Once in Christ, in Christ forever

C. H. Spurgeon:

“Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.” John 6:37

No limit is set to the duration of this promise. It does not merely say, “I will not cast out a sinner at his first coming,” but, “I will in no wise cast out.” The original reads, “I will not, not cast out,” or “I will never, never cast out.” The text means, that Christ will not at first reject a believer; and that as He will not do it at first, so He will not to the last.

But suppose the believer sins after coming? “If any man sin we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” But suppose that believers backslide? “I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for Mine anger is turned away from him.” But believers may fall under temptation! “God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” But the believer may fall into sin as David did! Yes, but He will “Purge them with hyssop, and they shall be clean; He will wash them and they shall be whiter than snow;” “From all their iniquities will I cleanse them.”

“Once in Christ, in Christ for ever,
Nothing from His love can sever.”
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“I give unto My sheep,” saith He, “eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand." What sayest thou to this, O trembling feeble mind? Is not this a precious mercy, that coming to Christ, thou dost not come to One who will treat thee well for a little while, and then send thee about thy business, but He will receive thee and make thee His bride, and thou shalt be His for ever? Receive no longer the spirit of bondage again to fear, but the spirit of adoption whereby thou shalt cry, Abba, Father! Oh! the grace of these words: “I will in no wise cast out.”

From Charles Haddon Spurgeon’s Morning & Evening Devotionals

I searched for the hymn referenced by Spurgeon, and have yet to find it. I found something similar in the second stanza of Hymn 634, page 634 in John Dobell’s A New Selection of Seven Hundred Evangelical Hymns, 1810:
2. Once in Christ, in Christ forever;
This the gospel-scheme declares; 
Death, nor hell, nor sin shall sever 
Jesus from his chosen heirs;
Blest in Jesus,
Members of his mystic frame.

There is a different version referenced in James Smith’s 1850 Daily Bible readings for the Lord's Household:
Once in Christ, in Christ for ever, 
This the gospel scheme declares; 
Satan, death, nor hell shall sever
Jesus from his chosen heirs: 
Blest in Jesus, 
Life, eternal life, is theirs.

Secure Fence Act of 2006

Recently I have heard the Secure Fence Act of 2006 cited as evidence that Chuck Schumer, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and others were for the concept of border security – and that Democrats have now changed their tune. While called a “fence” rather than a “wall,” 2006 “fence” and 2019 “wall” both share in common being “physical infrastructure enhancements to prevent unlawful entry by aliens into the United States...”[i]

Right, wrong, or indifferent, altogether it looks like 80 “yeas” in the Senate (Democrat & Republican) voted to fund roughly 700 miles of border security fencing.[ii] On October 26, 2006, then President George W. Bush signed into law this Secure Fence Act of 2006 (Public Law 109–367). Seems this does call for an explanation from those who supported “physical infrastructure enhancements to prevent unlawful entry by aliens” and oppose such a concept now. Is it pure “Trump-hatred,” political posturing, or some more reasoned resistance?

“A bill to establish operational control over the international land and maritime borders of the United States.” – Text of Senate bill[iii]

The Wall – Interactive map exploring U.S.-Mexico border

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[i] The act provided for “at least two layers of reinforced fencing” but was amended a year later from a “one-size-fits-all” act to give discretion of details of erecting the fence to the Secretary of Homeland Security for the appropriate use of resources (for example, whether one-layer, two-layer, pedestrian fencing, vehicle barriers, walls, etc.).

[ii] With almost 2000 miles of US/Mexico shared border, the bill funded “physical infrastructure enhancements” for about one-third of the border.

[iii] The House of Representatives also passed such a bill, in their case 283 for and 138 against. See H.R. 6061 - Secure Fence Act of 2006 and Final House Vote on Secure Fence Act of 2006.

The Security of the Saints

The Security of the Saints, Hymn CCIV in A Collection of Original Gospel Hymns, by John Kent
Long Meter

1. Ye fearful souls, whose hopes alone 
On Jesus rest the corner stone, 
It matters not your faith how small
From thence to hell ye never fall.

2. With Christ in God your life is hid,
Those words at once your fears forbid;
For he must God Himself dethrone
Who takes that life which Jesus won.

3. Tho’ but a spark, ‘tis heav’nly fire,
May dwindle oft, but ne’er expire,
Till brighter than the solar rays
It shines through everlasting days.

4. Earth, hell, and sin, that hateful name,
Together strive to quench the same;
Yet still it burns, his pow’r to shew
In spite of all that hell can do.

5. God is its shield, he guards it well,
When tempests rise, and billows swell;
‘Tis hid by God, where none but he
By his omniscient ken can see.

6. ‘Tis that bless’d hope that never dies, 
Beyond the reach of hell it lies;
‘Twill flourish and immortal be
When death is lost in victory.

7. Shall this, O Christian, make thee say
I’ll serve my lust, and from thee stay?
Nay, rather thus, my God, to thee
Let ev’ry pow’r devoted be.

Restoring and preserving grace

Psalm 138, Long Meter metrical psalm by Isaac Watts

With all my powers of heart and tongue
I'll praise my Maker in my song:
Angels shall hear the notes I raise,
Approve the song, and join the praise.

Angels that make thy church their care
Shall witness my devotions there,
While holy zeal directs my eyes
To thy fair temple in the skies.

I'll sing thy truth and mercy, Lord,
I'll sing the wonders of thy word;
Not all thy works and names below
So much thy power and glory show.

To God I cried when troubles rose;
He heard me, and subdued my foes;
He did my rising fears control,
And strength diffused through all my soul.

The God of heav'n maintains his state,
Frowns on the proud, and scorns the great;
But from his throne descends to see
The sons of humble poverty.

Amidst a thousand snares I stand,
Upheld and guarded by thy hand;
Thy words my fainting soul revive,
And keep my dying faith alive.

Grace will complete what grace begins,
To save from sorrows or from sins
The work that wisdom undertakes
Eternal mercy ne'er forsakes.

The Rock

The Rock, July 1, 2015. Common meter.

1. Our Rock is not like other rocks, 
He is the Living Lord;
He lives and reigns in heav'n above,
For thus says God's true word.

2. That Rock that followed Israel
Through all the wilderness
Was Christ from whence the water flowed,
Who by his hand them fed.

3. Upon this Rock he built his church
For glory and for praise;
The gates of hell shall not prevail
In all her length of days.

4. He is our Rock, our Living Lamb,
The one foundation stone.
He knows his own and all of them
Are lodged secure thereon.

The Lord keep thee

The Lord keep thee. Numbers 6:24

"How we need the Lord to keep us! We stand upon slippery places. Snares and traps are laid for us in every direction. Every employment, every profession in life, from the highest to the lowest, has its special temptations." -- J. C. Philpot

The Door

Genesis 7:16: "...and the Lord shut him in."

God shut the door of the ark. All outside were shut out. All inside were shut in. Doors are opened and shut according to God's prerogative (e.g. Rev. 3: 7,8; II Cor. 2:12; Col. 4:3).

Jesus said, "I am the door; by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture." John 10:9.