Sermons of John Newton - M - Booklet Twelve 27. Messiah the Son of God and 28. Messiah Worshipped By Angels

Extract

Sermons of John Newton – Booklet Twelve

27. Messiah the Son of God and
28. Messiah Worshipped By Angels

27. Messiah the Son of God
“For to which of the angels said He at any time, Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee?” Hebrews 1:5.

Though every part of a revelation from God must of course be equally true, there may be a considerable difference even among truths proposed by the same authority, with respect to their immediate importance. There are fundamental truths, the knowledge of which are essentially necessary to our peace and holiness: and there are others of a secondary nature, which, though very useful in their proper connection, and though the right apprehension of them is greatly conducive to the comfort and establishment of a believer; are not so necessary, but that he may be a true believer before he clearly understands them. Thus our Lord pronounced Peter, “Blessed” (Matthew 16:17), for his acknowledgment of a truth, which had been revealed to him, not by flesh and blood, but from above, though he was at that time very deficient in doctrinal knowledge. It is not easy to draw the line here, and precisely to distinguish between fundamental and secondary truths; yet some attention to this distinction is expedient; and the want of this attention has greatly attributed to foment and embittered controversies in the Church of Christ; while fallible men, from a mistaken zeal for the faith once delivered to the saints, have laboured to enforce all their religious sentiments, with an equal and indiscriminate vehemence. It is evident that the truths essential to the very being of a Christian, must be known, and experienced by all, of every nation, people and language, who are taught of God (Isaiah 54:13). For they, and they only, are Christians indeed, who are thus taught. And therefore it seems to follow, that no doctrine, however true in itself, which humble and spiritual persons who study the Scripture with prayer, and really depend upon divine teaching, are not agreed in, can be strictly …