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

Faith is not the impulsive or moving cause of Justification. It is an act of pure and free grace, without any motive in the creature: Therefore the Apostle saith, "...being justified freely by His grace, through the redemption which is in Jesus Christ" [ E PHESIANS 1:7 ] . But this benefit would not be of grace, but of works, was our faith the impulsive cause of it: because faith is a work or act of ours, as we learn from the words of Christ: "This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent" [ J OHN 6:29 ] . Salvation is not of works, in any branch of it; "for by grace are y e saved, through faith; that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast" [ E PHESIANS 2:8-9 ] . From whence it is evident that Justification, which is a considerable part of salvation, cannot be by works. The grace of God eminently appears in contriving the way of our Justification by Christ...

Just as the Samaritan came to the beaten and wounded man so “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners " [I TIMOTHY 1:15 ] . Jesus came to save sinners. What an unspeakably welcome fact. In spite of the truth that we, like Paul, often consider ourselves the chief of sinners [I TIMOTHY 3:16 ] we as believers are learning to look outward to the glorified Man, the Son of God, who has passed through death and resurrection on our behalf [ see H EBREWS 12:2 ] . He came! He, the Creator, came— He became human and suffered, ignominy, crucifixion, and death! [JOHN 1:14; J OHN 19:18 ] . He came! He was raised out of death, ascended to Heaven, and is now crowned with honour and glory [ see Revelation 1:18; 1 Corinthians 15:14; 1 Corinthians 15:7; 1 Corinthians 15:8; Matthew 27:63-66; Luke 24:45-46; 2 Timothy 2:8; Acts 4:10-11; John 20:26; Luke 24:34; Acts 17:31; John 21:1; Mark 16:9; Mark 16:19 ] . He came! Why did He come? He came to save. He came and gave H...

"That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ." -PHILIPPIAN S 1:10 [KJV]   If divine light has enlightened your mind, divine life quickened your heart, and you love the Lord and His people, you must approve of the things that are excellent. For they are so commended to your conscience that you can no more do otherwise than you can tell a deliberate lie or call black white. And as you approve of them, you will disapprove of everything which is contrary to, or falls short of this excellency.   Now this is what distinguishes us from the world and the spirit of it, and from all whose eyes are blinded by the god of this world—that whilst they approve of the things God abhors, we approve of the things that God loves . Here is the mind of Christ; here is the teaching of the Spirit giving us in some measure to see as Christ sees, to feel as Christ feels, to love as Christ loves, and to approve as ...