A Prayer for Sanctification

Michael E. Wood
December 24, 2011

Hebrews 10:7-14

Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’” When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

Romans 8:1-4

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Salvation is of the Lord from beginning to end. Through the sacrifice of Christ, all that are appointed unto salvation are justified from all things of which they could not be justified by the law, and the work of sanctification is set into motion by the same Spirit of Christ (which is the Holy Spirit) the moment we are birthed into the kingdom, resulting in a life of repentance and belief in the everlasting gospel of Christ. Sanctification is both definitive as well as progressive, as He which hath begun a good work in you shall perform it until the day of Christ. We have been appointed to glory and are now the children of God. Though it does not yet appear what we shall be, we know that we shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He Is. Thus we have been set free from the dominion of sin and are led forth by the Spirit of truth to glorify God throughout the course of our life here on earth as we are transformed into the likeness of our lovely Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, from glory to glory.

Remove from me the blinders that I see more my offense
That I may rejoice the more in Christ my recompense-
For as I see my weakness of which I am now ashamed
I glory more within the cross of Calvary proclaimed.


For as I hear the sweetness of the voice that raised me up
And called me to Himself that I may with Him dine and sup
Of such delights beyond a simple taste of things to come,
The fullness and the glory of my God who is the One
Of whom I trust with all my life to do as He will do
Till all that’s left of who I am will honor only You!

A Preparatory Prayer

Michael E. Wood
January 12, 2012

Prior to looking to the written Word of God in preparation for this coming Lord’s day message at Atria, the following thoughts came in part yesterday in the first person form. Upon being awakened around 5:00a.m. this morning, additional verses came to mind along with the understanding that this prayer would be better suited for the corporate prayer of the body rather than the simple desire of an individual.

Here we have Your Word before us.
Show us what to think and feel,
That to others, Jesus only
By Your Spirit would be real!


For these moments pass so quickly,
Turning fast to days and years
And the Conqueror must conquer
All the present doubts and fears.


Christ alone, our only hope is
How we dwell secure and ask
That Your presence would be with us,
Precious Father in this task.


What we speak will only matter
If You do attend with power,
And conviction by Your Spirit
Must be present for each hour.


True affection is our heart cry
As You save from self and sin
Through the blood of Jesus only
By Your Spirit godless men.


And the body now You buildeth
By the Word You speak through grace
Till in heaven all assembled
Bow before Your smiling face.


So we cast our care upon You
That the focus of all praise
May be only to Your glory
As true hearts to You we raise.

Now to the Lord married

Michael E. Wood
January 11, 2012

Romans 7:4-6

Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.


Romans 8:1-4

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Over the last couple of weeks I have found my self immersed in the exposition of Romans chapter 7 and the beginning of chapter 8 through the commentary given by D.M. Lloyd-Jones. As I awoke around four-thirty this morning, the following words with music came to mind. (I smile as I think of how Dianna said, “You’re making butterflies this morning.”)   As we danced to the melody in the privacy of our home, our minds were enraptured by the beauty of the Lord and the freedom that we have in Him through the blood of His cross.

What an amazing thing, that He can take us from our worm-like state, conceal us in His death and raise us up together with Him, to be transformed by the power of His resurrection; to behold His glory, and to be made like Him in that glorious estate which surpasses knowledge!

My soul lie despondent and with every breath
A slave to my sin I pursued in my death
Then Jesus said, “Come, I have carried them all
Into the sea to redeem from the fall.”


Into the sea to redeem from the fall,
The blood of my Savior has covered them all.
My ears He did open to answer His call
To rest now assured He is Lord overall.


Not bound by the law, but now to my Lord married.
Rejoicing in Jesus, who has my soul carried
From death unto life by His transcendent love
Into His kingdom, who reigns from above.


Into His kingdom, who reigns from above,
Translated from darkness to light now in love,
Led by His Spirit who came like a dove,
Till with Him in glory, this world then free of.


Now no condemnation and never shall be,
The law of the Spirit has set my soul free.
For God has now done what the law could not do
By sending His own Son to give life anew.


By sending His own Son to give life anew,
The righteous requirement fulfilled all for you
Who live by the Spirit who raised us up to
Be free to give glory to God that is due.

Remember He Remembers (Part Two)

Michael E. Wood
January 10, 2012

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:15-17

While one of the purposes to which we are called into one body is to teach and admonish one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, let us ever be mindful that our focus and praise is toward God out of thankful hearts. As you read the writings of the apostle Paul you will often find that in the course of his teaching, he suddenly erupts by the Spirit into ejaculatory praise toward God.

As one of the more recent songs the Lord has given me was brought to mind, I went back to review and to sing praise to Him in personal worship. Upon reading the passage once again from which the song was derived the following came to mind as a closing verse.

Oh Father lead us by Your Spirit on our journey home,
While trusting only in the blood of Christ who did atone.
Now walking in His beauty as we stand by Him in awe,
Fulfilling all the purpose unto which You did us call.
We praise You as Your chosen ones, as long as we shall live,
Delighting in Your mercy and to You the glory give!

And thus the entire song is as follows:

Remember all the wondrous works the LORD our God has done.
Remember, He remembers what He spoke unto His Son.
The everlasting covenant, He made with Abraham
Was promised first before the world in Him, Who Is, I Am!
Oh praise Him all ye chosen ones, as long as you shall live,
Delighting in His mercy, and to Him the glory give!

For as you view with eyes made new our God in history,
The Holy Spirit will in truth unfold the mystery
Unto all those of which He bids to seek with joyful hearts
The Lord who is our strength and by His pleasure He imparts
The knowledge of His presence, loosing lips to make them sing,
All glory, praise, and honor to our Lord, and God, and King!

For Jesus has indeed fulfilled the promised covenant,
And sealed it by His blood and speaks as heaven’s supplicant
For all the Father gave Him, He secured with not one lost.
He lived and died for sinful men, and paid the awful cost.
Oh praise Him all ye chosen ones, as long as you shall live,
Delighting in His mercy, and to Him the glory give!

Oh Father lead us by Your Spirit on our journey home,
While trusting only in the blood of Christ who did atone.
Now walking in His beauty as we stand by Him in awe,
Fulfilling all the purpose unto which You did us call.
We praise You as Your chosen ones, as long as we shall live,
Delighting in Your mercy and to You the glory give!

THE DARKNESS OF MY IGNORANCE

Michael E. Wood
December 30, 2011

The Law and Sin  - Romans 7:6-8
But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code. What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead.

While reading through a series of messages by Lloyd-Jones, in his commentary on Romans chapter 7, I was absolutely amazed at how well it seemed that this man knew me. The following, with the help of my precious wife, it is now being used as a tract to convey my own personal experience of the grace of God which has been so lavishly poured upon me through the merit of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ unto the praise of His power and His glory.

The darkness of my ignorance
Had bound me by my pride,
And hopelessness was that which
Made me wish that I had died.


Impure imaginations
Were driven to partake
Of things within my conscience
That I knew I should forsake.


But powerless was I within
To keep from going there,
And everything I tried
Just drove me deeper to despair.


Twelve Steps could only change
The outside for a while
But, when the props were pulled away
I found myself more vile!


The Bible, I was taught,
Could help me in this task;
But, my heart was like a stone
Not knowing what to ask.


The fulcrum of the Law
Stirred up desires within;
The power of my nature,
I have come to know as sin.


Then smitten to the dust
And thinking all was lost—
God’s Spirit came revealing
Christ had paid the awful cost.


His voice is what I heard—
Through the vessel of a man,
To show the grace and mercy of
My Father’s saving plan.


My sin upon Himself, He bore
On Calvary’s lonely tree;
The sinless Son of God consumed
The wrath that was due me.


The justice I deserved
His blood for sin atoned;
And in His righteousness before
The throne of God I’m owned.


My guilt and shame removed;
To know and love and serve
The only one who was and is
And coming—doth deserve.


All glory, praise, and honor
As the God of all creation
Will reveal Himself beyond
All hope’s imagination!

None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written, What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.
1 Corinthians 2:8-10

God Doth Feed His Own

Michael E. Wood
January 3, 2012

And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.  Luke 4:24-26

Jesus tells us that a disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. Luke 6:40 Thus it should be no great surprise to us when we are not recognized by the world but rather are rejected when we stand for the truth of who Christ is and walk in the precepts of His words and His calling upon our individual lives as they are spoken to us by His Spirit. To take up our cross and follow Him, includes bearing the reproach of Him who suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through His own blood.

As Elijah was a representative and a type of Christ, God provided for him in a peculiar way while a great famine came over the land. And though we live in a day where there is a great famine of hearing the Word of God, let us therefore rejoice in the great privilege that we have been afforded to be His; to have ears to hear and eyes to see and feed upon the Bread which came down out of heaven unto the praise of His glorious grace.

In times of famine God doth feed
His own; though made of clay,
We find ourselves rejoicing in
God’s bounty new each day.
The finest wheat, a touch of honey;
True Bread that feeds the soul;
For Jesus is the means by which
We live and are made whole.
For every word of which He speaks
Is that which brings delight,
Conveyed to us by His own blood,
So precious in God’s sight.


And of His fullness and His grace
Each one may now receive
As by His Spirit we are made
To taste and truly see
All for our good and His own glory
His Sovereign hand doth move,
Perfecting holiness within
Our hearts that we may prove
Before the eyes of men what is
That good and perfect will
Of God Himself to whom belongeth
All the glory still!

O Shepherd of The One True Flock

Michael E. Wood
December 24, 2011

So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.  John 10:7-16

While in the process of preparing for the last message to be preached at Atria in 2011, I was looking back through my files of poems from the preceding year for something to include in the message. The text from the week before was in reference to the birth of Christ in His coming as the Shepherd King, with the understanding that He came to save His people from their sins. Most of the following was written as a poem while closing out the year 2010.  While reading through, the music to “While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night” came to mind, a closing verse was written, and thus this can be easily sung to the arrangement made famous by George F. Handel (1685-1759), in Weyman’s Melodia Sacra 1815.

O Shepherd, of the one true flock,
How sweet Your voice we hear.
For when the thief comes forth to steal,
Tis only You we fear.
Tis only You we fear.

As life abundant now You give
And lead us by Your hand,
That murderer can only do
Exactly what You planned.
Exactly what You planned.

For You have called us all by name,
And lead us forth with joy,
And though the devil take all things,
Our soul he’ll not destroy.
Our soul he’ll not destroy.

With pastures rich You now provide
For us with nothing lost.
For all we need, we find in You,
Who paid with blood, the cost!
Who paid with blood, the cost!

O Shepherd, You laid down Your life
For all Your Own, Your sheep,
That we may know, we are Your Own,
And all Your Own, You keep!
And all Your Own, You keep!

And thus our Father’s providence
In love for us ordained,
All things in life that He may bring
Forth faith, that is unfeigned.
True faith, that is unfeigned.

And for Your glory we proclaim
As those once lost in sin
All things that happen, only serve
The gospel without end.
The gospel without end.

Contemplations From Psalm 24

Michael E. Wood
December 21, 2011

Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. He will receive blessing from the LORD and righteousness from the God of his salvation. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah
Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory! Selah
Psalm 24:3-6, 10

Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift whereby we are enabled by the Spirit of Christ to seek His face; to truly know Him and, to be transformed from glory to glory. While He has called us to responsibility, it is He that is continually working in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure. It is the perfections of Christ, our King of glory in all His attributes, which were manifested by the cross of Calvary; and, it is He the anchor of hope which stirs our desire to be like Him; to love what He loves and to hate what He hates. To God alone be the glory!

Not aught of what I think or do
But all of grace and all of You,
Shall I be clean and pure within
By precious blood which paid for sin.

By nothing can I compensate
For any sin of which I hate
And even that has come from You,
O Christ to whom all glory’s due.

So help me daily cleanse my hands
While now You draw me by the bands
Of love which helps me to confess.
You are my all, my righteousness.

Your Name alone, Oh help me bless
By walking in Your holiness
Of which You’ve given as a gift
As by Your Spirit You uplift
My heart to ever seek Your face,
The King of glory; God of grace!

While contemplating the words of this poem, two days later a tune came to mind; and, thus the following was recorded as a song.

Not aught of what I think or do
But all of grace and all of You,
Shall I be clean and pure within
By precious blood which paid for sin.

(Chorus)
Your Name alone, O help me bless
By walking in Your righteousness.
My heart will ever seek Your face,
The King of Glory, God of grace.

By nothing can I compensate
For any sin of which I hate
And even that has come from You,
O Christ to whom all glory’s due.

(Chorus)

So help me daily cleanse my hands
While now You draw me by the bands
Of love which helps me to confess.
You are my all, my righteousness.

(Chorus)

Your Name alone, Oh help me bless
By walking in Your holiness
Of which You’ve given as a gift
As by Your Spirit You uplift
My heart to ever seek Your face,
The King of glory; God of grace!

As We View the Leaves of Fall

Michael E. Wood
December 21, 2011

We are reminded by the apostle Paul to set our minds on things above and not on things of the earth, for we are dead and our life is hid with Christ in God.

Thanks be to God that the words spoken by and through the apostle are relevant for us today. How often do we look at things from the narrow prospective of ourselves; what we want or what we think, or how we think things should be, and not in the light of eternity? Yet God as a Father is so patient and merciful to us because of our acceptance and union with Him through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. By the voice of His Spirit within, He brings His word to bear both to humble us and to comfort us even in the smallest of details in our lives to cause us to look to Him above all our earthly good.

While standing on our balcony during the last few days of Fall and observing how the little gusts of wind would blow the leaves off the trees which would in turn float to the ground signifying the end of their life cycle the following words came to mind.

As we view the leaves of Fall
Float to the ground by gravity
We are reminded earthy joys
Shall end by our depravity.
And thus our hearts must be transfixed
Upon the gospel with faith mixed
To know that we shall enter rest
And made to profit by Him that’s blest.
Then as the winds against us blow
Our faith is strengthened, made to grow
To boldly go to Him that knows
The feeling of our infirmities.


How precious then is God’s design
By disappointment to refine
Our faith that we may grow in grace
Obtaining mercy as we face
Our weakness in our time of need
And look to Christ to whom we plead
As He in heaven is our Priest
By whom alone we are increased
To look beyond our selfish self
To know He is our saving health;
Our One True Source and all our Wealth
To overcome all our adversities.

My Conscience Stands

Michael E. Wood
December 19, 2011

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.  2 Corinthians 3:17-18

What a glorious liberty is ours through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! And what a wonderful thing it is to know the liberty wherewith Christ has set us free. Richard Sibbes in his work now entitled, “Glorious Freedom”*, which was published four years after his death continues to speak with thought provoking accolades of this freedom of which we have been granted as children of the living God by the Spirit of Christ.

“Now where the Spirit of God is, there is liberty, that is, a freedom not to enslave our judgments, much less conscience, to any man….


Therefore, where the Spirit of Christ is, there is a liberty of independence. A man is not dependant upon any other man, beyond what agrees with the rules of religion. He is dependent only upon God and upon divine principles and grounds. The apostle Paul says, ‘The spiritual man judgeth all things, but is judged of none.’(1st Cor.2:15)….


Therefore Christians should know, and take notice of, their excellency. ‘Where the Spirit of God is, there is liberty’ to judge all things as far as they come within their reach and calling, and to judge them rightly. We should know how to maintain the credit of a Christian, the liberty independent of all but God and independent of other things as far as it agrees with conscience and religion….


A true Christian is the greatest servant and the greatest free man in the world. He has a spirit that will yield to none. In things spiritual he reserves a liberty for his judgment, yet for outward conformity of life he is a servant to all, to do them good. Love makes him a servant.”

An amazing thing happened as I was typing this up. Two young “Mormon Missionaries” knocked on the door and I had the opportunity to speak to them the truth of the gospel and read this poem to them.

In Christ alone, my conscience stands
As He for freedom set me free,
For on the cross He loosed the bands
Of sin’s dominion over me.
For by His blood He paid the cost;
The double cure, for all was lost.
To Him alone, all glory be,
Who is my strength and liberty.


Though men may seek to steal my joy,
Christ is the One who is my head.
No plots or schemes they may employ
Can loose from Him who once was dead.
For with Him, I was made to rise,
And He my everlasting prize
Shall keep me as He lives above
And answers all things by His love.


Though in this world we often groan
By what remains within, without,
We are assured Christ did atone
And will end all these with a shout.
The final trump will then be blown
And all will know as they are known,
And every man will bow the knee,
As all in truth shall worship Thee!


And by the way, this can also be sung to the Lord by the tune of “In Christ Alone”.

* Puritan Paperback by The Banner of Truth Trust.