God's Distinguishing Mercy

[KenH]

"Who maketh thee to differ from another?"—1 Corinthians 4:7.

Jesus, my Lord, behold me at thy feet! How shall I dare lift mine eyes to thee, while in the moment of recollection of thy distinguishing mercy towards me, I call to remembrance my baseness towards thee? Lord, is it possible, that in a life where so much grace hath abounded, sin should so much abound? That in every spot where my God hath erected a monument of his love, my sinful and ungrateful heart should have left an inscription of my unworthiness! What others feel, I know not; but blessed, for ever blessed be the unwearied patience and goodness of my God, that through his distinguishing grace alone, I am what I am; and while my soul desires to refer all and every part of divine mercy, in all the departments of nature, providence, and grace, into the Lord's own free, and rich, and sovereign pleasure; I praise him for having given me that precious testimony in my soul, which the Lord himself said should be the consequence, inwrought by his divine teaching in the heart: "I will establish my covenant with thee, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord; that thou mayest remember and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more, because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord God." Ezekiel 16:62-63.

- excerpt form Robert Hawker's The Poor Man's Morning and Evening Portions, September 22, Evening

 

[Van]

1 Corinthians 4:6-7
I have applied these things to myself and Apollos because of you, brothers and sisters, so that through us you may learn "not to go beyond what is written," so that none of you will be puffed up in favor of the one against the other. For who concedes you any superiority? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you received it, why do you boast as though you did not?

It is important as we study God's word to not "go beyond what is written" by adding to what was intended, or expanding the scope beyond what is indicated contextually. We are not inspired, so we should not puff ourselves up by adding to what God's inspired writers gave us.

When we call out false teachings, it is not because of our superiority, but rather because we humbly accept what God presents in His word. What we received and not what we magnified!