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

" Likewise reckon ye yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ." —Romans 6:11 [KJV] There is a death IN sin which we are all naturally under. There is a death FOR sin; this our dear Saviour (we can never think of it too much, nor mention it too often) suffered for on the tree. And there is a death UNTO sin, which every believing member of Jesus partakes of, by virtue of union to Him. For when Jesus died for sin on the cross, all His members were mystically considered in Him, and dying in Him, as their covenant Head and Representative, unto sin. And, by communion with Jesus, the same Spirit which raised up Jesus the head, dwells in the mortal bodies of His believing members, quickening them to newness of life.  From hence the apostle would have such reckon, infer, or conclude themselves "to be dead indeed unto sin." And on the same account, and for the same reason, "alive unto God, through Jesus Christ." No

" Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." —Matthew 5:3 [KJV] In the day of the Spirit's power "the lofty looks of man are humbled, the haughtiness of man is bowed down, and the L ORD alone is exalted in that day ." —Isaiah 2:11 . Then a man's own righteousness, wherein he trusted, is seen as filthy rags. His strength he boasted of, is found to be perfect weakness; his heart, in which he gloried as good, is found to be deceitful and desperately wicked. Then he becomes in his own eyes a POOR SINNER. He knows his poverty; he feels his wretchedness. Thus, when Jesus alone is exalted in his sight, he becomes little, vile, and mean in his own eyes; then he is poor in spirit, a mere BEGGAR, who must be wholly indebted to free-grace bounty and free-gift mercy.  Though he sees his state to be guilty, wretched, and desperate, yet he is blessed: Why so? Merely because he sees and knows himself to be wretched, poor, miserable

Jesus, Not Just a Man by D.G. Miles McKee It’s not enough to believe that, as one preacher said, ‘Christ did something or other, which, somehow or other, had some connection or other with salvation.’ What a ridiculous statement.  The poor man had no clue about the Gospel and Christ’s Finished Work.  He and his congregation were going nowhere.  Why?  Because real faith, gospel faith, comes through the unadulterated preaching of the gospel (Romans 10:17). As the gospel is preached, the Holy Spirit generates faith. And genuine faith will cause us to embrace that God became a man. Not only did He become a man, He became our Man.  Faith sees that the God-Man, Christ Jesus, became our representative … the one who acted on our behalf.  Faith now causes us to say, “When He lived, I lived, when He died, I died and when He rose again, I rose again.” When the gospel is proclaimed and applied, faith sees we were in Christ when everything was redemptively accomplished. The believer

" The L ORD is my shepherd; I shall not want." —Psalm 23:1 [KJV] All comfort is derived to the soul from the knowledge of what Jehovah is to us. This we know by the word of truth, and enjoy in the sweet exercise of faith. "I am the good shepherd , " saith Jesus— John 10:11 . Thou art MY shepherd, says the believing soul. Thus, whatever office or character Jesus sustains, it is the glory of faith not only to view the Lord as such, but to draw sweet peace and comfort from it to one's own heart: that Thou art to ME. David knew the duty of a shepherd by experience. How watchful to preserve from danger, and how careful to guide and feed the sheep committed to his trust!  But herein is the peculiar love of the shepherd of our souls; He "gave His life for His sheep." And after such love manifested to them, shall they want either His power to protect, or His grace to supply their need? No; that is impossible. But a sheep is a silly weak creatu

" Blessed is the man whose strength is in Thee: in whose heart are the ways of Them." —Psalm 84:5 [KJV] When hearts are united in love there is a mutual complacency and delight in each other. Presence increaseth pleasure, absence begets uneasiness, jealousy of displeasing and fear of offending mutually subsist in each party. In some sense this holds good between the beloved soul and the loving Lord. All love is from Him; and as rivers from the sea return back to the great ocean, so the love which comes from God naturally flows back in complacency and affection of soul to Him. To know God is to love Him; both for what He is in Himself, and what He is to us in Christ Jesus.  The poor sinner who knows that he is in himself "without strength," rejoiceth at his very soul to know that the omnipotent Jesus is his strength; that all his might and power to strive against sin, to resist Satan, to overcome the world, is from above; it is treasured up in Jesus, a

" I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him." —Isaiah 57:18 [KJV] What a glorious declaration of free grace is this! Here is an absolute promise of mercy, not excited by the worthiness of the creature, but proceeding solely from the loving heart of a covenant God. Well might David say, "In Thy word do I trust: I rejoice at Thy word, as one that findeth great spoil." —Psalm 119:162 . The life of the soul is supported by the word of the Lord. This is the object of faith, the encourager of hope, and the exciter of love. Jesus is the essential word by whom Jehovah speaks.  The scriptures are revealed truths by the Spirit, of God's purposes, promises, and grace. Behold, be astonished and humbled, O soul, at thy apostacy, backslidings, and rebellion! Behold, admire, adore, and love the infinitely gracious procedures of the Father of all mercies. Here is the criminal arraigned at the bar; iniquity charged

" Brethren, ye have been called unto liberty: only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh." —Galatians 5:13 [KJV] Peter was grieved because his Lord asked him the third time, "Lovest thou Me?" Sure it ought to be matter of concern and grief to the loving, generous hearts of disciples, to think they yet need this caution of the Spirit. But, verily we all do. The most sanctified is yet in the flesh; and the flesh with its affections and lusts are alive: they are ever lusting and striving against the Spirit. The holy, happy soul, who is set at liberty from sin, Satan, and the law, in his conscience, is hereby liable to be brought again under bondage to the law and thraldom to sin.  Know thy danger; dread thine enemy; yea, rather fear and love thy best friend Jesus; cry to Him, Lord keep me continually . "Thou hast delivered my once captive soul from the power of the enemy; thou hast brought me out of the horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and

" And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? Will ye save him?" —Judges 6:31 [KJV] When the Lord Jesus appears and manifests Himself to the soul, it is so struck with His glory and grace, that it cries out in holy ecstasy, "What have I to do any more with idols?" — Hosea14:8— and an altar for spiritual worship is presently set up in the heart, and consecrated to Jehovah-Shalom, the L ORD of peace . In this chapter is a sweet view of the zeal of Gideon for the true worship of Jehovah. He instantly obeyed the word of Jesus, the angel of the presence, the man, the PEACE who appeared to him, and at His command he threw down the altar of Baal. He expected opposition from his Father's household and from the men of the city, therefore he did it by night.  A blessed instance of the obedience of faith joined to sanctified reason. As to the consequence after the work done, he "conferred not with flesh and blood;" he wa

" The flesh lusteth against the Spirit." —Galatians 5:17 [KJV] Christian experience fully proves this apostolic truth. Hence the children of God cannot do the things that they would: nor have we any authority from God's word to conclude this lusting ever ceased in any of the saints till they got to glory; none are delivered from it while in the flesh. For, as the renewed soul or spirit loves to enjoy spiritual and heavenly objects, so the flesh, or unrenewed part, lusts after those objects it is naturally conversant with, and from which it derives its happiness.  Here is thy conflict, O Christian. Hence the necessity of thy Lord's command, "Watch always." This is the use of the doctrine. What woeful effects have fulfilling the lusts or desires of the flesh produced in eminent saints! Thou standest by faith, be not high-minded, but fear. The conceptions of lust are the productions of sin.— see James 1:15 . The commission of sin contracts fresh s

" Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again." — John 3:7 [KJV] Spiritual doctrines ever appear to the judgment of carnal reason, foolishness. Marvel not to find the wisdom of natural men ever crying out, "How can these things be?" and explaining away their spiritual meaning by corrupt reasonings. We are not to expect a total freedom from our own carnal objections. The old man is yet alive; the kingdom of his residence, the flesh, is at war against that kingdom into which the soul is spiritually born. Many souls see clearly the nature of the doctrine of a new-birth of the soul, and are convinced of the necessity of it, in order to see the kingdom of God. But how are they straitened, pained, and perplexed to know whether it be accomplished in them or not!  And indeed, many have so unscripturally treated of the new birth, as sadly to puzzle and grievously distress simple hearts. Is it not marvellous to find men gravely telling us how many s

Bathed in the Gospel, Part III by D.G. Miles McKee Gospel faith is mighty, not in itself, but mighty because of its object, the Lord Jesus Christ .  Just as the Spirit of God always points away from Himself, so too, gospel faith always points away from itself towards the Lamb of God (see John 16:13-14) .  A faith-filled Church will be a Christ-centered Church and a Christ-centered Church will be a faith-filled Church.  If the gospel, however, is not the center of the church, there will be no genuine exploits done for God.  Without a Christ center, service in His cause becomes an inconvenient chore.  The Pastor will continually plead for volunteers to help with evangelism and other forms of service and yes, he’ll get plenty of ‘volunteers’ if he can make them feel guilty enough … but what a mess they can make of the cause of Christ.  If the Gospel does not hold first place in our churches, it holds no place. Unfortunately, in much of today’s church, the gospel is continual

" Gideon said, Alas! O Lord G OD : for I have seen an angel of the L ORD face to face. The L ORD said, Peace be unto thee: fear not; thou shalt not die." — Judges 6:22, 23 [KJV] "Jesus is the same Lord over all, rich in mercy to all who call upon Him." —Romans 10:12 . There is no difference between Old Testament saints and New, in regard to the object of salvation; "Jesus the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever." Poor Gideon thought a sight of the Lord must surely be present death; for, saith the Lord, "There shall no man see Me and live." —Exodus 33:20 . But the Lord appeared to him, as the angel of the covenant, the Mediator, the interposer. Not in terrible majesty and fiery wrath, to strike him dead, but as the Saviour, the merciful one.  This sight was attended with life to his soul and death to his fears. So Gideon found it, when he heard that ever-dear and most precious word, PEACE. This is ever the word of the bridegroo

" That no flesh should glory in His presence: He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." — I Corinthians 1:29, 31 [KJV] Humble, self-abased souls, who drink deep into self-knowledge, sensible what human nature is; whose eye of faith is to the Lord Jesus, and to what he is made of God to them; are as jealous of the pride of the flesh as they are of its sinfulness. This is a safe state; such have little reason to murmur because they do not experience high flights and ravishing ecstacies which appear to arise from nature and sense, because they lead to glory in the righteousness of the flesh.  Flesh is proud and prone to glory, even in the presence of God; but faith in Jesus cuts off all glorying in the flesh, as viewing all salvation out of ourselves in Jesus. This is the very essence of the faith of God's elect. Yet, while we are in the flesh, we are daily exposed to the workings of pride, which darken the views of Jesus, and tend to self-exalting and sel

 "I will bear the indignation of the L ORD , because I have sinned against Him, until He plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: He will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold His righteousness. ...Who is a God like unto Thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He retaineth not His anger for ever, because He delighteth in mercy.  He will turn again, He will have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities; and Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea." -Micah ch. 7, vss. 9, 18-19 [KJV]

" The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." —Galatians 5:22, 23 [KJV] This numerous issue is of supernatural generation; like Isaac, who sprang from the dead body of Abraham and barren womb of Sarah. Though believers love to bring forth such fruits, delight to see them, yet through humility they are backward in speaking of them, and averse to glory in them as productions of their own. Hence when these fruits of the Spirit appear inward or outward, like the bride of the Lamb on another occasion, she cries out in lowliness of heart, "Who hath begotten me these?" — Isaiah 49:21 . But is any thing too hard for God? "He maketh the barren soul to be a joyful mother of children." — Psalm 113:9 .  To this very end believers are "married to Jesus by faith, that they may bring forth fruit unto God." — Romans 7:4. There is no member of the

" A bruised reed shall He not break, and smoking flax shall He not quench, till He send forth judgment unto victory." —Matthew 12:20 [KJV] Through a sight of their sinful state, a sense of strong corruptions, weakness of faith, and small degree of the knowledge of Jesus, young converts, like David just come to the throne, are apt to say, "I am this day weak, though anointed king;" and to fear with him, "the sons of Zeruiah be too hard for me," — II Samuel 3:39 . The accuser of the brethren is ever an adversary to Jesus and the truth; he is always busy with souls, to stamp upon their minds the blackest impressions. He paints the Saviour, not as loving, gentle, and merciful to relieve distressed and comfort wounded, afflicted consciences; but as a rigid, austere, and cruel exactor.  When carnal reason joins in with false accusations, it is sore distress and conflict to the mind. But to the law and to the testimony. How readest thou, O soul? &quo

"Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone: because I am a man of unclean lips—for mine eyes have seen the King, the L ORD of Hosts ." —Isaiah 6:5 [KJV] When the glory of Jesus is manifested to the soul in the light of the Spirit, how doth it stain the pride of all human glory! The prophets of the Old Testament, and the apostles of Jesus under the New, were men of like passions, sinners like unto ourselves: by nature there is no difference: they were all saved by the same precious Saviour of sinners: a sight of themselves in the light of truth humbled them to the dust.  "O wretched man that I am!" cries Paul the apostle. "Woe is me; I am unclean, I am undone!" cries Isaiah the evangelical prophet. "God will suffer no flesh to glory in His presence." Jesus the Saviour alone shall be exalted; man, the sinner, though the subject of grace and salvation, shall be laid low; every hope in himself cut off; the exceeding sinfulness of sin