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

"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in M e, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without M e ye can do nothing." -J OHN 15:5 [KJV] Without a union with Christ, we have no spiritual existence; and we may boldly say that we no more have a spiritual being in the mind of God independent of Christ, than the branch of a tree has an independent existence out of the stem in which it grows. But you will observe, also, in this figure of the vine and the branches, how all the fruitfulness of the branch depends upon its union with the vine. Whatever life there is in the branch, it flows out of the stem; whatever strength there is in the branch, it comes from its union with the stem; whatever foliage, whatever fruit, all come still out of its union with the stem. And this is the case, whether the branch be great or small. From the stoutest limb of a tree to the smallest twig, all are in union with the stem and all derive life and nourishment from

"There is, therefore, now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus" -R OMANS 8:1 [KJV] THE FREEDOM OF THE BELIEVER is just what it is declared to be - ENTIRE EXEMPTION FROM CONDEMNATION. From all which that word of significant and solemn import implies, he is, by his relation to Christ, delivered. Sin does not condemn him, the law does not condemn him, the curse does not condemn him, hell does not condemn him, God does not condemn him. He is under no power from these, beneath whose accumulated and tremendous woe all others wither. A brief and simple argument will, perhaps, be sufficient to establish this fact. The pardon of sin necessarily includes the negation of its condemnatory power. There being no sin legally alleged, there can be no condemnation justly pronounced. Now, by the sacrifice of Christ all the sins of the Church are entirely put away. He, the sinless Lamb of God, took them up and bore them away into a land of oblivion, w

"...Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that He Himself also is compassed with infirmity" -H EBREWS 5:2 [ KJV]   Thanks be unto God for our compassionate and faithful High Priest, Jesus Christ (H EBREWS 2:17) . Our blessed Saviour knows our frame; He knows that we are but sinful dust (P SALM 103:13-14) . But in spite of all that we are (P SALM 39:5) and all that we have done (R OMANS 3:23) the Lord is longsuffering and compassionate toward His children ( II PETER 3:9) . So much that He loves the unlovely ( ROMANS 5:8) , so much that Christ justifies the ungodly (R OMANS 4:5) , so much that the Redeemer died to save sinners (R OMANS 5:6) . We read that His compassions fail not and are new every morning (L AMENTATIONS 3:22) . We read when He saw a multitude of sinners as sheep that were scattered having no shepherd, He was moved with compassion (M ATTHEW 9:36) . What a blessed Shepherd the Lord has pr