"Salvation is of the LORD." -Jonah 2:9

"It is true that the more conscience be enlightened, the more will it discover to us all manner of sins, and rebuke us for them; yet conscience alone will never discover unbelief to us, and convict us of its heinousness— only the immediate light of the Holy Spirit shining in the heart will do that ." -preacher Arthur Pink , Exposition of Hebrews , p.1259

We must never be vague or unclear about the substitutionary death of our Lord Jesus Christ.   To merely say to this religious generation, “Christ died for sinners,” is to dodge the issue and not tell all the truth.  The sacrifice of the Lord Jesus was a victorious death for a particular people.   “Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it” (Ephesians 5:25) .  “I am the good Shepherd:  the good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep”   (John 10:11) .  Let me be as clear as I can be.  It is blasphemous to say that Christ died for those who will someday perish in their sins.  How demeaning it is to the Savior to insist that He suffered the infinite wrath of God for some people who will themselves also suffer divine wrath.  A just and righteous Judge could not punish any sinner whose sin debt has already been retired by the Lord Jesus Christ .  The Scriptures teach that the design of the LORD from old eternity was T...

"The answer of a good conscience towards God, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ." -I Peter 3:21 [KJV] The grand business of faith is, to give being and subsistence (- Competent provisions; means of supporting life )   to divine truths in the mind (Hebrews 11:1.) Hence conscience obtains relief and peace, and the soul is made happy.  Consider, (1st.) What is conscience? Science is knowledge. Pre-science is foreknowledge. Conscience is something joined with knowledge . “Some have their conscience defiled” (Titus 1:15.) With what? The guilt of their sins. Some are said, “to be sprinkled from an evil, or guilty conscience" (Hebrews 10:22.) With what? The blood of Christ . Therefore, in respect to a good, or bad conscience, something must be joined with the science or knowledge of the mind to determine it by. In this sense, the word conscience is used in scripture.  Hence, (2d.) We may easily see, what is the answer of a good conscience before God. Join the...

"We, being many, are one body in Christ." -Romans 12:5 [KJV] One of the most delightful of all thoughts, and which when fully enjoyed under the influence of the Holy Ghost, gives an unspeakable felicity (- happiness ) in the heart, is that union and fellowship of Christ with His church. Ponder it, my soul, this morning. All the members of Christ's body are but one body. the apostle saith, in Christ; "and He is the head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all."   I would never, if possible, lose sight of this, because in the perfect conviction and assurance of it must be found all our security and joy. And the way by which this blessed truth, under divine teaching, will be kept alive in the soul, is this: I would behold myself, what I am by nature and practice in Adam, and connect with this view what I am by grace and faith in Christ. Now, as Adam was the common head of all his seed in nature, eq...

"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God."   -I John 4:7 [KJV] "Love is of God." I can have no satisfaction, real satisfaction, that I am a partaker of the Spirit and grace of Christ except I feel some measure of the love of God shed abroad in my heart. I may have hopes, expectations, and evidences, fainter or brighter; but I have no sure, clear evidence in my own soul that I have the Spirit and grace of Christ there, except I am blessed with the love of God; for until love comes, there is fear which hath torment. And whilst we have fear which hath torment, there is no being made perfect in love. You have no clear assurance in your own breast that God has loved you with an everlasting love; nor have you any bright testimony that the Spirit of God makes your body His temple until this love comes into your soul. But when the crowning blessing comes of the love of God experimentally fe...