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

In the Word of God, redemption was always for a specific people. In the garden of Eden, the animals that the Lord killed were for Adam and Eve, not for any of the fallen angels. When Abel offered to God the firstling of his flock, he brought it for himself and his family, not for Cain and his family. When the passover lambs were killed, they were sacrificed for the firstborn of the Israelite families, not for the firstborn of the Egyptian families. On the Day of Atonement when the high priest of Israel killed a goat and offered it to God upon the altar, that sacrifice was only on the behalf of Israel, not for any other nation. Even so, Christ came into this world to redeem a specific people, the elect of God. When He laid down His life, it was to satisfy justice for those given to Him by the Father in the covenant of grace. Let there be no misunderstanding here, we consider the teaching of universal redemption to be heresy because it is contrary to the Word of God and makes the...

"Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in T hee: yea, in the shadow of T hy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast."   -Psalm 57:1 [KJV]   The Psalmist speaks of what he calls “these calamities.”   All people experience “these calamities” of life whether they be afflictions, trials or troubles.  The difference that grace makes among men is demonstrated in where or to whom one goes to for comfort, help and refuge.  This is said to be a psalm of David when he was in the cave while hiding as Saul pursued him to take his life, David’s calamities were his alone as are ours.  But notice his plea, it is for God to be merciful to him.  He did not deserve God’s mercy as I don’t but, in Christ and through Him, we seek it and find it.  His trust was in God alone and as we know, God blessed him as He does all who trust in Him alone.  We have no confidence in the flesh and our tru...