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

Religion without heart, even true Gospel religion, is nothing more than hypocrisy (see Isaiah 29:13 ; Matthew 15:8). We must trust, follow and worship the Lord from the heart – with a sincere, honest heart, a convicted, broken and contrite heart - “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:22). Yet, we are told in God’s Word that we cannot follow our hearts. Why? Because “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). Our natural hearts can and will deceive us. This is why we must be given by the Holy Spirit in the new birth “a new heart and a new spirit” (Ezekiel 18:31; 36:26). But even the new heart must be guided by God’s Word. Even as born again sinners we cannot follow our hearts. We must submit our hearts to God’s judgments and ways revealed in His Word as we are continually led to

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge" -Proverbs 1:7 [KJV] Happy the soul that has been awed by a view of God's majesty, that has had a vision of God's awful greatness, His ineffable holiness, His perfect righteousness, His irresistible power, His Sovereign grace. Does someone say, "But it is only the unsaved, those outside of Christ, who need to fear God" ? Then the sufficient answer is that the saved, those who are in Christ, are admonished to work out their own salvation with "fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12). Time was when it was the general custom to speak of a believer as a "God-fearing man"-that such an appellation has become nearly extinct only serves to show whither we have drifted. Nevertheless, it still stands written "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear Him" (Psalm 103:13)! - Gospel report by preacher Arthur W. Pink, excerpt from &

If God is pleased to bestow saving mercy, is that not His prerogative? And is it not also His right, if He shows mercy, to bestow it upon whom He will?  Mercy is not a matter of debt, but of royal kindness which God gives when and where it seems good in His sight,  "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy."   Though men balk at the thought of distinguishing kindness, their complaint has no merit. The King declares,   "Is it not lawful for Me to do what I will with Mine own?" - Gospel report by preacher Jim Byrd