rest in Him. When we by the Holy Spirit enter into our sabbath rest, we enter into HIS rest. We rest in His redeeming grace and love for us. The call of the Gospel is a call, not to work for salvation, but to rest in Christ for all of salvation. All good works are by the power of God and motivated in us as fruit unto God that flows from our rest in Christ our Sabbath.

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