Luke 9:51-56

Luke 9:51-56

1. Let us notice the steady determination with which our Lord Jesus Christ regarded His own crucifixion and death.
2. Let us notice the unusual conduct of two of the apostles, James and John.
3. Let us notice what a solemn rebuke our Lord gives to persecution carried on under color of religion.

"The man that comes to Christ by faith should never doubt Christ's willingness to receive Him. The mere fact that the Son of God willingly came into the world to die, and willingly suffered, should silence such doubts entirely. All the unwillingness is on the part of man, not of Christ."

"It is possible to have much zeal for Christ, and yet to exhibit it in most unholy and unchristian ways. It is possible to mean well and have good intentions, and yet to make most grievous mistakes in our actions. It is possible to imagine that we have Scripture on our side, and to support our conduct by scriptural quotations, and yet to commit serious errors."

"Let it be a settled principle in our minds, that whatever men's errors may be in religion, we must never persecute them. Let us, if needful, argue with them, reason with them, and try to show them a more excellent way. But let us never take up the "carnal" weapon to promote the spread of truth."

Questions:

1. If we have ever struggled with assurance of salvation, what does the willingness of Christ to save do to such a heart? As Ryle says, the problem is not with Christ, but with us.

2. Ryle said that zeal without knowledge is like an army without a general. Have their been times when we have been zealous but wrong? Will we pray not only to rightly divide the word, but also to apply it properly?

3. Do we really believe that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but those of doctrines, and precepts, and texts? The proof will be clear: what we are confident in is what we will speak and do.