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

In Us and For Us!                                                                                         If ever we are to be established in the gospel, we must learn not to confuse the work of God for us with the work of God in us!   The work of God for us is the work through Christ Jesus by which God has accomplished, completed and perfected our redemption (Romans 3:25-26) . It is this magnificent work which is the object of our faith. This work is finished.   The second great work is the work of God in us (Philippians 2:13) . This is the continuing, unfinished work of God´s Spirit. It is sad to observe the endless mischief that has been unleashed on poorly taught Christians who confuse these two works. They fail to grasp that it is Christ’...

"Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts." -II Corinthians 1:22 [KJV] None but a sinner believing in Christ can say, God hath sealed me . But every believer in Him may truly say so. This seemed very plain from a former meditation. Do all believers alike enjoy the comfort of this sealing? No: no more than any one believer, alike, at all times, enjoys the comfort of it. This is a certain truth, “by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ”   (Romans 5:1.) Though every believer is alike justified before God, and is at peace with Him, yet every one has not the like sense of peace, nor any one, at all times. So it is of this blessed privilege of sealing.  But if it is not considered and believed, that it may be alike enjoyed in common by all believers, many will rest short of the comfort of it. And, indeed, this is the case. How few believers are crying, Lord! give me the comfort of this sealing.  I...

“Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto My sorrow, which is done unto Me, wherewith the LORD  hath afflicted Me in the day of His fierce anger." -Lamentations 1:12 [KJV] Dearest Jesus! I would sit down this evening, and looking up to Thee, ask the instructions of Thy blessed Spirit, to unfold some of the many tender inquiries wrapped up in this question of my Lord's. Whatever the mournful prophet's views were of the churches sorrow, when he wrote his book of Lamentations, surely sorrow never had its full potion poured out, but in the cup of trembling which Thou didst drink. And as in all the afflictions of Thy people, Thou wert afflicted, added to all Thine own personal sufferings, their's also Thou didst sustain. And where shall I begin, dear Lord, to mark down the amazing history of Thy sorrow? From the manger to the cross, every path was suffering. Indeed Thou art, by way of emphasis, called "the ...

"To be carnally-minded is death; but to be spiritually-minded is life and peace."   -Romans 8:6 [KJV]   Just in proportion as our heart and affections are engaged on heavenly objects, shall we feel a sweet savour of heaven resting upon our spirit; and as we can only give back what we receive, every going forth of divine life from the soul below is but the fruit and effect of the incoming of that life from above. Christ is our life above   (Colossians 3:4) ; and as He by His Spirit and grace maintains the life of faith in the soul, it manifests itself in gracious actings upon Himself.   Without this spirituality of mind, religion is but a mere name, an empty mask, a delusion, and a snare. God does not take into heaven, into the fulness of His own eternal bliss, those whom He does not love, and who do not love Him. It is a prepared people for prepared mansions. And this preparedness for heaven, as an inward grace, much consists in that sweet spirituality o...