0801. At His Feet in Confession

At His Feet in Confession

"And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God.

"And fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks: and he was a Samaritan" (Luk_17:15-16).

Ten lepers had cried out after the Lord. They had asked that they might be healed. The Lord had given command, "Go shew yourselves unto the priest."

"And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed." Then one of them turned back and with a loud voice glorified God and fell down at His feet giving thanks, and he was a Samaritan.

The Lord looked around him and said, "Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger."

Alas, alas, that we should forget!

Why is it that we who are recipients of God's riches of grace refuse to give praise to Him?

"Jesus, and shall it ever be

A mortal man ashamed of Thee?

Ashamed of Thee, Whom angels praise,

Whose glories shine through endless days?

"Ashamed of Jesus sooner far

Let even blush to own a star;

Yea, should I shun to bear His name

Let it forever be my shame."

There are three distinct things which Christ asks all of those who are saved by His Blood to do. These three things follow faith and each in turn magnifies the Lord Jesus and gives glory to His name. In these three things we do what the nine failed to do but the one did–we return to give praise to God.

1. Confessing Christ with the mouth. This is first, "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

The redeemed of the Lord should say so. Whom the Lord hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy.

When the young man was saved, Christ said to him, "Return unto thine own house and show what great things the Lord hath done for thee."

"So let our lives and lips express

The Holy Gospel we profess."

2. Following Christ in baptism. In our baptism we publicly put on Christ. We tell to the world that we are trusting in a crucified, buried and risen Redeemer. We confess that when He died that we died, that when He was buried we were buried with Him, that in His resurrection we were raised and that we have come forth to walk in newness of life.

3. Remember the Lord at His table. As oft as we eat the bread and drink the cup we do show the Lord's death till He come. How it must grieve the Lord when He sees those who have been healed of the leprosy of their sins, needlessly leaving the building when His broken body and His shed Blood are to be remembered. Surely it is the story over again of the nine, who return not to give thanks unto God.

Besides the above distinct and definite methods which mark our confession of Christ there should follow the daily walk of a Godly, sober and righteous life which will adorn the doctrine and magnify the Lord.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR